0:00:01 > 0:00:03A change is as good as a rest, they say.
0:00:05 > 0:00:12So, a long weekend, not too far away and not obvious, like Paris or Rome.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16A place where I can take in some local history, a bit of culture,
0:00:16 > 0:00:21but of course, it's the food that will always be the key.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25If you like a strong sense of the past, great street food,
0:00:25 > 0:00:31a touch of the baroque with a hint of the Godfather, plus a swim,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33then this could be for you.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37# Hey, Rick! Where we going this weekend? ... #
0:00:37 > 0:00:38Palermo!
0:00:40 > 0:00:43# Or are we flying a few hours away?
0:00:43 > 0:00:47# For some delicious food, they say
0:00:47 > 0:00:51# So, Rick, make the booking, and let's get cooking
0:00:51 > 0:00:56# And get those taste buds going this weekend. #
0:01:04 > 0:01:08I must say, I'm really, really happy to be back in Palermo.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10I just love the city.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15It's so dilapidated in a very, very stylish sort of way.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Also, what I'm looking forward to is southern Italian cooking.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20The food of Sicily,
0:01:20 > 0:01:24it's so different from the food of the north of Italy.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27It's all about vegetables, very little meat,
0:01:27 > 0:01:33lots of lovely, interesting and sometimes slightly daunting street food.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36But one of the things that, really, for me personally,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39I'm looking forward to is to catch up
0:01:39 > 0:01:43with one of my favourite books of all time, The Leopard.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48And there's this great feeling of opulence and decay
0:01:48 > 0:01:50and love and death about it,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and that's the way I feel about this great city.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01One of the joys - I think that's the word -
0:02:01 > 0:02:04of arriving on these long weekends is that I never know
0:02:04 > 0:02:07what the hotel's going to be like.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09I've been very lucky so far, and this one,
0:02:09 > 0:02:14I'm told, used to be the stock exchange in Sicily
0:02:14 > 0:02:19before Mussolini closed it down and just had one, based in Milan.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Does that say something about mainland Italians and Sicilians?
0:02:24 > 0:02:26It might do. Anyway.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34This looks good.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36This looks very good.
0:02:36 > 0:02:37Bedroom...
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Oh, look!
0:02:40 > 0:02:42My own sitting room.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45And champagne... Cannolis!
0:02:45 > 0:02:46I love cannolis.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Gosh. Let's have a look.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Oh! Look at that view.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57Look at that!
0:02:58 > 0:02:59Buona sera, Palermo!
0:03:04 > 0:03:08I came to Palermo for the first time about 25 years ago,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12and I'm ashamed to say I was quite nervous about it.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15The press coverage around the 1980s and early '90s
0:03:15 > 0:03:20had been pretty gruesome, with Mafia revenge killings
0:03:20 > 0:03:21filling a lot of pages.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25I have to say, though, because I thought it so nerve-shredding,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29I did get more than a frisson of excitement about the whole thing.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Times have definitely changed.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45It feels different and I don't think it's got anything to do
0:03:45 > 0:03:47with growing older.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50There's a much happier spirit floating about.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59This is the freshest octopus anybody's ever likely to get.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Interestingly, not cooked for that long.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04About 10-15 minutes.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05But just look at it!
0:04:05 > 0:04:07A bit of olio?
0:04:07 > 0:04:08Olio.
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Oh!
0:04:14 > 0:04:17I know I keep saying it, but that is the pure taste of the sea.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20It is unbelievable, if you like seafood.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23It's like an epiphany.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25It's an epiphany of seafood!
0:04:28 > 0:04:30I love all this graffiti.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Al Pacino looks quite at home.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37'I was just thinking about whether to eat here
0:04:37 > 0:04:41'with a few tiny dishes of this and that or find a restaurant nearby
0:04:41 > 0:04:45'when I was accosted in the nicest possible way by a stranger.'
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Rick. Right?
0:04:47 > 0:04:49- Yeah, yeah.- Rick Stein?
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Hi, you don't know me, but I know you.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53'This is Marco Romeo.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58'Great name. And he just happens to know a lot about market food here.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00'Right place, right time.'
0:05:00 > 0:05:03But since I met you here. Are you staying nearby?
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Yeah, I'm just in that hotel down there.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09I'm just looking for somewhere to eat. This looks so interesting.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- Do you mind if I join you? - No, no, absolutely.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- Cool.- I just don't know what to order.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19'Apparently, I'm filming with Marco in a couple of days' time.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21'As he's an expert on street food here.'
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Earlier on, I happened to see these cooking on the charcoal.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28They smelt delightful.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Never had them before.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32So, now we're going to enjoy some mangia e bevi,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34but there is of course much more,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37there are panelle, cazzilli, crocche,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39polpo and God knows what else!
0:05:40 > 0:05:45I would think this is like street food central then in Palermo?
0:05:45 > 0:05:46- It is.- Fabulous.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49It is the pumping heart of the street food.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51"The pumping heart"!
0:05:51 > 0:05:52I like that.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56'So, it is simplicity itself.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59'A couple of spring onions wrapped tightly in thick,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02'fatty bacon and put over the charcoal.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03'I can't wait.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08'Just a bit of lemon juice, I think, and then taste.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11'I wouldn't mind putting a few of those on the barbecue home.'
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Perfection!
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Beer?
0:06:17 > 0:06:18Mangibrevi?
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Melts in your mouth... Mangia e bevi.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- Mangia e bevi.- Meat and drink.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27I mean, I would never think of wrapping bacon around spring onion.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31That is so simple, so thoughtful.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34What would go really well with a cold beer...
0:06:34 > 0:06:37It is going with the cold beer. It's quick, tasty.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Do you know what I always say about street food?
0:06:40 > 0:06:42You're never going to get sick from street food
0:06:42 > 0:06:46because you can see exactly what they are doing right in front of you
0:06:46 > 0:06:49and it's always cooked and it's always,
0:06:49 > 0:06:50often as lovely as this.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53We also say that street food is for everybody.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56You don't have high class, low class, or whatever.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57- No.- Who's eating street food?
0:06:57 > 0:07:01We are all the same. For the very same moment, for an instant,
0:07:01 > 0:07:02everybody's happy.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06I have to say, Marco, this is a bit of a special moment for me,
0:07:06 > 0:07:07you know?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Salute.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10Salute!
