Sicilian summers are known for their blazing temperatures. Yet, despite this, Sicilians manage to cook hours on end in this weather. And for the most part without air conditioning.
I’m not at their endurance level, so when there was a cool day, I jumped on the opportunity to bake – I hadn’t done so in weeks! My inspiration for this cake came from a single ingredient: pistachios.
Pistachios grace many Sicilian recipes. Chopped pistachios line the edges of cannolis, are dispersed in a batch of biscotti, and of course, seamlessly creamed into mouthwatering gelato.
In Pozzallo, the small fisherman village where I spend my summers, there is a ricotta vendor, produce vendor, egg vendor, and yes, even a nut vendor. These particular pistachios grow in the rich, volcanic soil of the Mount Etna area. Sicilian pistachios are a little longer and smaller than typical pistachios and have a slightly sharper taste. But regular pistachios work just as well!
I didn’t have my usually myriad of gluten-free flours to mix up and experiment with, so I stuck with two flours I thought I would get the most use out of: buckwheat, which pairs well with nuts, and potato starch as a binding ingredient.
True italian cakes made at home are far from what you may be used to seeing at Italian-American bakeries. The one-layered cakes are typically rustic in shape and finish (no frosting!). But inside the not-so-picture-perfect outside, is a delicious cake packed with flavor – much heartier in comparison to a yellow cake.
To respect true Italian fashion, this cake is “rustico.”
