Cucina Pugliese

[hathor]

Wow!! What a great experience!

I love the bread, with DOC protected yeast. I should know the name of that red fish, but I never remember, and pointing at them works just fine. I have bunches of photos of monkfish...they are just so 'photogenic'!

This is a great thread, thanks for sharing your experience with us!

[weinoo]

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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Puntarella is one of my favorite salad greens - we always eat lots of it when we've visited Rome - as a salad it's served with a very garlicky/anchovy flavored dressing.

The prep is complex, but in the Campo de' Fiori puntarella is generally sold already prepped and sitting in a basin of cold water, which causes it to curl up beautifully.

In David Downie's Cooking the Roman Way, there's a 2-page description of how the vegetable is prepped!

I've seen it at Agata & Valentina, and at the Union Square Greenmarket when the green vegetables are in full swing.

Great pix, Stevarino - keep 'em coming.

[Stevarino]

Tiella alla Barese as requested!!!

Okay, this is what it looks like after baking, and now I'll show you how to put it together.

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/11802246..._4698_42604.jpg

Put some water in a pan. Peel and slice some potatoes, slice some onion, chop some cherry tomatoes, and some parsley. Put everything in the water with the sliced potatoes.

Prep the mussels by either shucking them raw, or you can cheat, and steam them open with a little white wine. Just add any liquid rendered to the potatoes.

Put down a layer of the potatoes in the bottom of your casserole dish.

Sprinkle the potatoes with grated canestrato Pugliese, and a layer of mussels on the half shell.

Lay down a layer of arborio rice over the mussels.

Lay down another layer of the sliced potatoes.

Now pour the water, and whatever else is left in the pan, over the top.

Sprinkle the top of the casserole with grated canestrato Pugliese, Bread crumbs, from the pane di Atamura, and extra virgin olive oil. Bake it till its done.

In the US, you can do it with mussels mixed with oysters to insify the flavor that would be closer to what it tastes like there.

[Stevarino]

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

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I am extremely happy to share it with you!

[Stevarino]

Wow!! What a great experience!

I love the bread, with DOC protected yeast.  I should know the name of that red fish, but I never remember, and pointing at them works just fine. I have bunches of photos of monkfish...they are just so 'photogenic'!   

This is a great thread, thanks for sharing your experience with us!

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You are very welcome Hathor, and thank you as well for your contributions. I have thoroughly enjoyed your generosity here, and your blogs.

[Stevarino]

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?

←

Puntarella is one of my favorite salad greens - we always eat lots of it when we've visited Rome - as a salad it's served with a very garlicky/anchovy flavored dressing.

The prep is complex, but in the Campo de' Fiori puntarella is generally sold already prepped and sitting in a basin of cold water, which causes it to curl up beautifully.

In David Downie's Cooking the Roman Way, there's a 2-page description of how the vegetable is prepped!

I've seen it at Agata & Valentina, and at the Union Square Greenmarket when the green vegetables are in full swing.

Great pix, Stevarino - keep 'em coming.

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Thanks for that most excellent lead Weinoo! I will look for that book. And so, it is not simply harvested from the field, and dressed as a salad? I recall Hathors lengthy info on Radicchio, in her contributiion to the Veneto. Anything like that?

[docsconz]

Tiella alla Barese as requested!!!

Okay, this is what it looks like after baking, and now I'll show you how to put it together.

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/11802246..._4698_42604.jpg

Put some water in a pan. Peel and slice some potatoes, slice some onion, chop some cherry tomatoes, and some parsley. Put everything in the water with the sliced potatoes.

Prep the mussels by either shucking them raw, or you can cheat, and steam them open with a little white wine. Just add any liquid rendered to the potatoes.

Put down a layer of the potatoes in the bottom of your casserole dish.

Sprinkle the potatoes with grated canestrato Pugliese, and a layer of mussels on the half shell.

Lay down a layer of arborio rice over the mussels.

Lay down another layer of the sliced potatoes.

Now pour the water, and whatever else is left in the pan, over the top.

Sprinkle the top of the casserole with grated canestrato Pugliese, Bread crumbs, from the pane di Atamura, and extra virgin olive oil. Bake it till its done.

In the US, you can do it with mussels mixed with oysters to insify the flavor that would be closer to what it tastes like there.

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So much for the dictum of no cheese with seafood in real Italian cooking!

