This biscuits recipe has been kindly provided by Hotel Villa Enrica in Lipari, Eolian Island.

ingredients

1 kg of flour, 150 gr of lard, 6 eggs, a glass of malvasia wine, 30 g di sugar, half liter of mulled wine, olive oil, salt.

This Christmas salad from Sicily includes capers, chicory, lemons and green olives, but herrings and orange slices make ideal ingredient alternatives.

Follow it up with such dishes as chicken broth, pasta with sardines, bacon with capon and classic festive sweets as almond 'mustazzoli'  or mostaccioli and apple torrone with hazelnuts and pistacchio nuts.

This easy and quick caper  recipe comes from The Eolian Islands in Sicily and exactly from Lipari where the capers are the typical local product. This is a cold dish which means that in the summer you can put it on the fridge and eat it later. An alternaive is to make a 'pesto' of capers with a spaghetti pasta, or maybe you can use a short pasta such as penne, which is normally more practical if you are having a buffet party or taking lunch on the beach

Sicilian dessert from Messina

Mediterranean cous cous dish with fish from San Vito Lo Capo

ingredients

For the pasta: semola di grano duro per cous cous Kg 1, Acqua lt 0,300 circa, Cipolle rosse di Salemi 1, media, Aglio di Nubia 3/4 spicchi, Olio extravergine di oliva 100 gr.circa, Prezzemolo, una manciata appena tagliuzzato, Mandorle imbiondite e tritate gr.80, Sale, pepe, peperoncino q.b.

Do visit Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples for the annual Mandorlo in Fiore festival every February.

For something called 'poor pie' this dish is actually quite rich and has been provided to us by the Coop. Agricola Valle del Dittaino in the province of Enna.

A variation of one of the most famous Sicilian cake

The maccheroni alla norma is a typical pasta dish from Sicily. It is named after the symphony composed by Vincenzo Bellini and the this pasta dish comes from the Catanese area.

The dish serves four people and translated means 'Macaroni with tomato sauce and aubergines'.

his dish in Italian is called 'pasticcio di pane al pomodoro e melanzane' and has been provided to us by the Coop. Agricola Valle del Dittaino in the province of Enna.

A little more than your average bruschetta toast, this dish has been provided to us by the Coop. Agricola Valle del Dittaino in the province of Enna.

We are not too sure if this fresh seafood pasta recipe comes from Sicily but it features clams and pasta and is ideal for Spring.

Sicily sweet ball recipe with oranges and almonds

This dish is essentially a pizza or focaccia served with chopped onions, tomatoes, anchovies and cheese. A sort of Sicilian sandwich or pizza similar to Pan e Pumata from Liguria.

I have an unusual request. 35 years ago, I took the ferry from the mainland to Messina. On this Ferry there was a snack food stand which sold a round, fried ball of rice, meat, and cheese, called a 'ranchene'. Would it be possible for you to email me the recipe for these 'ranchenes, so I could make them for myself and taste this wonderful food again.

Do visit Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples for the annual Mandorlo in Fiore festival every February.