Middle of

NOWHERE

Terre di Himera, Termini Imerese, Sicily

ISLAND EDUCATION

Matt Goulding

Pinched between the Madonie Mountains and the crystalline coastline of Cefalù, Terre di Himera channels the greatness of Sicily’s food traditions into one five-room agriturismo. Husband-and-wife team Fabrizio and Maria bake their own bread, press their own olive oil, and produce dozens of local specialties with ingredients either they or their neighbors grow. Spend a day at the beach and return to Maria’s remarkable cooking—from category-killing vegetable dishes like eggplant Parmesan and minestrone built with the day’s garden yield to local beef and whole fish grilled over a wood fire set beside the olive orchard. Get a good night’s sleep, because you have a big breakfast in front of you: fresh ricotta cake, prosciutto and melon, fresh-baked bread and an encylopedic spread of local meats, cheeses, and fruits. (Seriously, this feast to the left is breakfast for two.) A few days at Terre di Himera is more than a world-class escape, it’s an edible education in the traditions and terroir of Sicily.

Matt Goulding