Food Lover's Odyssey

Under the Salento Sun - The Masserie of Puglia

 

Masserie (plural for the singular masseria) are the ancient fortified farmhouses popping up in the Puglia countryside.  They are as much a symbol of the Puglia as are the endless olive groves and the trulli.  You can see their high stone walls springing up through the olive groves as you drive through the region.  Most of them were built between the 14^th and 18^th centuries. The fortifications were built to protect against invasions by pirates and the Turks, but they were also living communities that housed families of the working farmers, and were like little cities. They have courtyards, communal gathering spaces and some even have small churches within the confines of the walls. 

Many of the masserie were abandoned in the late 19^th and 20^th century.  Similar to the way old villas have been restored in Tuscany, buying and restoring these masserie has been quite popular. Many have been restored into luxurious five-star hotels, boutique bed and breakfasts or places that hold special events. 

 

Masseria Provenzani, (pictured above) is one of those masserie that have been restored to a boutique accomodations.  Surrounded by olive groves and gardens, the masseria is only 1 km from the Adriatic Sea and a 15 minute drive to Lecce, Salento's capital city.  Styled in a rustic chic, the grounds are full of climbing bouganvillea, other flowers, a vegetable garden, olive trees and a gorgeous pool.  It is where we'll be staying during our Food & Wine Lover's Culinary Tour.  The masseria's large and country kitchen is where Mamma Giulia cooks for the guests and holds her cooking lessons.

 

Built in the same manner as the famous trulli of Puglia, this pajara has been restored to one of the rooms at Masseria Provenzani 

 

Masseria San Lorenzo, built in various stages during the 1500s, was restored using the Leccese stone from the quarry on its grounds.  Now the masseria hosts special events, most notably wedding receptions. The spacious and lush outdoor gardens include a stream, pergolas, palm trees, olive trees and other fruit trees.

 

 

 

Other masserie have been restored to working order.  On the working masserie, you can find working vineyards, animals whose milk make creamy Salento cheese, fields full of vegetables and fruit, and of course, olive groves.  Below many of the masserie that produced olive oil hundreds of years ago, there are ancient underground oil mills, called frantoio ipogeo in Italian. 

We toured the wine and olive oil producing L’Astore Masseria, one of the first masserie to be restored. Its underground olive mill, originally built in the 1700s was one of the bigger mills of the area.  Both ingenious and absurd, these mills were carved out of the stone under the earth.  The harvesters dropped the olives into specified holes in the ground.  They fell through the holes and into rooms built to store the olives.  Great stone mills pushed by animals crushed the olives, and then moved them to the olive pressing area. Ingenious and efficient, right? The absurd part: Both the animals and the workers lived underground together, albeit in different rooms, during the entire oil-making season.

 

Modern-day underground wine cellar at L'Astore built next to its Frantoio Ipogeo

 

 

This week and next week is dedicated to a "Taste of Puglia." Almost daily I'll have a post for you from Puglia. Like this post, the others will include little tastes of Puglia and some of the things we'll see, do and taste on this Food & Wine Lover's Culinary Tour in Puglia.  The trip includes an 8-night stay at the gorgeous Masseria Provenzani, cooking lessions at the masseria with Mamma Giulia and visits to other masserie in the area. 

Next up in the Taste of Puglia series: recipe for Zeppole di San Giuseppe

 

Masseria Provenzani
Strada Provinciale 236
Via Provenzani No. 102
I-73100 Casalabate (LE)
Email: info@masseriaprovenzani.com
Phone: +39.0832.389140

Masseria San Lorenzo
Via Francesco Flora, 1
73100 Lecce
Phone: +39 333 333 6045

L’Astore Masseria
Via G. DiVittorio
73020 Cutrofiano (Lecce)
Phone: +39 0836 54 2020
Email:  info@lastoremasseria.it

*Guided visits and tastings are available by appointment only

 

Related Posts:

