Granita

Granita (pronounced [ɡraˈniːta]; in Italian also granita siciliana [ɡraˈniːta sitʃiˈljaːna]) is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings. Originally from Sicily, it is available all over Italy in somewhat different forms. It is related to sorbet and Italian ice; however, in most of Sicily, it has a coarser, more crystalline texture. Food writer Jeffrey Steingarten says that "the desired texture seems to vary from city to city" on the island; on the west coast and in Palermo, it is at its chunkiest, and in the east it is nearly as smooth as sorbet. This is largely the result of different freezing techniques: the smoother types are produced in a gelato machine, while the coarser varieties are frozen with only occasional agitation, then scraped or shaved to produce separated crystals. Although its texture varies from coarse to smooth, it is always different from the one of an ice cream which is creamier, and from the one of a sorbet, which is more compact; this makes granita distinct and unique.

Granita (disambiguation)

Granita may refer to:

Blair–Brown deal

The Blair–Brown deal (or Granita Pact) was an alleged gentlemen's agreement struck between Shadow Home Secretary Tony Blair and Shadow Chancellor Gordon Brown in May 1994. It is widely believed that the two met in the now-defunct restaurant Granita in Islington, London, following the death of Labour Leader John Smith on 12 May, and that Brown agreed, in return for certain promises, to not stand for the leadership in order to allow Blair a better chance of victory. The existence of any deal was denied for many years by both Blair and Brown.

Summary

It was widely believed that Gordon Brown agreed not to stand in the 1994 Labour leadership election in order to allow Tony Blair an easy victory. In return, Brown would be granted wide powers over domestic policy in any Blair Government; Blair would go on to lead Labour to a landslide victory in the 1997 general election. It was also widely believed that Blair agreed, if he was appointed Prime Minister, to stay in the job for only two terms and then resign in Brown's favour.