Sicilian Bucatini With Sardines: Pasta Chi Sardi

This is one of the dishes associated with the city of Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily, although Sicilians beyond Palermo make the dish. Legend has it that an Arab cook invented the dish in the 800s (yes, 800s) on Sicily by using fish and wild fennel, both plentiful on Sicily.  

 

On Sicily, they have a type of wild fennel common to the island they use, but you'll likely have to settle for the fennel from your produce store or from your garden. Bucatini is a type of Italian pasta that is much like thick spaghetti, but with a hole running through the middle. There is an abundance of sardines in the waters off of Palermo, which is a port city in northwestern Sicily; thus, Sicilians use fresh sardines for this dish, but you can use canned sardines, and I use boneless and skinless sardines. I'm not a fan of having to pick bones out of fish, and I've found that many people who say they do not like fish, it is because of bones in the fish, not the taste of fish.

 

Ingredients (5 to 6 servings):

 

8 ounces bucatini

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup chopped fennel (including fronds), divided use

good pinch of saffron threads + 1 tablespoon tomato paste + 3 tablespoons water

3 anchovy fillets

two cans sardines (4.4 to 5 ounces each) 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1/3 cup coarse breadcrumbs (panko is fine) toasted in 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt for the pasta water

If you use whole cleaned sardines, they will need to be butterflied and have the bones removed. Canned sardines should begin to sound better now. Haha 

Add the water, tomato paste and saffron to a cup or small bowl, stir and set it aside. In a skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion and saute until it begins to soften. Add the raisins, pine nuts, 1/4 cup chopped fennel, anchovy fillets; saute for 3 to 4 minutes, then add one can of sardines and cook for another 3 minutes, breaking up the sardines and anchovies (which will begin to dissolve) during that time. Now add the saffron, tomato paste and water mixture; stir well. In the meantime, cook the bucatini in boiling water, seasoned with the other 1/4 cup chopped fennel and the fronds of fennel and salt. Cook until nearly al dente. Remove the bucatini from the water with a slotted spoon or a sieve and add it to the skillet, then add 1 cup of the seasoned cooking water to the skillet and increase the heat to medium high. Add the other can of sardines (but don't deliberately break up these fish) and the ground black pepper. Stir frequently and cook until much of the liquid is gone (I used low heat). Use a small skillet to heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and toast them until golden, stirring lightly, but constantly, to prevent the breadcrumbs from getting too dark or burning. Serve the bucatini and sardines with some of the breadcrumbs sprinkled over the top. 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Vigor (British spelling: vigour)- This word is related to "vegetable," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French, and it is distantly related to "watch" and "wake," words from the Germanic roots of English. "Vigor" goes back to Indo European "weg/wek," which had the notion, "to be active, to be lively. This gave Latin "vigere" meaning, "to be lively, to thrive." This produced the Latin noun "vigor" (accusative: vigorem), with the meaning, "liveliness, activity;" thus also, "strength." This passed to Latin-based Old French as "vigor" (also "vigur?"), and this then became "vigour," including in the Anglo-French dialect spoken in England, all with the meaning of "strength to exert oneself in activity." English borrowed the word in the early 1300s as "vigour," and later the American spelling returned to the Latin spelling "vigor." 

Sicilian Pesto Bruschetta

What many people likely think of as pesto is green and it originated in Genoa (Italian: Genova) in northwestern Italy; thus, it is called "pesto alla genovese." The pesto for this bruschetta is called "pesto alla trapanese;" that is, pesto of Trapani, a city in western Sicily, where it is often used as the sauce for a twisted style of pasta called "busiate." Bruschetta is made with whole slices of bread grilled or otherwise toasted, that is immediately rubbed with garlic and brushed with olive oil, then often sprinkled with salt or topped with other items, like with this pesto, and it is served while still warm. Bruschetta's little sister is crostini, made from smaller slices of bread, that are then grilled or toasted and given various toppings. Baguettes or similar are often used for crostini, as they are of a smaller diameter than regular loaves of bread. 

