photo: Katie June Burton for Snack Sicily
Sicily: A Different Italy
May 15-22, 2022
— SOLD OUT—
PALERMO > REGALEALI > RAGUSA > MODICA > NOTO > ORTIGIA
with Peggy Markel and Linda Sarris
“Strong and elemental, Sicily retains an unconquered character and romantic spirit, and you can taste it in her food. Greek ruins dot the landscape. Arabian eggplants, lemons, saffron and nutmeg thrive in rich volcanic soil. Local artisans hand-make chocolates and cheeses. Sicilian dishes draw on history but abound with independent ideas and innovative interpretations that stand apart from the cuisine of mainland Italy.”
I would like to introduce you to my good friend Chef Linda Sarris who I met at Regaleali some years ago. Her love of Sicily is as deep as mine and her knowledge increases daily by living in Palermo over the Ballarò market. She has an infectious smile, like she might be up to something.
I have invited Linda to join me this time as we coil our way across this dramatic region from Palermo’s rowdy ancient food markets, through the lesser-known entroterra, home to noble wine estates, ending in coastal fishing villages. We’ll make a pilgrimage to Modica for hand-produced chocolates and Noto for the world’s best gelato. We’ll take walks through the countryside, taste wine from famous vineyards, enter private kitchens, gentle olive groves and gardens bursting with flavor. As we cross the island, Sicily reveals her secrets to us.
Peggy Markel’s Culinary Adventures
WHO WE ARE
Peggy Markel’s Culinary Adventures delivers personalized, educational, hands-on travel experiences that feed the soul. With a perpetual curiosity and reverence for the rich tapestry created by food and culture, Peggy Markel has designed and directed carefully hand-crafted food and culture trips around the world for 25 years. She is a pioneer not only in culinary travel, but was instrumental in bringing Slow Food to America and championing the farm to table movement as early as 1993.
WHAT WE DO
With each handcrafted experience, Peggy creates a container that allows her guests to relax immediately and drop beneath the surface. Good choices, deep relationships and loyalty have their benefits. It’s like traveling with a friend of a friend: someone you don’t know, but you feel like you do.
All of our trips are food-focused. Each itinerary is designed for immersion. But it’s not all about food. It’s about the art of living. We are the real deal and consider your experience and care paramount. Programs are built on long-term relationships, handpicked properties and carefully crafted itineraries.
The Cheeky Chef: Linda Sarris
WHO SHE IS
Linda Sarris was raised in a big Greek-American family with a Chef grandfather and a fisherman Dad. After studying at the French Culinary Institute and working a few stints in restaurant kitchens, Linda took off to sharpen her culinary skills in her own adventurous way - by working on a farm-to-table cooking school and wine estate in Sicily, spending two summers private-cheffing in Tuscany, consulting for restaurants in Romania and Colombia, and traveling for songwriting camps in Italy and France.
WHAT SHE DOES
Linda is a food/wine travel consultant and private chef based in Palermo. From her sun-lit studio kitchen above the 1,000-year-old Ballarò market, she works as a freelance writer and culinary communications consultant; while still traveling regularly for private chef work with clients in the fashion/music industries. Known best as The Cheeky Chef, Linda curates a series of culinary retreats, personalized travel itineraries, private sailing adventures, and chef-led market tours/tastings in Palermo. She is currently writing her first travel book with Hachette Book Group and will be self-publishing an ingredient-focused mini’zine this winter.