Food Lover's Odyssey

Lemon and Olive Oil Cake from Puglia ~ And a Giveaway

 

 

Although I've been spending a lot of time in the kitchen with our Italian mammas, many of whom we'll meet on the Food Lover's Tour in Puglia, I was lucky enough to also spend some time in the kitchen with a few handsome Italian men, one of whom is Donato of the olive oil company Agricola Taurino. 

During the course of the food lover's tour, Taurino's olive grove will be the site of our picnic and their extra virgin olive oil and pates will garnish salads, grilled vegetables and slices of bread for our picnic feast. We'll join Donato and Valentino for a guided olive oil tasting and fun & informative tour of the "farm" and olive oil mill.  After our visit to Taurino, you'll know how to taste and slurp olive oil like the experts and understand the qualities they look for in distinguishing a good extra virgin olive oil. You'll also get great tips on storing and cooking with olive oil and taste lots of dishes prepared with Taurino's olive oil as it is the official olive oil on our tour.

 

Picnic under the Olive Trees at Agricola Taurino

 
Donato and his Parents, Maria & Pino of Agricola Taurino

 

Agricola Taurino is a family-run business. Founded by Donato's parents, Pino and Maria, Donato and his sister now run the "farm," as they call it. Pino and Maria are still an active and visible part of the business and pop in to meet guests daily. Donato takes great care in his guests' happiness, making sure we're full and happy when we leave. Donato and his sister take the same care in every detail of olive oil production, from the manner in which they water the olive trees down to the packaging and shipping of the oil and other products. The care they take in its production ends with an extra virgin olive oil of the finest quality.

 

Along with two types of extra virgin olive oil, the mildly flavored silver-labeled Polaris and the robustly flavored gold-labeled Sirius, Taurino makes pâtes with their olives and other of the many flavorful vegetables of Puglia; artichokes from Brindisi, local bell peppers and sun dried tomatoes. During my recent visit to Puglia, I have to admit I've went through jars and jars of the artichoke and bell pepper pâtes, slathering copious amounts on slices on Pugliese bread.

 

 

 

DISCOUNT ON OLIVE OIL FOR FOOD LOVER'S ODYSSEY READERS:

You can buy Taurino extra virgin olive oil and have it shipped directly to you! Via Taurino's website, purchase Taurino's extra virgin olive oil and olive oil products directly from them AND Donato is extending a discount to you, readers of Food Lover's Odyssey. Order any of their products from their online shop, here, use the code "FOOD LOVERS OLIVE OIL"and receive a 5% discount on all of Taurino's products, including their adopt an olive tree program.

 

THE OLIVE OIL GIVEAWAY:

Taurino is giving away two bottles of their extra virgin olive oil to one lucky reader of this blog.

To win the two bottles of Azienda Agricola Extra Virgin Olive Oil, one bottle of the delicate Polaris and one bottle of the more robust Sirius, all you have to do is leave a comment below telling me how you like to use olive oil when cooking and what you'd like to see Donato cook the next time I visit him in the kitchen.

Second chance to enter: "Like" the Food Lover's Odyssey Facebook page; come back here and leave a comment telling me you've done so for a second entry in this giveaway. (If you've already "liked" my Facebook page prior to this giveaway, you can leave a second comment here letting me know as your other entry.)

A third chance to enter: "Like Azienda Agricola Taurino on Facebook and come back here and leave a comment telling me you've done so.

Leave your comments by Friday, April 26 at Midnight Pacific Time, when the giveaway closes. I'll pick a winner randomly using www.random.org and announce the winner in a post the next day.

NOTE: The contest is open to anyone worldwide!

 

UPDATE: Congratulations to Dee S. Her comment #27 was randomly chosen and she is the winner of the 2 bottles of Taurino Olive Oil. Donato will be shipping you your prize shortly!

 

 

 

Lemon & Taurino Olive Oil Cake:

We cooked and ate many savory dishes using Taurino's olive oil. On my last visit, I made a sweet dish with their mild (Polaris) extra virgin olive oil, this lemon & olive oil cake. Many people use melted butter when making cakes, but I believe that olive oil gives you a moister cake. This lemon cake I made with Donato is light but decadently dense and moist with a vibrant lemon flavor and the olive oil is a subtle secondary flavor. The cake is just sweet enough and so tasty it is that it doesn't need an elaborate garnish. I've simply dusted it with some powder sugar.

 

 

Lemon and Olive Oil Cake
(makes one 9 ½-inch cake)

For the cake:
1 3/4 cups (225 g) “00” flour  or cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
Zest of 4 organic lemons
3 eggs
1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
Scant 1 cup (250 g) whole-milk plain yogurt
2/3 cup (150 ml) Agricola Taurino Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Polaris brand)

About ¼ cup powdered sugar to sprinkle on top of the cake
Strawberries or raspberries to garnish (optional)



Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9 1/2 cake pan with olive oil, then dust it with flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Add the zest to the granulated sugar and rub together to infuse the sugar with the zest’s lemon flavor. Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat on medium-high speed the sugar and eggs until the mixture has lightened in color and doubled in size, 2-3 minutes. On low speed, whisk in the lemon juice and yogurt. Add the olive oil, pouring slowly so that flows in a stream. Mix in until it is combined. On the lowest speed, stir in the flour mixture only until combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 40-50 minutes. (A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out with a few moist crumbs.)

Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes. Remove from the cake pan and cool completely.  Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with strawberries and/or raspberries. Buon Appetito!

 

 

Join me in Puglia in 2013!  Along with all the great cooking and eating we'll do on this Food Lover's Tour, we'll also meet Donato, Valentino and Pino, learn how to professionally taste olive oil, sample Taurino's delicious products and picnic in their olive grove!  

For tour details, check out this page: Culinary Tour in Puglia 2013!

 

Food Lover's Culinary Tour Picnic at Agricola Taurino

 

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An Aperitivo to Whet Your Appetite for Puglia

 

 

“Benvenuti in Italia!” That’s what Ylenia said to me, not when she picked me up at the airport. No, she said this as I smirked down at my so-called small plate of “nibbles” and gave her a look that we both recognized as “so much for the diet!“ Sfizirie are what the snacks are called here in Lecce. Also known as sfizzi and stuzzichini these nibbles/finger food/snacks/appetizers are meant to wash down your aperitivo. Even they come in abundance here. Yes, I’m back in Italy, Puglia to be more specific, to kick off the first of what I hope to be many food and wine lovers’ culinary tours in Italy. In just 2 days, we’ll be COOKING IN PUGLIA! 

We’ll be cooking with Italian mammas and chefs, exploring the food and culture of the Salento area, doing a lot of dining al fresco, amidst fig & olive groves, vineyards, and even poolside. Of course, Ylenia & I have left a little time for everyone to dip our toes into the cobalt blue sea, too. Want to join us? You can! Join us virtually as I’ll be back daily during the tour with highlights from each day’s food and other adventures. You might think of these posts as an aperitivo of sorts, as I'm certain each will whet your desire to actually join us next year. We’re already talking about more Cook in Puglia tours for 2013. 

A great welcome to Italy and way to kick any party off is with aperitivi. This "happy hour" is one of my favorite things to enjoy during an Italian vacation, especially a summer one.  Every city in Italy does it a little differently, but basically you buy a drink and along with the price of the drink, you get a nice plateful of food (see above) or have access to a buffet of finger foods. During the hot and humid days of an Italian summer, when a full meal of primi, secondo, contorno & dolce are just too much, one can make a meal off a few cocktails/aperitivi.  (And for those traveling on a very tight, let’s say backpackers’ budget, might I suggest this instead of going to the supermarket for dinner.)

 

What could be better than aperitivo hour? How about two a day?  Yes, ours started right after Noon. After church bells chime throughout the city, an aria plays from the main piazza, Sant' Oronzo serving notice to all that it's time for an aperitivo...and then lunch, if you still have room. Right before dinner, aperitivo hour begins again. Our Cocktail San Pellegrino, which very much resembles a Venetian Spritz, is a mix of the bitter Aperol and frizzante San Pellegrino water.

 

The beach at San Cataldo

 

After lunch aperitivi, we set up office at the beach in San Cataldo to finalize tour details and reconfirm all our reservations. Next we met with Mamma Anna, one of our Italian mammas in the kitchen, for a gelato and review of each day's menu. One thing is certain; the menu alone is enough to have you on the next plane to this delicious part of Italy! 

See you tomorrow with more from Puglia....

 

Gelato with Ylenia and Mamma Anna - one of our Italian Mamme in Cucina

 

 

Join me in Puglia in 2013! For this food lover's culinary tour, we'll be cooking with our beautiful Italian mamme and professional chefs. We'll also be eating and exploring our way through the region.  There are four tour dates available from which to choose! For tour details, check out this page: Culinary Tours in Puglia 2013! 

 

Related Posts:

Orecchiette and Salentine Breads - Cooking with Mamma Giulia in Salento

Under the Salento Sun - The Masserie of Salento

Wedding in Puglia

Cheese in Puglia - Making and Eating Fresh Cheese in Salento

Artisanal Cheese at Masseria CinqueSanti in Puglia

Lecce: The Baroque Beauty of Puglia

The Art of Making Pasta by Hand: A Pugliese Pasta Lesson with Nonna Vata

Tour of Masseria L'Astore and its Frantoio Ipogeo in Salento

Lunch Salento Style at Cantine Menhir

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 At first glance this post appears to have absolutely nothing to do with food & wine. I realize about half of you are asking yourselves why you should read this post at all (be patient though). The other half of you are saying, "It's about time the girl has finally come to her senses and realized the real reason one goes to Italy!" 

If you take a closer look, you will see that EVERY one of these very gorgeous men of Puglia have something to do with food & wine and the region's culture. Yes, they are physical beauties, but even more beautiful than what's on the outside is their love, passion & generosity for what they do, Puglia & sharing their lives and culture with visitors. If you join us on the Food Lover's Tour in Puglia, you'll meet them and get to know them as I have, and some even give baci e abbracci, kisses & hugs!

Let me introduce to you just some of the gorgeous men of this year's Food Lover's Tour in Puglia:

 

 

Michael ~ Our local guide and driver for the entire tour

From the very beginning of your trip, you can look forward to seeing Michael (he'll greet you in Brindisi) until the very end. He's part of our two-person team of local guides that will be with us for the entire tour, and he is also our driver. Originally from Naples, Michael's been living in Lecce for the last 20 years and knows the area, the food and the quickest way to get there very well. He speaks English, too. I'd say George Clooney has nothing on him; what do you think?