0:07:14 > 0:07:16That was fabulous.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18I'd quite like to try some fish now.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- Can you show me?- You can go ahead, I've got to go now.- Oh, OK.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26- Take care.- All right.- Enjoy the night.- Cheers.- All right, take care.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29'All thoughts of sitting down at a restaurant disappear,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31'seeing all this fish.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35'I've got everything I need in this night market, the Vucciria.'
0:07:39 > 0:07:43These are just little, tiny sardines, tossed in flour and deep-fried.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Could there be anything more delicious?
0:07:46 > 0:07:49So fresh, so tasty.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Yum!
0:08:00 > 0:08:03So, here I've got beccafico. They are stuffed sardines,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06stuffed with breadcrumbs, pine nuts and raisins
0:08:06 > 0:08:09and a little bit of tomato.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11I must say, I'm getting a little bit tired now,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13but I just had to come here to the Vucciria.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17My hotel's just across the road, and in here,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20all this lovely food, all this activity.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24I was just thinking, you could never feel lonely in Palermo.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26There's so much going on all around you all the time.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30I've felt like I've just arrived right in the middle of things,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34broken the ice, and everything is going to be such fun from now on.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Now, there's a film I like called Spinal Tap.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43It's about a British rock band
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and their amplifiers go up as high as 11!
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Whereas all the other amps in all the other rock bands go to ten.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53It reminds me of Sicily.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57When it comes to food, the buzz, the general feel and the heat,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59it's number 11!
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Now, I have to say, what a very Sicilian dining room this is.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Fortunately, no complicated coffee machine to deal with
0:09:22 > 0:09:26and today, I feel, because it's Sicily, I want something sweet.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Something like a honey and almond cake
0:09:29 > 0:09:31goes really well with good coffee.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34And a pear flan! Superb!
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Oh, yes! And the famous cannolis.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47That crispy shell stuffed with tangy, sweet-tasting cheese.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49I remember a scene in The Godfather
0:09:49 > 0:09:52when the wife of Peter Clemenza says,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56"Can you bring back some cannolis when you come back from work?"
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Little did she know that, with an accomplice,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03he shot Pauly in the head and he said to his fellow assassin,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06"Leave the gun and take the cannoli."
0:10:06 > 0:10:09It's gone down in film history.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10That's a cannoli.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Espresso, Americano?
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Oh, I'd love a cappuccino, please.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19- Cappuccino?- Yeah. Thank you.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21- Grazie.- Prego.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25See, the only time you're supposed to drink cappuccino is at breakfast.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Never after a meal.
0:10:28 > 0:10:29I've learnt that already.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31So...
0:10:33 > 0:10:34Mmm.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Cannolis - they are really nice.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43The best cannolis, I've been reading this - the outer bit, the biscuit,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45is made in Corleone.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49The inner bit has got to be made with fresh ricotta.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53Mm!
0:10:53 > 0:10:54Delicious.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11It was by pure chance that the Thanksgiving Day
0:11:11 > 0:11:15for Palermo's patron saint Rosalia
0:11:15 > 0:11:19was being held at the top of Monte Pellegrino,
0:11:19 > 0:11:20overlooking the city.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Pilgrims come here to pay their respects and pray.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Some walk on their knees.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31It seems the more painful and uncomfortable their journey,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34the more likely they are to receive her blessing.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Roaslia ran away from home, or rather the palace,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45when King Roger arranged a marriage with one of his knights
0:11:45 > 0:11:48when she was at the tender age of 13.
0:11:48 > 0:11:49This was in the 12th century.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56First, she went into a convent, but after a short while
0:11:56 > 0:11:59decided to live the life of a hermit.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06She gave herself to God and lived alone in a cave for about 20 years.
0:12:06 > 0:12:12And then 300 years or so later, when Palermo was in the grip of a plague,
0:12:12 > 0:12:17she appeared before a hunter and told him to parade her bones around the city walls
0:12:17 > 0:12:19and the plague would go.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23He did and the plague miraculously disappeared.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44In July, when she has another festival,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48they feast on snails fed on wild fennel
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and a profusion of watermelons.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55I didn't get that, but at least I met Rosalia.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Viva Santa Rosalia!
0:12:57 > 0:12:59APPLAUSE
0:13:04 > 0:13:06I think what makes Sicily so special to me
0:13:06 > 0:13:09and so different from the rest of Italy...
0:13:09 > 0:13:12I mean, it's the largest island in the Mediterranean,
0:13:12 > 0:13:13so it would feel a bit different,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17but it's just the fact that so many different nations have crossed
0:13:17 > 0:13:21and recrossed it and, in fact, Santa Rosalia is a case in point.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22She was Norman.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25And there have been all these different nations
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and changing food and changing architecture,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31you can see it everywhere and eat it everywhere.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35And just thinking about it, there's all these nations, the Phoenicians,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Romans,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42the Goths, the Byzantians, that Arabs, the Normans,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44the Spanish, the French, everybody's been here
0:13:44 > 0:13:47and there's bits of them everywhere and it makes it so wonderful.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Down from Monte Pellegrino is the seaside town of Mondello,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10a little jewel box collection of Art Nouveau buildings,
0:14:10 > 0:14:14where the great and the good - and the not so good, probably -
0:14:14 > 0:14:16would come and take the waters.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Mondello sounds like a new type of ice cream,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24maybe with some cherries in it.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Just one Mondello, give it to me!
0:14:31 > 0:14:34The beach is mightily chaotic.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39I love the way the Italians just stand in the water for ages,
0:14:39 > 0:14:40having conversations.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Probably about where to get the best seafood and pasta.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49And talking of that, look at this.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Stiff, fresh bream.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Just hours out of the sea.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Lovely, chunky steaks of swordfish,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00just chargrilled with olive oil and grains of sea salt.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07Langoustines, perfect with mayonnaise, and these prawns.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10They haven't been cooked, they are naturally red
0:15:10 > 0:15:12and have a great flavour.
0:15:12 > 0:15:13And there's oysters, of course.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22And in the cucina, there's just one woman, beavering away,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25always a brilliant sign, I think, of good food.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Her name's Nelly.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31She's cooking spaghetti vongole, one of my desert island favourites.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33As simple as it gets.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Just clams, spaghetti, parsley, olive oil.
