Sicilian Food, recipes from Italy’s Abundant Isle,

Food in Sicily, her adopted home. What was intended to be a one- or two-year interlude turned out to be a lifetime. In 1964 she married Antonio Simeti, an agricultural economist and together they run an organic farm near Palermo.

Perhaps no one is better equipped than Simeti to lead a written food tour of Sicily. It’s all here – the history, vivid explanations, and of course the over 100 authentic recipes that blend flavours from the many cultures that have overtaken then passed on from this magical island.

Her depth of research ensures that this classic book will become my ‘go-to’ whenever I need a definitive answer on Sicilian food.

by Mary Taylor Simeti, paperback, Wakefield Press, 2009 (www.wakefieldpress.com.au) rrp A$29.95.