 

 

Gabriel ~ Gelateria Tentazioni

One of the first food images that comes to mind when one says Italy is gelato. We'll not only have a behind-the-scenes gelato-making demonstrationn AND tasting, but at Gelateria Tentazioni (that's temptations in English) Gabriel will hand you taste after taste of the cold creamy sweet. Gelato is not the only temptation in this place.

 

 

Antonio ~ Owner and Chef of Gelateria Tentazioni

Antonio will take us on a tour of his kitchen, share some of his favorite recipes and creations with us, and dole out copious tastings. Handsome and generous, he was one of the ladies' favorites.

 

 

Lorenzo ~ Schola Sarmenti Winery

We'll take a guided tour of Lorenzo's winery and end in one of the comfy chairs at the wine bar. We'll sit, relax and drink glass after glass of Sarmenti's wines as Lorenzo pours and shares stories of the winery and his family. Lorenzo made us feel so at home that no one wanted to leave. He even gifted each of us with a bottle of Sarmenti's wine, our choice of Negroamaro or Primitivo. 

 

 

From left to right: Valentino, Nonno Pino and Donato

The men of Azienda Agricola Taurino ~ Our olive oil guides and hosts of our picnic in their olive grove

You can not find more charming men then all of the men of Taurino. We'll meet Valentino on our first night at the masseria where he'll join us right before our welcome dinner and guide us through a tasting of Taurino's quality olive oil. We'll also get a lesson on discerning the quality of olive oil and sample some of Taurino's amazing pates. Valentino will leave samples for our dinner and olive oil gifts for us. Then, we'll meet Valentino again later in the week for a picnic in Taurino's never-ending olive grove. We'll break bread and visit with Valentino, Donato & his father Pino, owners of this family-run olive oil farm. I have several photos of Donato opening bottles of wine as he loves to share wine with the group. You'll find cuddly Nonno Pino in front and behind the camera taking photos of and with all of us. These are gorgeous guys whose passion for their work and Puglia are as big and endless as their olive orchard. I'm still receiving emails from last year's guests about these guys and the picnic being one of the highlights of the tour.

 

 

 

Lucio ~ barista & bartender extrodanaire

During your free time in Lecce or for a break during our walk, we can pop in for a drink with Lucio. Whether he's at Bar 7 di 7 or his own bar making espresso or cocktails, who wouldn't want Lucio as their barista or bartender!

 

 

 

Ronzino ~ Owner & pizzaiolo at Pizzeria La Pagghiara

This is a chance to check two things off your Italy bucket list. First, you'll get to be pizza-makers for a night! Secondly, the handsome Ronzino will be your instructor. And, if you have a hard time massaging the pizza dough into the necessary thin round disk, Ronzino will place his hands on yours and coax you through the lesson. Hint: you might want to feign incompetence here.

 

 

 

Pastry Chef Luca Capilungo

"Luca, Luca, LUCA, was what we heard on the way home from our lesson at Chef Capilungo's pastry shop. The ladies of last year's tour LOVED Luca. It's obvious that Luca loves making pastries as much as we love him. His passion and patience radiates from his eyes and smile. He'll guide us through a hands-on pasticciotto-making lesson and might add another pastry to the lesson, too. After our afternoon with him, expect be filled up on Luca's creations and craving more. He gives baci & abbracci (hugs & kisses) as you leave!

 

 

Chef Alessandro ~ Masseria Terra dei Padri

I don't know what I loved more about Chef Alessandro, his modern twist on classic Pugliese cuisine and the meticulous way in which he prepared each dish or his classic Southern Italian good looks. In either case, we'll get to sample a little of both, getting another behind-the-scenes invitation into his kitchen to watch him prepare one of his specialties. 

 

Juet ~ Leccese carta pesta

It's not always about food, as there is plenty of culture on this culinary tour. During our guided walking tour of Lecce we'll see a carta pesta demonstration. Juet, son of the shop's owners, will place his hands on yours as he shows you how to make paper!

 

 

Antonio ~ Baker & Owner of Panificio La Panetteira

Antonio's love for his city is obvious. He shares all the hidden treasures of his city, Martano, and its surrounding area. We'll get a guided tour of a local monastery and have a liqueur tasting before we visit Antonio's panificio and sample some of his breads. If there's time, we might even get a peek into the city's ancient underground olive mill (frantoio ipogeo).

 

Andrea ~ Mamma Elvira Enoteca & Gourmet Food Shop

During our tour, we'll have several days of free time in Lecce. If you choose to do some food shopping or want to taste more wine, Mamma Elvira is the place to go. Andrea, the shop's owner who is fluent in English, can easily guide you through the high-quality products he has and his wine list. His smile is just as enchanting as the wine list.

 

 

Paolo Cantele ~ Cantele Wines

Another family-run business, where the family's love for Salento and wine is as beautiful as our guide Paolo. Paolo will guide us through the family's winery, and we'll finish with a tasting of his favorite wines and hear him tell us the stories behind each wine.

 

Along with our adorable Italian Mamme, these are just some of the beautiful locals we'll meet during the Food & Wine Lover's Culinary Tour. Amore, passione & generosita' is what it's all about with them. Don't you want to come along? Who would you most like to meet?

Space is still available for the May and October tours, but after word gets out about these gorgeous men, I don't know how long those spots will remain available!

