The Cooking and Cuisine of Puglia

[Kevin72]

I've been out of town on vacation the past week, so belated congratulations to Foodman and Bigjas of course! Welcome back Franci, thanks again for the great pictures of Puglia. And hats off, not just for prying open raw mussels and stuffing them, but then individually tying them shut again?!

Bigjas, I have that problem as well with homemade orecchiette and have reverted back to using store-bought. I can't decide which version I like more: the kind braisede with anchovies and topped with breadcrumbs, or with the sausage.

[mrbigjas]

Good try Mrbigjas! It's really not easy to make orecchiette.

thanks! somehow i missed this post the first time around.

Monday morning we were invited for lunch at friend's house, they made orecchiette and with the camera I shoot a video, which I cannot manage to watch on my pc,  I am guessing I need to download something  (I want to make sure of the quality) and then I don't have a clue on how to upload it here. Any guess?

has anyone helped you with this yet? PM or email me; i'm sure we can figure something out.

Going back to orecchiette, some people add a little bit of white flour to semola but the most use only semola and warm-hot water (it's a little thinner then semolina: way too coarse).

the stuff i have been using was called semolina flour when i bought it--it's got a consistency like flour, not like semolina, the coarse stuff we make porridge out of.

For the cime di rapa, Lidia is making my stomach twist.....no stock and butter  .

yeah that's kinda what i thought, too.

I boil the cime di rape, take them out and boil the pasta in the same water. Just to get the proper cooking time. My parents don't use the same water if the rape are really bitter but cime di rape in Puglia are so much more bitter then the broccoli rape.  When the pasta is almost ready, heat up plenty of evo, add garlic, hot pepper (when golden) melt in it at least 10 unsalted anchovies (in NY you can find the cetara one at buonitalia). The quality of the anchovies can ruin the dish. When the anchovies are melted saute' the pasta with the rape (which are added back to the water at the end). In many towns some toasted breadcrumbs is sprinkled on top.

i'm going to try this next time. i think i'm going to try making orecchiette again; i felt like i was getting the hang of it towards the end.

oh crap, august is almost over!

[hathor]

Ciao tutti....I'm finally resurfacing after being completely submerged in our town's Festa.

Wow!!! 2 babies!! Tanti, tanti, tanti auguri!!! Come on' where are the pictures?? They were born in Puglia month, so it's not off topic to show off the wee ones!!

I got so excited reading thru the thread that I immediately ran downstairs to the kitchen and opened a bottle of Primitivo and made Franci's potatoes and tomatoes dish.

Then I came upstairs and continued reading....saw the posts about the new babies....and thought, "I am so not running back downstairs to have a baby!!"

I haven't been around much this month, so as punishment, we are going to Puglia at the end of September (via Naples!). I can't wait!

I really want some of those stuffed mussels, and I'll also take a side of Judy's mussels. Just gorgeous. Those stuffed breads are looking damn good as well.

Here's a picture of my 'baby'. He was visiting last week, and got just a wee bit carried away with his buratta salad presentation. He was quite proud of the basil tree growing out of the buratta. My local cheese guy carries this buratta that comes wrapped in some sort of green, reedy leaf. Its quite delicious.

p.s. I also have some pureed fava beans ready for dinner. I'm trying to make up for lost time!

p.p.s there is definetely something going on Italy with the internet....everything is taking forever to load!!!

[divina]

one problem in the states is the SEMOLINO...

semolino is cream of wheat... BUT..

what you need to make the pasta is called SEMOLA, or hard wheat flour!!!

I have eaten some horrible pasta made with semolino!

( hathor) the burrata is wrapped in leek leaves..

[mrbigjas]

i almost bought a burrata yesterday; they get them in from puglia on saturdays, at dibruno's here in philadelphia.

but even that would be pretty much a whole meal for my wife and i, and we can't just live on cheese. i had mussels to make--i copied franci's mussels recipe, and it was great.

the interesting part to me was shelling raw mussels, which i've never done before. it took me about 10 to figure out where and how to cut without breaking the shell or hurting myself... i now have five or six cuts on my hands as a result.

but it was worth it. they were damn good.

