These stuffed artichokes are more than just a meal—they connect me to my heritage and are a reminder of big family dinners at my grandmothers house. A traditional Sicilian dish, this is one that Nana would cook only occasionally, which made it all the more special. Sicilian food is like the tortoise of the culinary
There are family recipes that never leave us: this is one of mine. It always reminds me of the book ‘Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant‘, because it’s the kind of meal that you crave without realising, and that fills you in more ways than one. When I was a kid, my family would often go
This traditional Sicilian chickpea and spinach braise is a resourceful meal derived partly through tradition and partly through need. My grandparents came to Australia in the early 1950s armed with gardening knowledge but little else. While they quickly established a productive vegetable garden, grandads fledgling fishing business didn’t always bring home the catch of the
We all know how good an authentic home-grown heirloom tomato is, so it’s no wonder that tomatoes are one of the most common plants in any home vegetable garden. But growing great produce is really only half of the self-sufficiency journey; we need to know how to use & preserve our harvests too. There are
Eggplant parmigiana is a classic Italian dish my Sicilian grandmother used to regularly make for my father (because apparently, no-one else made it just right). Regions of Italy such as Parma, Campania and Sicily all claim parmigiana as their own. In truth, the origins of this dish are decisively uncertain– either way, it is now
Self Sufficient Me is a blog about self-sustainment by growing our own produce (plant/animal), and self-fulfilment by looking after our health (physical/mental) through exercise and slowing life down a little.