0:15:37 > 0:15:38A classic.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49I have to say, I think
0:15:49 > 0:15:55Italian seafood antipasti is one of my greatest pleasures in life and
0:15:55 > 0:15:59honestly... Well, I'm probably going to have a grilled fish after this,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02but this is so enjoyable.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05I just want to run through a few of the things I've already eaten.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09First of all, just a little octopus and clam and mussel salad,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13just with some olive oil over the top. That's it.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Over here, we have some pannelle,
0:16:15 > 0:16:20which is actually probably the most famous food in all of Sicily.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24It's chickpea fritters with fennel seeds in them.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27They sound nothing, but they taste unbelievably good.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31They just call these open mussels.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34They are just mussels opened with a bit of tomato sauce.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36And the great thing about them is the freshness of the mussels
0:16:36 > 0:16:38when they are open. Over here,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41we've got some octopus just cooked with red wine and a bit of tomato.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44It's a baby octopus, slow-cooked.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47And talking of tiny things, these are baby squid,
0:16:47 > 0:16:49just fried in breadcrumbs.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50Gosh, they are good!
0:16:50 > 0:16:55A glass of local wine called Grillo and, you know...
0:16:55 > 0:16:56Wish you were here!
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Part of my job, which I love by the way,
0:17:02 > 0:17:07is looking for great recipes to take home and this is a real delight.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Pasta alla trapanese.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14It's pesto, but not as we know it.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17There's no meat in it, no fish in it, but for me,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21it was one of the most memorable dishes of the whole trip.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27I first had this dish in Palermo, but it actually comes from Trapani.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31And what I liked about it is it's a completely vegetarian dish,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33but it's so fresh.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34The flavours are so vibrant.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38And it differs from the normal pesto
0:17:38 > 0:17:40because it's made with almonds rather than with pine nuts,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42but it's still got the basil in it.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46But then it's got fresh tomatoes with it and pecorino,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48rather than Parmesan.
0:17:48 > 0:17:53I just find it really fresh and really spiky with that pecorino
0:17:53 > 0:17:56and absolutely delicious and quite surprising, really.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00It's quite unlike a lot of other Sicilian dishes.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05I hate using these food processors, but they are so efficient!
0:18:05 > 0:18:09So, into that goes skinned and toasted almonds
0:18:09 > 0:18:12followed by fresh basil.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15I've never met anyone who doesn't love basil.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19And then chopped garlic, about four cloves.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Pulse until they make a sort of paste, a sort of pesto.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Chop little vine tomatoes, drenched in the Cornish sun.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35Not quite up to their Sicilian counterparts, but very nice and will do.
0:18:37 > 0:18:43Put those on top of the pesto and then the grated pecorino.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49It's a sheep's cheese, as we all know, crisp and sharp.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52And now, lashings of really good olive oil.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57You'd be very unlucky to come across a bad olive oil in a Sicily.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59I think it has the best going.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Next, salt and pepper.
0:19:03 > 0:19:10And now, the pasta is al dente, drain it and mix with the pesto.
0:19:10 > 0:19:11That's all you need to know.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16I sort of think if you saw on a menu "pesto alla trapanese",
0:19:16 > 0:19:19with whatever pasta it's going with, you probably wouldn't order it.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22And I recall the last time I had it, we were with the crew
0:19:22 > 0:19:25who were a bit conservative, to put it mildly,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and there's one or two members of the crew that always go for steak.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31And when I hear them go for steak in somewhere like India or Sicily
0:19:31 > 0:19:34I think "Nah, don't do it, don't do it."
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Anyway, I saw the pesto alla trapanese and I suppose
0:19:37 > 0:19:40I knew about it and one or two of the others who know about
0:19:40 > 0:19:43their food also knew about it, we ordered that.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45We had a lovely meal
0:19:45 > 0:19:48and the crew who had the steak said it was a horrible restaurant. Ha!
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Palermo feels almost North African to me.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19And the joys of eating and relaxing on the roof in a lovely shady garden
0:20:19 > 0:20:23in the late afternoon makes a lot of sense here
0:20:23 > 0:20:26like it would do in Algiers or Casablanca or Tunis.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Viviana, a lawyer and a very keen chef,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34invited me to supper with her friends
0:20:34 > 0:20:37on the top of an old palazzo.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40No lifts, just lots of stairs.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44It's worth the climb because there are lovely views
0:20:44 > 0:20:45and it's a great place to cook.
0:20:49 > 0:20:50Viviana, this is such a nice kitchen.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55In the summer, we come here every week or two times a week
0:20:55 > 0:20:57to stay together, to cook, to drink
0:20:57 > 0:21:00and to eat... To enjoy ourselves.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- You get a nice breeze up here... - We eat a lot!- You tell what?
0:21:03 > 0:21:04We eat a lot!
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I bet you do! I mean, who wouldn't, with a view like this.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10You obviously love to cook your Sicilian food.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15My love for the cooking, it comes from my mother,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17who loves French cuisine.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21I began to cook like my mother,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25- with a lot of butter, a lot of cream and such.- Yeah.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26And after a while,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30I understood that the Sicilian flavour
0:21:30 > 0:21:33was better than the French flavour or the Greek flavour
0:21:33 > 0:21:36or the other flavour, because it is more...
0:21:39 > 0:21:41More flavours, I don't know.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44The dish that you taste and you say, "No, I must have another!"
0:21:44 > 0:21:47So do I! That's what I... I always say the same thing.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51- Si, si.- You want to make food that people say, "I want more of this, I want more!"
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Yes, we say "non si puo levare della bocca".
0:21:53 > 0:21:56You cannot put out of your mouth, when you taste something...
0:21:56 > 0:21:59It's so good. Can you say it again?
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Non si puo levare della bocca!
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Fabulous.
0:22:04 > 0:22:10So, along with olive oil, there's minced veal and finely diced onions,
0:22:10 > 0:22:11carrots and celery.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Marsala wine - at least a generous glassful -
0:22:16 > 0:22:20then passata, two jars of passata.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25A great Italian invention - uncooked and sieved tomatoes.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Salt and then a little home-grown chilli,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30they call peperoncino.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34Next, sugar...
0:22:36 > 0:22:37..and fresh peas.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41And now the pasta.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Round pasta.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47And no, it's not that round spaghetti that comes in tins,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51it's called annelletti, great for soups and stews.
0:22:53 > 0:22:59Meanwhile, in another pan, olive oil and then breadcrumbs.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01These form the base of the dish.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06It's almost like a baked cake, and they call it pasta al forno,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09pasta baked in the oven.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Now, she puts in these pieces of fried aubergine,
0:23:12 > 0:23:17she drains the annelletti and then the source, the ragu.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Now, the Parmesan cheese,
0:23:23 > 0:23:27and at every stage this dish seems to grow in stature.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31It wouldn't cost too much to make, but typically Italian,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34this would feed at least ten to a dozen people.
