SENSATIONAL SICILY

REGIONAL CUISINE

Sicilian cuisine is rich in taste, yet simple enough to be affordable to the general public. Lemon and orange groves dot the countryside, and just about everywhere you look something edible is growing.

Savory dishes use fresh local ingredients: tomatoes, artichokes, olives, citrus, apricots, eggplants, onions, beans and raisons are typical, often paired with fresh seafood from the surrounding coastline. Spices introduced by the Arabs (saffron, nutmeg, clove, pepper and cinnamon) are still widely used. Typical dishes include caponata, a salad of eggplant, olives and capers; involtini di pesce spada, rolled filets of swordfish with a variety of stuffings and sauces; panella, a paste made of crushed chick peas and fried; and arancine, fried stuffed rice balls.

But Sicilian cuisine is perhaps best known for its sweet dishes, including wonderful ice creams and pastries. Sicilian desserts include cannoli, filled with creamy ricotta (they taste different here because the ricotta is made from sheep's milk); almond marzipan, shaped to look like fresh fruit; cassata, a molded cake made with ricotta, marzipan and citrus; la pignolata, lemon-scented fried batter balls covered with vanilla and chocolate icing; granite, sweetened crushed ice; and gelato (possibly invented in Sicily during Roman times, when runners would carry snow down from Mount Etna to be flavored and served to wealthy patricians).

Sicily's rich soil and dry climate result in the production of excellent grapes. Marsala is Sicily's most famous wine, and there are some interesting liqueurs made from prickly pears and artichokes. The eastern part of the island produces great Moscato wines. Nero d'Avola is a hearty red, often compared to Syrah.

The fertile soil of Sicily produces some of the best olives in the world. Doorways represents several family-run olive estates that produce award-winning oils. Guests who are interested can participate in the harvest, if they choose.