Why Italians Love to Talk About Food (60 page)

How much leisure they must have had to come up with such refinements! Naturally, it was the chief cooks of the monasteries who had the most free time to engage in these activities. They viewed culinary experimentation as a path to holiness. It was these devout God-seekers who created such wonders as Sicilian
cassata
, filled with candied fruits, whipped ricotta, and vanilla mousse.

Cassata
was born in Palermo in the eleventh century, and its recipe was improved until it reached its current state of perfection, before the end of the nineteenth century. The history of
cassata
developed alongside Palermo's. On June 14 of the year 827, the Arabs landed in Mazara del Vallo and occupied Sicily, proclaiming the emir's residence, Palermo, a free port: troops returning from military campaigns could enjoy a rest there, and a moratorium on the Koran's rules was proclaimed. In Palermo, soldiers were allowed to savor in advance the delights promised by Mohammed to those valiant warriors who fell in battle. Alcoholic beverages were permitted and, to distill them, the Arabs themselves brought special vessels called alembics. Vendors of sweets abounded, and tents with belly dancers from the Orient enticed passersby. The new Arab delicacies—citrus fruits and sugar—were eaten more in Palermo than in any other Saracen colony in Sicily.

When the Normans invaded Sicily in 1060 and entered Palermo, a melting pot of very different cultures created a felicitous cultural stew, reflected in the culinary sphere as well. Thus an insanely caloric Easter dessert appeared to commemorate the victory of the Christians over the Arabs: the
cassata
(from the Arab
quas-at
, cauldron), whose recipe was tested and perfected by Norman nuns under the guidance of the noblewoman Eloisia Martorana. It is made of almond paste, sheep's milk ricotta, and candied fruit; decorated with cannoli, colorful wafer florets, and silvery confetti; topped with sugar frosting; and given sugar trim on the sides.

Cannoli had a life of their own for centuries before they were used to decorate the
cassata
. Cicero had already thought to praise them when he was quaestor in Sicily:
Tubus farinarius, dulcissimo edulio ex lacte factus
, that is, “A pastry tube, a very sweet edible, made with milk.”

Though
cassata
was conceived as a ricotta dessert for Easter, its appearance is not at all devout, but rather full of repressed eroticism, which is not surprising given the cloistered environment in which it was created (see “
Eros
”).

In the sixteenth century, the Spanish introduced chocolate and sponge cake to Sicily. In the nineteenth century, it became fashionable to decorate the
cassata
with candied fruit, soaked in thick syrup for exactly forty days, in accordance with religious symbolism: that is, for the entire duration of Lent. These fruits tinted the surface of the
cassata
with vibrant colors that stood out against the whipped cream background. Subsequently,
cassata
's distinction spread throughout the world—thanks in part to the long journeys of Italian emigrants.

 

In his very interesting article “Marilyn Monroe e la cassata siciliana,” Roberto Scarpinato, magistrate and deputy prosecutor (Anti-Mafia Special Directorate) at the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Palermo, describes the complex implications of
cassata
in the context of the Sicilian world, particularly against the backdrop of the mafia and its complicated supremacy struggles and power games.

Just as the thin wafer of the Host contains the bimillenary history of Western Christianity, so the
cassata
encompasses the entire history of Sicily, from the “Paleolithic” recipe, through its Greek, Arabic, Norman, and Spanish reincarnations, until the present-day figure of the “poor
cassata
. . . it, too, brutalized by the dark malevolence of power”:

 

When we talk about power in Sicily, we cannot fail to mention the role of
cassata
in the mafia world . . . At the end of the meal it, the
cassata
, arrives at the table greeted by cries of wonder: I'll leave it to you to imagine how magnificent mafia
cassata
is. Once the
cassata
has been savored, the unsuspecting designated victim is surrounded by friends who, acting affectionately, without rancor, nothing personal for heaven's sake, choke off the last mouthful in his throat by tightening the noose around his neck.
²

 

The same Sicilian pastry chefs made another treat famous: marzipan. The art of shaping figurines of almond paste was also brought to Sicily by the Arabs. The
almond paste itself may well have been made elsewhere, but to make it suitably moldable, orange flower water must be added. Without it, nothing can be produced. And orange trees bloom in Sicily.