0:23:36 > 0:23:42And now, slices of the famous fontina cheese and then more pasta.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47Look no further than this if you're making a dinner party for ten people
0:23:47 > 0:23:51and you don't want to be stuck in the kitchen the whole evening.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56Finally, Viviana tops with breadcrumbs and into the oven,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58bake for 25 minutes.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Perfetto!
0:24:03 > 0:24:06And out it comes, and this is how it should look.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Eccola!
0:24:08 > 0:24:11These very satisfying pieces of golden aubergine
0:24:11 > 0:24:13on top of the pasta cake.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Ecco qua! Pasta al forno alla Siciliana!
0:24:19 > 0:24:23- Chin-chin! Tanti auguri!- Chin-chin!
0:24:23 > 0:24:24'Now, just look at that.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26'You know it's going to taste good.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30'This is really Italian family food.'
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Rick. Voila.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38'You know, I can't think of any other cuisine that people love more
0:24:38 > 0:24:40'when friends and family get together.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44'And it's made for a good, generous glass of Sicilian red.'
0:24:46 > 0:24:47GLASSES CLINK LOUDLY
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Alla pasta al forno!
0:24:50 > 0:24:53It seems like bells from a cathedral here.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Santa Rosalia aiutaci tu!
0:24:59 > 0:25:01That is spectacular.
0:25:01 > 0:25:02Buona?
0:25:02 > 0:25:06I think, when I was watching you cook it, I was just noticing...
0:25:06 > 0:25:09You know, when British people make Italian food,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11they don't put enough in of everything.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13They don't put enough oil in, they don't put enough salt in,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16they don't put enough tomato in.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I told you about my mother, no?
0:25:18 > 0:25:20- Yes.- My mother says always,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23"Viviana, esagera."
0:25:23 > 0:25:25You must exaggerate.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29You know, pasta con le sarde is a typical Palermitano dish.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30Love it, love it.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34But it is difficult to find a good because my mother says,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38"You must exaggerate," you put oil, you say, "This enough? No!"
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Plaf! You put saffron? Another kind. Plaf!
0:25:41 > 0:25:45You must exaggerate and the food it will be good when you exaggerate.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47What's the expression?
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Non si puo levare della bocca!
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Exactly! I don't want to take it out of my mouth.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55I think it's just because it's so well made,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58you sort of think you must have had a secret ingredient, you know?
0:25:58 > 0:26:00THEY LAUGH
0:26:00 > 0:26:03I'd like to thank everybody very, very much.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07- Bello,- bellissimo! You've got to have glasses that sound like bells.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Duomo bells, remember, Duomo bells.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14BELLS CHIME
0:26:54 > 0:26:56I know it's a bit of a boy thing,
0:26:56 > 0:27:00but I love a city where they are still making cooking implements
0:27:00 > 0:27:02in the back streets somewhere.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06I mean, we've got barbecues being made, we've got pizza paddles,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08we've got things for roasting chestnuts.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Round the corner, some massive pans.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Stuff for both domestic and commercial use.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16It's just a fantastic atmosphere.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21I know you may find it a little bit dull, but I love it.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Not far from the cathedral in the Piazza Papireto
0:27:37 > 0:27:40is a lovely, old flea market.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44It started life in 1948, with hidden treasures,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46probably from old palazzos,
0:27:46 > 0:27:51bombed in their hundreds by the Americans in the Second World War.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55In those days, it was full of the trappings of an aristo's palazzo,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58but now, it's pretty bare pickings.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03But who knows if there's not a tiny da Vinci sketch lining a drawer
0:28:03 > 0:28:07in an old desk? Or a dirty, old Caravaggio lying around,
0:28:07 > 0:28:12or maybe a chair, sat on by an exhausted Garibaldi
0:28:12 > 0:28:15before he set off to unify the rest of Italy.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27This is a welcoming sight.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31A sfincione van, just in time for elevenses.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34You come to Palermo without tasting a sfincione?
0:28:34 > 0:28:37It's like going to Cornwall and not having a pasty.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42- One?- One. Si.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43Grazie.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45- Guarda.- Perfect.
0:28:45 > 0:28:46Perfect.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51'The Palermitani like nothing more than to argue passionately
0:28:51 > 0:28:55'with each other over what constitutes the best sfincione.'
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Tagliare?
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Si, grazie.
0:28:59 > 0:29:04This is the most popular street food in Palermo, called sfincione,
0:29:04 > 0:29:07it's like focaccia bread with a topping of,
0:29:07 > 0:29:11I think just tomato and onion, and olive oil and salt.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15It's hot, it's a perfect snack...
0:29:16 > 0:29:19..in fact I would say it is a perfect lunch,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21if you're trying to lose a bit of weight.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24It's utterly, utterly delicious.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Yum!
0:29:37 > 0:29:42This is a place I well remember from a filming trip ten years ago,
0:29:42 > 0:29:43it is called Spinnato's.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48I think I sat in exactly the same seat and this dish blew me away.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55Pasta with tomato, fresh mint and capers,
0:29:55 > 0:29:59it was sensational - so simple and so good.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02I put it on the menu in Padstow and it's still there.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Now, I see subtle changes, there are definitely more holidaymakers here.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Before, I was a little bit in awe of the place,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19people seem to be very smartly dressed,
0:30:19 > 0:30:22they weren't holidaymakers - oh, no,
0:30:22 > 0:30:24I remember watching them and thinking,
0:30:24 > 0:30:29"Gosh, they've got so much style, I wonder what they do."
0:30:30 > 0:30:34Best not to ask, but it's really nice to be back.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41I've been reading quite a few thick books about Sicily,
0:30:41 > 0:30:43and Palermo in particular.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47Sometimes the internet just gives you what you want.
0:30:47 > 0:30:52This is from a "Come To Palermo" website - it's very pithy,
0:30:52 > 0:30:55and what's good about it, it says what's really nice about Palermo,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58but it doesn't airbrush out the bad bits as well,
0:30:58 > 0:31:02which I think actually makes you want to come here more.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Here's a few lines from it, it says,
0:31:04 > 0:31:08"They say Palermo is difficult to describe," well, it so is,
0:31:08 > 0:31:13"Palermo is sensual and fascinating, Palermo is chaotic,
0:31:13 > 0:31:17"Palermo is an Arabian city, not Muslim,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20"Palermo is a city that changes continually,
0:31:20 > 0:31:24"Palermo has blinding light" - gosh, it does -
0:31:24 > 0:31:26"Palermo is a bridge between East and West,
0:31:26 > 0:31:30"Palermo is a hell of traffic and smog,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34"Palermo is near yet exotic,
0:31:34 > 0:31:38"Palermo is the most European of North African cities..."
