What is it about the hazelnut? All I know is that if you put it in a cake, cookie, pastry or ice cream, you will also have to wrestle me to the ground in order to keep me away from it.
So when I watched a cooking show called "Catherine's Italian Kitchen," on GoodFood (UK's version of Food Network), I was extremely intrigued when Catherine visited the Nebrodi mountains in Northern Sicily. Gaetano Calamunci owns a pastry shop/ice cream factory in the tiny town of Sinagra and makes all kinds of delectable looking treats. Now, I had assumed that I had pretty much seen it all when it comes to sweets, but this guy takes decadence to a whole new level. For breakfast, he is known to take a freshly baked brioche, slice it open, and spread on a generous helping of hazelnut gelato. Then, to finish it off, he'll throw a handful of toasted hazelnuts on top of the ice cream before he closes up the amazing sandwich.
Sadly, I am not planning a trip to Sicily in the next few months, yet I feel like I must try something made by this master craftsman soon. Calamunci makes all kinds of treats that he is willing to ship, thankfully. I was delighted to discover that he had a website and gladly took orders (for a minimum of 25 Euros). Unfortunately, I am not that seasoned when it comes to ordering goods from the Italian Internet. So, someone may or may not show up at my doorstep with 5 jars of hazelnut spread and 1/2 kilo of hazelnut cookies, demanding cash on delivery. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, if you are lucky enough to be heading towards the Land of Hazelnuts, visit Calamunci's and give us a full report! http://www.pasticceriacalamunci.com/
