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Anyone who doubts the incredible diversity of Italian cuisine or believes that "Italian food" can be summed up in a tidy little package need only look at the food of Sicily and compare it to any other region of Italy. Similarities exist, of course, such as in the consumption of bread and pasta in myriad forms, and a love of fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, and olive oil. After all, Sicily was the birthplace of what we now refer to as the Mediterranean Diet, a culinary tradition that continues there unabated. Fish, vegetables, and either bread or pasta constitute the basic trinity of Sicilian cuisine. The specific nature and quality of these foods, however, and how they are cooked and eaten is unique to Italy. The extraordinary quality of the fruits and vegetables is noteworthy even within Italy, a country that is generally known for the abundance, quality, and innovative ways of preparing its produce. Meat and cheese, while not as abundant as other fare, are of high quality and are used in creative ways to enhance the Sicilian table. Sicily has come of age lately for American travelers, especially those who are interested in food and wine, and importers have culled a host of interesting products from what was referred to in ancient times as the Island of the Sun. Anyone who travels there today, like Homer's Ulysses in The Odyssey, discovers a beautiful, haunting, and slightly mysterious land that, through cookbooks and some dynamic retailers, we are just beginning to understand.

The Meat of the Matter
Sicily is the largest region of Italy, and officially became part of the country when Garibaldi landed at Marsala in May of 1860 as part of his efforts to create a unified Italy. The region takes its name from the Siculi, one of three early inhabitants of the island who settled in before the Greeks, Saracens, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans, among others tromped their way through Sicily and through history. For a relatively small island with active volcanoes and a vast, arid expanse in the middle, it's amazing how many cultures vied for possession of it. The history of this place is an interesting one, but war, occupation, and politics aside, it is the food of Sicily that most interests us here, and considering the limited indigenous ingredients available, it is a rich one indeed.
Bounded as it is by three seas -- the Ionian on the eastern shore, the Tyrrhenian on the north, and the Mediterranean on the south, Sicilians quite naturally eat a great deal of fish. The island itself is not very conducive to the raising of beef, as it lacks the necessary pastureland on which to raise a significant amount of cattle. Goats and sheep are more common, as is the small game that is abundant in the interior. The hunting of rabbits and birds is common, but still, for most of the population, meat is a scarcity and a luxury. In his magnificent book The Food of Italy, Waverley Root wrote, "Sicilians do not eat much meat, partly because it does not accord with the climate, partly because it is the most expensive category of food, and this is today a poor country." Mr. Root was writing in 1971 and according to most sources, Sicily's economic climate has changed since then. One is more likely to encounter meat on the table today, but in most cases, its role is still more of flavoring other foods and of being served on special occasions than it is as a center-of-the-plate protein.
One of the meat dishes that could be safely called a classic of the region's menu and one that is most likely encountered in the bustling capital city of Palermo on the northern coast is a dish that no doubt owes its genesis to the early Saracens who left their imprint on the island more indelibly than even the Greeks. Braciolettini is really a very simple dish. It is essentially beef cutlets that are wrapped around pieces of cheese, seasoned and breaded, and placed on skewers like kebabs (an Arabic word from the Middle Ages meaning "fried meat" and hence, the idea that it may have come from the Saracens, Arabs who came from North Africa or what is now known as Tunisia). In the city of Palermo, where the dish is most often found in Sicily, it is sometimes called braciolone or braciolettine avvolte. The latter is an apt phrase (avvolte comes from the Italian verb avvolgere, meaning "to roll up" or "to wrap") for, although it generally refers to meat roasted in a crust, in this case, the meat is wrapped around the cheese before it is skewered. None of this is to be confused with braciola, which, according to Root, is roast pork (but can also be beef) stuffed with pine nuts, raisins, and almond paste, a sweet dish that appeals to the notoriously acute sweet tooth of the Sicilian people. (Sicilian desserts and confections are even more famous and highly regarded than their savories.)