0:31:38 > 0:31:40HE CHUCKLES
0:31:40 > 0:31:43"Palermo is not clean"...
0:31:43 > 0:31:44I love it!
0:31:44 > 0:31:49"Palermo in summer is an experience on the edge of reality."
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Fabulous stuff!
0:31:51 > 0:31:52Gosh! Says it all.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05This is a must for me, the steps of the Teatro Massimo,
0:32:05 > 0:32:07Palermo's opera house,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11because I saw the third Godfather film a couple of days before
0:32:11 > 0:32:14for about the seventh time,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17and this is where that tragic piece of cinema
0:32:17 > 0:32:21was played out to the music of Cavalleria rusticana.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38I bet loads of film fans come here
0:32:38 > 0:32:45as part of an homage running that scene of Pacino hugging his murdered daughter.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Not a dry eye in the house.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51GUNSHOTS
0:33:11 > 0:33:16But it's time for lunch at a really good local restaurant
0:33:16 > 0:33:18called Cascinari.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23HE CALLS OUT IN ITALIAN
0:33:34 > 0:33:36- BELL RINGS - Servire!
0:33:36 > 0:33:41This restaurant is all about substance, not about form,
0:33:41 > 0:33:47in other words it's all about truthful, Palermitani recipes,
0:33:47 > 0:33:49learned from grandfathers, grandmothers,
0:33:49 > 0:33:54it's not about modern food at all, and that is why it is so popular.
0:33:56 > 0:33:57I have just been talking to Vito,
0:33:57 > 0:34:03what he's making here is a very popular local dish, swordfish involtini.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Involtini just means stuffed.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09In other words, this is the stuffing and you wrap swordfish around it.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12It is traditional cooking from Sicily.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17So, it's fried onions in olive oil,
0:34:17 > 0:34:22then breadcrumbs mixed with crushed almonds, now raisins and pine nuts.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24That's very Arab, that.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27A squeeze of lemon and then salt and sugar.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36Then a small piece of swordfish, fill and roll with the stuffing.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47Hold it together with a skewer and then separate with a bay leaf
0:34:47 > 0:34:49and dip in olive oil.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Then, breadcrumbs and chopped pistachios
0:34:58 > 0:35:01and then bake for eight minutes. Lovely!
0:35:09 > 0:35:12I am having lunch here with Giulia Monteleone,
0:35:12 > 0:35:17she is a formidable woman, who believes so passionately in the food here.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19It was her choice of restaurant as well.
0:35:21 > 0:35:22Oh, look at that.
0:35:22 > 0:35:23Thank you, grazie.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27This is quite special. I've never seen them in a pistachio...
0:35:27 > 0:35:31Pistachio outside and inside, almonds - it's the best.
0:35:31 > 0:35:32Gosh!
0:35:34 > 0:35:35This is absolutely lovely.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39I mean, it's so simple and so clean tasting.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42What do you think is so special about Sicilian food then because
0:35:42 > 0:35:46- everybody loves it, can you put your finger on what it is?- Yes.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50Yes, we have a particular... feeling with food.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55For us, food is like love, family, warm sensation.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Sometimes, when I go out in holidays,
0:35:58 > 0:36:02for example my mother called me and she don't ask me, "How are you?"
0:36:02 > 0:36:05She asked to me, "What did you eat today?"
0:36:05 > 0:36:09So, it's very strange because for us, it's very important, the food.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11These are moments of...
0:36:11 > 0:36:16It's like a writer, we love food, we love to speak about food, we always speak about food.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18During lunch, we speak about the dinner.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21And, for example, when I am falling in love with someone,
0:36:21 > 0:36:23I like to cook for him.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25It's important for us.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29It's amazing. It is our way of love someone.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Aw, Giulia, one thing I've noticed, there is not a lot of,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35as far as I can see, not a lot of young people
0:36:35 > 0:36:38doing wacky new things with food,
0:36:38 > 0:36:42it's very much about concentrating on classic Sicilian food.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44Well, I love the classic.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46The classic ones because they have a history,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49so you cannot have new things,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52but you must respect the traditions inside of this
0:36:52 > 0:36:55because we have, I tell you, we have a lot of dominations,
0:36:55 > 0:36:59so this dish is in this way because we have the Arabs,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02we have the French ones, we have the Spanish ones,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06so have a lot of history and you cannot change,
0:37:06 > 0:37:11you cannot make another thing with our plate, with our dishes.
0:37:11 > 0:37:12Fair enough.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18Giulia was one of those food enthusiasts I could talk to for ages.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22That's where I came up with the idea for this dish.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25It's been around for a while, it's traditional,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27and it's very tasty indeed.
0:37:29 > 0:37:30Chicken with Marsala sauce,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32a dish from the '60s
0:37:32 > 0:37:37when beef stroganoff and spaghetti Bolognese were new and with it.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42I'm really pleased to be doing a recipe for chicken Marsala,
0:37:42 > 0:37:46it comes from my youth, from the '50s and '60s.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50The '60s. I just, I didn't see it,
0:37:50 > 0:37:54but somebody said in the '60s in places like Fitzrovia in London,
0:37:54 > 0:38:00there were signs saying, "We serve spaghetti, but not on toast."
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Well, those were the sort of early Italian restaurants,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05which would've had chicken Marsala on.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07And the first thing you've got to do is bash out
0:38:07 > 0:38:11this chicken breast till it's about half a centimetre thick.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13And it's just really nice.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16You know, it's the sort of thing I really like after
0:38:16 > 0:38:18maybe a bowl of pasta, is to have chicken Marsala.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Remember, when you serve this you will need a raffia-covered
0:38:26 > 0:38:30Chianti bottle with a candle in it and a chequered tablecloth,
0:38:30 > 0:38:34probably red and white with some grissini - some breadsticks,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37and to complete the ambiance,
0:38:37 > 0:38:40you must put Dean Martin on the radiogram.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47It will take around two to three minutes a side,
0:38:47 > 0:38:48you want golden brown,
0:38:48 > 0:38:51and then use the same pan to make the sauce.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58So, a bit more butter and chopped shallots.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03And then garlic, about three cloves.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08So, I'm just slicing up some mushrooms here.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11What I like about this dish is how simple it is,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14it is like virtually all-Italian cooking,
0:39:14 > 0:39:15there's nothing much to it.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18Here we've just got some garlic,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20shallots, a few mushrooms, in the pan,
0:39:20 > 0:39:23sauteed down a bit, throw in some Marsala, throw in some chicken stock,
0:39:23 > 0:39:25and it's done.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32I suppose Marsala is a bit like the Sicilian version of sherry.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34It is made, actually, in the same way,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37but whereas in Spain they call making the sherry the solera system,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40in Sicily it's called in perpetuum.