 

Ingredients:

 

For the Pesto:

 

1/2 cup skinless almonds, toasted lightly

1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, blanched, peeled, cored and chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, skin on, rinsed and drained, then dried on paper towels 

1 loosely packed cup fresh basil (about 20 to 25 leaves)

12 to 15 fresh mint leaves

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 small whole red chili pepper

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (this is a sheep's milk cheese)

1/2 teaspoon salt (or more, but remember, the cheese is salty) 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (more if you want a thinner pesto)

Toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat until some light browning starts to show. To a blender or a food processor, add the almonds and processor for just a few seconds to get started, then add the Roma tomatoes and the grape tomatoes, garlic, basil, mint, red pepper flakes or chili pepper, salt, and process for about 20 seconds, then drizzle in the olive oil while processing slowly until the pesto is combined (continue until smooth, if you like it that way, or stop when it retains some chunkiness). Empty into a bowl or jar and stir in the Pecorino Romano by hand. 

 

For the Bruschetta

 

bread or rolls (sliced)

garlic

extra virgin olive oil

 

Toast the bread or sliced rolls, rub with garlic and add some extra virgin olive oil, then spread on some of the "pesto alla trapanese," top with some tomato slices and olives, serve immediately while still a little warm.

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Pesto-This word is related to "pestle" and to "pistil," words of Latin derivation borrowed by English via French. "Pesto" goes back to Indo European "peis," which meant, "to crush." This gave Latin "pinsere," meaning, "to beat, to pound, to stamp, to crush." This then became "pistare," meaning "to crush, to pound," which then became "pestare." The noun "pesto" comes from either a short form (or common spoken form? or dialect?) of the past participle of "pestare," which is "pestato,"^ or from the first person singular form which is "pesto;" thus, "I crush" or "I crush (by pounding)." English borrowed the word in the late 1930s from Italian.

^ This would make the literal meaning of the noun, "that which has been crushed."

Caponata Crostini, Sicilian Eggplant Appetizer

Caponata is an eggplant based dish from the Italian island of Sicily. It can be used as a topping for bruschetta, or as I've done here, for crostini, or it can be used as a side dish, and it can be served warm or at room temperature. There are a lot of variations in recipes, so as always, this is my version. Crostini are small slices of bread, brushed with olive oil, then toasted by grilling, in the oven, or in a skillet, and then topped with any variety of vegetables, cheeses, meats, or some combination thereof.

Ingredients (using just one eggplant):

1 medium eggplant, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon salt
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
6 to 8 medium to large pitted green olives, roughly chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 small onion, chopped 

1 large garlic clove, minced or finely chopped 

1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 

Small Italian bread slices, brushed with olive oil, toasted, then halved

Cut the eggplant into bite-sized pieces, then spread it out on a large plate covered with a paper towel. Sprinkle salt over the eggplant, then cover with another paper towel. You can also place another plate or two on top to add weight. Let the eggplant sit for 30 to 45 minutes. This will draw out some of the liquid from the eggplant. In the meantime, heat 1/2 cup oil in a heavy-duty skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook about 5 or 6 minutes, the until onion and celery are softened. Add the garlic, olives, anchovies, chili flakes and tomatoes and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar and then stir in vinegar. Reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking for another couple of minutes. In another skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Wash off the eggplant pieces (you can discard the rendered liquid). Squeeze the eggplant by hand to remove water and other juices and then add it to the fresh skillet. Cook until lightly browned. Remove to a plate with a paper towel and allow excess oil to drain. Add the eggplant to the other mixture and stir well. Spoon some of the caponata onto the crostini (the plural form of "crostino").

Great as an appetizer, or add a salad for a nice light lunch.