(we had some left over since mussels only come in a 2 lb bag here, and i put them in a little gratin dish on top of the sauce tonight and broiled them till the stuffing got crispy again. i know that's kinda french but what the hey).

for a vegetable, we had the sweet peppers and onions from the ada boni book. i often don't think of bell peppers as a legitimate vegetable, i have to admit. they're something that flavors other things. but these were so good we ate them all.

p.s. i do have a pic of the boy, it's here, if you're interested. sorry about the offensive gesture, it's just that, well, he's spent his whole life here in south philadelphia.

ok i'm not sorry. i think it's funny.

[Pontormo]

!

And awwwww! How very, very carino!

All the iron in the mussels should probably do the two of you good.

And Hathor, your post is quite a riot!

Now, behind that basil tree, is that a sign of adolescent rebellion? A Burger King tee-shirt ?!!

[mrbigjas]

but even that would be pretty much a whole meal for my wife and i, and we can't just live on cheese. 

i can't believe i wrote that.

[hathor]

!

Now, behind that basil tree, is that a sign of adolescent rebellion?  A Burger King tee-shirt ?!!

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Burger Who????? Surely you jest! The poor boy didn't know we could make hamburgers on our grill (he thought it was just for fish and quail), we kept him in the dark about a lot of things, like getting sports on our TV.....told him he had to go the neighbors for sports.

No, he is well on his way to serious foodie land......

The potatoes/tomatoes alla Franci were excellent last night, but after looking at all those mussel shots, I wanted the flavor of mussels mixed in with the potatoes. The pureed fava beans were outstanding, I finished them with a drizzle of parsley/garlic/oil. Once again, I'm in love with fava beans. And the primitivo was.....r a w ..... Maybe I should spend more than 3.50 a bottle?

Anybody come across a great sounding recipe for octopus? I've got one in the freezer that needs to be eaten. It's a big sucker.

edit: Leek leaves!! Of course! Where is the little icon for smacking yourself in the forehead??

p.s. edit: I love a baby with attitude!! He's very cute! Auguri!!!

Edited August 28, 2006 by hathor (log)

[NYC Mike]

p.s. i do have a pic of the boy, it's here, if you're interested. sorry about the offensive gesture, it's just that, well, he's spent his whole life here in south philadelphia.

ok i'm not sorry. i think it's funny.

ROFL! Classic! South Philly from birth! Nyish!

[Andrew Fenton]

p.s. i do have a pic of the boy, it's here, if you're interested.  sorry about the offensive gesture, it's just that, well, he's spent his whole life here in south philadelphia. 

Hey, this may be Puglia month, but I'm pretty sure that that's a, um, "Sicilian gesture". He oughta be ready for the Supreme Court one of these days...

[Kevin72]

Our trip last week was to Sonoma in California, otherwise known as Heaven on Earth. I cooked a few farmer's market inspired meals, and one of them actually was Pugliese: the vegetable stew called ciambotta.

Though it completely lacked the sine qua non of the dish, potatoes. For some reason no farmer's market I went to carried them. It did have the bounty of wonderful heirlooms we saw everywhere, as well as zucchini, eggplant, and mottled peppers. I also tossed in some basil but the recipes I've seen for Pugliese ciambotta lack any herbal accompaniment.

Last Sunday, we started the meal with baked pasta with eggplant:

The eggplant is grilled first, giving the dish a smokier depth of flavor than the similar Pasta alla Norma which I made last month in Sicily.

We continued with lamb and peppers from Ada Boni:

Though I used a hunk of lamb sirloin and cooked it low and slow, as Paula Wolfert directs in The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen. Sear lamb off, lay it over a bed of roasted peppers, then cook them in an oven together until done. Make a vinegar, anchovy, and garlic emlusion in the pan afterwards with the glazed bits and drizzle over the top. Roasted potatoes topped with pecorino on the side.

Our wine:

Liked it quite a bit.

Last night's meal:

I see no one's picked up the 'ncapriatta gauntlet that I threw down at the start of the month; everyone's so busy "giving birth" and whatnot.

So I made it, and my wife declared it one of her favorite meals when she got home and saw the spread waiting for her:

The standard accompaniment for 'ncapriatta (dried fava beens simmered until they collapse) is sauteed bitter greens and stewed peppers. Jenkins recommends poblanos to stand in for whatever kind gets used in Puglia, and having tasted both, the similarities are remarkable. And the 'ncapriatta, spread over a piece of hot bread, then topped with some of the greens, is such a simple but satisfying combo. I also like everything topped with coarse sea salt to add a textural and even more earthy crunch. Also, I whipped up a mint frittata to go with, but in hindsight it wasn't necessary.

