Italian cuisine changed significantly with the discovery of the New World and the introduction of tomatoes, bell peppers, and potatoes. Do you enjoy Italian cuisine?
I lived in Sicily for a couple of years, and I really developed an appreciation for Italian cuisine!  That was probably the best food I've ever had.
Lucky you! There is a regional diversity between the north and south in Italy. Sicily is northern, right?
Sicily is the most southern part of Italy, it's the island at the bottom of the "boot" of the country.  It's very culturally different form the northern region.
I see that it is an autonomous region in Italy along with minor islands which are often referred to as "Regione Siciliana"
Yep!  Their flag has a Medusa's head on it with three protruding legs, called the "Trinacrea".  The island was once conquered by the Greeks, so a lot of their culture comes from ancient Greece.
That is so cool! I see they have a prominent landmark called Mount Etna which is the tallest active volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world.
Yes!  I've climbed Mt. Etna, but we couldn't go to the summit because it was too dangerous.  It's always shooting a few rocks, and you have a small chance of actually getting hurt up there.  I still have some lava stone that I kept :)
Mount Etna
Mount Etna, or Etna ( or ; or ; ; ), is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina and Catania. It lies above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. It is the highest active volcano in Europe outside the Caucasus. It is currently high, though this varies with summit eruptions. It is the highest peak in Italy south of the Alps. Etna covers an area
List of Italian dishes
This is a list of Italian dishes and foods. Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BC. Italian cuisine has its origins in Etruscan, ancient Greek, and ancient Roman cuisines.
Significant changes occurred with the discovery of the New World and the introduction of potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers and maize, now central to the cuisine but not introduced in quantity until the 18th century. The cuisine of Italy is noted for