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Angimbe,
Cusumano, 2000 La
Segreta Rosso, Planeta, 2000 Averna
Amaro, Siciliano |
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lessandro
Carollo was born in Palermo, on the northern coast of Sicily.
“When I was a young boy, I became familiar with cooking
through frequent trips to my grandfather’s kitchen. This
led me to attend culinary school at age fourteen.” Upon
completion of his five years of study he began working at traditional
Sicilian restaurants, then worked a summer in Florence. After
two years of hard work in Sicily, Alessandro’s dream to
cook in California became a reality when he moved to San Diego
and worked at a restaurant called Tuscany. By chance, one day
he stopped to eat at IL Fornaio in Del Mar and was immediately
struck that this was where he really belonged. He was hired
as a sous chef at IL Fornaio in Pasadena. “IL Fornaio was
my choice because I liked the authentic Italian ambiance. And
the concept of regional Italian menus each month seemed interesting
and fun; from my first day at IL Fornaio I had hopes of designing
my own regional menu. Now that I have become a Chef-Partner,
I finally get my turn!”
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The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily is a cultural melting pot. Its heritage —both historical and culinary—is as much Greek, Arab and Norman as it is Italian. When you cross over from the Italian mainland to Messina, you are only 90 miles away from Tunisia, and North African influences permeate Sicilian cuisine. The Ancient Greeks also made their mark, but it is a strange mixture of Norman and Arabian influences, coupled with a sunny climate and fertile soil that gives Sicily its abundance of unique foods and culinary traditions. |
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Many ingredients were introduced to Italy via Sicilian ports. Rice, brought to Italy by Arabian merchants is featured in Risotto alla Catanese. Semolina is another ingredient brought to Italy through Sicily. Semolina stars in the bread we offer tonight, aptly named Pane Siciliano. Sicily is home to over half of all of Italy's registered fishing boats, so much of the Sicilian diet is based on seafood. The vast migration of tuna and swordfish past the island were recorded as far back as Aristotle in the 4th century BC. This, paired with the vast bounty of fish harvested from surrounding waters has inspired the fish dishes on tonight's menu: Pesce Spada alla Palermitana (mesquite-grilled swordfish steak) and Branzino alla Trapanese (bluenose seabass baked with fresh tomato sauce). There is not much grazing land on the island, so whatever sheep are raised are mostly used for milk for the variety of cheeses that Sicilians love, especially ricotta and pecorino. Because of the climate, much of any year's first vegetables in Europe are grown in Sicily. Springtime on the Continent is announced by the arrival of the first of many boatloads of Sicilian eggplant, peppers, and peas. Eggplant is used liberally in many regions of Italy, but much of what is bought in the north comes from the south. Sicily also has long cultivated a surplus of wheat. Pasta, while believed to have been invented in China, was introduced to Italy by merchants arriving in Sicily. |
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