A Bit of Palermo at Palermo's
In 2002, Guy and Jill Guglielmino bought a 2,600-square-foot corner Italian grocery store in Rochester, N.Y., called Palermo's Meat & Food Market that had existed for 20 years prior. The couple has steadily gone about refining and expanding the selection of traditional Italian products, as well as the prepared foods offerings and ready-to-cook items. Already, the shop had a reputation for the quality of their meats, so bringing the rest of the store's selection up to the same standard seemed a natural course for the Guglielminos. Today -- and Guy is quick to point out that it is a work in progress -- the store has a ready-to-cook selection, as well as an extensive take-out section that features a sub station making typical New York-style subs and grilled Italian panini (sandwiches), a tavola calda (or full-service hot food table), and about 12 feet of prepared foods in a
full-service case.
Like so many Italians (he is of Sicilian descent), Guy (short for Gaetano) Guglielmino believes in the importance of ingredients, and that if they are of high quality, it isn't difficult to make great meals.
"In Sicily and all over Italy," mused Guglielmino, "the focus is all about ingredients. Italian cooking is usually no more than three or four ingredients, but those ingredients are expected to be fresh and flavorful. We believe that a store of our small scale can focus on quality and Italian regional cooking and would be unique not only to Rochester, but perhaps beyond."
Beyond indeed. Guglielmino's sentiments are echoed throughout the specialty food arena across the United States. Gourmet gimmicks abound in our industry and no doubt always will, but the foundation of our business is quality, tradition, and flavor, and nine out of ten times the simpler the food, the better. Guglielmino is knowledgeable about and interested in his ancestry and he seems to care a great deal about the foods he sells. He makes pilgrimages back to Sicily and has established relationships here that allow him to buy directly from Italian importers rather than rely on vast distribution channels. Along with his wife and his chef Dan Martello, he has broadened the scope of his offerings, while still managing to keep the ingredients paramount and the food simple.
Simple is a key word for Palermo's (a wry coincidence is that the store was named for the original owner's wife, not the city) Braciolettini, both in terms of the ingredients called for and the ease of their preparation. They are not cooked at Palermo's. Rather, they are offered as ready-to-cook items that they started making about two years ago. For these braciolettini, Chef Martello uses thinly sliced beef cutlets from the fillet portion of the beef top round. There are several choices for the cheese filling, but they should be sharp, full-flavored Italian cheeses, such as Caciocavallo, a cow's milk pasta filata cheese usually formed into balls and tied up with string; Ragusano, a Sicilian whole cow's milk cheese that is formed in large bricks that are hung from ropes to mature; and sharp Provolone, or even a sharp Pecorino (sheep's milk) from either Sicily or the Roman variety. It's important that the cheese be assertive enough to make itself known against the full flavor of the beef. Braciolettini is a marvelous ready-to-cook option for your time-pressed customers, and could also be a fully prepared entrée for the deli. Make your customers an offer they can't refuse with a big taste of Sicily. T


Braciolettini alla Palermo
This is how Palermo's chef, Dan Martello, prepares this classic dish of Palermo, Italy. Note that if you are going to display this dish in the ready-to-cook meat case, do not use garlic as a seasoning in the breadcrumbs as it will darken the meat. Serve on its own, or with a green salad, crusty bread, and a hearty red wine, preferably Italian.

Serves 4 Ingredients
- 4 wooden skewers
- 20 two-ounce beef cutlets, preferably from the
fillet portion of the beef top round, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
- 16 ounces seasoned breadcrumbs
- 20 bite-size pieces of a sharp Italian cheese, such
as Caciocavallo, Rugasano, or sharp Provolone or Pecorino

Cooking Instructions
Place the skewers in a pan of water to soak while you are preparing the rest of the dish. Preheat the grill to high heat (they can also be cooked under a broiler). Place the cutlets in a shallow pan and pour the olive oil over them. Make sure the cutlets are evenly coated with oil.
Place the breadcrumbs in another shallow dish. Place a cutlet in the breadcrumbs. Place a piece of cheese on the cutlet and roll it up tightly (you may have to tuck in the sides to maintain a circular shape). Put a skewer through the center of the braciolettino so that it remains closed. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, placing five of the stuffed cutlets on each skewer. Cook the braciolettini for 2–3 minutes on each side, or until they are nicely browned but still pink on the inside.