Exact quote is: ” I’ll make some coffee.” The quote is from Detective Montalbano Episode 18, “Wings of the Sphinx”
Adelina is Detective Montalbano’s housekeeper and cook. I’ve featured Detective Montalbano in two blogs so far…post 30 ” A Sicilian Snack” and post 53 ” Coffee Stains”. It’s an amazing set of movies based on Andrea Camilleri’s books. And as the stories are set in Sicily food is predominately featured. One idea about food that flows continuously through out Andrea Camilleri’s stories is that when you eat …you never talk…you instead totally enjoy what the chef has placed in front of you to eat. Anyone who dares talk while eating gets a dirty look. Adelina is known for her cooking … It seems to be the running joke that every time Detective Montalbano has set his table brought out all the food to eat, getting ready to chow down the telephone rings . Unfortunately for Detective Montalbano the voice on the phone is summoning him to another suspicious death that he needs to dealt with. In one episode, Adelina is sent to the hospital in shock because of the two inflated dolls that are a part of a case that has him mystified. Detective Montablano, unsure where to put them stashes them in his shower space…Next day, they disappear. A misunderstood conversation leads an acquaintance to sending over a beautiful young woman to help him forget the plastic females…who later appear mysteriously under his bed . Who ever wrote this part of the story must have laughed the whole way through. Except when you meet the killer than you just shake your head on how sick some people can be. In many of the stories Adelina starts Detective Montaibano’s day with making him coffee. I wish I had a Sicilian housekeeper in my life! There are a couple of episodes where Adelina’s Arancinis are featured and in each-you know that Detective Montalbano is in heaven. If you ever want to try to make Adelina’s- Arancini which are balls or cones of rice with a meat vegetable filling. You can find the recipe at Culinariaitalia.wordpress.com. The recipe is featured with lots of pictures which I love… I ate another version of Arancinis in Naples and on the island of Ischia – the rice balls were filled with potatoes and peas-delicious! Sicilians are known for their coffee. It’s usually served from 7 :00 to 2:00 am every day -365 days a year. Each town has their own Torrefazione. It was mentioned that one could try different kinds of coffee and to help you remember the names they are served in their own cups with logos. Coffee in the South is much stronger because its relies more on Robusta coffee. ( Less flavored , bit more bitter, stronger caffeine strength of 2 to 4 %) Whereas, in the North and Central parts of Italy they seem to like more Arabica coffee ( more sweeter, sometimes flavored, less acidic, with the caffeine strength of 1 to 1.75% ) People are known to religiously visit them every day to have their “hit” for the day. One has to remember that Sicilians take their coffee very seriously. Torrefazione’s, bars, cafes are the centers of social life where everyone socializes, transact business, eat and drink. Strangely enough, I kept reading of a Sicilian coffee that had One ounce of anisette (which is an anise flavored liqueur ) mixed into the hot coffee, they said to top it with frothed milk or whipped cream. Enjoy.
A Sicilian Cookbook Recipes Rooted in Traditions….
Drink! Cafe Ginevra Miscela “Silver” Sicilian Coffee Beans…
Make the espresso the real way like a real Sicilian ! Alessi stovetop 3 cup coffee maker
Series 16 Wings of the Sphinx with Commissario Montalbano…
Collecting Coffee 