[Pontormo]

Actually, the Doc knows better. He says that every time someone posts dishes in this forum that combine seafood and cheese!

[docsconz]

Actually, the Doc knows better.  He says that every time someone posts dishes in this forum that combine seafood and cheese!

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The evidence continues to mount against that old dictum. Perhaps I react strongly to it since I grew up with it.

[weinoo]

Actually, the Doc knows better.  He says that every time someone posts dishes in this forum that combine seafood and cheese!

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The evidence continues to mount against that old dictum. Perhaps I react strongly to it since I grew up with it.

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Although when we were dining in a restaurant in Rome we saw a couple ask for cheese for their pasta with shrimp, and were firmly and pointedly denied said cheese!

[Risi e Bisi]

Stevarino,

I am perusing thru your awesome pix's and enjoying them.

I have yet to work with Lampascione . I am planning to try to locate some thru the San Francisco produce market.

Has anybody grown them with success ?

[Stevarino]

Stevarino,

I am perusing thru your awesome pix's and enjoying them.

I have yet to work with Lampascione . I am planning to try to locate some thru the San Francisco produce market.

Has anybody grown them with success ?

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Good luck, and I look forward to hearing of your success on that! I understand that they are available canned, or "Jarred" in I think olive oil. I will check on that and see if I can find out who the importer is again. I know they have a website, I just can't remember the name.

[Stevarino]

Actually, the Doc knows better.  He says that every time someone posts dishes in this forum that combine seafood and cheese!

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The evidence continues to mount against that old dictum. Perhaps I react strongly to it since I grew up with it.

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Although when we were dining in a restaurant in Rome we saw a couple ask for cheese for their pasta with shrimp, and were firmly and pointedly denied said cheese!

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We were also shown a bread stuffing made with the same bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, garlic, and parsley, that they use to stuff mussels & cuttlefish. IT IS SO GOOD! I'll post pictures of those as well.

[Stevarino]

A side note, I have hours of video that i'd like to stage step by step photos like the Tiella post. I don't know how to achieve that but I'm sure its possible. If anyone is familiar with iMovie on Mac, and can save me some time researching, I'd appreciate all advice. Thanks

Otherwise, this might take me awhile

Guess what? I've got it down, and I'm really excited about how its working out so far.

Edited May 28, 2007 by Stevarino (log)

[docsconz]

Actually, the Doc knows better.  He says that every time someone posts dishes in this forum that combine seafood and cheese!

←

The evidence continues to mount against that old dictum. Perhaps I react strongly to it since I grew up with it.

←

Although when we were dining in a restaurant in Rome we saw a couple ask for cheese for their pasta with shrimp, and were firmly and pointedly denied said cheese!

←

We were also shown a bread stuffing made with the same bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, garlic, and parsley, that they use to stuff mussels & cuttlefish. IT IS SO GOOD! I'll post pictures of those as well.

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This was the one way that we would mix cheese with seafood in my house. My mother made a stuffing with the same ingredients you described. She would stuff blue crabs and simmer them in a tomato sauce to make my all-time favorite dish. The sauce and the crabs would be served over pasta - either perciatelli or bucatini.

[weinoo]

Thanks for that most excellent lead Weinoo! I will look for that book. And so, it is not simply harvested from the field, and dressed as a salad? I recall Hathors lengthy info on Radicchio, in her contributiion to the Veneto. Anything like that?

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It definitely involves a fair amount of work - removing the outer leaves, cutting off the punte off the plant's body, trimming the base of each punta, then peeling the punta all around (like peeling an asparagus spear), then slicing into matchstick size sections...into the cold water....whew...much easier to buy them already prepped!

At home, I'll often use the leaves of Belgian endive, sliced very thinly the long way, dressed with the same dressing that's used for puntarelle - as a decent substitute.

[Kevin72]

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.

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Red mullet, aka mugine. I'm not sure of the Italian name.

Puglia's one of my favorite Italian regional cuisines. Thank you for sharing the wonderful photos and experiences and please, keep 'em coming. Any good restaurants you went to?

[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.

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Red mullet, aka mugine. I'm not sure of the Italian name.

Puglia's one of my favorite Italian regional cuisines. Thank you for sharing the wonderful photos and experiences and please, keep 'em coming. Any good restaurants you went to?

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Thank you Kevin! And heres a photo of the dish created with it.