 

 

Related Posts:

Food Lovers in Puglia Day 3: Lecce, Pastry Lessons and Cooking with Italian Mammas

Food Lovers in Puglia - Day 1 & 2: Gelato, Feasts, Otranto, Olive Groves & More

An Aperitivo to Whet Your Appetite or Puglia

Pizza Makers for a Night in Puglia

Crostata Marmellata {Jam Crostata} of Mamma Giulia

The Art of Making Pasta by Hand - A Lesson on Pugliese Pasta with Nonna Vata

 

 

 

 

Fruttone Leccese with Chef Luca - Food Lovers Tour in Puglia

 

 

Bienvenuti in Puglia! My dear and faithful readers, I'm back. Not only am I back here on Food Lover's Odyssey (sorry for the absence which I'll explain soon), but I'm also back in Puglia! I'll be in Puflia for the rest of March and part of April sharing delicious dishes from our escapades on the Food Lover's Tour and my cooking adventures with the many awesome Italian mammas and chefs.

Let's start the posts from Puglia with this pastry recipe you've been requesting the most: Fruttone Leccese. This pastry, along with pasticciotto are the two quintessential pastries of the area. You're sure to find them in every pasticceria in Salento. At it's base is a crunchy shortbread crust, which is commonly made using lard. In this recipe, I've substituted the lard for butter, which will make the crust extra crunchy.  (Feel free to use lard if the purist in you wants to be very "authentic.") The sweet filling is a combination of pear marmalade and almond paste. And if that wasn't enough to entice you, the final touch is a topping of a sweet and shiny chocolate glaze. 

 

During our cooking class with Chef Luca, we made both pasticciotto and fruttone. Along with the recipe are step-by-step photos, from the class, for assembling the fruttone.  The fruttone are quite easy to make or maybe it was Chef Luca's flirtations and his filling us with all his sweets & wine that made them seem so easy. The hardest thing for you will probably be finding the oval molds. I purchased my tin molds here in Puglia, but you can find similar silicone molds here. Join us on the Food Lover's Tour in Puglia, and you'll get a set of molds in your gift bag!

 

Rolling out the pasta frolla with Chef Luca

 

 

 ********************

Fruttone Leccese
(Makes about 15)


For the Pasta Frolla:
2 ¼ cups cake flour
1 ½ cups  unbleached all-purpose flour
3 grams baking powder
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
5 egg yolks

For the filling:
About 1 ½ pounds almond paste (see recipe below)
About 16 ounces pear marmalade

For the almond paste:
8 ounces blanched almonds
8 ounces (1 ¾ cups) powdered sugar

For the chocolate glaze:
½ cup butter
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
5 ounces good quality dark chocolate
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups powdered sugar



To make the pasta frolla:  In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together on low speed the flour, baking powder, lard (or butter) and sugar until the mixture is the consistency of peas.  Add the eggs yolks and stir together just until the mixture is combined.  Divide into two equal mounds and cover each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours before rolling out.

To make the almond paste:   Place the almonds and half of the powdered sugar into a food processor. Process until the almonds are finely ground. Add the rest of the sugar and process until combined and the mixture is homogenous. Set aside for assembly of the fruttone.


To assemble the fruttone:  (Step-by-step photos on assembling the fruttone are below)
Roll the pasta frolla out into a rope about 2 inches in diameter. (You can do this in 2 or 3 parts if you’d like.) Cut the rope into 2-inch rolls. With the palm of your hand, flatten the dough into a round disk about 1/8-inch thick. Press each disk of dough into a mold of its own. The dough should just reach the top of the mold. If there is excess, you can remove it by running a knife along the edges.  Place about 1ounce of pear marmalade at the bottom of the mold. (The quickest and cleanest way to do this is by using a pastry bag and piping the pear marmalade into the molds.) On top of the pear marmalade, add the almond paste just to the top of the mold. Run a knife along the top of the mold to ensure that the almond paste is even and level with the top of the mold. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and place each fruttone upside down on a flat surface until they are cool. (This will flatten out the tops of the fruttone for glazing.)

To make the chocolate glaze:  Make the glaze right before you want to use it. In a saucepan, heat the butter, milk and corn syrup until the butter melts. Add the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate melts. Take off the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Whisk in the powdered sugar and pour into a bowl wide enough to dip the fruttone in. Use immediately to glaze the fruttone. The glaze will set in 20-30 minutes.

To glaze the fruttone:  Once the fruttone are cool, dip the tops of them into the chocolate glaze and place right side up. Let the glaze set for approximately 20 minutes. Buon Appetito!

 

Step-by-step photos for assembling the fruttone:

 
Roll dough into logs & cut   ~   Flatten into disks & press into molds  ~  fill with pear marmalade

Molds filled with pear marmalade ~ fill with almond paste & bake ~ when cooled top with chocolate glaze

 

 ********************

Pastries in Puglia ~ Along with Fruttone we'll be making these on the Food Lover's Tour in Puglia

 

Join me in Puglia for the Food Lover's Culinary Tour!  We'll cook with Chef Luca, other chefs and our fabulous Mammas in the kitchen on the Food Lover's Culinary Tour of Puglia - Plenty of spaces are still available for tours in May and October.

