Granita breaksOur daily routine in Sicily included a cup of icy granita. I was a fan of the lemon one as the coffee one was a bit too strong; I think there is about 3 shots of espresso in one!

Granita is pretty simple to make although you need to be by your freezer to stir the mixture every twenty minutes to ensure that the mixture does not freeze into a solid block. A good task for young kids!

For coffee or lemon granita
250g/9oz freshly squeezed lemon juice or espresso coffee
120g/4oz sugar
100g/3½oz water

For the granita, place the lemon or espresso, sugar and water into a pan over a medium heat and stir to combine and dissolve the sugar.

Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve into a large deep-sided tray.
Place the tray into the freezer. At 20 minute intervals, stir the mixture with a fork until the granita is set.

Eat on a warm and sunny day! I think these are numbered in the UK :(

Alimentari Alimentari is a new deli/café in Queen’s Park, London. My friend Clara and her two partners set up shop in December - it is a quaint and fabulous little place to pop in for an espresso, cappuccino or a latte, a light sandwich or some freshly made lasagne or gnocchi. They also sell salumi e formaggi (deli meats and cheese) and some great food products direct from Italy to take home. I bought some traditional northern Italian pasta for dinner –and Guido, who works there, gave me a recipe on how to make it- he was very helpful as we walked through the shop he would say, ‘oh that is good if made with a little olive oil and chilli’ or ‘that is my favourite, all you need to do is boil some pasta and add those spices’ it was like a personal shopper for food! And the lovely Italian accent made it even better (I wish I had one). With Clara’s style and dedication to quality the shop has every detail right. I met up with the Kirsten’s there and we all chatted to the main ‘supporter’ while Clara busily served the incoming and outgoing customers with cute kids and dogs in tow.

Alimentari’s website is great with tips on how to cook pasta, how to order Italian coffee and more on Italian life and eating habits. I love the design – great work Andrea!

I recommend popping in for some traditional Italian hospitality and food if you are in the neighbourhood! Auguri on the new shop opening, it looks wonderful.

Baci x (and they sell my fave Baci chocolates too)

Dainty Espresso Not usually a fan of garage sales but my sister has turned me on to them this summer. You can actually find some great stuff for great prices. Juizy got a vintage cruiser bike for $10 - it rides well and is so comfy and retro cool! Someone even shouted out during the end of summer beach parade 'hey nice Schwinn!' which is the brand of the bike.

Another find was this espresso maker at a neighbour's sale at the cottage. Dale, originally from South Africa had a great sale and I think did quite well with takings. She is a lovely lady and we talked about our favourite South African things: rooibos tea and Ouma rusks.

I think we bought this beautiful butterfly patterned espresso maker for 25cents?! You can fit 4 tiny espresso cups around it to make a strong espresso. We didn't have a chance to try it out yet but next time we will make some and bring some over to Dale with milk as she doesn't like strong coffee...or we will just sit on the porch and sip rooibos.

Coffee granita

2 cups lukewarm espresso or strong black coffee
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest


Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar melts.

Pour mixture into 9 by 13-inch metal pan and place on level shelf in freezer for half an hour. (Mixture should only come about 1/4-inch up the side of the pan.)

Remove and use a dinner fork to scrape any ice crystals that have formed on the side or bottom of the pan.

Return to freezer and repeat scraping every 20 to 30 minutes for 3 to 4 hours.

Once mixture is thoroughly frozen, fluff with a fork and allow flakes to "dry" in freezer another half hour before serving.

When served, the granita should look like a fluffy pile of dry brown crystals.

Serve in a tall glass with whip cream or after a meal for a refreshing treat.