Cucina Pugliese

[Stevarino]

I found eGullet by accident one day while googling something, and have been hooked ever since. I went to Puglia last year, and I have this incredible library of photos and hours of video. I'd like to share as much of it as I can with anybody that's interested.

I started a folder in imagegullet on the subject, and will keep adding to it when I can make time. I don't get to use all of this information on a regular basis, so please help me keep these memories fresh. Please ask questions, and please share your knowledge and experience as well.

[Risi e Bisi]

Fire away,

Looking forward to it.

[Stevarino]

This is Chef Giacomo Giancaspro! He is the Dean of a Hospitality progam in Molfetta. He is also is involved with the Cuochi Barese, a chapter of the Federation of Italian Chefs. He is holding up a vegetable called "Punterella" which is related to chickory?

[Stevarino]

Chef Giacomo is explaining the typical ingredients used in prpearing traditional Puglia dishes.

Chef Giacomo is now showing us the broccoli rabe. The actual flower part of the rape is quite larger that what I've seen available here in the US market, and not as bitter. They chop it up, and boil it in salted water, and then add Orecchiete pasta. Drain it, and toss it with chopped garlic, and anchovy, cooked in olive oil.

They use olive oil in everything they cook, including some of the pastry dough.

[Stevarino]

Here's a couple of pasta shapes that are used often in Puglia; the Orecchiete, and the cavatelle. These were brought over from a local pasta shop, not completely dry yet. Very cool.

[Stevarino]

Here's some of Chef Giacomo's ingredients for his demos. Cherry tomatoes were used exclusively. I'm not sure if they use other types of tomatoes, but we were there in Feb/March. Other ingredients are wild chickory, puntarelle, a bag of lampascione, and their go-to cheese, Canestrato Pugliese.

[hathor]

Stevarino: were you in a chef program in Puglia?

I had puntarella for the first time a couple of weeks ago in NY, it's the first time I've ever eaten it. Delicious. We were with a Florentine friend who said that it was a very popular vegetable in Rome. She also explained some complex prepping was required. What did you do with the puntarella?

[Stevarino]

Stevarino: were you in a chef program in Puglia?

I had puntarella for the first time a couple of weeks ago in NY, it's the first time I've ever eaten it. Delicious.  We were with a Florentine friend who said that it was a very popular vegetable in Rome. She also explained some complex prepping was required. What did you do with the puntarella?

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Hathor, I tasted it raw, and I believe they eat it dressed with olive oil & sea salt, and perhaps lemon juice? At the demonstration, they served it on a plate of grilled Cuttlefish. I haven't come accross it in the States myself, but it is commercially grown in California, but haven't bought any. I am very interested what others have to say about it as well.

I was invited to participate in this cooking program, that was sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission. It was designed to share what Puglia has to offer; any regional products available for export to the States, particularly their olive oil. My association in the event resulted from a dinner that I participated in at "the Italian Culinary Institute" in NY, where we performed a "Campagnia" dinner, paired with wine from the region. We did the same, locally, with Cucina Pugliese, and its wine, when we returned to the States. Its a very rewarding way to explore Italian regional history, tradition, and cooking style!

[Stevarino]

These are called Lampascione. It looks sorta like a shallot from the outside, but is not an onion. It is the bulb of a Hyasinth flower. They are very bitter, and require blanching, and soaking in salted water, then cooked into a dish as you would use a potato, but not as an aromatic vegetable.

[Stevarino]

This is a bread called Pane di Altamura, named for the town where the bread is baked. It is based on the starter, or the sponge, that has been passed down from countless generations. The yeast imparts a particular flavor, which makes it unique, and is actually protected by DOC status.

[Stevarino]

These are the mussels! They are awesome! The flavor is much more pronounced than the PEI mussels that I have available to me. They were shucking these like an oyster, and very quickly. I watched, and I saw, but I can't imagine how fast. They prepared them stuffed & in the Tiella ala Barese. I'll try to elaborate on those later into this.

