Franci

Hi everybody. I would like to get some updates on restaurants. My husband and I will be in Dubai by the end of August for a couple days. We are mainly interested in Lebanese cuisine or Moroccan. We are getting there on Saturday night very late (landing at 10 pm), is it a problem to get dinner that late? Reading through this post I was thinking of Mawal (Al Bustan Rotana Hotel) Chandelier Al-Nafoorah at Jumeirah Emirates Towers (we are staying there) Mejana in Le Meriedien (I couldn't find this restaurant reccomanded by Nora, is it still there?) Shoo Fee Ma Fee in the Madinat Souq Tagine Marrakech Restaurant at Shangri-La Hotel Any other reccomendation? Maybe the best option on Saturday night would be Al-Nafoorah since we are staying there but I not sure when they'll take the last order. Are all these places serving alcohol? I am also interested in good dates and confiture, what do you think would be the best place for it (is it Bateel as stated in the guide I already bought?). Thanks

Nice focaccia Mike!

Do you mean just ovens where people will bring they food to bake? It's still pretty common. If you go to one of the bakery in my town (early in the mornig) and pay a fee to the baker (I don't remember how much I payed last time I bought bread) he will bake it for you. There are many advantages: Their oven is better, if you have a lot to bake is faster. Especially around holidays (Christmas and Easter in particular) there is a long line of people going to the bakeries to bake their traditional cookies: amaretti morbidi, dolcetti ricci, ecc. The mom of my best friend will weakly bake her bread at the bakery, she also has an embossed stamp with her initials to tell her bread from the others. In Bari, in citta' vecchia, people will still bring their "patate riso e cozze" to public brick ovens, other Italians like to call this dish tiella, but we don't use that word, being tiella a generic term. I never thought this is for fire hazards but only because not everybody has a brick oven.

You know we've got to know more about this! Is there a female version? ← The orecchietta is the female! The frucidd would be a phallic symbol.

Orecchiette are not left to dry they are cooked immediately.

I'd like to show to you also the traditional pasta table. Someone living in Bologna, just made me notice how different is our pasta table compared to the one in Emilia Romagna. Our, as you can see, has boundaries on three sides, so the flour and the orecchiette with not run everywhere. Differently than the Emiliano table where a wooden strip will be in the front, bottom side of the board to help the pasta board to stick to the table. This is still my aunt making orecchiette She gave a lesson to some friends of mine in Bologna. Although they were used to make fresh pasta (emiliana style) and were closely watching my aunt, none of them could manage to get it right. It's very hard hand movement the one for orecchiette, even if I'd try to show it to you, I don't think will work . Thehe orecchiette should be as regular as possible otherwise they will not cook evenly and you will have overcooked pasta in the center or borders too thick and raw on the sides. Very often a mix of orecchiette and maccheroni are made, in my dialect these maccheroni are called "frucidd", but already in the town next door will be known for another name. Frucidd are considered the male of the orecchiette. The tool on the right is the one used for frucidd. This little stick has a squared section and nowadays it is very hard to find even in Puglia. Make a very thin rope of dough, same than orecchiette (only semola rimacinata or durum flour) and cut a couple cm piece, flatten the little metal stick in the middle and then keeping under your palm you'll push it toward you and very fast backward, it will form a nice maccherone with a whole in the middle. Orecchiette are very small in Bari, bigger in other provinces, you can keep them flat or flip them back with the help of the thumb. In Salento orecchiette with durum and barley flour are also very popular, or there are also more rustic version with wholewheat.