0:39:40 > 0:39:45That just means you are always adding new Marsala to the top of the stack
0:39:45 > 0:39:47and taking the old stuff from the bottom,
0:39:47 > 0:39:51so it has this lovely, nutty flavour just like sherry.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55It came to England in the 18th century, and was an instant hit.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Now, some chicken stock, and that's it.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02It's a little trip down memory lane, for me.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05I'm thinking of Steak Diane and Crepe Suzette.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12So, just taste it now I've put some seasoning in.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16Oh, that's so good. I have often fancied myself in an earlier life
0:40:16 > 0:40:19of being one of those waiters in a really busy Italian restaurant
0:40:19 > 0:40:21doing this at somebody's table.
0:40:21 > 0:40:22It would be such fun.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25You know, it doing it with so much aplomb.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29Just doing a little bit of basting here, and a little bit of seasoning,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32but basically it's as quick as that, it's done now and ready to serve.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34I'm just going to do a few sauteed potatoes
0:40:34 > 0:40:37and a little lettuce salad to go with it.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42OK, it may be old-fashioned, but who cares?
0:40:42 > 0:40:46Because it's very tasty and that Marsala sauce is well worth doing.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03The next day I got up early to do my morning walk,
0:41:03 > 0:41:06well, to keep a bit of weight off, really.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10I was meeting up with my new friend Marco who is very keen on Palermo's
0:41:10 > 0:41:15street food heritage, especially the stuff food tourists seem to ignore.
0:41:15 > 0:41:20In this case, frittula - gristle and soft cartilage.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24You could well call it the sweepings from the abattoir floor,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27though that might put people off a little.
0:41:27 > 0:41:32This gentlemen is the frittularu, so he's the vendor of frittula.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35Where is the frittola? It is hiding inside here.
0:41:35 > 0:41:36- Hidden?- Hidden inside.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38- Yes, exactly.- No, no, no, but why is it hidden?
0:41:38 > 0:41:40- Is it so...- Why? To keep it warm.
0:41:40 > 0:41:45- Oh, OK.- And not to scare people before they get to know it better.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48So, we are talking about cartilage and fat of veal,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51fried and then boiled in salted water.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55It is considered a little bit hardcore in town.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Why?
0:41:57 > 0:42:02Because it's served by his hands directly on a paper.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04You don't take the food to your mouth,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07you take your mouth to the food.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09- Good.- Black pepper and lemon.
0:42:10 > 0:42:11Mouth go to the food.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Oh, yeah! Nearly, nearly!
0:42:16 > 0:42:18HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:42:18 > 0:42:21- How is it?- Excellent. Excellent.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26I'm not just saying this, but it's really nice.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28I mean, I can understand a lot of people not liking it.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30It doesn't look very nice.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33But it's a surprise because then the flavour is very delicate.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36Absolutely. It smells nice. I think if you like your roast beef,
0:42:36 > 0:42:39like we do in the UK, and you like the fat on the roast beef,
0:42:39 > 0:42:41it's just like that.
0:42:42 > 0:42:43You are now eating the history of Palermo.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46- That is what I want. - This is a 500-year-old recipe.
0:42:46 > 0:42:51- You are a real Palermitano now, with oily hands.- With oily hands.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54This is how you check a real Palermitano.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04I always find it a bit frustrating staying in a hotel
0:43:04 > 0:43:09and looking at all the lovely fish and seriously beautiful vegetables.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12You know, I just need a kitchen,
0:43:12 > 0:43:15but I have to say it is really nice to be with Marco.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18He is a great champion of street food here,
0:43:18 > 0:43:22and this, the Capo market, is like his home.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25So colourful, look at those chillies.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Colourful, fresh and tasty.
0:43:28 > 0:43:29Wow, look at those.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32Sicilian zucchini.
0:43:32 > 0:43:33Wow!
0:43:34 > 0:43:38- Is this...- These are the leaves of the zucchini.
0:43:38 > 0:43:43So, with these two guys, you make the typical mamma or grandma's pasta.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46Which means the pasta cooked in broth,
0:43:46 > 0:43:50with leaves and zucchini and then my mum,
0:43:50 > 0:43:53so you have two different parties, some people eat it hot,
0:43:53 > 0:43:56but my mum puts this broth with pasta in the fridge.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00So you have lovely, fresh, seasonal vegetables, cold.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02But only mammas and grandmas make this.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05- Why?- Because it is a typical mamma's recipe.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08- Oh, OK.- When the mamma makes this at home,
0:44:08 > 0:44:10she phones me and my brother,
0:44:10 > 0:44:13- my sister come home, we have pasta. Like, uh...- It's like....
0:44:13 > 0:44:15..the day we have been waiting for...
0:44:15 > 0:44:17- Home thoughts, home thoughts. - Exactly.
0:44:17 > 0:44:22From abroad. Oh, to be in Palermo, now that August is here.
0:44:29 > 0:44:34I just noticed there is a lot of tourists coming up through the market.
0:44:34 > 0:44:40We were here about ten years ago, and I was in another market,
0:44:40 > 0:44:44I don't think I ever saw a tourist, it was like, so local.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47Exactly, tourism in general is increasing very fast.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50It is not only because it is a nice destination,
0:44:50 > 0:44:55we are slowly getting rid of the reputation that this is a dangerous place to come.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58Now, finally we are all aware that
0:44:58 > 0:45:00a spleen sandwich, a chickpea fritter,
0:45:00 > 0:45:03it actually tells the history of the place.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07It is not just something to eat, to fill your belly and that is it.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10Also, there's no better way of spending a day
0:45:10 > 0:45:14as an ordinary tourist than walking through a market.
0:45:21 > 0:45:26Marco wanted desperately to show me a very special Sicilian tonic.
