“The artichoke is the flavor of my childhood”
Giusi Battaglia, Godmother of the Cynara Festival
To baptize the 42nd edition of the Cynara Festival is a godmotherwho knows Cerda very well: Giusi Battaglia, journalist, press officer, and host of “Giusina incucina” on Food Network (but since January of last year also part of the cast of “It’s alwaysMidday” on Raiuno).
She actually spent her very happy childhood in the Sicilian town.“I wisheveryone could grow up in a small town, the village is myfamily–explains Giusi Battaglia–Idon’t go there often, I went back to get some products last year and they awarded me a prize…this time I can’t wait to be among my people. Artichokes? I grew up on bread and artichokes:at home, we even cleaned 150of them at a time. It was the basis of our diet. Because the onesfrom Cerda have a unique flavor, they are tender and melt in your mouth”.
Belovedambassador of Sicilian cuisine (“People stop me to say that I’m exactly as I appear on screen,the best compliment”) and indeed the pioneer of regional recipes on TV with 8 editions and150 episodes aired, Giusi Battaglia has just begun filming the new format “Giusina in cucinaon the road” dedicated to telling the story of the Sicilian territory and a spin-offof the originalprogram.
There’s a multitude of typical dishes, it’s a duty to tell their stories.– explains thejournalist further – Cooking makes people happy: and this happiness can also come througha book or TV”.
To this true Sicilian, the task is therefore to open the 2024 Cerda festival.
“And it’s not certainthat I won’t get my hands dirty here too”.
