Puglia on my Mind...

After our visit to Puglia last September, we returned home knowing we had seen a lot but only scratched the surface. But here are my first 10 reasons to go to Puglia:

1) I Trulli - Be it Alberobello or the surrounding countryside dotted with these with these circular dwellings, they are beautiful and unique to look at.

2) The Beaches - You’ll never get the SoCal girl out of me, so beaches are very important. Here you will find endless miles of white sand beaches and turquoise water. Simply heaven to me!

3) Pesce Crudo - Ok, maybe not everyone is a fan, but I am crazy about fish. Puglia has its own twist on sushi and frankly it’s better! Note, there are several “beach huts” where you can enjoy this delicacy with feet in sand at the same time.

4) Ostuni - This whitewash hill town stands out like a cupcake against the Pugliese countryside. Roam its cobblestone streets, enjoy its cute shops and some very fine restaurants.

5) Bari - Is beautiful and sophisticated, who knew?! Love its somewhat gritty “centro storico”, its tree-lined shopping district and pretty seaside promenade. Locals say “the closer you are to Bari, the better the food gets”. Who needs more than that?

6) I Taralli - Piemonte has the grissini and Puglia has the taralli, delightful, one is never enough bread munchies served with just about every meal.

7) Burrata - Soft, rich, and gives mozzarella di bufala an run for its money!

8) The Landscape - I couldn’t get over the crisp contrast between the red “terra”, the white rocks, verdant olives trees with trunks as big as a truck and the blue, blue sky. Just gorgeous.

9) Lecce - They call it the “Florence of the South” but I found the architecture even more interesting and “allegra” (sorry Florence!). The old city is (mostly) blocked off to traffic, making it easier and more fun to stroll and explore.

10) The History - Puglia was (is) the point where East meets West in Italy. Dating back to the Paleolithic Age and having been conquered by no less than 8 civilizations (Greek, Roman, Norman, Spanish, etc.), there is an incredible mix of cultures, gastronomy, traditions. Maybe only rivaled by Sicily in its diversity.

Remember, this is just a start. I welcome any and all other points to add to the list. For more stories and information on Puglia, I suggest the following sites and blogs:

Molfetta Daily Blog

Jeff in Puglia

Puglia Connection

Amid the Olive Trees

Viaggiare in Puglia

Puglia Uncovered

What To Do on a Sunny Sunday...

The only Ferrari my husband may ever have...

What a wonderful feeling to wake up Sunday morning to almost blinding sunlight in our bedroom. (It’s been a long time, Mr. Sun.) And then to be able to go outside and have tea on the terrace holding my face up to the golden rays. Oh what a way to start the day!

It was definitely too gorgeous a day to waste with errands and chores around the house as planned. Lui and I decide to play hooky and brought our little friend, Simona, along with us for the ride...

First stop: pizza, really really good pizza.

La Siciliana..yummmmm...

Then we headed 30 minutes south to the bustling beach town of Forte dei Marmi for an afternoon passagiata and some window shopping. I happen to like “Forte”. It’s not the usual stop on the “americans trip to Italy”, because it’s not the typically envisioned walled hill town or tiny seaside fishing village. But it is a a quite charming resort area with lots of good restaurants, outdoor cafes, mid to high end shopping (yes, there is a Gucci, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana).

Downtown Forte

It also has a great wide open beach dotted with colorful umbrellas in the summer time and is one of Italy’s top nightlife destinations. It is also located on the main rail line that running north/south from France to Sicily, so not a bad base for exploring NW Tuscany (Pisa, Florence, Lucca) or Liguria (Lerici, Portovenere, Cinque Terre), and the Carrara marble mountains are its eastern backdrop.

So, if you are somewhere in NW Tuscany on a Sunday with nothing to do (ha ha), this is a nice and somewhat “off the beaten path” destination to explore.

On the pier (and the Apuane Alps in the background)...

Surfing the Med, bbbrrrhhhhh!

Little Fish, Big Meal

One of my favorite seasonal dishes of the early winter months is “gianchetti” in Ligurian dialect, known Italy-wide as “bianchetti” and in english, known as “white bait”. Bianchetti are newly born “pesce azzuro” (anchovies and sardines). They are fished only in the months of January and February, as not to endanger the fish population.

The idea of tiny transparent fish may not look or sound appealing, but inside they are packed with flavor and goodness.

Another dish for 2-4 people (depending on how much pasta you like!):

2-3 small artichokes (cut in quarters with fuzzy middle and hard outside leaves removed)

2 lemons

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 clove of garlic

200 grams of bianchetti

1/2 cup white wine

A small fistful of Italian parsley

peperoncino for a spicy taste

400 grams of pasta (preferably spaghetti)

Boil water in pasta pan (don’t forget a little salt!).

When cutting the artichokes, place them as you go in a bowl of cold water with a few squeezed lemon quarters. Keep them there until you are ready to cook them.

Mince the garlic and Italian parsley together.

In a saute pan, add the olive oil and the garlic/parsley mixture let sizzle over medium heat (about 2 minutes). Add the artichokes and let cook for about 3 minutes uncovered. Add the white wine, lower the heat and cover for about 3 more minutes.

This is a good point to add your pasta to the boiling water and cook for the time indicated on your pasta of choice.

Add the bianchetti. Mix constantly in the pan for about 2 minutes, then let sit for a minute, then stir again for a minute. If pasta is not quite ready, remove form the flame and cover.

Once the pasta is ready, add it and the bianchetti mixture to a large bowl. Add a little more olive oil and a squeeze or two of lemon. Mix it all together and serve immediately.

BUON APPETITO!!!