Making Orecchiette and Salentine Breads - Cooking with Mamma Giulia in Salento

Artisanal Cheese at Masseria CinqueSanti in Puglia

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

Cheese in Puglia - Making and Eating Fresh Cheese in Salento

The Pastries of Lecce with Pastry Chef Luca Capilungo

Zeppole di San Giuseppe

Wedding in Puglia

Traditional Salentine Dishes at Locanda Rivoli in Lecce

Lecce: The Baroque Beauty of Puglia

Pugliese Pasta Dish: Sagne Ncannulate con Sugo Schiattariciati

Classic Salentino Cuisine Reinvented at Sette di Sette in Lecce

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

Lunch Salento Style at Cantine Menhir

Shopping and Eating Local in Italy - Farmers' Market in Lecce

Sagne Ncannulate Schiattariciati - Pugliese Pasta with Schiattariciati Tomato Sauce

The Dish from Lecce: Rustico Leccese

The Dish from Puglia: Ricci di Mare (sea urchins) from Porto Badisco

This Dish from Puglia: Friselle

Christmas Around Italy - Christmas Desserts in Salento

 

Christmas Around Italy - Christmas Traditions in Naples

 

Christmas Around Italy travels to one of my favorite Italian cities, Napoli!  Huge welcome to Bonnie of Napoli Unplugged.  Bonnie, an American expat, has been living in and loving Naples for many years.   Her love for the city is what inspired her site, Napoli Unplugged.  It's the place to go if you want to know "what's on" in Naples.  Also, via the site, Bonnie blogs about various escapades and strolls she takes in and around Naples.  She also maintains a photo blog where she shares a daily photo from Naples.  Even though she does all this, I'm so happy she found time to stop here and share a few Neapolitan Christmas traditions with us. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Christmas. In the immortal words of Andy Williams "It's the most wonderful time of the year." Filled with the joy of the season I am transported to my youth, as visions of snow-covered houses, blazing fires and horse-drawn sleighs dance in my head. Classic Currier and Ives Christmas scenes that are interminably rooted in my DNA.

Of course Christmas in the Mediterranean, Christmas in Napoli is slightly different. It's unlikely we'd ever see a white Christmas (although there was snow on Vesuvius today) and Jack Frost is not likely to be nipping at my nose. And what of the commercial Christmas bling my inner child so desperately craves? Well that has only recently started to creep onto the scene.

 

But Christmas in Naples is every bit as magical as the Currier and Ives pictures I have in my mind. And perhaps more so, because time-honored traditions remain the star, while everything else is just trimming on the tree. The tree, which by the way only plays a supporting role to the world-renowned Presepe Napoletano, the Neapolitan Christmas Nativity.

A centuries old tradition, by early December Neapolitan Presepe collections are on display all over the city. There are so many in fact, that I've made an annual treasure hunt out of trying to find them all. They are in every Neapolitan home, most of the city's churches, on display in all variety of public buildings, and there are permanent displays like those at San Martino and Santa Chiara.

 

Presipio Napoletano

And of course, along Via San Gregorio Armeno, Naples premier Christmas Market, where you'll find everything to create your own Nativity Scene. Open year round, during the holiday season tourists flock in from all over the world just for the chance to wander this magical Christmas alley.

 

 

Not far from San Gregorio Armeno, is Porta Nolana, Naples second most important Christmas Market. But don't head there expecting to find mulled wine, Christmas ornaments or nut crackers. This isn't a Christmas market in the traditional sense. Home to the freshest seafood in town, it is THE place to stock up on everything you need to make the traditional Cena della Vigilia di Natale, the Neapolitan Christmas Eve dinner.

 

 

The live clams, le vongole veraci for the Vermicelli or Spaghetti alle Vongole that is served as the primo piatto.

 

The salt cod, il baccalà, served fried, in vapore or baked as the secondo.

 

And the obligatory Christmas Eel, il capitone. Definitely an acquired taste, it is typically fried and seems to find its way onto the Christmas Eve table whether it is eaten or not.

 

 

 

You can also find fresh cauliflower, le papaccelle, hot peppers conserved in vinegar and olives for the Insalata di Rinforzo.

 

But if it's Neapolitan Christmas sweets you are in search of, you will either have to make them yourself or do like most Neapolitans do these days, pick them up at a Pasticceria. What to buy? Honey soaked Struffoli, chocolate dipped Mustaccioli, nutty and crispy Roccocò, and the S-shaped Susamielli.

