Leave it to the Italians to take an already indulgent treat and stuff it into a buttery baked bun-shaped pastry, a French Brioche. The Brioche con Gelato is a popular item in southern Italy and apparently is commonly eaten for breakfast in the hot summers!
Brioche con Gelato
This Italian version of an Ice Cream Sandwich stuffs your choice of gelato inside of a more sturdy version of the Brioche so as to easily encase your fast melting ice cream. Naturally, I had to try it! 😀
It was not particularly my favorite because I felt it was a bit bread-y and I prefer my gelato in a cone. However, I do not think I got to try it on the best made Brioche 🙁 Either way, I love the fact that they made gelato a part of their breakfast so as to “cool” themselves down. Sure, Sicilians! 😉
Another popular item in Sicily is an Arancina, which is a stuffed rice ball that is breaded and fried! 🙂 They are stuffed with various things but a common one has meat sauce and mozzarella. These are pretty much everywhere and are very cheap. A good one is really tasty but what is fried and not tasty?? Between this and the panino, you are set for getting by on a little budget but something else might bulge a bit 🙂
The Sicilian region seems to be a mix of indulgent, heavy foods and healthy fresh produce and fish markets. It is not a bad mix because at least there is a balance, right? Maybe 🙂
Most of the cities in Sicily are along the coast so there is plenty of seafood! Every city I was in was equipped with fish markets.
Fish Market in Marsala
While in Catania, I went out for seafood and tried the Squid Ink Pasta. It was very yummy! They give you a bib so you do not ruin your clothes but your mouth will be stained a little 😀
After a fairly indulgent 10 days exploring the Sicilian delicacies, I was in need of some fresh vegetables!
Arriving to Palermo, I was very happy to find multiple markets with everything from produce to olives, cheese, and seafood. Though I thought about cooking something I really just wanted some raw vegetables so I settled on making a big salad.
Palermo market
This salad is nothing special but it was very simple and good. It was butter lettuce with yellow bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado and topped with parmesan. With limited ingredients at a hostel, I just did olive oil, fresh lime juice and salt and pepper for the dressing. It was very tasty and satisfied my health crave 🙂
Buon appetito!
More Sicilian offerings:
Beautiful beaches with sand!
Private beaches
Cream-filled treats! (Erice)
Beautiful views from Erice
Lots of Marzipan in Erice!
More Marzipan
Erice
Castello di Venere (Erice)
Fish Market in Marsala
Fish Market in Marsala
Moretti on the beach
Palermo
Fountain of Shame (Palermo)
Taormina
Taormina
Lucia Taormina is a yummy panino shop!
View from Toarmina
Etna volcano faintly in the distance (Catania)
Fontana dell’Elefante (Catania)
Sweet Marsala wine tasting
Erice
Palermo
Palermo
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~A Man and A Woman by Sir Julian (1996 Digital Remaster)
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Quimera
Wazee Supper Club
Love all the photo’s and I have had the brioche roll filled with gelato it is wonderful, the rice balls yum. I love the fresh seafood and vegetables and that salad looks incredible.
Thank you!! Yes, the rice balls are really good. I wish I could have tried a better brioche con gelato 🙁 but I am sure I will be back again someday 🙂
Did you try the Brioche con Gelato with the lemon gelato? It’s an absolute favorite of mine, though the truth is that I haven’t had one since 2001. I’m originally from Agrigento. Did you make it there? It’s day trip worthy if you like ancient Greek ruins.
No, but I heard that the lemon or raspberry gelato is the more popular combination. You need to have one soon! 🙂 That is cool you are from there- I did not make it. I did not see much south of Mazara del Vallo except for a beach on a natural reserve? but I could not tell you where it was…There is plenty to see in Italy and even with a month there, I did not see everything I wanted! 🙂
I love arancina! If I didn’t have a panino for lunch or pizza, I had arancina. My favorite was stuffed with spinach and mozzarella.
Yes, they are SO good! 😀 I wish I could have one right now but I am far from Italy now! (in Germany) 🙂
great pictures of you and the greens 🙂 And it’s another what the wha’ on that brioche ice cream sandwich. Good gosh. A cream puff of sorts?
Tell me more about the marsala tasting (please?). Sweet wines are my favorites. Cool fish picture–he makes it look so elegant, like a work of art. And lol the beer on the beach. Perfect!
Have you seen or had a Brioche, the French pastry? It is not really a cream puff but can have light, flaky, buttery texture. Cream puffs are more hollow and less bread-y than the Brioche. However, I think the ones for the gelato are made a bit more thick and sturdy for ice cream holding purposes.
Liz, you would have loved the marsala tasting then! Do you cook with it ever? They were a bit too sweet for me but I enjoyed the tasting and the pairings. The first two were marsala wines but do not remember which is which, just that they are Florio Marsala. The first one (probably lower aging) was paired with a parmesan. It had a very sweet smell and flavor of caramel. The second was paired with gorgonzola on a cracker. I think it was less sweet but also a little less smooth. The third tasting was a moscato and it smelt like green tea!
Thanks Liz!
Love all the pictures — especially the marzipan and the bins of olives! I would love to dive into those. And gelato in brioche is a new one to me — I’d give it a go, but I think I’m more of a cone girl at heart.
Yes, the marzipan was yummy and who doesn’t love loads of olives?? I love olives so much 🙂
I love all of your tasty delicious food pictures! A lovely post too! ?
Thank you Sophie! I am enjoying being able to explore so many foods! 😀