After properly distilling the orange flower water, the almonds are crushed in a mortar and sugar is added to the mixture. One must work quickly, or the paste hardens and crumbles. The Benedictine nuns of the convent of Martorana, in the best traditions of Sicilian “religious pastry making,” began shaping figurines of little angels and the pierced heart of Our Lady of Sorrows, and coloring them with extracts of roses, saffron, and pistachios. Some works assumed an inexplicably profane aspect, for example, girl's breasts crowned with cherries, perhaps inspired by the martyrdom of St. Agatha of Catania.

The art of marzipan figurines conquered the hearts not only of the sisters of Martorana, but of all the wizards of the local cuisine. It reached extraordinary heights during the Baroque era, which is not surprising, since it is founded on the same stunning deception that informed the Baroque aesthetic. Marzipan fruits are sold throughout Italy today, made so skillfully that it is impossible to distinguish them from the real thing. Contests are held in Sicily to crown the most skilled marzipan creator, such as the competition that takes place in Palermo on January 20, St. Sebastian's day. Who will mold an edible saint, pierced by arrows? And the most inviting roast goose?

 

In Bourbon times landed property in Sicily was represented by enormous estates, or latifundia, belonging to the king's barons: a system inherited from Norman feudal times. Such huge estates, of course, meant large fields of wheat to cultivate, and therein lies the uniqueness of Sicilian agriculture compared to that of other regions. In the Apennine Peninsula, areas where wheat could be successfully grown were few. Since it offered this possibility, Sicily made up for Italy's acute shortage of wheat and enjoyed the security of a monopoly.

Over the centuries, arable lands in Sicily increased, at the cost of atrocious deforestation. Given the totally agricultural nature of the island's economy, the owner of a large latifundium not only prospered, but was rich as Croesus.

In no other region in Europe were aristocratic origins so highly esteemed. The barons in Sicily enjoyed an authority that exceeded that of the
padrini
(godfathers). The jury is still out as to who were more respected by the island's inhabitants: the
nobility or the mafia. In the aforementioned article “Marilyn Monroe e la cassata siciliana,” the prosecutor Roberto Scarpinato provides a lapidary assessment of Sicilian society:

 

A society, today as yesterday, based on the cornerstone of the patron-client relationship, in which the culture of rights remains elitist and fragile with respect to the hegemonic one of
“Baciamo le mani”
[we kiss your hands], of the clan, of the tribe, of submission to the powerful who are asked for favors and protection in exchange for selling or relinquishing one's own rights as a citizen.
³

 

Scarpinato's characterization helps us understand the many nuances of the Sicilian tales that the whole world has come to know through literature and film. This article about Sicilian desserts, written by a prosecutor, provides us with valuable information on the cultural and political panorama of the island's life—much more so than
The Mafia Cookbook
by Joe Cipolla, who was a cook for three generations of mafia bosses. First, because Cipolla talks mainly about the American mafia, and second, because his book is written in a jocular, anecdotal vein, with recipes such as chicken Valachi (the reference is to Joseph Valachi, an early mafia informant), pigeons
alla lupara
(shotgun-style), and
caponata
Al Capone.

Whatever the case, Sicilian nobles enjoyed and still enjoy enormous economic privileges. In the first place, they have always had the opportunity to produce and sell oranges, wheat, and almonds in huge, industrial quantities. Indeed Sicily, at one time so rich in wheat as to merit the appellation “granary of Italy,” naturally became an area of great pasta and couscous consumption (around Marsala and Trapani). The local wheat, of excellent quality, proved ideal for producing the couscous introduced by the Arabs. Here it is cooked and served primarily with fish (another region that counts couscous among its typical products is Sardinia, where it is eaten not so much with fish as with meat sauces and vegetable
ragù
s).

In the center of Sicily, prickly pears (
fichi d'India
) are often eaten. The name was given to this cactus when it was introduced in Sicily because of the common confusion of the Indies with the Americas. In addition to offering such sweet fruit, prickly pear plants are used to surround houses with spiked living fences. Moreover, cochineal insects (
Coccus cacti
), who are important for the production of scarlet dye, breed on this plant. And finally,
mostarda
, an excellent dish with cooked wine, prickly pears, and mustard, is popular.

