Banana fritters in Cotonou

I know, I know, I am terribly behind. It started so well, almost a post a week and then...where did it all go wrong? Probably I just have to confess it: I am officially a *lazy bum*. That's it.

But it is also true that I had promised myself to keep this blog going if by now I had reached 100 followers...ahahaha...funny! I just hit 30...although my stats tell me that secretly there are more readers than it seems. This makes me feel better.

So, where were we? Or rather, where have I been?

I thought it would have been unfair to ignore my brief visit to Benin.

Sweet Sicily - Cassatelle alla Ricotta

I am sorry for having kept some of you waiting for the third and last episode of the Sicilian saga. A proper meal can only end on sweet notes.

I believe this is the *two-hundred and forty-fourth* Sicilian dish that uses ricotta. Frankly I wonder what Sicilians would do if they were denied capers, almonds, anchovies and ricotta...

Fish markets in Palermo and Stuffed squids

I have always thought that markets are a fantastic source of inspiration and the perfect subject for infinite shots. They truly fascinate me revealing the true spirit of a town. I would put a market before a museum with no hesitation. Especially when samples are on offer...

Palermo is famous for its markets.

Arancine & Panelle in Palermo or Sicilian street food

And we are back from our wonderful week in Sicily! I am avoiding sunny on purpose as the weather seemed to play tricks on us on our last two days there.

Look, I won't bore you with millions of photos (and I have taken literally millions) or try to make you feel green because we went on holiday while all of you were working hard....but I think you should really consider going to that island continuously kicked by the toe of the Italian boot. And because I hope you find this blog to make sense, useful or interesting, I intend to make this the first of a series of Sicilian posts.

Salvia fritta - fried sage leaves

Very few know how exciting fresh sage can be. It is undoubtedly unique chopped and mixed with mashed onions and breadcrumb to flavour the dull turkey or scattered among roasted potatoes with sprigs of rosemary for a truly Mediterranean spirit.

In Siena we fry it. Can you eat raw sage?!? Yes you can, no worries. Sage is not toxic. In fact I remember the many times my mother extolled the many virtues of salvia officinalis...

Sage, or salvia (from *salvare, to save) acts as an anti-inflammatory, relieves soar throat or tooth ache, calm stress and even improves memory. I bet you won't throw away your salvia now..

Carciofi alla Romana - artichokes in Rome

I always come back energized every time I have been in Rome. It might be the chaos, the nonsensicalness of the traffic, the cloud of smells and colours, the power of hidden flavours. What astonishes me every time I pay a visit to my favourite European city is the conscious awareness of being Italian.

A cake for Japan

I believe that one of the most rewarding things to do is to cook for friends. And for a good cause. Last Sunday both of them were in this green tea cake I baked for afternoon tea to raise funding for Japan. It was such a little effort that I do not feel I can be complimented. I wish I could do more.

Granola in the sun

Okay, I admit it.

Despite having trumpeted that I never suffer any jet-leg, this time it has it me. I was just going to stagger pretending that I hadn't traveled through 8 hour zones. And it has been a week already since we got back from sunny California.

Waiter, there's a crab on my plate!

I should have known that putting off the boring bits of work wouldn't have helped. So now that "my holiday in the sun" is over, and I am back at my little table, I am bored as hell. And waking up in the morning is still so hard. If I could, I would simply stay in bed or anywhere where I am not expected to pretend to work.

I am still half-dreaming the shades of blue of the sea, water and sky of California. I am glad we went in March as despite being sunny it was never too hot; a simple jumper or a shawl was enough to keep away the evening chill. T-shirt and shorts were fantastically pleasant without looking ridiculously under-dressed.  

Californian Farmers' Markets

So where have I disappeared like this, without any warning or notice? No I didn't get kidnapped by the aliens or lost my job for too much blogging. Simple explanation: I was on holiday (or vacation as my Californian friends would say).

I admit though. I owe you profuse apologies. I am sorry. But I was so excited about packing and planning my holiday that I forgot to post an "out-of-office" message. But the excitement was well rewarded. We spent 10 days in sunny California (with a quick detour to the Grand Canyon). The place is truly beautiful and Californians know how to enjoy life. Great food everywhere and fantastic weather.