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December/Januar y 2023 XIII MAGAZINE Eastern derivation, which I combine with various ingredients, such as lychees’. The versatility of these foods makes them a great resource for those who want to expand their veg offerings beyond classic regional recipes. __________________________________ BOX The protein sources of our tradition Mediterranean cuisine, which has its roots in the days when meat and fish were a luxury, draws on many vegetable protein sources, primarily pulses. From the most common ones such as lentils, chickpeas and beans, soya beans, broad beans, peas, green beans... to the more local ones such as grass peas. You wouldn’t think it, but peanuts are also legumes, even though in terms of composition they are more similar to oil seeds, because they are rich in fat. Some cereals also have a good protein content, particularly wheat and spelt. Combining a cereal and a pulse in a dish, for example in soups or rich salads, is a good way to offer an alternative to animal-based proteins. __________________________________ BOX Increasingly in demand Protein is also present in other foods, perhaps less present in the Italian culinary tradition. For example, in oil seeds, which are excellent for enriching salads and desserts, or in dried fruit, which can be integrated as an ingredient in many dishes. Then there are the pseudocereals, first and foremost quinoa, which contains more protein, calcium, phosphorus and iron than cereals, but also fibre. Quinoa lends itself well as a base for vegetable-based one-pot dishes. Algae, like spirulina, are also an important source of protein. Spirulina can be added to sweet and savoury recipes, enriching them with its distinctive taste. __________________________________ AT PAGE 44 ON THE ROAD The world in a kitchen SICILY, A CULINARY CROSSROADS, WHERE EVERY DISH TELLS THE STORY OF A PEOPLE by Alessandro Vergallo After visiting the cuisines of northern, southern and central Italy, we decided to leave the continent to explore the heart of Mediterranean gastronomy, where different cultures and traditions have been merging for millennia: Sicily. Situated in the midst of the Mediterranean Sea, it has always been a landing place for shipwrecked sailors in distress and a land of conquest for peoples near and far, Sicels, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards and French, who, during their sojourns, left their mark, influencing the island’s customs and traditions. We can define Sicilian cuisine as multicultural: its products and dishes can perfectly tell us the culinary habits of the various peoples who have inhabited it, from Palermo to Trapani, from Messina to Syracuse. Each province has its own typical dish: from parmigiana, an icon of Mediterranean gastronomy, to pasta alla Norma, the lady of Catania, from arancino, the symbol of Palermo’s street food, to Trapani’s cous cous, evidence of Arab domination. Here in the dishes, the sea and the land merge, become one and create authentic works: flavours, aromas and colours are the banner of the places where they live. For an area so rich in history, culture and traditions, Qualitaly has chosen as its guide an authentic star of native cuisine, Palermo- born Patrizia Di Benedetto , the first female Sicilian star chef of the Bye Bye Blues restaurant in Mondello, a well-known resort 12 kilometres from Palermo. Her dishes are a synthesis of traditional Sicilian cuisine and modern cuisine thanks to the use of new cooking techniques and current eating habits. UNIQUE SPECIALITIES Wherever you go on the Sicilian coast, fish is the absolute king of the dish and the products of the land are its courtiers. “I am a stone’s throw from the sea so most of my dishes are fish-based,” says Chef Patrizia Di Benedetto, “but I often combine fish with local seasonal vegetables such as tomatoes, aubergines, broccoli, artichokes and cabbage that I buy from a local farmer who does not use fertilisers and chemicals. The list of products and ingredients from this region is very long. However, we arbitrarily decided to start our culinary adventure with anchovies . Rich in Omega 3 fats, proteins and mineral salts, they are a true Italian excellence, both for their taste and for their preservation techniques: in tins alternately layered with salt and pressed, and in glass jars, in oil, where they keep longer. Sicilian anchovies are versatile and bind with almost all products of both land and sea, sometimes even surprisingly in meat. This is confirmed by the starred chef at Bye Bye Blues who serves her cold Palermitan meat salad with seasonal vegetables and anchovies; while the anchovies marinated in orange juice and much appreciated by her customers, she serves with an aubergine mousse and a bottarga and tuna mayonnaise. The journey on the island proceeds, and crossing the Sicilian countryside it is inevitable to overlook, especially in the Ragusa area, the expanses of wheat, an ingredient that is perhaps the oldest in Sicily, where there are as many as 52 varieties of ancient grains out of the 292 throughout Italy. The most popular ones are Tumminia , Russello , Senatore Cappelli , Percisacchi and Maiorca . All highly genuine and digestible grains. The flours obtained from the first four types are suitable for the production of baked goods, bread and pasta, while the last one, the flour obtained from the Majorca is suitable for baking. Russiello’s ancient wheat, however, is the most widespread and consumed throughout the island.