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| In the salted caper room at Bonomo and Giglio on Pantelleria |
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| Caper plants clinging to the earth bound for Bonomo and Giglio |
Capers are the unopened
flower buds of bushy plants that cling to stonewalls or are cultivated close to
the ground. On the tiny Italian island of Pantelleria, off the coast of Sicily
just 36 miles from the coast of North Africa, the volcanic soil and
Mediterranean sun produce high quality capers prized for their flavor. “They
are the best capers and I like them because they are cured in salt and not
pickled,” says chef Piero Premoli of Pricci Restaurant. Premoli is featuring a
menu of Sicilian dishes throughout October including a cured tuna with capers
and the region’s classic caponata stew with eggplant and capers.
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| Olives, tomatoes, onions, basil and olive oil love in Pantelleria |
Pleasures of
If you haven’t been to Pantelleria
or even heard of it, join the club. I
was invited by a non-profit food and nutrition organization called Old WaysPreservation and Exchange Trust to join a group of writers and culinary experts
for a symposium to discover the island’s uniquely healthy food and lifestyle
habits.
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| It's a desert out there. The island of Pantelleria gets very little rain fall. |
The rocky island is pummeled by
the wind forcing olive trees, grape vines and caper bushes to lie low growing
outward not upward. Citrus trees are cradled in walled gardens to protect the
fruit.
“There’s still a little magic out
there,” says Phil Meldrum of Food Match a specialty foods importer attending
the symposium. “When you find something with a taste particular to that area it
gives me goose bumps.”
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| Pantelleria capers on freshly caught swordfish makes me swoon. |
Stone cliffs, stonewalls, stone
buildings, and piles of stone create a harsh landscape surrounded by the
crashing sea. Minimal rain means cactus blooms and bougainvillea blooms offer
the only color.
“It was frozen in time,” says dietitian Sharon Palmer, author
of The Plant Powered Diet, “We had very little red meat. It’s primarily a plant
based diet that’s nutritionally really balanced with carbs from pastas, healthy
fats from almonds, olives and olive oil and dishes flavored with herbs, fennel
and capers.”
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| Sharon Palmer and I enjoying 'studying' nutrition on Pantelleria. |
Other common cooking
ingredients included eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes. Since cows were not a
traditional part of farm life here, there is very little cheese and pasta
dishes and potatoes are sprinkled with seasoned bread crumbs instead of
parmesan.
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| Just so you believe me. Pantescans add breadcrumbs to pasta. |
Palmer notes, “We had
traditional dishes handed down through the generations in an isolated farming
environment so we had what they have there.”
Even though there is a tradition of
sweet cookies made in intricate patterns and shapes, the principal sweetener is
made from reducing grape juice not refined sugar.
“It’s nice that the
healthiest traditional eating patterns happen to be the most delicious,” says
Sara Baer-Sinnott, President of Oldways.
Mediterranean Medicine
The health benefits of the
Mediterranean diet – rich in vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, seafood and
olive oil - are well documented. Dietitian Kathy McManus, Director of the
Department of Nutrition at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston says, “Since
this diet is not low in fat people enjoy the foods more, lose more weight and
they tend to eat more vegetables because they can add olive oil.” The Mediterranean lifestyle leads to
longevity, too.
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| Olive oil contains more than healthy fats, it's rich in plant nutrients and antioxidants to promote good health. |
Ligia Dominguez, MD of the University of Palermo says, “We want
an active life in old age not frailty. The Mediterranean diet is high in
antioxidants which can add years to your life and life to your years.”
Dominguez says being “kissed” by
the sun for at least 15 minutes a day boosts vitamin D levels naturally and
getting enough sleep is important too. “I took a nap every day in Pantelleria,”
admits Baer-Sinnot, “It’s the joy of resting to reduce stress.”
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| Grape harvest bonanza during my stay on Pantelleria. |
