Sunday, January 14, 2007

PASTA AND THE OPERA



A whole week has gone by without my posting a food photo so here are two traditional Sicilian dishes as served at the trattoria named "Trattoria" around the corner. They are fusilli alla Norma and coniglio alla cacciatora [the cacciatora being the jacket, with huge pockets, into which the cacciatore or huntsman would put the shot rabbits].

The pasta is named for Bellini's heroine, the story being that his friends were so impressed by the opera that they went around calling everything that was excellent "una vera Norma" and the epithet stuck when it was used to describe this dish. Bellini was a native of Catania and his house there is well worth a visit. The main ingredient of the pasta sauce is aubergines and that is salted ricotta that you can see sprinkled over the top.

The rabbit dish is very popular in Modica and is the "Sunday special" at the trattoria. It is not difficult to make at home.

11 comments:

Maria said...

Thank you...
Gosh it is such a joy to read your blog! I love the stories and this one about Norma is just great! Thanks! ~M

James Higham said...

What's the potato chip looking vegetable with the rabbit?

Anonymous said...

Having a very furry friend called Reg who has devoured most of my newly landscaped garden, there is no way we could put him in the stew pot. If I saw rabbit on the menue anywhere, I would be thinking of him. Do you eat rabbit?

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, e. This brings up the question of whether you are a hypocrite if you eat meat at all, doesn't it? I do have qualms about little bunnies, yes, but I do eat game, I'm afraid.

Lee said...

I eat rabbit but not often of late. However, I did share a wonderful lunch of rabbit cooked in stout with prunes at friends' home back in September or October, I think it was, 2006.

I eat anything, as long as it's not been in my yard as a pet. If it's something I've had to feed each day...then no...it becomes a pet, then! lol

And here am I starving at the moment, Welsh and you have to go and post those pics! I'm cooking a mushroom sauce later to have with pasta...if I can wait that long! ;)

Liz Hinds said...

My comments are disappearing again. Definitely posted on poo a couple of times!

I had rabbit once but didn't enjoy it. Right now, trying to diet, I'd eat anything, preferably covered with chocolate.

Anonymous said...

Hi, that e was me, Ellee, a typo.

We do have these double standards with meat. I couldn't eat rabbit, but like you, can eat chicken.

The pasta looks great too.

I'm waiting for a new oven to be delivered. I set fire to mine on Boxing Day. I was heating up some fat to cook roast potatoes when some of the fat must have spilt over and there were flames inside the oven. I was able to claim a new one from insurance and it should arrive any minute. Otherwise it's a takeaway for dinner!

James Higham said...

It's a very good point for an omnivore. We all like to tuck into the nicely presented dish but if we had to come face to face with it first, I wonder how many of us would go through with it, particularly if it had a name.

Bill Haydon said...

That looks yummy, a lot more so than a lot of supermarket lapin does in France.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Lee. The rabbit dish you describe sounds delicious. I couldn't eat anything I had petted, either. Hope you enjoyed the pasta!

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

M, thanks. Glad you like the story.
James, it is exactly that - a potato chip. I don't know why they sprinkle them over the main dish - they just do.
Sorry about the lost comments, Liz - by now you know the whole story. Shall I send you over some choc-covered torrone [sort-of nougat]?
Ellee, how terrifying!

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