Not far from Pino’s family home on the Palermo outskirts, Bar Gardenia goodness entices. Our Palermo visits – like a recent one – always include stops there for caffe’ and pasticceria goodnes.
A summer attraction for many in Sicily is that gelo di anguria, a chilled watermelon pudding.
At Bar Gardenia, that gelo di anguria may be enjoyed on its own or in tarts filled with that gelo:
Gelo di anguria also fills many a crostata (fruit tart):
Gelo di anguria topped small cakes covered with powdered sugar; alongside, were two rows of colorful trance di cassata (slices of cassata).
Composed of a round sponge cake moistened with fruit juice, layered with ricotta and candied fruit, bordered with marizpan, la cassata is a specialita’ sicliana – and a colorful one:
The bar even has a maiolica creation of the cassata of nearby ceramicist Nino Parrucca:
Not just la cassata but all the cakes at Bar Gardenia are chromatic showplaces, as you can see here:
The torte di gelato (ice-cream cakes) – works of culinary art – entice many:
Mini-ice cream cones are near le torte di gelato…..
……..and one day, a mini hazelnut-gelato cone joined my caffe’ espresso for a late morning pause:.
Later in the day, time for bigger cones…or a cup of gelato. In Sicily, gelato-filled bigne are also a favorite…and these soft rolls always perch atop the gelato displays:
In summertime, anguria (watermelon) will always join the other flavors:
…..and deep purple gelsi (mulberries), too:
Dreaming of those gelati now during these steamy July days in Assisi.
I’m not sure when but I know we’ll be back.
See my talk on Sicilian culinary folklore and goodness
Read about culinary history at Bar Gardenia here.
See my YouTube video on the ceramics of Nino Parrucca.
Read another note on Bar Gardenia, including the culinary history of the cannoli
