Published on Oct, 2024
Cesarina Gilda was an amazing hostess and produced our best regional Sicilian meal, enjoyed on her beautiful rooftop. She was entertaining and instructive, had us laughing while we worked and watched, and produced a meal that was filling and delicious. She was assisted by her sister who prepared our beautiful table and also kept us entertained during our meal; it was an honor to be welcomed into their home and family.
Using simple, local ingredients, Gilda prepared Sicilian pesto, new to the four of us who had been familiar with the northern Italian version. The addition of tomatoes and burrata and the use of almonds versus pignoli nuts, plus basil of course, is a version we will now use as our own at home, it was fantastic; the minimal us of garlic made the flavors of the other local ingredients stand out. When added to the small rolled pasta, it created a dish that we all had seconds of, and will talk about for a long time.
The bruschetta was made simply, but was over the top with fresh Sicilian tomatoes and local semolina bread toast.
We loved the meatballs, (served separately from the pasta) made in a local traditional “Agrodolce” sweet and sour style. They were a light and flavorful blend of chicken and pork, braised in the Agrodolce sauce with onion, vinegar and sugar.
For me, the best part was the dessert, we had both dark chocolate and pistachio options of Torta Tenerina, similar to molten lava cake.
The four of us highly recommend Gilda, and we will call on her again when we return to Siracusa. Her experience cooking as a Cesarine in so many regions in Italy added to our education, as she was able to compare so many dishes and traditional recipes that use ingredients common to the different areas.
Thank you Gilda, we look forward to recreating what we have learned!
