"What was it with these old Sicilian ladies?....it was as if, their best eats had to be kept a special secret, and they would never pass on their best recipes, and when the old ladies died, so did their recipes..."
Keep your friends close; keep your recipes closer....
Actually, I think it had to do with the old ladies, each wanting to be known for their particular specialties, and they feared, that if they shared the recipes, they would lose their distinction...they were really funny old ladies..