WORD HISTORY:
Isle-First, in spite of the similarity in spelling and meaning, this word is NOT related to the word "island," which is a Germanic word essentially meaning, "water land," or "land on the water," although the spelling of "island" with an "s" (which had not been part of its spelling), was definitely influenced by the Latin spelling (see below). On the other hand, the ancient origin of "isle" is uncertain, but it "may" be related to "salt," with the general notion being "(land) in the salt water (sea)," but this is far from certain. Latin had "insula," meaning "island" ("insula" is indeed the second part of the word "peninsula"). "Seemingly" a later Latin variant spelling "isula" gave Old French the greatly contracted form "isle," which was contracted further to "ile." This was borrowed into English in "about" 1290. The influence of the Latin spelling, however, had French restore, and English add, the "s" to the word circa 1500, although modern French spells it "île," with the "^", called a circumflex, indicating there was once an "s" in the spelling. Close English relative German uses "Insel" as its primary word for "island;" a borrowing long ago directly from Latin "insula," although it also has "Eiland," pronounced "I-lahnt" (long "I" sound), the close form to English "island," but it is stylistically very high sounding, used more in grand writing and poetry in modern times.

Fried Potatoes Sicilian Style

I cut this recipe out of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, apparently in 2002, as they took it from what they call "a good new book" by Clarissa Hyman called "Cucina Siciliana," which means "Sicilian Cuisine," and it was published by Interlink, 2002. The dish is called "Sauteed Rosemary Potatoes With Cherry Tomatoes and Black Olives," and if you want the recipe, that WAS the recipe! Just joking. I love fried potatoes and when I tried this, I was just completely sold. I fix it fairly often. I rarely follow recipes to the letter, and I don't completely follow this one either, as I slice the potatoes, like home fries, rather than use "chunks," which is what the recipe calls for, and I add some fresh hot peppers, like serranos, as well as the black pepper. You certainly could use some hot pepper flakes as a substitute, although fresh hot peppers are now commonly sold in most supermarkets. 

8 medium red-skinned potatoes (you can use other potatoes)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper or peperoncino (or any hot chili pepper, to taste, chopped)
12 cherry or grape tomatoes (see text below)
12 black olives, quartered (Kalamata olives are good for this, or Niçoise olives, halved or whole)
fresh parsley

While the author says to peel the potatoes, I don't, I leave the skins on. Cook the potatoes in water for about 12 minutes and drain them well. Slice the potatoes, or cut them into "chunks," as in the actual recipe. Add the olive oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes, rosemary, garlic, salt, and the hot peppers + black pepper. (While the recipe doesn't say, I chop the garlic.) Stir the potatoes to make sure the other ingredients coat the potatoes. Cook for 10-15 minutes (I lean more to 13-15 minutes), stirring occasionally to keep the potatoes from sticking (I usually add a little more olive oil, too). Add the tomatoes and olives at about the 7-8 minute mark. Again, while the recipe doesn't call for this, after the tomatoes heat up, I usually take a large spoon and mash them down so the liquid mixes in, although sometimes they begin to split open on their own. When finished, the potatoes should be nice and browned and somewhat crisp. Add the parsley just before removing the potatoes from the heat.

Just a GREAT dish, with the browned potatoes, the hint of garlic and rosemary, a little heat, the brininess of the olives and the little tomatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:  

Potato-First, potatoes, like true sweet potatoes (not yams, which came to the New World from Africa) and tomatoes, are from the New World and their popularity as a great source of food only spread to the rest of the world gradually, often by way of Spanish and Portuguese traders. Potatoes became one of the main sources of food in many countries, and in Ireland, the little nation was so dependent on potatoes, a blight on the potato crop in the mid 1800s cost the lives of hundreds of thousands from starvation. Between deaths and emigration (often to the United States), it is estimated that Ireland's population decreased by as much as one quarter during that era. To put that into perspective, imagine a decrease in the current U.S. population by about 80 million. Spanish got the word "patata" from "batata" from one of the Taino dialects of the Caribbean islands. Taino is now largely extinct, as other languages, primarily Spanish, replaced it on the various islands. Originally the word meant "sweet potato," but later the similarly looking (on the outside) white potato had the same word applied to it. English got the word from Spanish in the mid 1500s.

