How Sicily Changed My Appetite

I am not a food blogger, reviewer, or even a connoisseur. I will never be a food blogger—I just don’t love taking pictures of food. While I’ll be the first to admit I’m an extremely picky eater, I’ve never really cared much about food. More often than not, I feel inconvenienced by having to eat.

So why am I rambling on about how much I like—or even care about—food?

Because this whole piece is about food, and I needed to lay out just how uninterested I am in the topic so this entry carries the weight I feel it deserves.

The food in Sicily—specifically Scicli—is nothing short of a miracle in your mouth. Is it the higher standards for food and produce compared to the United States? Sure, that helps. But the food here transcends great. This is the kind of food that gives you goosebumps on the first bite, the second, and every bite in between. Food that looks heavy but makes you feel light and warm. Food made from scratch with so much love you’d think it was the chef’s own child.

Look—I love to cook. But remember how I mentioned I was picky?

For most of my life, I had a personal rule against ordering meat I hadn’t prepared myself. I stuck to “safe” foods and rarely looked forward to a meal unless it was something Jess or I had cooked. I didn’t experiment, and I didn’t wander far from what I knew.

Something changed in Italy over the last couple of weeks.

I became brave with my appetite. I started trying things I would never even consider eating back home.

Not everything is Brooks-proof—I’m still not a big fan of beef. I know, strange. But I don’t like what I don’t like. That said, I never in a million years thought I would fall in love with breaded, baked pumpkin. I knew we made pie out of pumpkin, sure—but pumpkin parmesan? Whose amazing idea was that? And why on earth do we not bread and fry pumpkin in the States?

My entire definition of Italian food has shifted. I thought I liked Italian food before, but now that I understand what Italian food actually is, I can comfortably say it’s my favorite cuisine anywhere. This is our first international destination, and I have my fingers—and toes—crossed that every new place we visit gives me a “new favorite food.” That might be wishful thinking, but I’m committing to always trying something new, even if it looks strange or a little scary. At least when it comes to food.

Scicli continues to hold us gently while we learn to let go.

The hospitality we’ve experienced as we wander into smaller, more local shops has been unmatched anywhere I’ve ever been. Last night, Jess and I stopped at a neighborhood meat market to pick up a little dinner. The husband and wife didn’t speak much English, but with broken Italian and translation apps, we made it work.

They sent us home with a grocery bag overflowing with food—lasagna, pumpkin parm, an incredible mix of vegetables in vinegar, oil, and sugar, plus roasted veggies we ate over the bread they stuffed into the bag for free as we were leaving.

I’m not sure what they said exactly, but I imagine it was something like:
WAIT! You can’t eat this without bread!

As we work our way through the bread, vegetables, lasagna, and pumpkin parm (they gave us enough for at least five meals), we’re reminded how kind people are. How thoughtful this little community is. How peacefully and gently this town has welcomed us and held us.

As I reflect on the day—and the trip as a whole—I can’t help but smile.

Full, warm, and happy.
Until next time.

— Brooks