I Love Italian Regional Cooking - Pairing Sicilian Pastries And Desserts With Sweet Wine
Fine Sicilian desserts and sweet wine...Can you believe that an independent Sicily would rank seventh in the world for wine production? And Sicilians really love their desserts. The best-known Sicilian dessert wine is Marsala. This was once considered a great sweet wine and if you’re careful you may find a good one. Avoid Marsala cooking wines like the plague, even for cooking. Remember, in Sicily and elsewhere, most dessert wines are sold in half-liter bottles.
Cannoli con Ricotta for a sweet tooth.
Cannoli con Ricotta ( Ricotta-stuffed Rolls) are made from flour, cocoa, chocolate, white wine, candied fruit, ricotta cheese, and some other ingredients. They are not all that easy to make but this is one dessert that you can find at many Italian bakeries. Recommended wine pairings include Malvasia di Bosa DOC made in Sardinia and the Sicilian Moscato di Pantelleria DOC which when made from dried grapes is known as Moscato Passito di Pantelleria DOC. This wine is always sweet. You’ll probably have more luck finding the Moscato.
Cassata alla Siciliana ( Sicilian Cassata) is a cake, not to be confused with an ice-cream treat of the same name. It starts with a sponge cake and has lots and lots of ingredients including chocolate, chestnut flour, and ricotta cheese. After it’s baked you add apricot jelly, candied fruit, and more. Recommended wine pairings include the Sicilian Malvasia delle Lipari DOC which may be made in the Passito style, the Sicilian Moscato di Siracusa DOC, or the Moscato di Trani DOC from Apulia. You may have trouble finding these wines and substitute a sweet Italian Moscato.
Cotognata ( Quince Preserve) is a traditional Sicilian dessert, often made in the shape of a leaf or a fish. Don’t forget to add lemon and sugar. Recommended wine pairings include Moscato di Pantelleria DOC, Moscato di Siracusa DOC, and Moscato di Trani DOC.
Moscato di Pantelleria, from an island between Sicily and Tunisia.
Panzerotti ai due Formaggi ( Cheese Panzerotti) are honey-coated pastry half moons whose secret is two special Italian cheeses, grated Pecorino Siciliano and a smaller amount of cubed Cacioavallo Silano. It also calls for flour, butter, orange and lemon rinds, and olive oil. Serve them hot with one of the above wines or a Sicilian Moscato di Noto DOC. You might look for the Planeta name on the label.
About the Author
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian, French, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and spend time with his wife and family. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Check out his global wine website at www.theworldwidewine.com with his weekly column reviewing $10 wines and his new sections writing about (theory) and tasting (practice) organic and kosher wines. Check out his Italian wine website at www.theitalianwineconnection.com.
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