Ever had a granita sandwich? Yes, granita, the water ice dessert made with lemons or maybe strawberries. I’ve just learned that in Sicily where granita originates, they stuff granita into a brioche bun and eat it for breakfast. Now that really is a power breakfast.
I learned this from Salvo’s TV. Yes, again. Salvo’s, Leeds’ iconic Italian trattoria have their own tv channel on YouTube consisting of (so far) 16 charming little films of Gip Dammone preparing the likes of penne arriabata, or sourcing olives with Anthony Flinn for his olive oil ice cream. All the food looks so delicious you just want to get over to Headingley and try some – which of course is the idea.
And now Gip and brother John have been back to Italy and with Leeds-based film maker Nick Salmon of Clear Focus Productions, have made a series of shorts about some of Salvo’s ingredients. They’ve been to the Settesoli winery in southern Sicily where their house wine comes from and Helen, our new wine expert, will be writing all about this soon. They visit Catonia Market to talk about olives and the latest film is set in Sciacca’s Bar Roma where they make the definitive lemon granita under the wing of the granita maestro Aurelio. Great little films with John and Gip slipping easily from broad Leeds to fluent Italian. Love it. View them here