Bleeding Espresso

Please let’s ignore the fact that Berlusconi has fooled a majority of Italians into voting him into office a third time, OK? And also that my local party lost as well. Instead let’s move on to happier, comforting topics.

Like food.

You may be wondering where What’s Cooking Wednesday is this week. Don’t worry, it’s still going on at Shannon’s Tales from a Fairy Blogmother, but here at Bleeding Espresso, I’m shifting it to Friday when I’ll be posting my mom’s stuffing/filling/dressing recipe for La Buona Cucina Americana. Be sure to come back!

Keeping the food theme going, though, and finally getting back to my trip to Sicily, I’m going to tell you about one of Palermo’s most famous spots, the Antica Focacceria San Francesco:

The Focacceria is located on a tiny street opposite a small square anchored by the Chiesa di San Francesco d’Assisi:

See that design near the top of the church? Here’s a view from inside:

And here is some detail on the outside of the church (another here):

You can’t miss this place as you’ll probably wonder why a carabinieri car and two officers are outside. All. The. Time. Erin of The Olive Notes explains the phenomenon here. Hint: it involves something that rhymes with “The Bafia” but it’s probably not what you think, so do read Erin’s post.

The Antica Focacceria has been around since 1834 and is listed in all the guidebooks as one of *the* places you should visit in Palermo for traditional Sicilian food; luckily for Cherrye and me, our hotel was literally just around the corner–in fact, that’s where the hotel got our delicious morning pastries from.

On our first night in Palermo as we searched alto and basso for something, anything to eat before 7 p.m. (unsuccessfully), we decided against the Focacceria because (gasp!) the ala carte food looked old and crusty (I’m sure it was great at lunch though!), and also because we didn’t realize that we also had the choice of eating upstairs, which is more like a standard restaurant and overlooks the hustling bustling ala carte section below.

We made a fabulous decision to return to the restaurant section the following night, though, and were treated to an amazing dinner that cost us each under 20 euros, including a small carafe of house wine.

We started out by splitting the Sicilian sampler (as I like to call it):

Pane con milza (spleen sandwich, which yes I tried and actually liked in a small dose), sfincione (thick Sicilian pizza topped with an anchovy, tomato, spicy mixture), arancini (rice balls with various fillings), potato croquettes, pannelle (chickpea fritters), and caponata (eggplant, peppers, capers, veggie mix).

And then on to one of Sicily’s most famous dishes
made with eggplant and ricotta salata,
Pasta alla Norma:

And once we saw this dessert cart come to the next table:

We knew we’d have to get something. So we split this:

Which the waiter just pulled from the cart and gave to us–no wax doubles like in America!

This was basically an inside out cannolo drenched in chocolate syrup. *So* good, as was everything apart from the pasta, of all things, being a tad undercooked and a bit salty.

But overall, you definitely have to stop in the Antica Focacceria on a visit to Palermo.

Aside from tasty traditional Sicilian food, a fun atmosphere, cheerful service, and great prices, the portions were so big that we didn’t finish anything. Unfortunately since we were leaving Palermo by train the next morning, doggie bags were ill-advised (and yes, I would’ve asked even though they’re not the norm in Italy!).

Tragic, I know.

Antica Focacceria San Francesco
Via Paternostro, 58
90100 Palermo
091 32 02 64

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Time for another guest blogger, and this month I am honored to introduce you to the author of the fantasy novel Blue Moon, Cindy Lynn Speer, who has been fascinated by magic, fables, and fairy tales her whole life. I know a lot of you are avid readers and many are also avid dreamers, so I thought you’d also enjoy getting to know Cindy and her blog, A Pen and Fire.

I met Cindy through the Ultimate Blog Party in which her introduction post included the following request:

Reply with a link or an actual picture of a secret crush you have, male or female, and include a noun, a verb, and something you love.

With this information, Cindy would write a personalized short story including those elements. I commented leaving this link to my crush, the noun “camera,” the verb “squeak,” and chocolate as something I love.

The story Cindy came up with for me is *fabulous*–go to Comment 3 on this post to read it. Seriously. You’ll love it. Then come back here of course.

Now, in Cindy’s guest post, we get into the head of an author and see the creative process at work. Enjoy!

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When Michelle asked me to do a guest blog, my first thought was “Wow! What an honor!” My second was…”Oh, dear…what do I want to say?”

I’m a fantasy writer – more of the fantasy novels with a bit of romance and mystery than the questing mages and barbarians with swords type – and I look for magic in everything. I’m fascinated by this blog because there are two things in it that just speak of magic; food (I believe that there must be some sort of food magic) and a beautiful, unknown country.

Ruins, mosaics, sunsets on the water…what could be more magical? I look at the pictures that Michelle posts, and I try to imagine what it would feel like to be there.

What kind of warmth is there? Is it the type of dry heat that you get used to easily, or is it wet and humid? Does it smell different? Is the quality of light the same?

I try to imagine what it would be like for my characters to go to Italy.

I imagine Alex would be all about food…Alex is tall and slender and has a stomach like a black hole, though I never really mention that in the book.

I think Dashiel would be, too, food and a sunny spot to lie down in, but then he’s a dog, he likes to keep it simple.

Libby would be intent on exploring every inch of the place…from ruins to museums. At least at the end of the book Libby would be…at the beginning of the book Libby would probably lock herself in the hotel.

Zorovin, being a dragon, would probably be drawn to the ruins – until he realized that humans liked them, too, then he’s just try to find the highest, coolest place in the land.

Sierra would probably skip straight to Rome, to try to break/bribe her way into the Vatican and discover what magic secrets they were hiding.

As for me, I think that I will (note the optimism) be a cross between Alex and Libby. Eager to explore every new experience, smell the flowers, try the food, absorb the heat from a different sun.

I look forward to it.

I also want to thank Michelle for letting me visit…and thank you for reading this post! If you have a chance, please feel free to visit my blog: A Pen and Fire.

If you’d like to be featured as a guest blogger at Bleeding Espresso,
leave me a comment or contact me here.

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Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We had marginally nice weather here–warm, the sun peaking out every now and again, but very windy . . . hello scirocco!

So I spent most of the weekend indoors working, trying to get ahead so that when primavera really does come along I won’t feel guilty playing outside.

But don’t worry, I also made time to play inside with the girls; my mom made that just a bit easier for us as these arrived on Friday afternoon:

The girls’ reaction? Utter joy.

Mixed with “Are YOU talkin’ to ME?”

And “Don’t you touch my hedgie!”

And a little break in the action.

And a final, “Grazie Nonna! Ti vogliamo bene!”

I hope you regularly make time to play as well.

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Cu stavi mutu non po’ essiri servutu.
~ Calabrian proverb

Loosely translated, if you don’t speak up, you can’t get what you want.

Or if you prefer, tell the universe what you want.

Or, as my friend Tina wrote recently,

Thoughts become things.

Go. Think. Tell.

Buon weekend!

P.S. Go check out this week’s La Buona Cucina Americana recipe:
Barbecue Baked Beans with Bacon from Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy!

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It’s almost time! Italian elections will be held Sunday and Monday.

Other than having two days instead of one to vote, another big difference in elections here (from those in the US) is that the parties running on the local level adopt their own names, logos, and slogans.

What does that mean? Well, for example, the party that I’ll be voting for on Sunday is aligned with the larger Partito Democratico on the national level but it has its own symbol, completely different from that of the PD.

What does this have to do with Love Thursday?

Well for the past few weeks, everywhere I turn in the village I see:

Sì, my party has cuore.

Happy Love Thursday everyone!

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