The filets were marinated in citrus juice, fresh flowering rosemary, fresh ground pepper, atop a potato puree, served cold. I will provide you with more details on this soon. I remember alot, but its beginning to fade. This why its so important to share this with all of you.

You asked about Restaurants, and we ate out every night. This one "Trattoria Tipica di Miana" really stood out. I'm gonna say its in Trani.

If you recognize this cathedral on the wharf, please correct me if I'm in the wrong town.

It is the cathedral that is named for the boy that died on the door steps? Please help out if you know what I'm mummbling about! Theres an old fort from FedericoII right next door. I desperately need to review my notes on this stuff.

[Stevarino]

Orecchiette con Broccoli Rape!

I got the iMovie figured out, which is really good, so here goes.

Prep the rapi by removing the large outer leaves, chop up a little bit, and add to boiling salted water. Cook for about ten minutes.

Then add the orecchiete, and continue to cook for an additional, well 5 minutes, if you are working with dry, but fresh pasta! Longer for the stuff that comes fully dry.

Strain the pasta.

Then add it to a pan of garlic & anchovy cooked in extra virgin olive oil as shown here. Continue to cook the pasta, adding some pasta water, and toss the pasta as it forms a nice sauce

Then transfer to a serving plate. So simple, so good!!!

[Stevarino]

Foccacia!

Chefs Giacomo & Pasquale prepare the Foccacia. The dough is made with AP flour, potato boiling water, yeast & olive oil. After the dough rises, punch it down, and work it with your finger tips into the corners of a well oiled pan.

Next, stud the dough with garlic cloves and sliced onion.

Cut ripe cherry tomatoes (plum tomatoes were used here) in half, and squeeze out the juice onto the dough, and press the tomato into the dough.

Sprinkle coarse sea salt crystals over the surface of the foccacia.

The Foccacia is ready for the oven after additional proofing in a warm place.

Load up on the olive oil, don't be shy.

Heres what it looks like when it comes out of the oven. Yum.

Simply cut into squares and serve on platters.

[Adam Balic]

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.

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Lovely images. In English, I think that these are "tassel grape hyacinth".

[hathor]

Stevarino, this is so much fun!

No double cooking on the rapi? All of my neighbors insist that you boil once and then toss the water and cook again. This is supposed to get rid of the bitterness.

Great photos!

[Stevarino]

Lampascione

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.

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Peel the outer skin of the lampascione with a paring knife.

Score the root end twice forming a cross on the bottom.

Boil the Lampascione in water, drain, and place in fresh water to soak for 4 or 5 hours to remove the bitterness.

The lampascione can then be sauteed in olive oil, and seasoned with salt & pepper, and used to accompany various preparations.

Here, the lampascione are cooked with "knife chopped" pork sausage.

This is an example of Puglia's history of very poor people. They had to work with what was available.

[Stevarino]

Stevarino, this is so much fun!

No double cooking on the rapi? All of my neighbors insist that you boil once and then toss the water and cook again. This is supposed to get rid of the bitterness.

Great photos!

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No Hathor, they just boil it in salted water, add the pasta, and strain it. I took notice of the size of the flower head, and it seemed to be more developed than what I'm used to seeing. What they do is trim off the big leaves, which, I guess hold alot of bitterness. The yield is much less, but I had success doing it this way. Another trick I've tried with rapi is soaking it in salted wated BEFORE cooking it, which also seemed to do the trick in drawing out bitterness. That way, you don't lose all that love down the drain.

[Pontormo]

If you recognize this cathedral on the wharf, please correct me if I'm in the wrong town.

It is the cathedral that is named for the boy that died on the door steps? Please help out if you know what I'm mummbling about! Theres an old fort from FedericoII right next door. I desperately need to review my notes on this stuff.

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That is in fact the cathedral of Trani, S. Nicola Pellegrino--built on the site of an earlier church dedicated as Santa Maria; the young pilgrim serves as the titular relic. (This is not very culinary so I'll be brief, but I have an exhibition catalog on icons of Puglia & Basilicata. The youth came to Trani from a monastery on Corfu and died in 1094; canonized only five years later which is rare. Calling him Nicholas the Pilgrim distinguishes his cult from that of the established Byzantine saint Nicholas who inspires other pilgrims to travel nearby to Bari.)

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Your posts on lampascione are wonderful!!!