 

There are other Neapolitan Christmas traditions to be sure. Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and Minestra Maritata for the Christmas Day lunch. Gli Zampognari, bag pipers who magically arrive in December to entertain the residents of the city for a bit of food or change. Tombola, a game played during the holidays that is similar to bingo, except it uses the numbers from 1 through 90, and each has a meaning based on La Smorfia Napoletana.

 

 

And of course the one universal tradition of the season, sharing the holiday with friends and family.

From our home in Napoli to yours wherever you may be, Merry Christmas to all and to all a Very Happy New Year!

 

*All photos in this post are courtesy of Napoli Unplugged

 

 

Related Posts:

Christmas Around Italy: 10 Addresses for Christmas Sweets in Rome

Christmas Around Italy: Tradtional Christmas Dinner in Venice

Christmas in France: Aix-en-Provence Christmas Market

Christmas Holiday Dessert Recipes

Dining Around Naples with Napoli Unplugged

Pizza Lover's Odyssey in Naples

Journey Through the Pastries of Napoli

Pasta alla Genovese and Other Classical Neapolitan Sauces at Citta del Gusto

Taste of Testaccio - Food Tour with Eating Italy in Rome

 

 

During my recent trip to Rome, Kenny from Eating Italy Food Tours in Rome invited me to join him on his food tour of the Testaccio neighborhood.  Testaccio, the working-class, residential neighborhood south of Trastevere, was once home to the Roman slaughterhouses and is still the culinary heart of Rome's offal cuisine. There's more to Testaccio than offal, and many eateries serve up classic Roman dishes and delicacies, and traditional Italian ones. 

On our walk, which included frequent stops at both culinary and historical landmarks in the area, Kenny filled our bellies with a variety of delicious tastings, guiding us through the details of each.  Like a leisurely Italian lunch, he perfectly paced his servings of information, slowly dishing out anecdotes about the neighborhood, Roman cuisine, and Testaccio's culinary history.  He also gave glimpses into the life and personalities of the people who run the eateries we visited.

 

Kenny, our tour guide

 

 

The Testaccio Market

 

Cesare the butcher chopping oxtail   ~   Tomatoes from the Tomato Poet Carmello

 

 

Kenny, has been in Rome for 4 years and living in Testaccio for over a year.  It's obvious that he's cracked the hard shell and found a soft center in many of the rough Roman vendors at the market.  We were welcomed with smiles, ciao Kennys, and two tastings. 

A tennis ball-sized round of soft & creamy mozzarella di bufala awaited each of us from the salami & cheese stand of Enzo & Lina, a couple married for over 40 years. Even more amazing, they've been working side-by-side at the market for 25 years.  We also enjoyed a sampling of tomatoes from Carmelo, known as the tomato poet of the market.  He knows all of his tomatoes inside and out and which is best for every kind of dish.  He's also been known to give recipes for many, if not all, of his 45 different types of tomatoes. 

 

Volpetti 

 

The high-end gourmet shop is "ottimo," both is quality and price.  The Volpetti family knows this, too.  After sampling some of their salumi, prosciutto, cheese, pizza and oils, it's virtually impossible not to buy all of it.  They're generous with the samples, too.  Our formal tasting included percorino cheese with truffles and paper-thin slices of culatello (the much prized cured meat made from the hind of the pig).  And, if someone gazed a little too longingly at anything else in the store, one of the men in white coats were quick to provide a sampling of it.

 

 

Tiramisu in a chocolate cup

For a little bit of sweet in between savory bites, we tasted a mini chocolate cup of tiramisu from the pastry shop that's been on via Marmorata for 50 years. Kenny also gave an impromptu course on ordering coffee in Italy.

 

 

Classic Roman Pasta Dishes at Flavio Velavevodetto

Rigatoni alla Carbonara & all' Amatriciana

Tonarelli Cacio e Pepe

Part of the Amphorae-Made Monte Testaccio from inside Flavio Velavevodetto

 

We tasted three classic Roman pasta dishes at the restaurant that's on every blogger in Rome's list of Top 10.  The restaurant is built into Monte Testaccio, a 35-meter high hill built up by tossed away amphorae from Roman Empire times.  You can see part of the hill and shards of the broken ceramics from the dining room.