 

Related Posts:

Gorgeous Italian Men of Puglia on the Food Lover's Culinary Tour

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Christmas holiday baking has begun! Maybe it's because I love to bake and some of my first baking memories are of making Christmas cookies with my mom that Christmas is my favorite of all holidays. Besides all the lights, glitter, and shopping (what girl doesn't love those things), it was always a time when dessert for breakfast was ok, even encouraged!  My mom kept us from tearing up the house and terrorizing her over our Christmas vacation by having us "help" with cookie baking. She would start every day during the holidays with two biscotti, which she only made around Christmastime, and coffee. Because our kitchen was overflowing with cookies, she let us choose our favorite cookie or two to dip in milk for our breakfasts.

 

 

To kick off the season, I thought it best to share with you another sweet that had double duty as both both dessert and breakfast for me, the crostata marmellata. This is recipe comes from Mamma Giulia, one of our amazing "mamme in cucina" in Puglia.  Mamma Giulia is like the energizer bunny in the kitchen; she keeps on going and going and going from sun up to far past sundown. Not all she churns out in the masseria's kitchen is sweet, but it's all delicious. This crostata was the first thing she offered me when I first met her. It was also part of our daily breakfast spread during our Food Lover's Tour in Puglia.

 

Mamma Giulia making the crostata dough

 

Jam crostata is to Italy as apple pie is to the U.S. It's definitely a home-cooking kind of dessert, and probably every Italian mamma has her own recipe, but you see crostate in various shapes and sizes throughout Italy's pastry shops and biscotterie. It even ended my amazing meal at the fine dining restaurant Cibreo in Florence. Even though you can find a crostate throughout Italy, they can vary in quality. A crunchy, crumbly, buttery crust is what makes this simple and unpretentious dessert so delicious.

A few notes & tips:  The key to the crust is the butter, the flour and not too much kneading.  As there are basically only two components to the dessert, the pasta frolla and the jam, you want to make sure you also have a good quality jam - one where the fruit (and not only its juices) are used in making it.  Butter will give you the crunchy, crumbly and flavorful crust, but it's important to pay attention to its temperature. Ideally you should work with the butter at a temperature from 65 to 70 F, so its important to work quickly and and keep your hands from being in constant contact with the butter. Mamma Giulia uses the delicate double zero flour also used for pasta making. In the U.S. it's sometimes hard to find and can be expensive, so I tested the recipe using only all-purpose flour, only unbleached all-purpose flour and a mix of cake flour and unbleached all-purpose flour.  The mix of cake flour and unbleached all-purpose flour came closest to Mamma Giulia's.  If you can find it, I would suggest using 300 grams (2 1/2 cups) of double zero flour as it creates the most buttery crust.

 

Jam Crostate in pastry shops in Italy

 

Ingredients needed for pasta frolla: flour, sugar, salt, butter & egg yolks

 

This crostata is just the start to many holiday dessert recipes (both Italian and French) that I'll be sharing with you this month. And I have a little Christmas present for you, too, a thank you all for your support and following of Food Lover's Odyssey! In December I'll have a little Christmas giveaway of some of my favorite things and more. Check back here soon for the month's first giveaway!

 

 

Want to give that special Italian food lover something fabulous for Christmas? How about a delicious Food Lover's Journey to Puglia?  You can cook with me, Mamma Giulia, other Italian mammas and chefs while discovering and exploring the gorgeous Puglia countryside.  For tour details, check out the Culinary Tours in Puglia 2013 page.

****Book by January 31, 2013 and receive a $200 discount off of the tour price!****

 

 

 

Crostata Marmellata
(Makes One 9-inch crostata)

Pasta Frolla:

1 ½ cups (200 grams) cake flour
1 cup (100 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cups (175 grams) butter, ideal temperature is 65-70° F
½ cup plus 4 tablespoons (125 grams) sugar, plus more for the top of the crostata
3 egg yolks, mixed so the yolks are broken

2 ½ cups fruit preserves or best-quality jam (The fruit should be used to make the jam, not just the fruit’s juice)


To make the pasta frolla:  Stir together the flour, salt and sugar and form the mixture into a well.  With a pastry cutter cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is the consistency of peas.  Make another well of the new mixture and add the eggs yolks. Knead the mixture only until it is combined into a homogenous dough.  Divide the dough into two balls; with 2/3 of the dough for one ball and the remaining 1/3 for the other. Flatten each into a round disk, and cover each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours before rolling out.

To assemble the crostata:  Roll out the bigger disk of dough between two sheets of wax paper until it’s ¼-inch thick. Place into a 9-inch tart mold and refrigerate while you roll out the second disk of dough, also rolling it out in between two sheets of wax paper until it is ¼-inch thick.  Using a fluted pastry ring, cut the dough into strips that are ½-inch in thickness. Remove the pastry dough that is in the tart mold from the refrigerator and spread the fruit preserves/jam out evenly on top of the pastry dough. 

Starting in the center, place the longest fluted strip of dough on top of the jam, then another across it, forming an X with the two strips. Working out from this center, add two more strips on each side of one of the center strips, spacing the strips about 1 1/2 inches apart. Then add to more strips on each side of the other center strip, again spacking each strip about 1 1/2 inches apart. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Before placing the tart into the oven, sprinkle to top strips of dough with granulated sugar.

Bake at 375 F for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is a golden brown. Cool and serve. Buon Appetito!

