As I mentioned previously, I'll be writing in more detail about the cooking class I took in Palermo, which was the main reason I planned a Sicily itinerary, a little later on. You might remember that the class is taught by Nicoletta Polo, who is married to Gioacchino Lanza Tomasi, the adopted son of Giuseppe di Lampedusa, author of
The Leopard. Lampedusa, who passed away in 1957, was the great-grandson of Prince Giulio Fabrizio Tomasi di Lampedusa, among whose titles were Prince of Lampedusa (an island between Malta and Tunisia that is part of the autonomous region of Sicily) and Duke of Palma di Montechiaro (a town on the southern coast of Sicily near Agrigento). Not long before Lampedusa's death, Gioacchino's birth father went to King Umberto II, who was then living in exile in Cascais, Portugal, to ask his permission for Gioacchino to be adopted by Lampedusa and to carry on the title of Duke of Palma. Permission was granted, so years later, when Gioacchino married Nicoletta, she became a Duchess, and so the name of her class is officially called 'A Day Cooking With the Duchess.'
Until I get to this upcoming post, I'm sharing here a note from Nicoletta about what she's doing to keep her class going during these strange days of Covid-19. I admit it's not the same as being there in that wonderful palazzo, in the kitchen with the floor-to-ceiling windows that open out onto an interior courtyard, but it's close, and it's a great distraction for our times. More importantly, it's also a generous gesture that will help to insure this historic legacy continues.
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Hello from sunny Sicily,
I hope you’re doing well and that you and your family are all healthy.
We are all well here, but obviously things at Butera 28 Apartments have had to change with the current COVID-19 Crisis, especially with Italy having been so badly affected at the beginning. Although we have had very few cases here on our paradise island in Sicily, we have been included in all of the government’s plans to overcome the situation. Alas, it means that for the time being we have no tourists here - and thus, I’m not able to be hosting my beloved cooking classes, A Day Cooking with the Duchess.
As this is my passion, I have been missing these cherished moments dearly; being able to meet all of you, share my culinary knowledge and delight in the fruits of our labour together. So, instead of dwelling on what cannot be, I decided to get busy creating something to keep up with the times, while waiting for the world to become a friendlier and safer place.
Over the last few weeks, I have been working devotedly with mi.o Modern Italian Network, a wonderful community of people passionate about Italy and Italian culture. Together we have lovingly crafted something rather special. I have shifted my Sicilian cooking classes (as seen on Rick Stein’s Long Weekend Palermo Edition) to the world wide web. This way I can teach live, private classes from my 18th century Palazzo kitchen in Palermo, all the way to you, in the comfort - and safety! - of your own home.
These 2-hour long classes are currently exclusive here, so get in touch to reserve your space. You will need to sign up for free on the site to gain access to the course information including my truly Sicilian menus that I have created for you, the dates and the price. Choose between a menu selection of Sicilian Springtime 2020, one for Citrus Lovers, or request my totally Vegan 3-Course Delight (very soon online, stay tuned). After you sign up, I will contact you so that we can discuss all of the details.
Of course you can buy this for yourself, but also as a gift for a loved one who may still be stuck in 'lockdown' and needing a bit of a ‘pick me up’. Food is love after all, because we create it to share with others. I am encouraging families, who may not even be in the same household to get involved as a wonderful family activity.
It goes without saying, this would also be a much-appreciated opportunity to help us cope financially through these terribly hard times, when our business, that I have worked so hard to build up, has been completely destroyed by the pandemic.
Please feel free to reach out to me for more information. I cannot wait to get back to sharing my culinary love with you all, even from afar.
All my warmest wishes and positive energy,
Nicoletta x
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