The German Question, Part One Hundred Forty-Seven

Hitler Rules Germany" Part Two/C
"Germany In World War Two" Part Two/G
"Germany in Retreat"

Just two months after the Axis surrender in North Africa, the Allies invaded the large Italian island of Sicily. Italian resistance was sporadic, at best, and essentially collapsed, but German forces on the island cost the Allies heavy causalities, before successfully evacuating to the Italian mainland. During the fighting for Sicily, Mussolini was deposed and then arrested. He eventually was held in a ski resort hotel on a mountain, Gran Sasso, in central Italy. Hitler ordered a special operation to rescue Il Duce ("the leader"), and in September German paratroopers and commandos landed by gliders near the resort and freed Mussolini.*

The new Italian government assured the Germans they would remain true to the alliance with Germany, but the Germans correctly suspected otherwise, and the Italians were in negotiations to surrender to the Allies. The Allies invaded parts of southern Italy in early September, and the Italian surrender was announced. Hitler already had military units in Italy, and he sent more troops to disarm the Italian military and to establish a front against an Allied advance northward. It was an agonizingly slow and bloody process for the Allies to capture Rome, and the German holding action was highly effective.

In Greece and Yugoslavia, strong resistance forces, many with communist affiliations, had developed against the Axis occupation, causing the Germans and Italians to use scarce troops and resources to try to truly secure these areas; something they were unsuccessful in doing.** The threat of Allied invasion, especially of Greece, also kept Axis forces tied down. When Italy surrendered, German forces ruthlessly disarmed and took custody of Italian troops, and many Italians were killed. Some Italians, however, remained committed to the German side for the rest of the war, while others joined the resistance movements.

In western Europe, the Germans continued to fortify the coastal areas against an expected Allied invasion. When 1943 passed without an invasion, the Germans believed 1944 would be the decisive year. Bunkers, coastal obstacles, barbed wire and massive reinforced concrete artillery emplacements lined the areas deemed most likely for the Allied invasion force. The guessing game continued for the Germans, as they tried to learn the exact location where Allied troops would try to come ashore and gain a foothold.

In Russia, after the disaster at Stalingrad, the German forces regained their balance, and Hitler decided to attack. While most of his military advisers opposed the new offensive, Hitler went ahead with the assault anyway. The German forces, especially armor, had made a remarkable recovery, and the Germans threw their forces against the Soviets near the city of Kursk. When the heaviest combat operations had ended in the spring of 1943, a large "bulge" remained in the Soviet lines. The German plan called for attacking at the base of this bulge on both sides (pinching it off), thus cutting off substantial Soviet forces. The Soviets were ready, and the clash of major forces took place in early July 1943. The German offensive failed, and the Soviets launched their own offensive against the now weakened German front. The German "home front" was shaken by the mounting casualties and defeats.

* The German military did some extraordinary things during the war; but they were serving such an evil nutcase.

** Bulgaria, part of the Axis alliance, also supplied troops to help garrison the area, as did Croatia, which had its own army and fascist militia in the aftermath of Yugoslavia's defeat in 1941.

WORD HISTORY:
Room-This noun goes back to Indo European "reu/rew/row," with the basic notion of "open space." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "ruman," with essentially the same meaning, "open space, space." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "rum," with a long "u" sound, with the same meaning. Later it became "roum," before the modern spelling. During the late 1300s it developed the sense "cargo space inside of a ship," which then expanded in the 1400s to "individual spaces inside of a house or building," which from then on became the predominant meaning in English. The verb form, meaning "to occupy a place for residency" or "to share a living space with someone," didn't come along until about the early 1800s. English still retains the "space" meaning when we say "make room for;" that is, "clear space for." Common in the other Germanic languages, although most retain the "space" notion as the primary meaning: German has "Raum," which tends to be used more for "space," as well as "room" (German "Weltraum" means "outer space"). It also can mean "vicinity" or "region," as in "im Raum Berlins," "in the Berlin region, in the Berlin vicinity." Hitler's term, "Lebensraum," meant "living space," or "living room," but not "living room" in the English language sense of "one of the main rooms in a dwelling, often used for entertainment, including for guests." Low German Saxon has "Ruum," Frisian has what now "seems" to be the rarely used "Rüm," Dutch has "ruim," Danish and Swedish have "rum," Norwegian has "rom," and Icelandic has "rúm."