by Debbie Ross founder of the Womens Travel Network
During this time of being asked to stay home I’ve been taking this time to reflect on some of my favourite food experiences from past travel adventures. Luckily, cooking is one of my passions and I’ve lately found great enjoyment in experimenting in my kitchen. Over the last 6 weeks I’ve created some spectacular international dishes to share with my family.
If we can’t currently travel to experience international flavours, we can hopefully enjoy culinary delights in our homes. If we think outside of the box when planning our menus you can travel Around the World in Your Kitchen. Hopefully this whets your appetite and keeps you hungry for foodie travel adventures when this is all over.
It’s really hard to top Sicily when it comes to food. No matter how much I read about the latest emerging food city or about the fact that Tokyo has the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, I still think Sicily is one of the best places imaginable to eat. There are quite a few Michelin-starred eateries and a plethora of fine dining locations which are often housed in historical buildings or other breathtaking locations
I fondly recall a memorable meal in Erice, a medieval hilltop town located a couple of hours west of Palermo in the province of Trapani. This picturesque and charming town is one of the most attractive areas not only in Sicily, but throughout the Mediterranean. It is located at the height of 750 meters, from which you can admire all its medieval glory: its intricate alleys and courtyards make you feel like time has stopped. From here, you can enjoy a breathtaking view from Trapani to the Aegadian islands where, at sunset, a fantastic set of colours appears in front of your eyes and the rays of the setting sun are reflected in the whiteness of the saltpans.
This ancient village has the superb Michelin rated restaurant Monte San Giuliano, situated on the pedestrianised street in Erice’s town centre. This cozy restaurant offers a lovely patio from which to admire the sunset and the chefs prepare delectable Sicilian fare. Sicily is full of these kinds of culinary experiences.
I had the pleasure of dining at Monte San Giuliano while hosting a group of ladies on WTN’s Sicily tour. This is where for the first time I tasted Pasta alla Norma, an authentic Sicilian dinner that’s welcome any day of the week. This exquisite pasta dish has a multitude of local flavours incorporating roasted egg plant, fresh garlic and oregano then topped with perfectly aged ricotta cheese.
If you are looking to create a delightful Italian pasta dish in your kitchen I highly recommend Pasta alla Norma
Ingredients
– 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
– 3/4 pounds eggplants (2 to 3 small eggplants), trimmed, split in half lengthwise, and cut into 3/8th-inch half moons
– Kosher salt
– 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
– 1 teaspoon dried oregano
– 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
– 2 tablespoons tomato paste
– 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
– 1 pound dry ridged, tubular pasta such as rigatoni or penne rigate
– Handful fresh small basil leaves, or roughly torn large leaves
– 2 ounces aged ricotta salata, finely grated
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add as much eggplant as fits in a single layer and season with salt. Cook, shaking pan occasionally, until eggplant is well browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer eggplant to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining eggplant, adding olive oil as necessary, until all eggplant is browned
- Add any remaining olive oil and increase heat to medium-high. Heat until olive oil is shimmering. Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but garlic is not browned, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly until evenly incorporated and tomato paste starts to fry. Add tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is thickened into a sauce-like consistency, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
- Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook penne according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.
- Add sauce to pasta and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as necessary to thin sauce to desired consistency. Add eggplant slices and toss to combine.
- Serve pasta immediately, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, garnished with grated ricotta salata and torn basil leaves.
Enjoy!
The Berbers, Morocco’s first inhabitants are responsible for culinary methods and practices that are still alive today. They introduced the tagine utensil more than 2000 years ago and are in fact responsible for the slow cooking and well-known cooking practice. The Berbers are also accountable for the common meat preserving technique still present in Morocco (such as ‘khlii’) and have abundantly integrated to their diet some crucial ingredients to Moroccan cuisine, such as couscous, chickpeas and beans.
The Arabs arrival in the 7th century has significantly influenced Morocco’s culinary heritage. In fact, the Arabs are the ones who brought the famous spices from China, India and Malaysia such as cinnamon, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric. Influenced by the Persians, they also brought nuts and dried fruits, which allowed the sweet and sour combination, still present in tagines and dishes like bastila.
The Moors, (Muslim inhabitants mainly based in the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century) from Spain had a strong impact on Moroccan cuisine. They are responsible for the increased production and use of olives and olive oil and the settlement of citrus gardens and fruit bearing trees. The Moors population was followed by the Jewish-Moors who introduced pickling and preserving fruit and vegetables techniques.