Version 1 of the Cassata
"I have to change slimming cream before bikini season: that custard one doesn't work"
19 May 2023 - Categorie: Typical Products , Food and wine tourism Tags:
How can pages and pages be written about Sicily, describing its infinite architectural beauties, narrating its enchanting landscapes, and not mentioning its envied and literally delicious culinary tradition? I'll tell you: it can't be possible, it almost becomes a moral obligation to take you by the hand and accompany you through the scents, colours and flavours of the cuisine of our beloved island.
Hundreds and hundreds of international tourists (also national and local) arrive in this wonderful land every year to have a taste not only of the sun and the sea but also of its dishes: from savoury to sweet to the most varied street food. We have already talked about our cannoli and if you missed it, click here to read the article. Today, however, we want to tell you about one of the most famous recipes: her majesty the Sicilian Cassata.
The Sicilian cassata, whose name derives from the Arabic quas'at, "basin" or from the Latin caseum, "cheese") is a traditional cake made with sweetened ricotta, sponge cake, marzipan and candied fruit. The recipe in itself is quite simple to make. However, there are many local variants, each of them delicious and particular: the Palermitan one (baked, without candied fruit and marzipan, covered with shortcrust pastry and studded with dark chocolate drops), the ones of Messina (less sweet), Catania, Trapani, Caltanissetta and Syracuse (which is distinguished by the presence of layers of sponge cake and the absence of icing).
In fact, it is precisely the aesthetics that vary. We go from a meagre icing decoration and a little candied orange peel to an almost artistic construction with coloured beads and an infinite number of different candied fruits. Again according to local variations, there may be additional ingredients, such as pistachio, pine nuts, chocolate, cinnamon, liqueur, or orange blossom water. There is also a single-portion version, the cassatina. In short, at dessert time, we don't miss anything! This year in your suitcase, also put a few doses of insulin for your journey to discover the Sicilian goodness!
Version 2 of the Cassata
Version 3 of the Cassata
Cassatina
Naturally to digest all this sugar, which once in a while and on vacation we can and must indulge in, why not visit the most popular places in Sicily? Wherever you are, whatever cassata you decide to taste, you will have infinite places at your fingertips to be able to live and our fantastic luxury villas to be able to rest. Among the various places we recommend: Palermo’s architectural masterpieces, a visit to Mondello. On the west side, the shimmering beaches of Scopello (the Zingaro nature reserve) and San Vito lo Capo. A bit further on, in the same direction is the mediaeval town of Erice, the salt pans of Trapani, the island of Mozia, the Egadi islands and the Marsala wineries. On the east side, Solunto and Cefalù. In the south, Agrigento, the Valley of the Temples, Eraclea Minoa and Scala dei Turchi. And also the Marine Reserve of Plemmirio, Syracuse and its archaeological park and from here all the cities of Sicilian Baroque are easily reachable: Ragusa Ibla, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, Scicli as well as the reserves of Pantalica and Cavagrande del Cassibile. To the north in just over an hour by car you can visit Etna Park, the Alcantara Gorges and Taormina.
Recommended villas
Villa Verdese: Wonderful residence with a modern taste located a few kilometers from the golden sandy beaches of Playa Grande and Marina di Ragusa. The villa is located on one of the most characteristic promontories of the Ragusa countryside whose panorama will leave you speechless while immersed in the fresh waters of the private swimming pool surrounded by a fantastic solarium and a shady patio of 180 square meters.
La Memoria dell'Acqua: Breathtaking villa a few kilometers from the Baroque city of Scicli, in the beautiful south-eastern Sicily. The dwelling will give you spoiled for choice on how to spend your holidays: you can enjoy its swimming pool right in front of the living area and its large windows or you can take advantage of the wonderful golden sandy beach, 8 km long and still hidden from tourism. of mass, a few tens of meters. Or you can visit the beautiful Baroque cities such as Noto or Modica.
Azucena: Majestic villa that silently rises with its 15 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms in the Ragusa area, halfway between the city and the marina. The residence is ready to give you great holidays with family or friends, in full privacy and relaxation with its spectacular infinity pool surrounded by a garden adorned with Mediterranean plants and prickly pears that will inebriate your senses. There are many courtyards and shady areas where you can enjoy silence and peace in the hottest hours or easily reachable, a few kilometers away, the wonderful beaches of Playa Grande, Pozzallo and Marina di Ragusa among their free areas and the infinite shores.
