Fiori Fritti- Fried Zucchini Blossoms

I adore spring and this year it came sort of late but is one of the most beautiful in years.

The hills are all shades of velvety green and red poppies and yellow scotch broom add touches of color.

One of my clients asked me yesterday why we fry flowers and who thought of it. I think it comes from living a simple life in the countryside and foraging. It is still active today. I will often see people on the side of the roads now with plastic bags instead of woven baskets in the fields around my valley. 

Right now we have acacia blossoms, elderberry blossoms and the zucchini are blooming.

All the acacia and elderberry can simply be deep fried after rinsing off, i prefer a tempura style batter, just water and flower as it remains lacy and light.Then it is your choice to sprinkle with salt for savory or with sugar for sweet.

But the treasure of the season are the zucchini blossoms.

I bought these a the local weekly market, my zucchini is just starting to produce blossoms.

When you grow your own, pay attention to the stamen on the inside.

Girl zucchini have fallopian tubes and boys have--- well you know!

this is a boy

here you can see the difference between male and female blossoms

Girls will produce zucchini. The boys do not. Sound familiar?  

The blossoms are wide open in the early morning sun and that is when you should pick them. 

Take off the prickly sepals on the outside and then castrate them on the inside byt removing the stamen.

( it is edible, but my husband doesn't like it so i take it out).

The blossoms can be simply fried as a side dish or to make them richer, fill with ricotta cheese or day-old mozzarella cubes and pieces of anchovy.

Fiori Fritti- Fried Zucchini Blossoms
the Batter

1 cup of flour

1 egg, separate the yolk from the white and save the white.

1/2 cup milk or white wine

pinch of salt

grated nutmeg

Whisk the above ingredients together until smooth. 

Should be a nice smooth batter, not too thick.

If it is too thick, thin with a little more milk or wine. Flour is different everywhere and the size of the eggs as well.

Whisk the egg white until light and fluffy like for a meringue. 

Stir in a small amount to lighten the mixture then fold in the rest.

Heat oil for frying.

Have paper towel ready.

Pan fry the blossoms, rolled in the batter to cover completely.

I turn a couple of times to make sure they are crispy.

Lay on paper towel and lightly salt before serving.

My secret dream is to make these a sweet version, like a cannoli. with chocolate chips inside, maybe candied orange zest and to dust with powdered sugar. I think it could also be a nice Mexican dessert. Flor di Calabasas.

who wants to try?

Divina Cucina on the Road- Sicily 2012

Each time I go to Sicily it seems more and more like coming home. 

On my bucket list is to have a home in Sicily and retire there by the sea, so it is with extreme pleasure that I share my Sicily with my fellow lover's of food and travel on our culinary expeditions.

off the beaten track in Palermo

I visit Sicily at least three times a year with small groups and each time it just gets better and better.
For me, food is culture and the people that grow the food and prepare the food are ambassadors for their countries.

We always go to markets, and visit a winery, artisans and friends. This trip was no exception. I hope when one goes home, they feel they not only have new recipes but also new friends!

our class with Angelo hand-rolling our own couscous

Sicily is an island filled with amazing food, wine and culture. We always visit the Selinute site, and this year had a fabulous cooking class near by with my friend Gabriella, who also arranges her friend, Vincenzo to come and do a cheese making demo for us. We then take our cheese back and use it for our recipes. This year we made a cassata with our ricotta.

angelo really does this on his own - the only real "demo" we do, rest is hand's on

goodies at the Capo market in Palermo

Having studied art history in college, Sicily is total gratification! Baroque art, Greek Temples a mind blowing explosion of beauty in one place.

Monreale just outside Palermo

Selinunte, near Castelvetrano

our Primo sale cheese made with Vincenzo

one of the men hand harvesting the sand in Trapani salt flats

A favorite stop is always the salt flats just outside Trapani where the boats to to Mothya. We were lucky to actually see them harvesting the salt. The shop at the Ettore e Infersa has salt and lovely ceramics as well as a collection of jewelery made by Daniela Neri that are lovely.

This year we added a wonderful new event, a wine maker dinner with the lovely Marilena Barbera from Cantina Barbera in Menfi. It was a true pleasure.

Marlena and her Bambina- Rose from Nero D'avola

Another favorite stop on our trip is a visit with Pino Maggiore of the Cantina Siciliana.

Pino-  our Trapani expert!

I have openings for my November program which is when the new oil comes out! Bring an extra suitcase to bring back a 5 liter tin! 

I am going through my recipes of what we learned on this trip and will post soon. I think the favorite was our Pasta Timballo made with Angelo Pumilia at Planeta.

one of our favorite recipes this trip!

SiciliAmo--- I love Sicily

Keeping Kitchen- Pickled Onions and Fish

I am leaving for a week in Sicily ( I know, poor me) and leave the pantry full for my husband when I go away for any length of time. I had already made some pulled pork a week or so ago and found some lovely sweet red onions at the market and could'd resist making some pickled Mexican onions for garnish for the pulled pork.

Mexican Pickled Onions

I used something similar to this recipe-  but....
Instead of parboiling the onions, since they are so sweet, I just lightly salt to pull out the water.


Then I cover with vinegar and allspice, bay leaves, oregano and some of the vinegar I have from my pickled beets which give it a great color.


I will let them sit and soften before serving.




While I was making things to fill the fridge, I also made a typical Italian marinated fish recipe. Traditionally, they use sardines or anchovies, in Venice and in Sicily. In Liguria, they use other small fish called boghe. I was gifted slices of a fish calles sciabola, popular in Sicily.

Pesce in Saor


Lightly flour and fry the fish.

Saute sliced onions in a tiny bit of oil and lightly salt.

Splash with white wine vingar and a few tablespoons of sugar ( taste to balance flavor). Add raisins and meanwhile toast pinenuts.

Top the fish with the warm vinegar and onion mixture, add the pinenuts.


Serve cold or at room temperature.






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