Food of the Italian Islands: Sicily, Sardinia, and Beyond
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Get ready to be transported to the sun-soaked beaches, charming coastal villages, and rolling hillsides of Sicily, Sardinia, and beyond, as Katie Parla returns to the Live Without Borders podcast to share her love for Italian island cuisine.
Katie just published her third book: Food of the Italian Islands.
On the podcast, we dive deep into the cultural and historical significance of regional cuisine.
Listen to the episode to hear Katie’s favorite things to eat, drink, and do on the beautiful and diverse Italian islands. Get ready to be inspired and hungry!
Here are a few highlights.
Capri: The tourist spot
If you like off-the-beaten path holidays, Capri is not for you :) A luxurious island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, Capri is known for its blue water, upscale hotels and boutiques, and tons of tourists. Some popular activities on Capri include hiking up to Ana Capri, visiting the Blue Grotto, and exploring the shops.
As for food, perhaps the world’s most famous salad is insalata caprese, a simple salad made of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Torta caprese is equally delicious – a flourless chocolate cake.
If you’re looking for a more laidback holiday, Katie recommends you head to the nearby islands of Procida (“It feels like a gritty part of Naples has broken off of the mainland and drifted into the sea”) or Ischia instead.
Ischia: A volcanic island with a wellbeing vibe
Ischia is a volcanic island just north of the Gulf of Naples. Islanders live here year round, and agriculture plays a major part in the economy. Visitors can hike around the island and explore its natural beauty, and spas (this area used to be hugely popular with Germans for medical tourism).
Popular spas on the island include Negombo and Poseidon, which offer therapeutic treatments.
Vegetarians can find vegetable and legume-based dishes. When you’re out for a meal, try rucolino, a digestif made with arugula, which grows wild around the island.
Sicily: Foodie paradise
Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, is famous for its rich and diverse cuisine, which developed over centuries of occupation and exploration.
“You see the presence of Greeks and Romans in the grape and olive varieties,” Katie says. “You see the very significant Arabic cultural influence in the way that people grow things, the style of irrigation that allows things that the Arabic culture introduced, lots of almonds and pistachios. This is also the moment when eggplant and many, many types of produce are introduced to Italy in a major way for the first time.”
One of the most popular Sicilian dishes is Pasta alla Norma, which originated in the eastern part of the island. It combines fried eggplant and ricotta salata with tomato sauce and pasta. Try it at Cave Ox when you’re visiting Mount Etna. When in Palermo, you also need to try panelle, chickpea fritters – Katie has a fab recipe in her book. When in Catania, enjoy cipolline catanesi, caramelized onion-filled puff pastry – also found in Food of the Italian Islands.
Sardinia: The Wild Island
There is a rich pastoral heritage and a strong sense of autonomy in Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean.
The island is known as a beach destination, but there are other amazing and vast parts of the island that aren’t often written about. Lucky for you, Katie captured some of the most unique experiences in Food of the Italian Islands, including where to find the most decorative bread, knives, and copper pots.
“I think Sardegna (how Italians say Sardinia) is the coolest place on Earth,” Katie says. “It’s super wild…it’s the kind of place you can actually have an adventure.”
Listen to the Live Without Borders podcast to hear how Katie would spend a week in Sardinia.
And make sure you try culurgiones con burro e salvia (potato dumplings) or make your own using the recipe in Katie’s book.
“If you want to explore and be surrounded by people who are doing their crafts and making their food and going to work and just having this beautiful island life, I think Sardegna is a special place for that,” Katie says.
Venice
Venice may be known for its canals and architecture, but Venetians also love to get their drink on at aperitivo, when you go out for snacks and drinks before dinner (personally, I love just going for aperitivo and skipping dinner).
Cicchetti are small snacks, which you can have along with a spritz – a classic Venetian drink made with Prosecco, Aperol, and soda water – a local wine, or something non-alcoholic if you prefer. Try the crostini or dinner at Bar All'Arco or Sepa Osteria, Katie’s favorites.
Skip the gondola ride through the canals and take a water taxi to Murano, where glassblowing traditions still flourish. Visit Wave Murano Glass to take a tour or even learn how to blow glass yourself.