You will hardly see this dish in a restaurant, I am not sure how much it is known even around my province for sure typical from my town and Martina Franca. This is a common smell when you walk around my little town on Sunday morning I need to thank my friend Paola Petrini for sharing her pictures, mine turned out too bad and she kindly let me use hers. Orecchiette con le polpette d'uova Basically we make polpette with fine bread crumbs, a lot grated pecorino (a lot of people use the Rodez cheese), maybe less than 1 glove of garlic minced, chopped parley, eggs and pepper Here, my aunt, who is cooking, decided that the cheese was not enough and added more This seems a pretty simple recipe. Wrong. You need to strike the right balance, my mom in almost 40 years in puglia (and she is a good cook) has not mastered these polpette. They should not taste to much of bread or feel heavy but you don't want something too runny too, the proportion of cheese is higher than bread, you need 2 spoons to drop the batter in the oil (and we fry in extra virgin), it will foam a lot, so you need plenty of deep oil. Some polpette are eaten straight before pasta as "apristomaco" and the others are dropped in the sauce at the last minute left to rest 10-15 minutes. They are eaten with orecchiette e grated cacioricotta. The polpette in the sauce will soften and they are truly delicius. At the table, with the plate of orecchiette, is usually a dish of raw fennels (in quarters), celery sticks (accio), carrots sticks, puntarelle that we call cime di catalogna, radishes. This plate takes the name of "spingituro" because helps eating more pasta I want to point to the plate above, from Grottaglie. This is how would look the traditional plate from Grottaglie ceramisti di grottaglie

I think I saw one at Kalustyans http://www.kalustyans.com/default.asp

Brazilian Bolo Gelado

Depends , when my father is in the mood of pasta e cime di rapa he will not care of anything there is in the fridge It's not a summer dish though, cime di rape are at their best in winter. You could cook orecchiette with another green but then are not orecchiette e rape anymore, they are orecchiette and somthingelse.

Abra, these are not particular hard cheeses to make, so I am sure you'll do fine, scamorza instead requires a lot of practice (Maria has been doing it every day for 30 years! I cannot compete with her). I have decided that the one I can buy here in the UK (from Italy) would be better than mine! If you can find at least unhomogenized milk is to be preferred. CACIORICOTTA Cacioricotta is typical from Puglia, where you can find it the fresh or hard to grate on pasta. Here I say it and I will repeat myself: cacioricotta is NEVER to be used on meat sauces, it is only grated on pasta with fresh tomatoe sauce or vegetables, mushrooms and cime di rape excluded, no cheese at all for them. It tastes differente from ricotta salata because cacioricotta is not made out of ricotta! You can find a cacioricotta made with cow milk, or goat, sheep or mixt. Differently than formaggio fresco you need to bring the milk almost to boiling (at 90 Celsius) at that point you can add coarse salt (about a handful for 10 liters, always Maria very precise directions ). Careful if you use goat milk, 90 C is too much. When the milk reaches 37 C add the rennet (1 tablespoons per 10 Liters) and let set. Cut through the curd (a cross is enough). Maria said to be very careful and stir very very slowly evoiding to have a minute break. You bring back to the stove and warm up, if it's to make a grating cheese you can go slightly above 45 C, if you want a eating cacioricotta don't go above. Drop some cheese basket on top so the curds will sink to the bottom After some rest, start to pull out the whey from the baskets with the help of a laddle. If it's a grating cacioricotta you need to extract as much whey as possible. It will dry faster. If it's intended to eat fresh, just let drain. To make the cacioricotta to grate you need to let in dry in the sun, on a grate coverder by a cheesecloth, turning it around and bringing it inside at night. For how long? Depends, we say that if tramontana is blowing it will dry fast, if it is scirocco will take a long time.

Here is my morning with Maria at her masseria. She showed to me how to make formaggio fresco. It's a pretty chewy cheese, often with no salt, in fact salt and oil are generally added when the cheese is served. If you go to Le Ruote in Martina they will serve it as antipasto with capocollo martinese, giardiniera, olives and underoils. FORMAGGIO FRESCO Bring the milk to 36 celsius, add a little salt ( , don't ask) and rennet. Maria doesn't even know the title on her rennet! She uses 1/2 tablespoon for 8 liters (less than for cacioricotta). Let it set, break the curd and stir Bring back to the stove, until it reaches about 40 C, alway stirring (here, diffently from what you'll see for cacioricotta, you don't need to be particularly careful at stirring When a solid ball forms put in a cheese basket and press it using your hands You can start eating it immediately and it's better to consume within one day. Serve it in slices with salt and oil

In May, last time I was back home, I went to visit this nice lady that has a masseria right outside town. Masserie are how farms are called in Puglia and my town is known for 100 masserie in its territory. Maria provides us with fresh warm ricotta (and she delivers it pretty early in the morning ) so I asked her to show me how to make some cheese, I have some nice pictures to show. For scamorza, I decided it's too difficult for me and I don't have access to good unpastorized milk. I checked some recipes at Terra di Puglia web site, to me, some translations are a little funny like cime di rapa, turnip tops They translated with brewers yeast because in Italian it's called lievito di birra

hey, good deal--i just bought a copy.... ← Pontormo, I even had a better deal! Last year at a market sale at Morristown (NJ) I got one copy for 25 cents , in Italian! Sixties edition I couldn't belive my eyes!

