L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano N a m e d f o r t h e ancient Siculi King Hyblon, the Hyblaean Mountains (i Monti Iblei), in southeast- ern Sicily, are characterized by limestone rock forma- tions, sloping mountains, and some of the most pic- turesque towns on the island. T h e B a r o q u e v i l l a g e s of Ragusa, Modica, Noto, and Scicli are built into the hillsides, begging visitors to wander up winding roads to take in one exceptional view after another. But the most heavenly tour through this corner of Sicily is a gastro- nomic one. The local plant and animal life cultivated throughout these volcanic mountains make for some of t h e m o s t f l a v o r f u l a n d unique culinary traditions on the island. It seems only fitting to start with the most iconic of Sicilian sweets, the canno- l o . P i s t a c h i o - s t u d d e d o r cocoa-dusted, the fried pas- try shell that oozes with fresh ricotta just cannot be repli- cated off the island. Howev- er, the Ragusa region stands apart with a traditional ricot- t a m a d e f r o m c o w ' s m i l k instead of the more ubiqui- t o u s s h e e p ' s m i l k . W h i l e m a n y I t a l i a n s i n s i s t t h a t ricotta should be pecora- infused, others relish the mild creaminess of a ricotta ragusana. The famed golden-hued brick of ragusano PDO c h e e s e i s a l s o m a d e f r o m cow's milk, and more specifi- cally, from the rare Modi- cana cow breed. Once num- bering over 20,000, there are now only a couple thou- sand of this deep-red-hued bovine left in the local live- stock population. Not only does her milk go into making the ragusano cheese, but into the local caciocavallo and provola cheeses as well. The more understated but equally important Ragusano c u l i n a r y s u p e r s t a r i s t h e almond. The most famous varieties of these dry fruits hail from the Noto and Avola areas, and go into the cre- ation of classic pasticcini across Sicily. They are used t o m a k e e v e r y t h i n g f r o m marzipan and the ubiqui- tous, tender, and soft Sicilian cookies studded with pine nuts, pistachios, and candied cherries, to spectacular gela- to and granita. Several years ago local pastry maker and o w n e r o f N o t o ' s C a f f è Sicilia, Corrado Assenza, shot to attention for his pro- file on Netflix's Chef's Table. His passion for his native land led to his work in pro- moting the cultivation and p r e s e r v a t i o n o f t h e l o c a l a l m o n d s . O f c o u r s e , o n e should not forgo an opportu- nity to pick up some almond- based pastry from his cafe, but just for a fair compari- son, it's a good idea to fre- q u e n t n e a r b y r i v a l C a f f è Costanzo for a scoop of their almond gelato as well. Other fruits of the fertile land appear in the form of the Pachino tomatoes, the Tonda Iblea olive and beans, both the cosaruciaru (dialect f o r " s w e e t t h i n g " ) a n d the fava cottoia. While the sweet tomatoes were only introduced to Sicily in the 1980s, they are now a well- k n o w n a n d b e l o v e d I G P tomato. Frequently appear- ing on menus in a variety of dishes, their flavor can best b e e n j o y e d i n a s i m p l e s u g o t o s s e d w i t h pasta. Meanwhile, the Tonda Iblea variety of olive pro- duces a bold and captivating extra-virgin olive oil that leaves the flavor of tomato c o a t i n g t h e t o n g u e a n d enlivens meats, pastas, and soups with its unique taste. Throughout Ragusa, this is t h e o l i v e o i l t h a t w i l l b e found on tables. And the two varieties of beans from this area are being promoted by the Slow Food Movement to help preserve the land's biodiversity. The creamy, white-with-maroon-color- ing cosaruciaru hails from Scicli, and needs the younger generation to get involved in its cultivation to continue as a c r o p i n t h e f u t u r e . T h e bean can be used to make a hearty soup, notable for its sweetness. The fava cot- toia comes from neighbor- ing Modica, and while not as popular in kitchens today, it speaks to the history of the land from decades ago, when it fed both field workers and the Modicana cow. T h e l o c a l p r o d u c e , cheeses, and meats are then combined to create tradi- tional pastries both savory and sweet throughout the Hyblaean towns. Versions of scacce abound on the island, but the scacce ragu- sane are folded like a layered pizza, and filled with local f l a v o r s l i k e G i a r r a t a n a onions, tomato sauce, and fresh ragusano cheese. Pasti eri ragusani are mini "vol- canos," meat-filled pastry cups typically made during the Easter week in Ragusa, also featuring the ragusano c a c i o c a v a l l o c h e e s e c o m - bined with a pork and veal mixture that's tucked into a pastry shell made with strut- to, a type of lard commonly used in southern Italian bak- ing. Similar to the scacce is the sfuogghiu, or sfoglio ragusano, a Ragusa Christ- mas Eve preparation that's also a type of savory puff pastry meat pie stuffed with sausage, cow's milk ricotta and frittola (a pork product that doesn't melt off during lard production). This pie is still made today in homes and sold at bakeries, and is f r e q u e n t l y s e r v e d t o p p e d with sugar and cinnamon. During the last Saturday i n M a y , t h e t o w n o f Scicli celebrates its patron s a i n t , M a r i a S a n t i s s i m a delle Milizie. Local festivities include a reenactment of the Turkish invasion of the Nor- mans, and just as the latter are about to be defeated, the patron saint appears and the Turks retreat in a display of fireworks. The sweetest part of the celebration comes in c o n s u m i n g t h e t e s t a d i t u r c o , a l o c a l c o n f e c t i o n w h o s e t u r b a n s h a p e i s inspired by the losing party, made of a big beignet that's sliced in two and typically sandwiched with fresh, sweet ricotta or pastry cream and chocolate chips. As is typical of Sicilian pastry, the dough is made using lard rather than butter, and requires plenty of eggs. For many, a trip through the region of the Baroque cities is worth it simply for the sights, whether it's the panoramic vistas from the top of Ragusa Ibla, the lime- stone churches in Noto, or the dwellings built up and down into Modica's canyon. But scratch the surface and you'll find that the culinary traditions of the Hyblaean Mountain communities are just as powerful, beckoning taste buds with the edible riches of the Sicilian land. JESSICA S. LEVY A "sfuogghiu," a traditional pastry made in Ragusa on Christmas Eve (Photo: gianni bellassai/Shutterstock) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE Tasting Baroque Sicily: flavors of the Hyblaean Mountains

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