 

Our pasta dishes, with wine, were enough to be lunch, so we took a bit of an eating break to visit the old Rome slaughterhouse and  Monte Testaccio (in the first photo collage above). Kenny explained how the name quinto quarto came about and the Vatican's Canonical calendar which determined what foods were eaten when, and to some extent is still in effect today.  Meatless Fridays and gnocchi Thursdays along with other day-of-the week meals were based on this calendar.

 

All that food and there were still two more tastings to go!

Suppli at Pizzeria 00100

Suppli Genovese & the Chalkboard Menu at Pizzeria 00100

 
Trapizzini with Coda alla Vaccinara

 

We stopped at another much-loved by Romans food shrine, Pizzeria 00100.  Our tasting included suppli (fried rice balls) flavored with the Neapolitan Genovese sauce. 

After the tour and since I was already in the area, I went back over to Pizzeria 00100 for one of their famous trapizzini.  It's a blend of pizza and the little tramezzini sandwiches.  They have several saucy filling options or you can order one vuoto (empty).  Mine was filled with coda alla vaccinara (oxtail).  The pizza had a thin crispy outer crust and was light and airy inside.

 

Gelato at Giolitti a Testaccio -

You gotta love a food tour that ends with gelato!

 

Along with the tour and tastings, Kenny provided all guests with a booklet listing his favorite restaurants, and pizza, gelato & food shops throughout Rome.  Another added bonus to the tour was that I met a great bunch of fellow food lovers. A few of us met later that evening for another delicious Roman dining experience.

For Roman food lovers, culinary geeks, and offal afficianados like me, Testaccio is our first stop on any trip to Rome.  For other visitors, who spend the bulk of their research and time on those other trivial aspects of Rome; you know, those things like historical sights, its ruins, churches, or its art, Testaccio and its culinary delights could easily be missed.  With this tour, one doesn't have to miss out nor have to do any research to get a good overview of Testaccio, and visit many of its culinary treasures.  Thanks Kenny for inviting me along!

A big thank you also to new friends, Larry and Jessica, whom I met on Kenny's tour, for allowing me to use their photos.  All the photos from Flavio al Velavevodetto and the one of the suppli are courtesy of Larry and Jessica.

 

Eating Italy Food Tours in Rome

Email: info@eatingitalyfoodtours.com
Phone (from the U.S & Canada): 800-838-3006
Phone (from Europe): 0800-411-8881

 

*This post is part of Wanderfood Wednesdays.  Head on over there to read about food and travel from around the world.

 

Related Posts:

Food in Rome - The Taste of Testaccio is Offal

Roman Pasta Dishes and Ten Places to Eat Them in Rome

Da Danilo - Delicious Dining in Rome

Best Picnic Spots and Picnic Fare in Rome

Rome at Night in Photos

Villa d'Este in Photos - A Day Trip from Rome

Rome with a View - Five Spots for Photo Ops in Rome

Pasta all' Amatriciana - A Roman Treat

Cacio e Pepe in a Parmigiano Bowl Inspired by Roma Sparita

Potato Gnocchi for Gnocchi Giovedi

Coda alla Vaccinara - Roman Style Oxtail Stew

Pasta alla Genovese and Other Classic Neapolitan Sauces at Citta del Gusto

Tasting Venice - A Food Tour with Venetian Monica Cesarato

 

Beach Bag Essentials for My Favorite Italian Beaches

 

Beaches in Italy rank right up there with gelato, Pasta all' Amatriciana and pizza in bella Napoli as some of the best reasons to travel to Italy.  Italy's coastline, including that of its two islands - Sicily and Sardinia, is 7600 km, or 4,712 miles! With all that beach space and its warm (sometimes sweltering summer temperatures), is it no wonder most of Italy takes all of August off to hit the beach? 

