Traditions in November

In Palermo every month, we have a good reason to lay the table for a banquet!

The month’s of Novembre starts with the feast of “all Saints”, but the most important feast is the day after, the 2th of November, The celebration of the deads, that we call “la festa dei morti”.

In the past, during this day, in the morning the people of Palermo, went to the Cemetery and they taked with them “a muffuletta” a bread with oil of olives, anchovies, salt and pepper, to eat fast in the oper air.

During the day the people of Palermo eat many kind of sweet things, tetù, reginelle biscuit with sesame,

the fruit of Martorana (Marzipan),

and the “pupa a ciera”, puppet of sugar.

The families prepared a basket full of these sweet things and many toys, and the child believed that was a present of the deads.

In November is important too the “Festa di San Martino”.
In Palermo we use to eat the “biscotti di San Martino”, hard biscuitz with aniseed to soak in the wine “Moscato”., or the same biscuits with cheese and chocolate, or with jam and icing, sugared almond, in a perfect Barocco Siciliano style!

photos by Judy Witts and Igor Scalisi

Palermo seen by us

Walking through the streets of our city, sometimes we remain impressed by some details that maybe until the day before, we had not noticed.

Some small hidden treasures, strange things camouflaged among the most common things that at first sight are those that prevail and affect the attention of a passing distracted.

Theatre Massimo

There are wealth deteriorated by the time, but still retain their charm, decadent churches,

decorated balconies, mysterious alleys,

walls marked by time or by phrases of love,

posters of saints and politicians.

Streets with strange names,

churches converted into shops, trees that hug,

or details of Monuments and Churches.

It is interesting to observe these small details,

follow a different path, be guided by the city. And in Palermo, really every corner can hide something mysterious, curious to see.

Theatre Massimo

Just be careful, forgetting for a moment the hectic life of the great city, let carried by the imagination.

Today, another “memorable day”

mercoledì 22 ottobre 2008

Massimo and I, with our friends Igor and Maria Pia, was again at the open market Capo, but this time with a group of 23 people from Kansas City-USA ( Slow Food KC ) to help our friend Jude to show them the market.They are really nice people and we spent a very beautiful morning.
We tasted many different kind of food, like the Frittola (beef bits cooked in the lard, that a man with a particular basket take and put in a piece of paper),

or the Sfincione ( a particular pizza, with tomato-sauce, onions, anchovies, cheese and bread crumbs), olives (green and black), and bread with spleen and cheese.

They really liked all!We see many kind of fruit, and fish, tables with bread,

counter with meet,

table with aromas (oregano, saffron, raisins, cinnamon, etc).

And finally we was in the pastry-shop

where we finded the “frutta martorana” (fruit of marzipan) and the “Pupa a cera” (puppet of sugar) typical during the day of the “Celebration of the Deads” (2th of November).

We see together the beautiful church of Sant’ Anna, in Barocco style, they was really impressed!

When we was out of the open market, we went at the “Antica trattoria del Monsù”,

and had a really good lunch with a rich Menù (pasta with anchovies, “pasta alla Norma” with tomato and aubergines, “panelle e cocchè”, “caponata” with aubergines and a particular

sweetand sour sauce, tripe, etc).

This was really a beautiful and rich of emotions day!

Evelin

photos by Igor Scalisi Palminteri and Judy Witts