 

 

 

Other Dessert Recipes You Might Like:

Snowball Cookies and Christmas Baking Memories

Tiramisu Cheesecake

Torta Settevelli - Seven Veils Cake from Palermo

Meyer Lemon Tart with Lightened Lemon Cream Topping

Cassata Siciliana

Torta Caprese - Flourless Chocolate Cake from Capri

Gianduja - Nutella Cheesecake

Pasticciotto from Lecce

"Magical" Chocolate Kahlua Budino

Cantucci - Italian Biscotti from Tuscany

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake

Flaky Apple Tart from Gascony {Croustade aux Pommes}

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Cook with me and Italian Mammas in Puglia in 2013

Pizza Makers for a Night in Puglia

Pizza Makers for a Night in Puglia

I know not all Italian food lovers are the same, but I'm pretty sure there is one thing all of us love: PIZZA.  Whether you prefer the soft & chewy crust of a Neapolitan pizza, the thin crunchy crust of a Roman pizza or some of the other styles & forms of Italian pizza, one thing is certain: there's no better place to eat pizza than in Italy. A night at a pizzeria was certainly part of our Puglia culinary tour itinerary, but we had an even better experience than just eating pizza, we were pizzaioli for a night!

 

Yes, we donned our "Cook in Puglia" aprons and pizza maker's caps, got on the pizza maker's side of the floured work table, caressed dough into thin round disks, topped each pizza according to each person's taste, and ever-so-carefully slid pizza onto peel and into oven. We even got a lesson in working the pizza oven and rotating the pizza so it would cook quickly and evenly. It was definitely a bucket-list experience! 

 

Del took on the pizzaiolo persona as soon as he put on his cap

 

The pizza-making part wasn't actually on our official itinerary. Oronzino, the pizzaiolo & owner of La Pagghiara in Lecce, suggested that it might be fun if each guest made his or her own pizza. A big, "SI!" came out of my mouth before he finished asking. This is just one example where one of our hosts in Puglia went above and beyond to make us feel so welcome and part of the community; it was one of the many memorable moments of the tour.

 

 

Pizza in Lecce is a thin and crunchy-crusted pizza, similar to that of Rome.  Oronzino explained how he prepares the dough and then he took each guest on a private pizza-making lesson alongside him at his work bench. Each person worked with him as he guided him/her through the process of coaxing a thick round ball of dough into a flat circular disk. Each person made a pizza, worked the peel and the oven. As pizzas came out of the oven, we tasted the others' in what was to be a taste competition. I don't think we ever determined a winner, though, as we all got lost in enjoying the experience and eating.

 

 

As usual with meals on this tour, there wasn't only pizza. We started with yet another onslaught of assorted antipasti. The fried treats - pittule (fried dough), arancini, vegetables in pastella (fried vegetables in batter - think Italian tempura) -  made by Oronzino's mamma were some of the best I've had in Salento, and Italy. 

 

Our pizzaioli in action & pizza-making steps in photos:

 

Oronzino showing Gloria how to work the dough

 

Topping the pizza

With just one try, Lydia mastered sliding the pizza onto the peel

Working the pizza oven - placing the pizza inside, turning it & removing it when ready

Eva slicing up her double cheese pizza (note: Slicing pizzia is not usually done in Italy - each pizza is for one person - but because we were tasting one another's, we sliced ours up)

 

 

Helen's pizza gets a thumbs up from Oronzino

Gloria and Eva proudly displaying their finished pizzas

 
Looks like Oronzino has declared Helen the pizza-making champ!

 

Everyone had such a great time making pizza, that we've officially added it to the 2013 itinerary. Want to join us and be a pizzaiolo for a night? You can! There are four tour dates throughout 2013 from which you can choose: Food Lovers' Culinary Tour in Puglia 2013

 

 

 

 

La Pagghiara Trattoria Pizzeria
Via Taranto, 64
Lecce
Phone: +39 0832 240659

 

Related Posts:

Food Lovers in Puglia Day 3: Lecce, Pastry Lessons and Cooking with Italian Mammas

Food Lovers in Puglia - Day 1 & 2: Gelato, Feasts, Otranto, Olive Groves & More

An Aperitivo to Whet Your Appetite or Puglia

 

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Food Lovers in Puglia - Day 3: Lecce, Pastry Lessons and Cooking with Italian Mammas

 

Day three of the food lovers' tour began and ended with much swooning, and it wasn't only for the food but also for the many masters in the kitchen we met - pastry chefs, Italian mammas and chef/restauranteurs. Yes, this is a food & wine lovers' tour, but we also soaked up a little bit of culture during the day. We had a guided walk through the baroque historical center of Lecce and a carta pesta (paper-mache) demonstration.

 

Pastry Making with Chef Luca Capilungo ~

 

 

I think all the ladies, and maybe even Dell, were head-over-hells with our Leccese pastry lesson of  pasticiotto and fruttone with the very handsome and charismatic chef Luca Capilungo. He took us into his pastry kitchen where we were again behind the scenes and making the typical pastry of Lecce, pasticciotto.  Everyone made a batch, and whenever one of us needed a little help with technique, Luca was quick to take our hands and show us the proper way to work the dough or pipe the lemony pastry cream into the molds. 

 

Chef Luca showing Gloria exactly how to pipe the pastry cream into the pasticciotto

 

Chef Luca demonstrating how to make fruttone

Luca also gave us a demonstration on making fruttone, another typical pastry of Puglia. It starts out with pasta frolla (short crust pastry) in a mold, just like the pasticcioto. Instead of pastry cream, the pastry is filled with pear marmalata and marzipan, baked and then topped with a chocolate icing. We sampled the finished fruttone and many other of his delicious cookies. He even brought out a sweet wine to dip our quaresimali ("Lenten" biscotti) into. As if the group didn't already adore chef Luca and his pastries, he made many of us happy by posing for a photo with each person in the group. We took the pasticiotti we made with us, and it was dessert after our evening meal.

