From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home(88)

I stood on the street in front of the church, my parents and daughter at my side as the priest said the prayer and the band began to play. Zoela waved to Rosalia as she played the clarinet. The saint emerged from the large double-hung carved wooden doors. It was indeed magic hour.

Coincidence and fate are two words for the same phenomenon. The coincidence of a chance meeting in Florence had fated me to stand here decades later, thousands of miles from my home of origin but simultaneously in a home I had chosen, tasting my first flavors of renewal. Saro’s love, his life, and his loss had forged me, softening me to life and strengthening me in the broken places.

As the statue was carried down the steps and the procession began, I did not move. There was nowhere to go just then; the journey for the moment was complete. Inside me I felt a bittersweet evolution. I would leave this place aware that there was a lot of living to come. The wound of loss had become a scar of love. I knew that in whatever experience was yet to come, I would be ever more in love with the poet-chef in elf boots who had lit the fire for a lifetime.

I closed my eyes, held Zoela’s hand, and asked, “Anu—Ana—Grace” to follow me—one mother, one widow, one traveler, wherever I would go next.





RECIPES





FIRST SUMMER

Carciofi con Pomodori e Menta (Artichokes Braised in Tomatoes with Mint)

Pesto di Pomodori Secchi, Oliva e Mandorle (Sundried Tomatoes and Almond Tapanade)

Spaghetti con Pesto alla Trapanese (Sicilian Almond Pesto Pasta)

Insalata di Rucola con Pomodori e Ricotta Salata (Arugula Salad with Tomatoes and Ricotta Salata)

Olive Aromatiche (Aromatic Olives)





SECOND SUMMER


Ditalini con Lenticchie (Ditalini Pasta with Lentils)

Purea de Fave con Crostini (Pureed Fava Beans with Crostini)

Pesce Spada alla Griglia con Salsa Salmoriglio (Grilled Swordfish with Salsa Salmoriglio)

Caponata Classica (Classic Caponata)

Melanzane alla Parmigiana (Eggplant Parmigiana)

Sfuagghiu (“Schiavelli’s Cake”)



THIRD SUMMER

Salsa Pronta (Classic Tomato Sauce)

Pasta con Zucchini (Sicilian Summer Pasta)

Penne con Finocchio e Fave (Penne with Fennel and Fava Beans)

Insalata di Finocchio (Shaved Fennel and Citrus Salad)

Granita di Gelsi Neri (Mulberry Granita)





First Summer


CARCIOFI CON POMODORI E MENTA

Artichokes Braised in Tomatoes with Mint Each spring my mother-in-law makes artichokes this way. She is kind enough to freeze them for me to enjoy when I arrive in summer. When I take my first bite, I think of them as being braised in kindness. At home in Los Angeles, Saro made this variation of her dish whenever artichokes were in season.

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably Italian San Marzano 11/2 cups dry white wine 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed 2 teaspoons Sicilian sea salt, plus more to taste 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 garlic cloves

1/2 cup bread crumbs 1 cup fresh mint leaves, lightly packed 6 medium artichokes

2 lemons, halved

Place the tomatoes in a large, heavy pot and crush them with your hands or a fork. Add the wine, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 cup olive oil, and 2 cups water. Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the garlic, bread crumbs, and mint leaves until coarsely chopped. While the motor is going, stream in the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil to make a thick paste. Set aside.

Remove several layers of dark green outer leaves from the artichoke. Keep going until you reach the tender light green leaves. Use a serrated knife to cut off the top 1 inch or more of the artichokes and trim the stem ends. Rub the cut ends with lemon halves to prevent browning. Use a paring knife or vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer green layer from the base and stem to reveal the pale green flesh underneath. Rub with lemon. Cut in half through the stem and rub the cut sides with lemon. Use a spoon to scoop out the choke and pull out the spiky inner leaves.

With a spoon, rub the pesto all over the artichoke halves. Place them into the large pot in a single layer with the tomato mixture, submerging them. Sprinkle a thin layer of bread crumbs on the surface.

Bring to a simmer over a medium-low flame and cook, covered, turning the artichokes once or twice, until they are fork tender, about 55 to 60 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.





PESTO DI POMODORI SECCHI, OLIVA E MANDORLE


Sundried Tomatoes and Almond Tapanade This Sicilian-inspired pesto is a staple in our home. I keep it on hand to smear on crostini, spread on sandwiches, or, most notably, use as a mouth-watering pasta sauce. The combination of almonds, sundried tomatoes, and oil-cured black olives always takes me right back to Sicily.

1/2 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 20 pitted oil-cured olives

10 to 15 sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Put the almonds, rosemary, basil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, olives, tomatoes, and garlic into a food processor. Blend, streaming in the olive oil as you go, until finely chopped into a thick paste. Add more olive oil if you want a smoother consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.