Of course going out for pizza is common but I don't think there are particular toppings. In Lecce, besides pizzerie, "puccerie" are everywhere, they serve puccia, a typical bread from Lecce with black olives (watch for the pits!) but now they stuff pucce with almost anything. In Bari, at pizzerie they will often serve as antipasti "cicci", it's a pizza dough with no topping just drizzled with oil and sometimes rosmary and coarse salt. Or a calzone with cherry tomatoes and ricotta forte (ricotta asquant or askuant it's fermented ricotta with a spicy strong taste). If you are looking for hints, check the menu of this pizzeria, it is one of the most popular in Bari (although I always go to another one but doesn't have a web site ) http://www.pizzeriadadonato.com/ I am for easy toppings margherita and diavola my favourites with more "olio santo", that's how we call the oil with hot pepper maybe could be considered topping pugliesi the one with "funghi cardoncelli" (the closer substitute shitakee mushrooms ) or cherry tomatoes raw, rucola raw and scamorza.

Here is the other very famous focaccia besides the one stuffed with cipolla. I do see this in the US but for some reason very tall, look more a bread to me then a focaccia. It is a plain focaccia with cherry tomatoes and oregano. Often at home could be served with bread at the table. Bread is present during the whole meal, pugliesi with even eat pasta with bread You will find the recipe here Although some people mix wheat flour with some durum flour, or add potatoes, I prefer to use just bread flour. It is a very slack dough, yes you could use the mixer, but this is almost as good at going to the gym. It requires a good 15-20 minutes of work. You need a pretty big bowl, flour, salt, yeast and water (around 80% hydratation), with one arm you hold the bowl, with the other hand you start whisking, like for eggs and keep going to a good 15 minutes. The gluten will activate and you'll start seeing big bobble of air forming. Needs to triple in bulk, drop in a pan oiled with extra virgin (my ratio is 250 g flour to 26-28 cm pan in diameter). Spread the juice from the cherry tomatoes on top, sink in the half tomatoes Sprinkle some dry oregano, more oil I usually let if sit just the time for the oven to get to themperature (pretty hot) With the same technic, we also make "pettole" that are deep fried balls of dough (only flour 00) usually dipped in vincotto or honey or sugar which are my favourite (not powdered sugar). There are also savory versions with tomatoes and anchovies, or with cime di rape. Pettole are prepared for Immacolata and Vigilia di Natale. Sometimes pettole are made also with sweet potatoes or with pumpkin. In some recipe they suggest to collect the dough with the help of two spoons dipped in water. I do prefer to sink my hand in the dough and squeeze it: between the forefinger and the thumb a perfect shape will form, take with the other hand (wet) and drop in oil. It's useful if an other person can fry.

Acquasale? Heard about it (for sure with no watermelon) but I have never seen anybody making in my area.

Focaccia pugliese con i pomodorini 250 g bread flour (or half durum flour) 190 g water 1 tsp salt 1 tsp instant yeast extra virgin olive oil cherry tomatoes dry oregano Put sifted flour in a large bowl and add salt and yeast, stat pouring water, the quantity of water is not fixed, dipending from many factors. With one arm keep the bowl,with the other start whisking the dough (like for wisking eggs with a fork). It will take about 15 minutes of work for the gluten to develope. Let triple in bulk, about 2 hours and half, depending on the temperature. Preheat oven at 230 Celsius. Pour in a pan oiled with evo and spread with oiled hands. Put cherry tomatoes in half, squeeze the juice over the dough and sink the half tomatoes in the dough. Sprinkle with crumbled dry oregano, drizzle with oil and bake in hot oven, about 20 minutes. Keywords: Bread, Italian ( RG1768 )

If you ask a limetta where I am from they will give you a nail filer . I think it is generally called lime, or green lemon but very likely somewhere in Italy is it called that way They ship from Puglia: Agata & Valentina (in NY), Zabars, Cittarella, etc. Is it good? Depends. If you ask a northener he/she will say yes, if you ask a pugliese not much. I can taste already that is a little sour the next day (in Puglia).

