Saturday started off with a phone call from Lucky about driving up with his two sons, Daniele and Simone, to the town of Fiumefreddo, north of Aci Castello to buy bread and cheese. I wondered why you would drive 25 minutes for these two very common items. ALLORA, as soon as we walked into the bakery the aroma told me why! The bread's taste was just as good as it's smell.
Just outside the bakery was a very small man selling very big cheeses and salamis. I bought a kilo of pepper cheese that was equally incredible.
It was at about this time as we continued driving north to Lucky's beach condo in Letojanni that I began to realize what was REALLY going on! As you may know, one of the Seven Deadly Sins is gluttony, i.e., overeating. As our trip continued I finally realized that Lucky and his two innocent looking boys were really working for the Devil in his Gluttony department!!!
I knew I would have to be strong, especially when they mentioned getting two magical foods that I had heard of in a Sicilian Fable once but had never actually seen or tasted.
The foods? Granita and brioches. Granita, in local folklore, was only eaten by the gods. It is a slushy type drink on Jose Canseco level steroids! The brioches are rumored to be the sweetest tasting bread ever made.
I knew I could fight these demonic temptations on the day before Easter, couldn't I?
Lucky drove us to a small shop that actually said they sold these two forbidden fruits. I would be strong, I had to be for the sake of my immortal soul! All was good until he unleashed the boys on me. The said I would love it if I just took a bite of theirs. I fought it as long as I could, upwards of 5 to 10 seconds. THEY FORCED ME AGAINST MY FREE WILL! Those kids are TOUGH customers
The next thing I know, I'm eating the most incredible Sicilian dessert yet, mandorla granita chased down by brioche that no human deserves to eat. A total eating frenzy then broke out that lasted well into the night.
Needeless to say I will now spend all of eternity in damnation but it might well have been worth it!
The Cheese Maker/Salami Man in Fiumefreddo
Great mustache outside the bakery in Fiumefreddo
Simone, Lucky and Daniele
On the sea wall in front of their condo in Letojanni just north of Taormina in the distance plotting my destruction
The boys enjoying their granitas and thereby breaking me down!
My first mandorla (almond) granita with delicious brioches in the basket.
If loving this is wrong I don't want to be right!
No comments:
Post a Comment