Flora: Located in the residential area of Marina di Ragusa adjacent to the Irminio River Nature Reserve, this splendid villa is ready to give you a holiday dedicated to privacy but with fun just a few steps away. In fact, easily reachable on foot, it is a lovely and secluded beach within the Reserve or, for lovers of summer and sparkling nightlife, the golden sandy beaches of Playa Grande and Marina di Ragusa are just a few hundred meters away! Or you can simply decide to stay at home and enjoy the fantastic private swimming pool surrounded by a well-kept garden with a Mediterranean flavor and organize a nice outdoor barbecue with friends and / or family.
Afrodite: Supreme villa with a contemporary taste located on the Hyblean plateau that will give you a breathtaking view of this little jewel of Ragusa. With its wonderful infinity pool, tennis court, barbecue and bowling green, you will be spoiled for choice on how to spend your holidays in south-eastern Sicily! And if you ever want to get out of this wonderful residence, just 15 km away you will find the spectacular beaches of Playa Grande and Marina di Ragusa and again, 30 minutes by car, you can reach the wonderful villages and beaches of Polla, Modica and Ispica too. awarded the Blue Flag 2022.
La Forma dell'Acqua: Fantastic residence located 100 meters from the fine golden sand beach of Donnalucata and surrounded by a garden of over 3,500 square meters on the coast of south-eastern Sicily. With its various shaded areas with equipped gazebos, its children's play area and its swimming pool with hydrojets, it is the ideal home for a holiday full of fun and relaxation for all ages.
Gisolfo: If you were looking for a splendid residence with a modern taste, simple but elegant, with a beautiful private swimming pool overlooking the splendid, colorful and fragrant countryside of Ragusa, Gisolfo is the villa for you. Let yourself be lulled by the quiet and relaxation that surround the house and by the smell of olive trees, carob trees and citrus fruits that will inebriate your senses. Just 12 km away, the splendid golden sandy beaches of Playa Grande and Marina di Ragusa will keep you company.
La Memoria dell'Acqua: Breathtaking villa a few kilometers from the Baroque city of Scicli, in the beautiful south-eastern Sicily. The dwelling will give you spoiled for choice on how to spend your holidays: you can enjoy its swimming pool right in front of the living area and its large windows or you can take advantage of the wonderful golden sandy beach, 8 km long and still hidden from tourism. of mass, a few tens of meters. Or you can visit the beautiful Baroque cities such as Noto or Modica.
Azucena: Majestic villa that silently rises with its 15 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms in the Ragusa area, halfway between the city and the marina. The residence is ready to give you great holidays with family or friends, in full privacy and relaxation with its spectacular infinity pool surrounded by a garden adorned with Mediterranean plants and prickly pears that will inebriate your senses. There are many courtyards and shady areas where you can enjoy silence and peace in the hottest hours or easily reachable, a few kilometers away, the wonderful beaches of Playa Grande, Pozzallo and Marina di Ragusa among their free areas and the infinite shores.
Flora: Located in the residential area of Marina di Ragusa adjacent to the Irminio River Nature Reserve, this splendid villa is ready to give you a holiday dedicated to privacy but with fun just a few steps away. In fact, easily reachable on foot, it is a lovely and secluded beach within the Reserve or, for lovers of summer and sparkling nightlife, the golden sandy beaches of Playa Grande and Marina di Ragusa are just a few hundred meters away! Or you can simply decide to stay at home and enjoy the fantastic private swimming pool surrounded by a well-kept garden with a Mediterranean flavor and organize a nice outdoor barbecue with friends and / or family.
Afrodite: Supreme villa with a contemporary taste located on the Hyblean plateau that will give you a breathtaking view of this little jewel of Ragusa. With its wonderful infinity pool, tennis court, barbecue and bowling green, you will be spoiled for choice on how to spend your holidays in south-eastern Sicily! And if you ever want to get out of this wonderful residence, just 15 km away you will find the spectacular beaches of Playa Grande and Marina di Ragusa and again, 30 minutes by car, you can reach the wonderful villages and beaches of Polla, Modica and Ispica too. awarded the Blue Flag 2022.
