#which would still be historically accurate Genova had a lot of settlements in Sicily too it wouldn't have been so far-fetched

[regina-del-cielo]

I am, once again, Thinking about Nicolò di Genova and projecting all of my Italian feelings on him (I also blame @brightly-painted-canvas and her ‘Annoying Italian Dude’ Nicky series, go look it up, it’s a masterpiece).

I was trying to come up with Typical Italian Things that a 900-year-old Genovese man could still Relate to in modern times, especially something that we Italians, no matter the regional difference, can identify as ‘Ours’.

The answer, as always, comes from food. With the premise that there is No Such Thing as a Homogeneous Italian Cuisine, One (1) Red Thread I can think about that doesn’t require ingredients that are associated with Italy today but that Nicolò wouldn’t have known, is frying.

Until, like, yesterday, in Northern Italy you fried in butter (or ‘strutto’, lard) and in Southern Italy you used olive oil - today most just go with sunflower seed oil - but the point is, we like frying. Any food group. No matter the region. 

Think about anything - Cheese? Fish? Meat? Vegetables? Pasta? Pastries? Pizza? Someone somewhere has fried it. And perfected the recipe. Some regions more than others (looking at you Napoli e dintorni), but still...

Now, Southern Italy is Much Stronger on the ‘if it’s remotely edible I will fry it’ game, so Ligurian Cuisine doesn’t have many fried specialties from what I’ve seen - Liguria has a great olive oil, but they mostly use it as a condiment (or to soak their focaccia, not that it’s not a Fantastic Idea). 11th century gastronomy (what Nicolò would have been familiar with) was probably a bit poorer than today’s.

Here’s where Malta comes in handy, though.

We know from That Scene that Malta holds a Special Place in Nicky and Joe’s heart. It’s a common middle ground between both their homelands AND a crossroads for anyone in the Mediterranean. It’s an indipendent country now, but damn if it hasn’t exchanged hands through history (unrelated note, on a scale from 1 to 10 just How Much did it Piss Them Off that the bloody British Empire had possession of Malta for two centuries?!). 

Malta is a pretty small island though, so if they ever stayed longer than a sexcation, they couldn’t exactly settle down for long before people grew suspicious. Also, Nicky must have been Uncomfortable sharing an island with the Knights Hospitaller.

But, Malta is literally a stone’s throw away from another, bigger, island...

Sicily. Another land who’s been volleyed back and forth among kingdoms and cultures for millennia. A land where nobody would bat an eye at a guy looking like Nicolò and one looking like Yusuf being friends and sharing space in general, because they both blend.

And, most importantly, a land where frying food is a RELIGION. To quote a Sicilian customer of my brother’s pub, “if you don’t fry your vegetables, what are you even doing with your life?”

My point being, Nicolò has most probably experienced the whole evolution of Sicilian cuisine, repeatedly, for centuries. He and Yusuf must have eaten SO MUCH FRIED FOOD I can’t even think about it. And it’s comforting for them, because it’s not only So Fucking Good, but it’s also as close to home as it’ll ever get for them, in a way.

Tl;dr: you can tell when Nicky is Stress Cooking because he hogs the kitchen and Fries. For HOURS - like, he starts working on their lunch at 5 AM. Everything that comes out of those stoves is fried. Everything. 

And you can tell that he’s having a Bad Day(TM) when he starts whipping out arancini like there’s no tomorrow.

#the old guard #my ponderings #nicolò di genova #am I falling into the 'every Italian can cook' stereotype? Yes I am but I'm Italian so I am Allowed #also Somebody Must Have Learned How to Cook Decently in that family ok? Might as well be Nicolò 'Acts of Service' di Genova #I may have just headcanoned Nicky as an adopted Sicilian #which would still be historically accurate Genova had a lot of settlements in Sicily too it wouldn't have been so far-fetched #re: Nicky and Joe both blending in with Sicilians - Joe would have actually looked MORE like a Sicilian than Nicky himself lol #but still the two of them strolling in Siracusa with their arms on each other's shoulders in the 18th century? Nothing to see here pal #after One (1) Session of Nicky Stress Cooking Nile is suddenly glad for her immortality otherwise her liver would have deserted her #I think Andy would cheerfully commit murder for a plate of Nicky's fried zucchini flowers with mozzarella filling #my Soft Italian Murder Boi #yeah I love him your honour you got a problem with that?