Pomp And Sustenance: Twenty-five Centuries of Sicilian Food

How good it feels to immerse myself in the warm, welcoming world of Sicilian cooking and food ritual. It's a place I love going to, and this book gave me a lot of historical insight into things that left me verschmeckled on my visit.

The recipes, oh goodness, the recipes! They sound like food porn, they are so good. I am not the first to experience this, as the following quote from an 18th-century French traveler shows:

"Almost all the ragouts {sauces} of the Syracusans are composed of pork meat, an indigestible food {!}, which can do no other than whip up the blood, heat it and render it into a state of orgasm and continual effervescence." (p157)

Now I have eaten a lot of pork (bad, nasty pun at your own risk) over the past 50 years and I show more have YET to have errrmmm this particular experience. What in Heaven's name are they feeding these pigs, and how do I get some?!

When I was through fanning myself, I continued into the joyously brimming recipe sections that followed, describing cannoli, pasta alla carrettiera, and a timballo di maccheroni bianco, which features in a superbly sensual passage of The Leopard, that delightful Sicilian novel. I want to see if I can reproduce the "...masses of piping hot, glistening macaroni, to which the meat juice gave an exquisite hue of suede." show less

A recipe book with long, wonderfully helpful introductions to the various categories of Sicilian food. I recommend reading it together with Simeti's companion book on Sicily On Persephone's Island: A Sicilian Journal. (Read my review of both books there.)

I don't envision myself actually making any of these dishes (but then, who knows?), but I certainly know what I am going to order on my next visit to Sicily's many wonderful restaurants. Heartily recommended as reading material for any planned trip to Sicily.

This book is a treasure...filled with information about the history of Sicilian Cuisine and recipes. I used it for research for a class on Mediterranean Cuisine and was fascinated by all the information. It is true that the history of the island of Sicily can be found in its kitchen cupboards as each "occupying civilization" impacted the food items and eating habits of the people...for good or bad.

Pomp and Sustenance is a book for those who want not only recipes but the world they come from. Fascinating and delightful reading!

Excellent cookbook for Sicilian cooking. There are very few recipes or books for Sicilian cooking. This book includes dialy meals as well as special holiday recipes.Everything from antipasto to gelato! This would be better in hardcover for use during cooking.The softcover has very good binding,but not very convenient for use during cooking. Excellent quality book.

As rich in historical detail as it is in wonderful authentic Sicilian recipes!

Recommended - for tasty modern recipes and fascinating discussion of culture.