And if you get on the horn (or start clicking that mouse) right now, you might be able to get some shipped in time for Christmas. The online Italian grocery Gustiamo sells Torrone di Mandorle di Noto from Caffe Sicilia, a phenomenal pastry shop founded in 1892. It turns out, though, I don’t have to go all the way to Noto to resupply my stash. Assenza chose tradition and moved back to. I nearly groaned when I took the last bite. Give up the life he loved in Bologna and return to Noto, or see his beloved family restaurant sold to an outsider. This torrone is not the break-your-teeth variety, but soft and yielding, perfumed with honey from the Iblei mountains, and loaded with almonds from Noto. I can’t replicate that granita, but I just received a box of torrone from the shop as a present. I’m still dreaming of breakfast there-a bowl of icy almond granita with a soft tender brioche. If I could be magically transported somewhere right this minute, like Dorothy in her sparkly red shoes, I’d like to be left off, please, at Caffe Sicilia in Noto, Sicily. Whatever it is, he manages to transform nature's own products to what they are and nothing else: the natural flavours are given a context.This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. He opens doors to worlds I just partly knew in nature, and never ever tried in the form of a culinary experience, showing unique respect for the raw ingredient. Maybe he has signed a secret deal with Mother Nature? I can see we are both on the lookout for the next story, each in our own way, and to be allowed to follow Corrado's train of thought and immense knowledge is a privilege. And he's an explorer, every day he works to satisfy not only our palates but also his natural instinct and desire to research and innovate. In the luggage there's also a a great deal of knowledge and talent, which will later prove to complement the skills Maestro Roberto had already taught him.Ĭorrado Assenza is an artisan thousands of hours are behind what he serves his customers daily at Caffè Sicilia. He doesn't hesitate for long but takes his wife Nives, from Bologna, with him and goes back. ![]() Corrado either has to come back to Sicily or Caffè Sicilia will be sold on. It could have carried on from there, but one day, around thirty year ago, his aunt calls and says he has to make up his mind. Life then took him to Bologna, where he studied entomology and became an expert on bees. During his childhood years, il Maestro Roberto ran the establishment and the young boy helped out during the summer months and learned to taste, smell, make and understand. "Ĭorrado Assenza was brought up in Caffè Sicilia, which at that point belonged to his aunt. In the town center, a visit to the outwardly unassuming 124-year-old Caff Sicilia, whose fourth-generation co-owner, Corrado Assenza, serves almond-milk. Another common Sicilian breakfast is a brioche, a kind of sweet roll, filled with a few scoops of gelato. ![]() ![]() I still have a few plants in my own garden. Caff Sicilia offers several types of granita, including the traditional lemon and almond ones, flavors like coffee and various berries, and the inventive but oh-so-Italian combination of strawberry and tomato. I'm trying to get a few local farmers to resume the cultivation, but it doesn't look good. “Sono le fragoline di Noto, una varietà che sta scomparendo, mi sto battendo affinche qualche agricoltore continui a coltivarla, ma sarà difficile” the voice continues - ”These are tiny strawberries from Noto, a rare variety that's slowly disappearing. Regardless of whether it's a with sorbet, a brioche, a piece of cake or with Corrado's authentic kindness. Then, there's the genuine meeting, the one that adds something to your life and you are no longer the same person you'd been before that encounter.Ĭorrado Assenza’s Caffè Sicilia is one of those places where genuine meetings and transformations take place. “Provi ad assaggiare”, I hear a friendly voice saying behind me, “please, do give it a try ”.Įvery day each and every one of us meet people, locations, events and so much more, without it changing us. This was my first and truly unforgettable meeting with il Maestro an encounter with a sort of wild strawberry sorbet. I introduced myself to the cashier and was asked to take a seat at one of the round tables in "la sala", surrounded by the hum of voices from both locals drinking espresso at the bar and guests from further afield.Īfter a short while, about the time it takes to breathe out a relaxed sigh and let your eyes take in the scene, a waiter arrived with a bowl of colourful sorbet with a mouth-watering scent.
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