I've spent many a July and August lounging on those beaches, so much so that I have a special beach bag all ready to go for any summer trips along the coast in the bel paese.  I've been known to forego food forays so I could lay on a lettino (sun bed) and splash around in the mild waters of Italy's seas.  This month at "Across the Cafe Table" we're discussing what's in our beach bags and our favorite beach locations. I'm taking the opportuinty to share with you what's in my Italian beach bag and some of my favorite beaches along Italy's coast.

 

 

 

Beach Fashion Essentials:  The norm on California's beaches, old baseball cap, cut offs, flip flops and sweats as cover up just don't cut it in Italy.  To blend in with the fashionista Italian crowd, if only a little, I add a few little things to dress up my beachwear a bit:

Colorful sarong, wrap or pareo - Whatever you call it, I bring one to wrap around my waist for those quick gelato jaunts

LBSD (little black sun dress) to cover up for walks along the promenade or a lunch break at a beach-side trattoria. 

Strappy sandals - Usually in black, I wear these to and from the beach and save the flip flops to use only as shower shoes

A hat that's anything but baseball - Sometimes its a fun and floppy one, but my current favorite is the fedora.

Beach Towel - I like one that's colorful but also goes well with the other colors in my beach bag 

 

Essentials for skin and hair care:  My love for the sun and the beach is sadly one-sided.  My pale and fragile skin not only burns but also can get irritated and break out in an ugly red heat rash if I'm in the sun too much.  Then there's my rebelious hair, that starts to look more like a brittle bird's nest than the long and lovely locks I would like it to be.  To temper my sun intake, I always rent a lettino and shade my face under its cover.  I'll also take a long lunch break from the sun during the hottest part of the day.  Besides those precautions, my bag is stocked with sunsreen 30+ SPF for my body and also some for my hair.

 

Fun in the Sun Essentials:  Many of the Italian beaches I prefer are not sand-covered ones. Instead, they are covered with little rocks.  After taking a swim in the Mediterrenean, I envisioned myself gracefully emerging from the water and sauntering to the shore, possibly like Bo Derek or Halle Barry in one of the 007 movies.  Ha, instead with those sharp pebbles under my bare feet, I look more like someone sentenced to walk across hot coals.  My face writhing in pain while I jerk and jump from one sharp stone is as graceful as a linebacker dancing the waltz. 

Those pink swim shoes may kill all the fashion sense I gained with strappy sandals and the LBSD, but they have saved my feet so many times I will never give them up.  I don't leave for Italy without them.  Besides the pink swim shoes, my other fun in the sun essentials include:

A good read - Many times I'm reading a book based in Italy.  Currently, however, I'm walking in Paris with A Pedistrian in Paris: The Most Beautiful Walk by John Baxter

Music - An iPod filled with some of my favorite tunes, including Italian artisits like Eros Ramazzotti, Laura Pausini, and Jovanotti

Camera - Always the shutter bug, I have a small camera in my beach bag.  I not only use it to capture beautiful views of the sea and coastline, but also to capture other pleasing scenes along the beach in Italy.

Wine - Why, yes, that is a bottle of wine in my bag - For those evening excursions to the beach, I pack a bottle of wine, and a couple of glasses. For me, nothing is more romantic and relaxing than sipping a little wine while watching the sun set on the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

Although I'd be happy if you plopped me down anywhere along the Italian coastline with my beach bag, a lettino and an umbrella, here are some photos of my favorite beaches in Italy: 

 

 

The Beach at Camogli

Monterosso Beach in the Cinque Terre

Liguria - Camogli and Monterosso in the Cinque Terre - Many little towns with pastel-colored buildings dot the Ligurian coastline.  I especially like both Camogli and Monterosso. Both have a very small-town feel along with long stretches of beach and stunning 360 degree views from the water or wherever you place your beach towel.

 

 

 

 
Positano 

 

Amalfi

Amalfi Coast - Positano and Amalfi are well-known beaches along the Amalfi Coast.  Both are full of sun beds, umbrellas and crowds, also called eye-candy, throughout the summer.