0:45:26 > 0:45:31He told me it was very good for hangovers, not, I may add,
0:45:31 > 0:45:33that I had one of those.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37This is a very famous drink on the streets of Palermo,
0:45:37 > 0:45:39it is called the driver - autista.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43You have a sparkling drink with a chinotto syrup.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45Chinotto is bitter orange.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48And something is going to happen to your glass,
0:45:48 > 0:45:51because our friend, he is going to put some special ingredients,
0:45:51 > 0:45:54and then you have to drink it as fast, and as much as possible.
0:45:54 > 0:45:59So, get ready for that, deep breath and enjoy the driver.
0:45:59 > 0:46:00OK, OK.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05Ready? Pronto! Drink, drink, drink, drink!
0:46:05 > 0:46:07Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10All right!
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Not bad. Bravo.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20- Now you can do your well-deserved burp.- I can see that.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22- This is what the people are waiting for.- Excuse me.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24HE BURPS, THEN LAUGHS
0:46:24 > 0:46:25Well done! Fab!
0:46:30 > 0:46:31When I was last here,
0:46:31 > 0:46:35I remember seeing a brilliant painting of a Palermo market,
0:46:35 > 0:46:37the Vucciria.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39It has really gained in popularity
0:46:39 > 0:46:42and so many people now come to see it.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44It was painted by Renato Guttuso.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47That's him in the yellow polo neck,
0:46:47 > 0:46:51and that woman facing him is supposed to be his lover.
0:46:51 > 0:46:56The lady behind him in the background I'm told is his wife.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59But it's the market scene that I love.
0:47:03 > 0:47:08When I first saw this in the Vucciria market, it just struck me,
0:47:08 > 0:47:12just by the colour and by the explosion of things going on,
0:47:12 > 0:47:17but to me it is the most wonderful painting of food.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20And all the time when you are looking at it, your eyes are drawn
0:47:20 > 0:47:23to these two figures in the middle.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27But, to me, it is about the sort of confusion which is Palermo,
0:47:27 > 0:47:29this delightful confusion,
0:47:29 > 0:47:32this sort of sweetness and sourness,
0:47:32 > 0:47:36that everything is happening in this picture, all of life is in there,
0:47:36 > 0:47:39and in fact, the word "vucciria",
0:47:39 > 0:47:42it means confusion, it means, like, bedlam,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45it means everything is going mad.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48But, to me, in a totally delightful way.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53His work seemed familiar to me,
0:47:53 > 0:47:55and I found out where I had seen it before.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59It was in Elizabeth David's seminal piece of work,
0:47:59 > 0:48:03her book on Italian food, published in 1954.
0:48:03 > 0:48:08These were the days when in Britain nobody had heard of sea salt,
0:48:08 > 0:48:12vinegar was malt, olive oil was for dislodging ear wax
0:48:12 > 0:48:16and nobody had ever heard of tomato puree.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19And as far as focaccia was concerned, forget it.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25Incidentally, the painting is housed in what was the headquarters of the
0:48:25 > 0:48:26Spanish Inquisition.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31But now it is time for lunch
0:48:31 > 0:48:37and it is at Ristoranti Buatta, 35 seconds from my hotel.
0:48:37 > 0:48:38This dish, I have to say,
0:48:38 > 0:48:41is probably the best I had tasted that whole long weekend
0:48:41 > 0:48:45and it is called broccoli arriminati.
0:48:45 > 0:48:50It is made with new season's cauliflower using some of the smaller leaves
0:48:50 > 0:48:53and saffron, raisins and pine nuts.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57In fact, all the flavours from Sicily's illustrious past.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07You've got some anchovies in there, you've got pine nuts
0:49:07 > 0:49:10and you've got some currants and saffron.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15And it's just... The bit that makes the difference to me is
0:49:15 > 0:49:18the fried breadcrumbs on top.
0:49:18 > 0:49:24Who would've thought you could get so much flavour out of a humble cauliflower?
0:49:24 > 0:49:25But, also, I have to say,
0:49:25 > 0:49:28I just love these white Italian wines.
0:49:30 > 0:49:34This is cold, this is crisp, it's from Sicily.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36I couldn't actually say what was in it,
0:49:36 > 0:49:40there's a bit of pear in there, I suppose, a bit of apple,
0:49:40 > 0:49:43a bit of vanilla, if one was being really up one's self but,
0:49:43 > 0:49:48really, the thing that I love about Italian wines is they're understated.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52You taste them and you think, "Oh, that's nice, now where's the food?"
0:50:04 > 0:50:08There's something immensely satisfying, I'd say soothing,
0:50:08 > 0:50:10about being in a busy Italian restaurant,
0:50:10 > 0:50:12a real Italian restaurant.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15While I can't speak Italian,
0:50:15 > 0:50:18I know the people here are talking about food.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21And Sicilians love to argue.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23Where the best lemons come from?
0:50:23 > 0:50:28Or what village grows the finest lentils or the sweetest tomatoes.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31Or where you go to get the freshest red mullet?
0:50:31 > 0:50:36And bread - just don't get them started on bread.
0:50:49 > 0:50:50I think, for me,
0:50:50 > 0:50:53this is the most memorable crossroads anywhere in the world.
0:50:53 > 0:50:58Every time I think of Palermo, I think of the Quattro Canti,
0:50:58 > 0:50:59which means the four corners.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02It was built by the Spanish in the 1600s.
0:51:02 > 0:51:06And on the bottom layer, here, we have the four seasons.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09Here we have autumn. There we have winter.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11There, with a garland of flowers, we have spring.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14There, with lots of fruit, we have summer.
0:51:14 > 0:51:20But more than that, above are the four Spanish kings of Sicily.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23Above them are the patron saints of Sicily.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25And above them is the sky
0:51:25 > 0:51:29because this is known as the theatre of the sun
0:51:29 > 0:51:31because at any time of the day
0:51:31 > 0:51:33the sun is always on one of the quarters.
