Casa Don Puglisi: the community that welcomes women left alone

A unique place where women victims of violence also become pastry chefs

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DON PUGLISI HOUSE
Simona had to leave her home in Ragusa, fleeing with her three children, because her life was in danger and she was constantly beaten by her partner. She was very brave, but she was rewarded, and today  works in the confectionery laboratory of Casa Don Puglisi, in Modica, where single women are helped and at the same time artisanal sweets of the highest quality are produced.
Il chocolate of Modica is one of the best products of the Don Puglisi's Confectionery Workshop, a place where not only are they preparing excellent desserts, but where they also provide concrete help to the community. Thus, turning bitter into sweet, thanks to the motto 'quality, tradition and solidarity', the operators who work in this centre in Modica have started a project of integration social for single mothers, but also for refugee women and their children.
The first cornerstone of the work within the laboratory in Corso Umberto I is the qualityThe main ingredients of those slightly opaque but infinitely delicious bars that come to mind when you read 'Modica chocolate' are the cocoa beans and sugar. For its chocolate, specifically, The Don Puglisi laboratory uses Criollo cocoa beansThis variety is the rarest in the world: its plant is delicate and has a lower yield than other varieties on the market, but its natural aroma is unmatched. sugar It is strictly made from cane and, like all the ingredients that the laboratory chooses to use, it is a fair trade product.

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The second cornerstone of the activity is the “Tradition"In the case of Modica chocolate, we're talking about a centuries-old history, and in the Don Puglisi laboratory, it is meticulously respected. Cocoa and sugar are cold processedThis type of processing allows the natural aroma of the ingredients to be preserved and prevents the sugar crystals from dissolving, thus guaranteeing the typical granularity of Modica chocolate. The master pastry chef Lina Iemmolo decided to carry on the local tradition by expanding the laboratory's confectionery production. At the point of sale Don PuglisiIn Modica's historic center, you can find biscuits, sweets, nougat, shortbread biscuits, and many other local specialties, whose recipes are part of Sicily's gastronomic heritage. Entering the store on Corso Umberto I, you immediately sense the simplicity and richness of the values ​​that underpin the entire project.

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The third and final cornerstone is "Solidarity." The Dono Puglisi laboratory represents a social integration project for young mothers, but also for refugee women and their children. The Don Giuseppe Puglisi social cooperative, which takes its name from the parish priest killed by the mafia, manages the Caritas confectionery workshop and shelter. Young mothers, women, and children in need are welcomed into a sweet, more than just tasteful, environment and learn the art of pastry making and chocolate making. The project began in the 90s and has recently achieved incredible goals: 20% of its turnover comes from sales abroad!

Source images: Don Puglisi House

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