I am not sure about it but I will second the "belly" meaning. Also the ligurian pansotti I guess carry a similar name.

I've only seen it in NY. But, curiously during that very month of cooking, I did twice see "bottarga powder" in jars at two stores. It was still lavishly expensive though, and I didn't want to risk it. ← Bottarga powder is pretty bad. If you buy the small slabs alway choose the one light in color. At Di Palo in Littleitaly one will cost around 8 to 10 dollars. They carry it also at Buonitalia (more expensive though), they also have bottarga di tonno.

As I mention in the other thread, funny, I was searching the same site that DaleJ posted! http://growitalian.com/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?C...PROD=1150311185 These are cime di rapa from Puglia They are quite different than what is called rapini in the States. Cime di rapa have many more "cime"=heads, rapini have more leaves and are very sweet! Cime di rapa are quite bitter. Also in Italy if you buy from other regions will taste different because of the soil. http://growitalian.com/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?C...PROD=1150311746 This beeing cardoncello selvatico not to be mistaken with cardoncello the mushrooms (which grows nearby) In the States I only saw cardo gobbo And this http://growitalian.com/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?C...18&BACK=A0004A1 Here is called carosello, but it is known also as pagnottella. There is also a "pagnottella martinese" from Martina Franca that is round and looks like a small melon. Is much sweater and milder than cucumber. tarassaco http://growitalian.com/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?C...45&BACK=A0004A1 cicoriella http://growitalian.com/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?CMD=011&PROD=000153 and many others you can find under chicory Nice selections of seeds, I need to say. No purslane. It's very common in the fields and people use it for salads.

Canocchie? I did find live one. Chinatown in Brooklyn! And one time my mother in law (chinese) came home with the best fresh anchovies and artichokes I ever had in the States (she knew I liked it). Scampi you could find in Citarella, for ex, probably defrosted. Here in london are also precious goods. And aragosta?

Dale, incredible but I was just searching that web site while you posted you message! Then , in the Puglia thread I will point to some vegetables! Going back topic, in 6 years in the States I managed to live in San Francisco, New Hampshire at the border with Vermont and NY. San Francisco was the most frustrating one, New Hampshire a very pleasant discovery, NY were I was more comfortable. San Francisco had very little selection, yes you could pick wild fennel at the side of the roads , I used to shop at farmers market but I don't recall of vegetables to be that good, in fact I thought what is all this fuss about California (I do love California wines though). Buying figs in California I thoght: what happened to these poor guys! In New Hampshire, I was really surprised. I lived 5 minutes drive from King Arthur bakery: nice bread (between the best I had in the States, so I am a big fan of JP Hamelman), there I could find durum flour, baking ammonia anything I could need for baking. And at our coop I would find local produces, a very good selections of italian cheeses, a lot of game), a lot of farmers where to buy directly. In NY I was famous between collegues (70% italians) because I could find almost anything. In Astoria I did manage to find very interesting staff: many different kinds of bitter herbs, Sicilian eggplants (by the way, in Sicily they are called tunisian eggplants), pagnottelle, ecc. Lampascioni, live snails, etc Although in NY I could find almost everything the quality is not always the best. Also cheese, included parmigiano, many times tasted stale and sometimes I was frustrated to the knowledge of people working in the stores: no training, butchering a perfect prosciutto or a piece of cheese. Only at Zabars they know their stuff, you don't get a nervous breakdown at seeing people slicing prosciutto Lard (not the hydrogenated one) was very hard to find and I discovered almost at the corner of my apt. But the think I really missed was salame, lardo. Now in the UK is another world, so much better!!! I can even buy italian toilet paper if I want. I do still miss from home the fish. I live in front of London fish mkt but there there is not the smell of sea on the fish and mussel from home and the bread...

Kevin, I only hope to give egulleters enough input to get to know this cuisine better