Health!
Wouldn't you like to move to Milan?
But not even dead!
We live in a world that pushes us to do more and more, to be faster and more productive ...
but how can you be happy in this society?
I need to disconnect, I take the first flight from America and go to Sicily.
My cousin Ruggero says he has an idea that's right for me ...
I don't know where he wants to take me, he just told me to put on some old shoes and also bring me a replacement.
I arrived, where are you taking me?
Hello cousin! Have you ever seen how sheep and goats are milked?
Come on, I'll show you!
Can you do it? Sure! Wow!
Capretta, what are they doing to you?
I am a city ...
Have you been to New York, Carlo? You have to stay here in the country, move in with us.
Every night we milk and then eat ricotta. We finished. Thanks, beautiful!
How often should a goat be milked? Twice a day, morning and evening.
What a sight to see Ruggero working as a shepherd.
There is a great collaborator, the gentleman in there, Andrea.
Here he is ... There is the real shepherd.
He is Andrea, a very kind gentleman who immediately opened the doors of his house to us.
She works for the forestry, protecting abandoned animals or animals that have suffered violence.
He loves animals, the countryside and genuine products.
Are you used to seeing these things in New York? How does it work?
The nipple is pressed and the milk comes out, very simple.
In fact, now do the test!
How do I do the test? Help! The goat doesn't seem so happy to me.
He has little ... he is finished ...
The professional manages to let out milk endlessly.
This is for you, Carlo! Go, come on! So, look ... like this!
How do you do with women?
I can't ... very difficult!
Andrea, with infinite patience, explains me a thousand times how to do it, yet I don't know how much force to use!
Carlo, can you be an engineer that you can't be a shepherd ?! We want to give back or we have to cry!
Bravo, that's when the engineer becomes a shepherd! Go!
Guys, very difficult ... unbelievable! How do they do it?!
Look at the fruit of our work!
it is also your contribution!
Now we let the shepherd explain from this milk how the famous Sicilian sheep or Sicilian goat ricotta is obtained, which makes an exquisite cannolo.
Andrea obviously does not buy ricotta but he makes it at home and explains how to prepare it:
it starts by filtering the milk and adding the rennet, thus creating the famous curd which is broken and then ...
the so-called "scaura" is added, hot water, then let it rest for five / ten minutes
and you begin to let out the "lacciata" which is the water produced by the curd
and put it inside the container called "quararo"
"Quararo" is the pot ?! That's right, the big pot.
Salt is added, a little milk is added, taken out, placed in the special containers to drain
all that remains and cooked with hot whey.
How long should it stay and at what temperature?
As long as you can leave your hand inside! Oh so you understand? Put your hand in and cook until your hand hurts ?!
Scientific method, latest generation technologies!
They explain to me that the diet of goats in summer is based on hay while in winter they feed on green grass and this greatly changes the flavor of the milk
in fact ricotta in winter is said to be better.
Carlo, in New York where do you see these things?
Friends, you in New York, how many goats have you milked?
Never any. This is an artisanal production ... for family use, isn't it ?! You eat it and let some friends taste it.
This is a genuine top quality product that you will not find in any supermarket in the world.
Sorry but we are used to eating the best.
Carlo what do you think of this beautiful experience?
What do I think I think? I think it was very difficult to milk the goats, I managed a little ...
No oh well come on, what I really think is that while I live life quickly heating industrial junk in the microwave,
there are also people who enjoy the simplicity of small things . Evidently I'm doing something wrong!
That is, you eat home-made onions, for example, home-made vegetables,
I have tomatoes, rabbits, chickens ... do you do the oil? Yes.
Ever bought oil in your life? No. Wine? No.
Look, there are barrels.
The grapes are taken, squeezed with a machine, fermented,
after which it ferments, which has no more sugar, it is raised all "like a fezza di sutta" ... that is, the leftovers ...
and put into the barrels .
Let's taste the wine!
While waiting to taste the wine, I take the opportunity to ask Andrea a few more personal questions ...
Have you ever gone elsewhere in Italy? No. Still in Sicily? Always in Sicily.
Do you think Sicily is the most beautiful place in the world? For me yes, because Sicily is Sicily!
You live well, life is made up of genuine things,
but not all of them, only those who are in the countryside! because those who are in town ... Trapani city already ... is different.
Do you normally speak Sicilian or Italian? more Sicilian than Italian.
On what occasions do you use the. Italian? it depends on the person in front of me. So in more formal situations maybe ... Yes. Otherwise always Sicilian? Yes.
Hey! Health! What a fragrance. Health, health, thank you Andrea, thank you Andrea for this experience.
Let's try the homemade wine.
Is this km0? 50 meters maximum!
Yummy ... no preservatives, no artificial flavors ... Nothing.
Only grapes and passion. What is this wine we tried?
Catarratto, black Sangiovese and Zibibbo. Why do you put three?
Zibibbo brings sweetness, Sangiovese brings color and Catarratto brings high alcohol content.
And so you are all invited here in Valderice, in Crocevie, with a spectacular view of Mount Cofano ... and now we will show it to you outside.
Wouldn't you like to move to Milan? But I miss dead! Is it so good here ...
In Rome? No. I would not leave Sicily for any reason.
Wouldn't you leave Sicily for any reason in the world? No.
Andrea's father with his sisters was born here, in this very house, and they never left here.
Here we try to be self-sufficient at 360 degrees, so at home there is the idea of ​​not buying anything.
Make from tomatoes in oil all year round.
What grape is it? Cardinal. Grape Cardinal. Shall we taste ?! Thank you. Is it eaten like this? Is it taken from the plant and eaten?
The one above and all Zibibbo, this is Cardinal and Sangiovese, that is all Catarratto, and below and all table grapes.
Do you have Sangiovese, Zibibbo, Cardinale and table grapes at home ?! and are the table grapes white? Also black.
So Ruggero, how do you live in nature? You live well, in the evening you go to sleep tired.
There is a union between man, animal and the environment. An ideal combination that guarantees the survival of all, and above all the survival in health.
Then, Andrea, you don't use herbicides and harmful substances, right? No. All natural.
Natural animal fertilizer ...
So you who have lived outside for many years now ... Yes.
And you still live in Milan ... "Avoja!" This is a corner to breathe that allows me to stay alive well.
When I am here I come to visit Andrea and other friends who have the countryside and I am fine.
Because I am radiated by this wonderful sun, I am surrounded by this beauty. Look ...
What is that there, Carlo, by the way? What mountain is it? You should know, it is Mount Cofano ...
and then look if you see the sea at the bottom.
Long term, where do you see yourself? In Milan or in Sicily? In Sicily.
Sicily for life ?! Eh, sure. Slowly over time we make conscious choices and come to live here.
Let's give Andrea a hand. Do you, Andrea, need a hand from Ruggero?
No, it's Ruggero who needs mine. He said well, sorry!
Spending a few hours with Andrea reminded me that you don't need a pay raise or a promotion at work to be happy.
Taste this.
He certainly has other concerns.
He still won't be 100% ripe ...
Oh he won't have traveled the world, he will never be out of Sicily, but I don't even think he needs antidepressants to get by!
White Zibibbo grapes, look here American friends ... very good!
Andrea wakes up every day and the best antidepressant in the world has it right in front of his eyes ...
Welcome to Sicily.