I’m a little scattered deciding where to begin. Maybe it’s a mild case of writer’s block, or jet lag still clouding my thoughts. Either way, Sicily is still with me — in memory, in photos, and in the people I met.
Just last Saturday I baked a cake and somehow forgot to add the flour. Little moments like that make travel home feel surreal.
I’ve been back from Sicily for only a couple of days, yet a large part of me remains there. The trip left me with an abundance of photographs and warm memories of the many friendly faces we encountered during our stay with Fabrizia, Mita, and Gianluca.
We — Keiko, Chika, Ximena, Oliver and Nicky, Melissa, and I — were welcomed like family. I felt fortunate to be part of such a talented, generous group.
And the food was unforgettable.
Sicily was alive with moments, places, and faces begging to be photographed. I took hundreds of shots — always looking for the next small scene that captured the island’s character.
Missing the flavors already, I recreated two dishes from our hosts: ricotta gnocchi and crema bianco mangiare (a delicate blanc-manger). Both are simple, comforting preparations that bring back the flavors of our meals.
While I work on sharing those recipes, here’s a bright orange fruit salad I made before I left. In Sicily we ate so many citrus fruits — sweet oranges, fragrant lemons, perfumed vanilla oranges, tart citrons, and deep-hued blood oranges. They were all wonderfully succulent and perfect for a simple salade de fruits aux oranges.
Consider this salad my welcome to spring.
I also want to say thank you for the warm reception my book has received from readers and the press — the support means a great deal. Merci! It feels wonderful to be in this place right now.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup blond cane sugar
- 4 star anise
- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- A drizzle of lemon juice, to taste
- 4 blood oranges
- 4 oranges
To serve:
- Fresh mint, chopped
- Plain yogurt, to taste
Method
- Combine water and sugar in a small pot and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add star anise, vanilla bean (pods and seeds), cardamom pods, and cinnamon. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, then remove from heat and let the spices infuse for 30–60 minutes. Once cool, strain and discard the spices. Add lemon juice to taste.
- Using a sharp knife, remove the orange peel and pith until only the flesh remains. Trim away any remaining white membrane and slice the segments between the membranes to release clean pieces of orange.
- Divide the orange pieces among four bowls. Spoon the cooled spiced syrup over the fruit.
- Add a generous dollop of plain yogurt on each portion and scatter chopped mint on top. Serve immediately.