(And it was a Sicilian who first thought of canning tuna in oil.) The Sicilians had always been blessed with excellent tuna fishing grounds but it was the Arabs who taught them how to catch them collectively, turning tuna into one of the world's great staples. Amongst other great additions to world cuisine was tuna. There's not much on culinary traditions introduced by the Vandals and Goths, but the appearance of the Muslim Period in Sicilian history (800s-roughly 1000) meant the introduction of sugar cane, for one, embellished with spices, pistachios and dates, to create many Sicilian desserts with "an Arab imprint, and several that even bear Arab names." This is a reading combination where 1 1=3. The paragraphs on agriculture come to life in classic Sicilian recipes still being prepared today. Simeti's colourful and exuberant writing style helps add flavor to the journal (pun intended) as she covers her subject. If this is your cup of tea, it is then best read together with the companion book by the same author that covers "twenty-five years of Sicilian Food" entitled Pomp and Sustenance. Travel combined with local history and family tales and a very large amount of information about agriculture, local vegetation, crops and local produce. A charming "My Summer in Tuscany" type of travel book written by an American author who travels to Sicily, marries a Sicilian, and stays.
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