La Forma dell'Acqua: Fantastic residence located 100 meters from the fine golden sand beach of Donnalucata and surrounded by a garden of over 3,500 square meters on the coast of south-eastern Sicily. With its various shaded areas with equipped gazebos, its children's play area and its swimming pool with hydrojets, it is the ideal home for a holiday full of fun and relaxation for all ages.
Gisolfo: If you were looking for a splendid residence with a modern taste, simple but elegant, with a beautiful private swimming pool overlooking the splendid, colorful and fragrant countryside of Ragusa, Gisolfo is the villa for you. Let yourself be lulled by the quiet and relaxation that surround the house and by the smell of olive trees, carob trees and citrus fruits that will inebriate your senses. Just 12 km away, the splendid golden sandy beaches of Playa Grande and Marina di Ragusa will keep you company.
Villa Arya: POV: You are home after a very long day at work. You still have to cook, iron, clean, and start fantasizing about your summer holidays. You dream of a luxurious villa with a private swimming pool and you see yourself there immersed in relaxation under the warm August sun while enjoying the view of the enchanting crystalline sea of the Plemmirio Marine Reserve with your fresh and refreshing aperitif in hand ... why dream? Villa Arya is the right place for you! Four double suites with en-suite bathrooms, a splendid garden and a breathtaking infinity pool for a stay in Syracuse like you have never imagined.
Villa Ammos: There are few words that can describe what it would mean to spend your holidays in this corner of paradise. Villa Ammos cannot be explained, you have to live it and let yourself be cradled by the caress and scent of the sea breeze with it. Its silent majesty will intoxicate your senses and its splendid private swimming pool will refresh your skin in the hottest moments. This lush and modern residence will make you feel like the masters of the world as your gaze is lost in the immensity of the sea.
Il Tuffetto: Il Tuffetto (lit. little dive) is not only the name of the villa but also what you will do in the middle of the south-eastern Sicilian countryside. A small jewel in the Val di Noto surrounded by rosemary, thyme, lavender, sage and other Mediterranean-flavored plants that will awaken your senses. From the terrace and the wonderful private swimming pool, you will enjoy a breathtaking view of the countryside and the beautiful Ionian Sea. What are you waiting for? Book your holidays in Sicily in this small earthly paradise.
Papeda: Wonderful villa with a modern and Mediterranean taste with a splendid private swimming pool surrounded by an English lawn. The house is immersed in one hectare of land full of typical trees such as olive and fig trees and enriched by a suggestive citrus grove that will give you the typical scents of south-eastern Sicily. A few kilometers from the wonderful beaches of Vendicari and Eloro, let yourself be enchanted by the typical colors of the Syracuse countryside which, with its thousand shades of green, slopes towards the turquoise of the sea in the background.
Mennula: Fantastic villa immersed in the unrivaled countryside of the Val di Noto, full of colors and scents that will awaken your senses. Rich in many shady corners naturally provided by the olive and almond trees that surround the house, let yourself be lulled by the quiet countryside or dive into the cool swimming pool while enjoying the warm sun of south-eastern Sicily.
Olivastro: Wonderful house located inside the Torre Salsa Reserve, an oasis protected by the WWF. Whether you decide to enjoy the splendid view of the valley full of olive trees from the comfortable and shady patio in front of the house or to walk a suggestive path made of vineyards and prickly pears, this is the ideal home for a beach holiday in complete relaxation and in total privacy.
Villa Sara: Splendid modern residence with a Mediterranean taste, nestled on a sweet promontory that will give you an idyllic view of the Sicilian countryside between Menfi and Sciacca that sinuously slope down towards the sea. Ideal for a break from the hectic city life that will seem like a distant memory while during the sunset you will enjoy a sparkling happy hour on the covered patio in front of the swimming pool.
Camemi: Delightful modern villa with luxurious details, Camemi offers you an almost endless panorama with different shades that starts from the vineyards of the south-west of Sicily and ends with the turquoise of the sea. If you were looking for a place of peace and Sicilian colors and scents, this is the right home for you and perfect for any age.