Sicilia: A love letter to the food of Sicily

Description

Sicily is both at once a frugal peasant land with a simple robust cuisine, but also full of ornate glamour and extravagance. A most beautiful and complex contradiction in terms, Ben Tish unlocks the secrets of Sicily's culture and food within these pages, diving into its diverse tapestry of cultural influences. Sitting at the heart of the Mediterranean, between east and west, Europe and North Africa, the food of Sicily is full of citrus, almonds and a plethora of spices, mixing harmoniously with the simple indigenous olives, vines and wheat. You'll find the most delicious, fresh seafood on the coast and mouth-watering meat in land; but the two rarely mix. Packed full of vibrant flavours, this beautiful collection brings the food of Sicily to your table, with recipes ranging from delicious morsels and fritters to big couscous, rice and pasta dishes and an abundance of granitas, ice creams and desserts, all stunningly photographed. Recipes include: Saffron arancini Smoky artichokes with lemon and garlic Whole roasted squid Sicilian octopus and chickpea stew Aubergines stuffed with pork Roasted pork belly with fennel and sticky quinces Bitter chocolate torte Limoncello semifredo Dive in and experience this unique culinary heritage for yourself, bring the sights and sounds and aromas of this beautiful food to your home.

Ben is the Culinary Director of the Stafford London in St James's. He oversees the food offering throughout the hotel including the Game Bird restaurant, the American bar and private dining. In September 2019 Ben opened Norma, a Sicilian-Moorish influenced restaurant on London's Charlotte Street, in a beautiful five storey Georgian townhouse. The restaurant features a bespoke raw bar serving Sicilian-style crudos and a first-floor bar serving seasonal, understated cocktails and a selection of Marsala served by the glass. Classically trained with over 20 years' experience, Ben spent his formative career working with Michelin starred chefs such as Jason Atherton and Stephen Terry at various ground-breaking London restaurants, learning classical techniques along with inspired culinary innovation. He went on to head up his own operations at the Italian restaurant Al Duca in St James, London, and the Crinan Hotel in the West Highlands. Ben appears regularly on TV including Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch, and Masterchef and writes for Delicious, Guardian, Telegraph, Times, Noble Rot, Restaurant magazine, Chef magazine, and other publications. In 2012 Ben authored his first book Salt Yard Food & Wine. His second cookbook Grill, Smoke, BBQ was released Spring 2016 to great acclaim in the UK, and is now published in America, Australia, Canada, and Europe. Most recently, Moorish was published by Absolute in spring 2019, focusing on the cuisine and food culture of the southern Med. Ben lives in East London with his wife Nykeeta and his French bulldogs. @ben.tish / chefbentish.com

The book explores the island through its food, taking in traditional dishes, both simple and extravagant, as well as recipes that he has created, inspired by the sun-soaked Mediterranean way of life. -- Tony Turnbull * Times Magazine * [A] delightfully delicious departure from the typical Italian cookbook. * Publishers Weekly * This brightly covered book introduces the island, located just off the toe of Italy, with its history and diverse mix of cultures... Recipes are inspired by Sicilian produce, cooking styles and sun-soaked Mediterranean way of life... Sounds like heaven to me. -- Lisa Jenkins * The Caterer * A mouth-watering treat * Daily Mail *