Really Playing for Pizza: Sicilian BBQ #2

The herd of Elefanti enjoying the BBQ.

As the weather warms, the BBQ’s of Sicily are getting bigger and better.

This past Sunday, we all headed to the home of Salvo – one of our linebacker’s – for an all-afternoon affair, held in honor of his graduation. (Yes, we can proudly now say that one of our linebackers is a surgeon!)

Similar to the last BBQ we attended, we met our head coach Davide at his house around noon and prepared for a race through the Mt. Etna foothills. Davide, known around Catania for his skills behind the wheel, did his best to shake us while at the same time attempting to induce the delivery of son, who is now 14 months past due. After switching back and forth through a handful of small villages and numerous citrus groves, we finally arrived at our destination in the small town of Nicolosi.

I was at first amazing by the number of people attending the BBQ – almost 100 people had gathered, including a number of our Elefanti Teammates. In North America, you would rarely see this many people gathered, let alone the small army necessary to feed them. In Italy it was done with style and ease – just like everything else in this country.

Shortly after we arrived, bread was set out and quickly followed with appetizers (antipasto)… and food would not stop being served for over 3 hours and roughly 30 different dishes! Similar to a musical crescendo, the feast began simply with olives, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and sausage before rolling into 8 different types of pasta and finally the BBQ was fired up for steaks, ribs, and our Sicilian favorite, Cipollata (green onion wrapped in bacon.) After the Carne (meat) was served, fresh fruit and fennel (soaked in water) was set out, before the official dessert of cake (2 different flavors) was served along with various liquors of champagne, Limoncello, and Jagermeister.

One funny note was the superstition of the Champagne cork – each bottle is opened to applause, and if you happen to be hit with the cork it is similar to catching the garter at a wedding. (And if you are already married, then expect a baby!)

What amazed me the most about the BBQ was not the food, but the people. Everyone here gets along so well (or at least appears to in my limited knowledge of the Italian language), and everyone places a huge priority of family and friends. If there is anything I can take back with me from this experience, it is developing a similar atmosphere of family and friends where we live.

~ J. Twice