0:51:40 > 0:51:44Any story about Sicily will have love and death,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47betrayal and decay running right through it,
0:51:47 > 0:51:50like the veins of a blue cheese.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53It was and still is a rich island.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56And here in the golden shell surrounding Palermo
0:51:56 > 0:52:00was where a lot of the wealth came from.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03Lemons and oranges grown on vast estates,
0:52:03 > 0:52:06owned and run by noble families.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10Those that study these things
0:52:10 > 0:52:12say that when Garibaldi came along on his
0:52:12 > 0:52:17campaign to unify Italy, he took the landowners' power away from them,
0:52:17 > 0:52:20their militias and their bodyguards,
0:52:20 > 0:52:24who were there to protect the most profitable agricultural land in Europe.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28That was just the thing needed to give birth to the Mafia
0:52:28 > 0:52:30as the new protectors of the crops.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33You see, oranges and lemons during the 1860s
0:52:33 > 0:52:36were worth an absolute fortune.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39And it was during this time of social change
0:52:39 > 0:52:44that one of the most powerful novels written about Italy was set.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46It's called The Leopard,
0:52:46 > 0:52:51and it was written by Prince Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa,
0:52:51 > 0:52:56and it was about the decline of his family's empire here during the early days
0:52:56 > 0:52:58when Garibaldi invaded Sicily.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04And this is his daughter-in-law - the Duchess of Lampedusa.
0:53:04 > 0:53:09She's a great cook and occasionally has cookery lessons here.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12But I wanted to talk to her about The Leopard.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14I really love The Leopard.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17Well, you know, it means a lot.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21Because when I got married and when I came into the family,
0:53:21 > 0:53:24of course I had read The Leopard, everybody has.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26One of the greatest novels ever written.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28And it's mainly a novel, well,
0:53:28 > 0:53:31of course it's a novel about the resurgent of the history
0:53:31 > 0:53:34of Italy, the big changes,
0:53:34 > 0:53:38and everything has to change to remain the same, et cetera.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42But it's mainly a novel about life, love and death.
0:53:42 > 0:53:43Well, the other thing is, for me,
0:53:43 > 0:53:47it just means a lot because I actually gave it, when I first met my wife,
0:53:47 > 0:53:51I gave her a copy of The Leopard, and she loved it.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55But the fact that I had personally given it to her and said,
0:53:55 > 0:53:58"You must read this," she was so overwhelmed.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Oh, that's really romantic.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03And she got in love with you thanks to The Leopard.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06Well, I'm very happy to hear that.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09Well, at least it worked with your wife.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12Well, it did. Now she says, "You don't read enough!"
0:54:15 > 0:54:18So, just before we go any further, do I call you Duchess?
0:54:18 > 0:54:19No, Nicoletta, please.
0:54:19 > 0:54:20OK, Nicoletta.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23I've never talked to a duchess before.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25- Aren't you excited?- Very, very!
0:54:30 > 0:54:34Nicoletta is going to cook one of Sicily's most famous street food dishes,
0:54:34 > 0:54:36panelle.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40It starts off with heating, and beating and stirring chickpea flour,
0:54:40 > 0:54:45salt and water until it becomes thick and creamy, like polenta.
0:54:51 > 0:54:52Now, can you take over?
0:54:52 > 0:54:54- Yeah.- You can see that immediately...
0:54:54 > 0:54:57- Yeah, yeah.- ..it becomes very thick. You have to be quicker.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59- Quicker!- Because, yes, you have to dissolve the lumps.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02And scrape the sides and the bottom otherwise it will ruin
0:55:02 > 0:55:04and we have to start all over again.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06- OK, OK.- And it will be your fault.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10- Stir well. I'll chop the parsley, meanwhile.- OK.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13Do you know how to use the mezzaluna, Rick?
0:55:13 > 0:55:16I've never had one, but I know what they do.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19- They're for chopping parsley, aren't they?- Yes.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21I'm very happy with my stirring.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23It's as smooth as a baby's bottom.
0:55:23 > 0:55:24Now, as soon as my parsley is chopped,
0:55:24 > 0:55:26- I will come and check.- OK, OK.
0:55:26 > 0:55:27Because I don't trust you.
0:55:27 > 0:55:28Fair enough, fair enough.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30I understand.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33I can appreciate that.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37Might have done these things a few times before, but no, no!
0:55:37 > 0:55:39Oh! That's good.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41Oh, my God, you're hired.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46Unfortunately, you know, just stirring, stirring and stirring.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48Oh, no, that's fine. I just thought you were going to say,
0:55:48 > 0:55:50"Unfortunately, it's ruined."
0:55:52 > 0:55:55So, once that's hit the right thickness,
0:55:55 > 0:55:58she pours the mixture into an old oil can -
0:55:58 > 0:56:01even duchesses can be quite frugal.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03And then she puts it into the fridge to harden.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08Now, this is a much nicer snack than crisps,
0:56:08 > 0:56:11or cheesy God knows whatever
0:56:11 > 0:56:14and it's a classic Sicilian favourite.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17The Duchess puts parsley with it,
0:56:17 > 0:56:21but I know it's very popular with fennel seeds as well.
0:56:21 > 0:56:26We're talking seconds here in clean, very hot sunflower oil.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28You can see them puff up a little bit.
0:56:28 > 0:56:32Then after, say, 15 seconds at most, they're done.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42They're rather nice.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44They're exquisite.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47I'm sure you personally wouldn't agree with this,
0:56:47 > 0:56:49but I would love a cold beer with one of these.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51Mm.
0:56:51 > 0:56:52- I have some.- Do you?
0:56:52 > 0:56:54Yes.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57I didn't know that duchesses had cold beers in their houses.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00I mean, duchesses have everything, my dear.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09Well, panelle and beer is not very Sicilian, but still.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12- Thank you very much.- You're welcome.
0:57:12 > 0:57:13- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16It's not new, that... It's not the done thing.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20Oh. It is to me.
0:57:20 > 0:57:24But I must admit, beer goes very well with panelle.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27I never ever thought of having beer with panelle.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33It's time to go home now.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36But I couldn't help notice this old hotel
0:57:36 > 0:57:39fairly near the Duchess's palazzo.
0:57:40 > 0:57:45The plaque here says," Garibaldi stopped here for a couple of hours
0:57:45 > 0:57:46"for a break."
0:57:46 > 0:57:50Maybe he had a plate of pasta, or a glass of wine,
0:57:50 > 0:57:52a piece of cheese,
0:57:52 > 0:57:55before putting his boots back on and finding his rifle
0:57:55 > 0:57:59and going on to unify Italy, as you do.
0:58:01 > 0:58:05Well, all I have to say is arrivederci, Palermo.
0:58:05 > 0:58:06You've been great.
0:58:06 > 0:58:08Lovely, happy food.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10Great, colourful markets.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12Cheerful people.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14A lovely ,long weekend.
0:58:15 > 0:58:17I salute you.