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Fiori di Zucchine Ripieni (Filled Zucchini Blossoms)

Happy New Year, and welcome to the first post of 2026 here on The Heirloom Chronicles. Ten years ago, I was quietly sharing recipes here - family food, memories, seasons, and stories that had travelled generations and continents before landing in my kitchen. My first post, though, actually went live in 2014. I had set myself the task of cooking, documenting and photographing, all while hovering nervously over that dreaded publish button. At first, hardly anyone read those early posts. In hindsight, that was a gift. It gave me space to make mistakes, to learn, and to go back and quietly fix what I had missed, without feeling overwhelmed. Looking back at the blog’s beginnings, I’m reminded that this space was never just about recipes. It was, and still is about preserving what could so easily be lost: everyday dishes, handwritten notes, and flavours deeply tied to people and place. I'll admit that over time I've been reluctant to continue. Life, loss, and the weight of memo...
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Sicilian Antique Forms for Cotognata


In my previous post Quince-Mela Cotogna I spoke about how to make cotognata and the clay forms that my mother in law would use for moulding the quince paste, adding character to the finished product. These moulds came all the way from Sicily with my in laws when they migrated to Australia.


Similar moulds to these were used in ancient times to give shape and form to the quince paste, which are still made and used in Sicily today.  They have various images such as fish, animals, flowers, landscapes as well as religious decorations probably a Spanish influence as a result of the Spanish occupation in Sicily around 1700.







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