 

Gloria and chef Luca

 

 

A Tour of Lecce and a Carta Pesta Lesson ~

 

The girls with our driver Antonio

The group in Piazza del Duomo with Fabiola

Taking a break in between pastries and lunch, we took a giro around Lecce in an antique car - 1935 to be exact. Afterwards we had a guided-walking tour of Lecce where we learned a little about the cities history and its baroque-style facades.

 

The tour ended with a carta pesta demonstration where the group learned all about how the paper-making technique arrived in Italy, how paper is made, and how the carta pesta figurines of Lecce are crafted. Some of the group also got to make a few sheets of paper themselves.

 

Nuncia demonstrating how they make carta pesta

 

Luigi showing the final touches made to the carta pesta before they are painted

Helen making paper

 

The finished carta pesta figurines

 

 

Lunch with Antonella at Locanda Rivoli ~

Lunch was in Lecce at the very delicious Locanda Rivoli where Antonella greeted all of us with a big smile and countless plates of antipasti. Although we were quite satisfied with the never-ending plates of antipasti, we couldn't leave without having a pasta course, or two. We delighted in the traditional dish of ceci & tria (chickpeas and pasta) with a twist. Antonella adds mussels to the dish. Our other pasta was sagne ncannulate (the pasta that I made with Nonna Vata) in a sauce of fresh tomatoes & ricotta forte. The ricotta forte added a nice tang to the sweet tomato sauce. The meal ended with little cookies shaped in the form of wrapped candies and filled with marmalata. And if we weren't already in love with Antonella and her food, she also gave each of us a gift of olive oil and autographed her recipe that we found in the Puglia recipe book each of us had purchased.

 

Some of the too-many-to-count plates of antipasti included: tiella, friselle, peperonata, ricotta mouse, spinach & ricotta focaccia, focaccia di patate, grilled eggplant, fagioli in tomato sauce, carpaccio of zucchini

 

Antonella autographing her recipe for sagne ncannulate schiattariciati

 

 

Cooking with Mamma Giulia ~

 

In the kitchen with Mamma Giulia (photo courtesy of Ylenia)

Del and Gloria frying up the eggplant for our involtini

 

After only a few days, everyone realized that food never really stops coming on this tour. We had a short break to rest or sit poolside at the masseria, and then we were back in the kitchen for our first hands-on cooking lesson with mamma Giulia who is a quite a wizard in the kitchen. Now, the menu was supposed to be three plates: Pomordori Schiattariciati for the antipasto, penne with a cream of bell pepper sauce for the primo, and involtini (rolls) of eggplant for the secondo. Instead we learned a favorite phrase of mamma Giulia's, "Non buttiamo niente." (We don't throw anything away.) With leftover ingredients and those that others might think of as scraps, she made three other dishes. Take a look at our meal:

 

Pomodori Schiattariciati (tomatoes bursted in olive oil) and fried green bell peppers

With the left over tomatoes and bell peppers, Mamma Giulia added olives, olive oil & a little vinegar for another antipasto

With the eggplant skins (what most people would throw out), she fried them and added olive oil & vinegar for yet another antipasti

 

Cream of bell pepper sauce with penne pasta was a favorite of all

 

Involtini di Melanzane - eggplant rolls filled with tuna and capers

 

Our dessert was the pasticciotti from our lesson with Luca

 

If you'd like to see more photos from this tour,  you can view them on the Food Lover's Odyssey Facebook page. 

Join us in Puglia in 2013! We'll be cooking with our beautiful Italian mamme and professional chefs, and we'll also be eating and exploring our way through the region.  There are four tour dates available from which to choose! For more information check out this page: Culinary Tours in Puglia 2013! 

***Early booking discount: Book and pay by check by January 31, 2013 and receive a $200 discount off the tour price.****

 

 

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Food Lovers in Puglia - Day 1 & 2: Gelato, Feasts, Otranto, Olive Groves and More

 

 

After much anticipation, the day came and the guests of the Food Lovers' Tour in Puglia have arrived!  They enjoyed a relaxing travel day at what will be our home for the next 9 days, Masseria Provenzani. We had a poolside lunch and time to lounge by the pool and/or wander around the grounds of the masseria.  Their official welcome came as we kicked off the tour with a private oil and pate tasting from Azienda Taurino and a dinner of typical Salentine dishes.

 

Dinner included traditional Pugliese dishes: Orecchiette, Fava bean puree with chicory, Fagioli with tuna and onions in agrodolce, focaccia Salentina, potato salad with tomato and basil, and grilled eggplant

 

The first full day of the tour started off with our group going crazy over a behind-the-scenes gelato-making and tasting demonstration at Gelateria Tentazioni in Lecce. Chef Antonio, who has been making gelato for 35 years, opened up his kitchen to us and gave us a look at how they make gelato and sorbetto in Italy. Antonio also shared his recipe for one of his latest gelato creations: a vincotto sorbetto.  We sampled chocolate, pistachio, hazelnut, vincotto, fior di latte and another creation from Antonio called the Fiesta. Inspired by many popular candy bars in Italy, Antonio made the Fiesta and other gelato bars using gelato flavor combinations similar to the candy bars. The Fiesta is a pairing of chocolate and orange.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a group of grown ups get so excited.  There were squeals, ooohs, aaahhs, and moans of satisfaction with every spoonful of gelato we tasted.

