Meals in Sicily often start with a trip the market, such as this one in Palermo.

Or you may find snails for sale at a stand in the park, here in Catania

Even tiny food shops have beautiful looking produce, esp. tomatoes and lemons.

And of course there's the wine, including sherry and naturally marsala

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This antipasto from a seaside cafe on Ortygia Island, off Siracusa, looks simple, but everything tasted just right.

... and the fried calamari was fresh, sweet and light.

If you order a brushetta appetizer at a family restaurant (here in Palermo), you may wish to share it

It doesn't take much to turn simple Sicilian cheeses into special treats, shown here at Becchina & Co. in Castelvertrano, mfrs. of world-honored gourmet extra virgin olive oil.

And, of course there were lots of olives, and some of that fantastic olive oil.

At Becchina & Co., we got a tour of the groves and cooking lesson.

Then the experts took over and browned the Braciole, Sicilian Style

... and prepared the delicious and light Torta all 'olio

Our favorite restaurant was La Grotta Azzurra in Taormina

... which specialized in fresh seafood ...

... cooked in this small kitchen, in view of diners.