Last evening on my husband’s favourite food show-Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives was the demonstration and recipe for Arancinis.  The literal tanslation from Italian is “little orange” as that is what they resemble in appearance.  These delectable food balls are said to have originated in Sicily in the 10th century (if its not broke-don’t fix it). The version we saw demonstrated last night, was from Di Pasquale’s in Baltimore (you can find the recipe on this link to their site) and were stuffed with cheese, ragu and meat along with the mandatory peas.  Of the two versions we tasted-one was filled with a ragu meat sauce and the other with ham and mozarella. 

We were in Calatafimi, Sicily the morning we purchased them for a later meal.  They would make the perfect “to go” lunch, but I understand that they are commonly eaten as a snack.  We enjoyed them later in the day with a a taditional Sicilan soup of Pasta Fagioli.

In Calatafimi the roads are steep and the view of the surrounding mountains, exquisite.  We climbed to the highest point near the main church and found the ruins of another ancient church. 

If Jesus had not been born in Bethlehem, I think that it would have been here

We had gone to the village not far from where we were staying in Castellammare del Golfo, to “market” shop.  The outdoor market travels the area so that if you miss market day in one village, you can catch up to it in another. 

By happy accident, on the way out of town,  we came upon the Guido Brothers who ran the community grape press and the mule who actually still “motorizes” the job.

If you are ever considering a visit to Italy-go to Sicily:  full of ancient history, fascinating modern history, beautiful vistas and hard-working people who love their land and celebrate living with food. 

Kath’s quote: “The trouble with eating Italian food is that 5 or 6 days later you’re hungry again.”-George Miller

Open 2 ripe avocados as above. Take a paring knife and score the inside of the avocado into small squares, then use a spoon to scoop avocado into a bowl.  Add 5 slices of white onion which have been chopped, the juice of 4 key limes, half a bunch of chopped cilantro, salt to taste and 1 t of milk, plain yoghurt or sour cream and mix well. Serve immediately with taco chips.

 Kath’s quote: “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home.”-James Michener

The Don is a little place at the base of an apartment block at 120 Donald St. near Broadway Ave.  There are extra tables by the grocery store as well.  It would be ideal if you worked in the area.  Daughter #1 and I had breakfast there on a recent Sunday and the place was filled with regulars.

They serve Farmer’s Sausage in a variety of ways.  I had mine with eggs and hash browns. You could request the hand cut hasbrowns with onion and to be crispy-cooked (the mark of a fine breakfast establishment in my opinion).  Farmer’s Sausage is a local treat.  It is also called Mennonite Sausage because of its origins.  If you have never tasted a barbequed Farmer Sausage Burger you absolutely must.  I understand that the sausages (or patties) are made from smoked pork.  They contain little or no fat and stay together obediently on a grill.

Sister #2 has been making this super easy Farmer Sausage dip for years.  It is great to have when watching a football game or on the deck at the lake with ice cold beer.  Don’t be scared off by the processed ingredients-once isn’t going to hurt you (and in this case it is worth it!)

Place 8 oz. of Velveeta cheese, 1 can or cream of mushroom soup, 1 c of salsa, 1 Farmer’s Sausage that has been browned and crumbled and 1 can of pork and beans into a crock pot and heat on high heat until melted through, then keep on low heat all afternoon.  Serve with a sturdy taco chip.

If you are interested in more ways to cook with Farmer’s Sausage check out “Mennonite Girls Can Cook”.  I discovered this site when I was looking for a Blueberry Platz recipe.  I always wondered if the title is meant to be a declaration or a surprise.

Daughter #1 had a veggie burger which was made from scratch and had a cottage cheese base.  I MUST find out what else is in the patty because I love cottage cheese and the texture combination of creamy and crunchy.

Kath’s quote: “A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future.” ~Author Unknown

Today while enjoying a delicious lunch at the Winnipeg Winter Club, the conversation turned to food yearnings.  Winnipeg is just about as far away from Mexico as you can get in North America (except The Northwest Territories perhaps) and yet the entire table was in need of a  Mexican food fix.  That was when one person mentioned a place that I have never heard of.

I headed right down to the El Izalco Market at 696 Sargent Ave. (at the corner of Toronto St).  There I met Sarah Esperanza who has owned the shop for 11 years.  Sarah is delightful and so helpful.  She was so ready to find the products that I came for and to share her recipes with very little prompting. 

I purchased a package of her frozen homemade Chiles Relleno and when I asked her what kind of a tomato sauce that I should use, she said “Just wait, I’ll get you some of mine.”  She recommended that they be defrosted (in the mic) but then oven baked.  My husband and I went for a walk while they were in the oven and when we got home-the aroma in the house was intoxicating.  I topped them with cubed feta cheese and served them along side a mixture of rice, corn and red peppers.

I am familiar with a recipe when they are just stuffed with cheese-these also had a spicy sausage meat.  Oh my goodness-Sarah your Chiles Relleno are divine!

Kath’s quote: “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”-George Bernard Shaw