[Kevin72]

Well, the month's pretty much up. Seems like alot was happening with everyone involved, myself included, which naturally took away from being able to cook from this region. But please, give it a shot sometime, particularly in late spring/early summer when vegetables are exploding. It's really alot of fun and an underrated cuisine I think.

Special thanks to Franci's outstanding contributions, advice, and knowledge which really added something new to the threads.

See you all in Campania!

[Pontormo]

What dedication! You even manage to cook with this thread in mind on what sounds like a wonderful vacation. The lamb from Sunday looks especially good.

However, do go back and reread Hathor's post above. She may not have picked up your gauntlet, but she did make fava beans.

Edited August 31, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[NYC Mike]

Kevin the lamb looks amazing, is that in the Wolfert book you mention? Its been on my list for far too long now.

-mike

[Kevin72]

Kevin the lamb looks amazing, is that in the Wolfert book you mention?  Its been on my list for far too long now.

-mike

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No, just the low and slow technique for cooking it: after searing the meat off, toss it in a low oven (200 or so) and let it gradually come up to the desired internal temp. The meat emerges tasting incredible that way. You really should get it; it's one of the very best cookbooks I've bought over the last couple years.

[Kevin72]

What dedication!  You even manage to cook with this thread in mind on what sounds like a wonderful vacation.  The lamb from Sunday looks especially good.

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It's hard not to bring Puglia to mind when you're surrounded by grapevines, olive trees, and incredible produce around every bend. Though alot of times when just cooking out of hand, I revert to a Tuscan style of cooking.

However, do go back and reread Hathor's post above.  She may not have picked up your gauntlet, but she did make fava beans.

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Hey, I didn't get any followup details after she mentioned it, so as far as I'm concerned, my challenge went unanswered!

[NYC Mike]

Aside from this dish I think I have one more Apulia dish in me this weekend, the stuffed mussels posted above. Mussels are perhaps my single most favorite thing to eat, I am just having sourcing issues at my new location!

Thank you Franci for all the inspiration this month!

Tonight we made your stuffed eggplant and it was fantastic. We served it with a crusty bread and some rigatoni sprinkled with homemade ricotta alla Foodman. In hindsight, we didn't need the macaroni, just the bread would have been fine.

mike

Edited September 1, 2006 by NYC Mike (log)

[hathor]

However, do go back and reread Hathor's post above.  She may not have picked up your gauntlet, but she did make fava beans.

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Hey, I didn't get any followup details after she mentioned it, so as far as I'm concerned, my challenge went unanswered!

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Boh! Did someone say challenge?? Here's the finished fava beans with a parsley/EVOO sauce and Franci's potatoes. Uhm....the photo looks like it belongs on the Regrettable Dinner thread....it was too late and I was too hungry to futz with taking a better picture. Besides, I had me some 'stinco' to eat! I do love stinco!

The potatoes were excellent by the way, and they scheduled for the dinner menu for tonight.

[hathor]

When we were recently in Puglia, we ate in this humble trattoria in Castro, in the Salento area of Puglia. I had a pasta called 'sagne' with a simple tomato and sheep ricotta sauce. It was one of those embarassing moments where not only did I lick the plate clean but I had to fight to keep others out of my dish.

I brought some dried sagne home and today we had it for lunch with a decent approximation of the sauce. The dried sagne was too thick, I think I need to make some of my own to get it the way I remember it.

[JasonZ]

The dried sagne was too thick, I think I need to make some of my own to get it the way I remember it.

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Judith:

Looks like a wonderful pasta ... but is it a thick hollow spiral? That's what the photo looks like ... How do you make it?

[Stevarino]

I guess I missed the Puglia Party

[mrbigjas]

don't worry, the parties continue on long after the official month is over.

[mrbigjas]

i made that focaccia again the other day, and in the process reread most of this thread. momentous goings on last year at this time!

anyway, you know, it's way better than it has any right to be, just dough and tomatoes and oil....

[Pontormo]

Just last week when the weather was brutally hot, I asked one of the local farmers if they were planning on selling any of the large cherry tomatoes (like those Franci photographed) they carried last year. I didn't remember we covered Puglia exactly a year ago, but that focaccia was on my mind, too.

[mrbigjas]

i had another thought: would it be heresy to use a cuisinart to make this dough? stirring/beating it for 15+ minutes is exhausting, and after all i've never used that plastic dough blade that comes with the thing.