In the province of Agrigento the almond tree is prevalent. During the period
when the almond trees bloom, around New Year's Day, the entire southern part of Sicily appears to be covered with white lace and an unforgettable fragrance. Almond milk is served in bars and cafés just as cappuccino is served in the north, or mixed with coffee instead of cow's milk.

 

Sicily is bathed by three different seas, and fish of three different provenances are consequently found in its markets. In the Ionian Sea, swordfish is caught. On the north shore, along the ancient coast of the Cyclops, grouper, sawfish, white bream, a special variety of mackerel, and albacore tuna are found. On the south coast snapper (dentex) is caught, and seasoned with mayonnaise made with Agrigento oranges. In the bay of Syracuse and in the waters of the Egadi Islands, particularly in the Bay of Favignana, the
mattanza
(mass killing) of three-meter-long tuna is celebrated, unchanged since the time of the
Odyssey
. The rituals of this harpoon fishing recall those of Calabria and Sardinia, and they, too, date back to Byzantine times. After harpooning the fish, fishermen, in Sicily as in Calabria, shout incantations in Greek: echoes of a Byzantine ritual. These cries, incomprehensible to the local peoples, as well as the practice of harpoon fishing itself, were imported from Byzantium. The Byzantines also happily ate tuna from the Black Sea and Spanish tuna. Euthydemus, the Greek author of a treatise on salted meats and vegetables, wrote:

 

The
thymnia
or female tuna is found in Byzantium in particular. Take the tail, cut it in pieces and roast it until thoroughly done. Sprinkle it with nothing but salt, moisten it with oil, and soak it in a strong brine. If after that you wish to eat it without a sauce, it is an excellent dish which would give the gods an appetite, but if you serve it moistened with vinegar you take away all its merits . . . Byzantium is the mother of salted tuna, of mackerel which is a bottom dweller, and of angelfish, which is very nourishing, but . . . the little town of Patio is the respectable nurse of
cogoils
[large mackerel or hake]. The merchants of the Abruzzi, of Campania, and of the good city of Tarentum go to Cadiz for marinated
orcin
, stored in large jars in triangular pieces. A chunk of tuna from Sicily that is to be salted in a jar makes me scorn
coracin
that is sought far off in the Pont and those who praise it highly.
⁴

 

But the Byzantines were simply crazy about Sicilian tuna, so much so that they bought up almost all the local catch, which they then preserved. Sicilian fishermen do battle with the tuna accompanied by the chanting of ancient songs, the
tonnarotti
,
that sound cruel and solemn. According to Palermo's recipe, the tuna meat is quickly grilled after being marinated in wine, olive oil, vinegar, and rosemary. In addition, tuna can be browned in a pan with tomato and basil (marinara-style).

The abdomen of the female is filled with
bottarga
, roe, a favorite ingredient in Italian cuisine. The
bottarga
is eaten with oil, garlic, and parsley, and is used to prepare spaghetti sauces. The eyes of the tuna (
occhi rassi
) are salted separately in small casks with red pepper and dill. Much prized is the
ventresca
, or belly (the muscle of the ventral part of the tuna), what the ancient Greek gourmands called the hypogastrium. The roasted testicles and gonads (
lattume
) of the tuna are also eaten. The stomach and esophagus are washed, salted, and served with boiled potatoes. According to the fishermen, the tastiest part of the tuna is the heart: they brown it lightly salted, after letting it rest two or three days. Focaccias are mixed with the tuna's blood (they are well-known in Sardinia also, where they are called
fugasse
: a rare, unusual food). From the sun-dried tuna fillet
musciame
, or
musciuma
, or
mosciame
, is produced, which, softened with oil and lemon, is used as a dressing for salads. It is also enjoyed sliced on bread, adding arugula and sliced tomato. Finally, not even the tuna's head is wasted: ground up, it is used as fertilizer. It is not unusual to encounter a big tuna bone in a garden. This is not surprising: since ancient times, tuna has everywhere been called the “sea pig,” because every part of its body is processed and, as with the pig, no part of the tuna is discarded.