 

Chef Antonio sharing his gelato creations inspired by popular "candy bars"

Gabriele of Gelateria Tentazioni (temptations) making chocolate gelato

Making Chocolate and hazelnut spumoni at the gelateria

 

 

 

Food Lovers' Tour at Porto Badisco

 

There was a short pause between gelato and lunch with a photo op stop at Porto Badisco.  Those who’ve been following Food Lover’s Odyssey, might remember my story of Porto Badisco and tasting sea urchin. Although we didn’t taste any of the sea urchin fresh from the sea, we were able to see the beach at its bluest under the bright summer sun.

 

Our table at La Fattoria in Otranto

 

On this tour, you can bet that the next meal is right around the corner. And it was. Lunch was at La Fattoria, a trattoria that embraces the Zero Kilometro philosophy, the term Italy uses for its movement of eating local and seasonal. Almost all ingredients come from the trattoria's farm and garden, and those that don’t come from no farther than 100 kilometers away. We dined on countless plates of traditional Salentine antipasti that included pittole (fried batter), fried zucchini flowers, bruschetta and tomatoes, freshly-made ricotta, peperonata, carpaccio di zucchine and grilled eggplant and zucchini. The primi (pasta dishes) included more traditional flavors of Salento: cavatelli with zucchini and massa (a Salentine pasta) with cabbage and chickpeas. On the tour with us is Eva, a master gardener, and she and her husband Del brilliantly detected a hint of cinnamon in the massa pasta dish.

 

Pittole - fried bread was one of our many antipasti

Massa pasta with cabbage and chick peas

 

To walk off lunch we took a leisurely stroll through Otranto, located on the eastern coast of Salento, entering through the ancient castle walls that were built as a protection against invaders from the east. Our visit included one to Otranto’s cathedral, where everyone stood in awe of the Tree of Life mosaic that covered the church’s entire main floor and the crypt that holds the bones of the 800 martyrs of townspeople who refused to denounce their religion after Otranto fell to the Turks in 1480.

 

Port at Otranto

Tree of Life mosaic in the Otranto Cathedral

Enjoying the view of the sea at Otranto

 

The day was far from over. Imagine wine tasting and listening to music under hundred-year old olive trees, under the stars, with the scents from candles wafting through the air and illuminating the olive orchard and then listening to music in the same olive grove.  Our amazing first day ended with us doing just that at  Masseria Terre dei Padri.   

 

Wine tasting in the olive grove at Masseria Terre dei Padri

 

Before the piano concert, chef Alessandro invited us for yet another behind-the-scenes look into his kitchen where he showed us the steps involved in creating one of his most popular antipasti, a platter of smoked swordfish, shrimp and a marinated salmon roll. 

 

Smoked swordfish, marinated tuna involtini and shrimp from Gallipoli at Masseria Terra dei Padri

 

Our group in the kitchen with chef Alessandro

 

Dinner was also at Masseria Terre dei Padri where chef Alessandro’s dishes were loved and devoured by all. Chef Alessandro started with traditional dishes of the area and reinvented and recreated them to fit the very upscale setting of the four-star masseria. We paired our meal with two of our favorite wines from our earlier tasting, a rosato and Salice Salentino, made by the masseria. 

Here are just a few of our favorites from this fantastic meal:

 

Antipasto plate of capocollo from the Itria Valley, burrata and an eggplant flan

Antipasto plate of Acqua Sale with Seafood

I Maritati (orecchiette and maccheroni) with little meatballs (polpettini)

Tiella alla Barase - A casserole (tiella) of potatoes, rice, tomatoes and mussels

 

And this was just day one. I'll be back soon with highlights from Day 2!  

 

If you'd like to see more photos of all the fun and food we're having here in Puglia, check them out in the tour's album on the Food Lover's Odyssey Facebook Page.

 

Join me in Puglia in 2013! For this food lover's culinary tour, we'll be cooking with our beautiful Italian mamme and professional chefs. We'll also be eating and exploring our way through the region.  There are four tour dates available from which to choose! For tour details, check out this page: Culinary Tours in Puglia 2013! 

***Early booking discount: Book and pay by check by January 31, 2013 and receive a $200 discount off the tour price.****

 

Related Posts:

An Aperitivo to Whet Your Appetite for Puglia

The Pastries of Lecce with Pastry Chef Luca Capilungo

Olivotto: The Sweet Side of Olives

Zeppole di San Giuseppe

Seafood and More with Chef Lino at Ristorante Donna Lisa

Orecchiette and Salentine Breads - Cooking with Mamma Giulia in Salento

Under the Salento Sun - The Masserie of Salento

Wedding in Puglia

Cheese in Puglia - Making and Eating Fresh Cheese in Salento

Artisanal Cheese at Masseria CinqueSanti in Puglia

Lecce: The Baroque Beauty of Puglia

The Art of Making Pasta by Hand: A Pugliese Pasta Lesson with Nonna Vata

Tour of Masseria L'Astore and its Frantoio Ipogeo in Salento

Lunch Salento Style at Cantine Menhir