[docsconz]

This is promising to be a very interesting exploration, Steverino. Cavatelli and orecchiette are two of my favoritepasta shapes (but then there aren't too many that aren't! ). My mother used to make a very simple but delicious dish with cavatelli. She would prepare it with well cooked, cut into small pieces broccoli sauteed in olive oil with garlic. A little S&P on top and this was pure comfort food. We still have it at home occasionally.

[Stevarino]

Ceci and Fava are used quite a bit. A noted traditional dish is NCapriata, which is boiled dried fava beans, sometimes with potato for some body, and olive oil. I'm trying to give as many cooking ingredients as I can, before I start up on the preparations.

potatoes are big in Puglia too. The Spanish had a period of rule here, and had some influences that stuck. Rice, as in the tiella ala Barese, and Barley is another starch that they use here as well.

[Stevarino]

This is promising to be a very interesting exploration, Steverino. Cavatelli and orecchiette are two of my favoritepasta shapes (but then there aren't too many that aren't! ). My mother used to make a very simple but delicious dish with cavatelli. She would prepare it with well cooked, cut into small pieces broccoli sauteed in olive oil with garlic. A little S&P on top and this was pure comfort food. We still have it at home occasionally.

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Docsconz, that sounds pretty close to the dish they showed us with the rape, only with the orecchiette instead. The cavatelle that they prepared for us was cooked with canellini, tomato & seafood. I'll present that at some point as well.

Thanks for your interest & input, and RisiBisi to you as well.

[Stevarino]

This mushroom is called "cardoncello". I don't have alot of information on other than this is their local variety. One Chef presented it with Shrimp, tengerines, and chick peas.

[Stevarino]

Back to the seafood category, fresh is always best, and it comes out of the sea, they have it. Octopus, the really scampi, and the fish is call "Hen of the Sea".

[Stevarino]

That is a mantis shrimp on top, and those little red fish are called? I was afraid this was going to happen. Anybody know? I forget.

[Stevarino]

Heres a fresh monkfish! Isn't this GREAT?!!!

[Stevarino]

The Cucina consists mostly of seafood, but lamb is probably the most traditional meat. Horse is also eaten in Puglia. I had read about it in Roots Foods of Italy, and asked about it. They brought in some sausage, and small cutlets for us to try. I will try anything for the experience. They squeezed the raw sausage out of the casing, and encouraged us to taste it raw like that. I thought it was pretty tasty raw. I apologize if I offended anyone, but this is all part of learning from other cultures.

[Stevarino]

Look at the color of the lamb. It is pale in color compared to what we know. The supply of local lamb is reserved for special occasions, like Easter. They import New Zealand lamb for volume supply. The same for the horemeat.

[docsconz]

This mushroom is called "cardoncello". I don't have alot of information on other than this is their local variety. One Chef presented it with Shrimp, tengerines, and chick peas.

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All your photos are excellent, but this one is exceptional. I have to say that the monkfish is beautiful as well. Keep'em coming.

[Stevarino]

This mushroom is called "cardoncello". I don't have alot of information on other than this is their local variety. One Chef presented it with Shrimp, tengerines, and chick peas.

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All your photos are excellent, but this one is exceptional. I have to say that the monkfish is beautiful as well. Keep'em coming.

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All photo credits go to Chef Bernardo. He did all the still shots, and I rolled the video of the demos.

[Pan]

Back to the seafood category, fresh is always best, and it comes out of the sea, they have it. Octopus, the really scampi, and the fish is call "Hen of the Sea".

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Wow! I wonder whether it's the same fish that's called "ayam laut" ("chicken of the sea") in Malay!

[Stevarino]

And, in order to cook "Cucina Pugliese" you must use extra virgin olive oil from Puglia! And that means for everything. If its not extra virgin, its not worth cooking with.

Heat control is therefore important as to not lose any of the love.

[Pontormo]

Steve: This is a wonderful documentation of your time in Puglia! What a privilege! Thank you!!!!