 

 

Scopello in Sicily

 

The Shores of Panarea in the Aeolian Islands

 

Sicily - Scopello and the Aeolian Islands

I've spent many summer vacations with my cousins in Sicily near Castellamare del Golfo, about an hour west of Palermo.  Scopello, a little farther west from Castellamare del Golfo, may not have long stretches of beach or sun beds, but what it does have is an enchanting cove with crystal blue waters for swimmers.

Whether lounging along the black-sand shores of Lipari or Stromboli or swimming off a boat around Panarea, the Aeolian Islands are a must for any sea and sun worshipper.

 

 

Puglia - Otranto - I'm sure one day I'll need to dedicate an entire post to the best beaches in Puglia alone.  For now, I'm choosing the one at which I spent the most of my daytime hours, Otranto.

 

This is the second installment in the "Across the Café Table" series organized by Margo of The Travel Belles. Once a month, Margo asks a travel-related question. We who participate will then share our answers “across the virtual café table,” on our own blogs, adding a link to the Travel Belles post and a link to our post on The Travel Belles' site.  Everyone is welcome to participate.  As Margo says, "Grab a beverage and pull up a chair – there’s always plenty of room!" Why don't you head on over there now, and check out what others have in their beach bag along with wanderlust inducing photos from others' favorite beaches around the world.

 

***************

Now, it's your turn: What are some of your beach bag essentials and where is(are) your favorite beach(es)?

**************

 

 

Related Posts:

Across the Cafe Table #1: Foreign Cookbook Obsession and Other Travel Indulgences

Best Places to Kiss in Italy

A Taste of the Sea and Spaghetti Siracusana in Ortigia

Good Views and Good Eats in Taormina

The Cinque Terre: My Happy Place

Camogli: One of the Many Picturesque Towns in Liguria

A Drive Along the Amalfi Coast

The Dish from Liguria: Spaghetti allo Scoglio

The Dish from Puglia: Ricci di Mare (sea urchins) from Porto Badisco, Otranto

My Last Meal - Preparing for the End of the World

Italy on a Plate - Week in Italian Food: July 10, 2011

 

 

Two soups, four light pasta dishes, two crostate, a sausage stuffed artichoke recipe and one from the ancient fornelli pronti of Puglia are included in my choices for this week's top 10 recipes. Eating Italy starts and ends with searches for the best, gelato in Sicily and pizza in Naples, that is. In between, you'll find restaurants; on the road to Naples, one on an island in the Venetian Lagoon, one that has it all in Rome, and street food in Catania. There's fishing and falling in love on Lake Trasimeno, an author's choice for top 5 cooking classes in Italy, a visit to Camogli, and Italy for Vegetarians. You can virtually drink your way around Italy, too. Featured are wines from the Veneto, Calabria, the "other half" of Italy, and a Lambrusco from Bologna. Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

 

 

My Choice for Top 10 Italian Recipes of the Week from Around the Web:

Pappa al Pomodoro and Santo Stefano di Sessanio in Abruzzo - Ciao Chow Linda

Ribollita - Telegraph

Malfadine with Chianina Veal and Grilled Cherry Tomatoes - Recreating a Roman Holiday - The Saucy Chef

Pasta with Pea Pesto and Crunchy Bacon - Jul's Kitchen

Penne with Mozzarella, Cherry Tomatoes and Basil - Cake Duchess

Spaghetti with Tuna and Capiscum - Manus Menu

Sausage Stuffed Artichokes - The Artichoke Blog

La Bombetta - Little meat rolls from Puglia and more ingenuity from Cucina Povera - Emiko Davies

Torta di Crema e Ricotta (Ricotta and Pastry Cream Tart) and visiting Abruzzo - Ciao Chow Linda

Double Blueberry Crostata - Domenica Cooks

 

 

 

 

Eating Italy:

In Search of the Perfect Gelato - in Sicily - The Wall Street Journal

Exploring Italy's Other Half - Wine Enthusiast

Visiting Italy as a Vegetarian - Eleanora for The Travel Belles

Wines of Veneto - Vintrospective

On the Road: Al Solito Posto - Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome

Restaurant Report: Venissa, on Isola di Mazzarbo, Italy - Review of a restaurant just a ferry ride from Venice - New York Times

Tuscany to Lazio: 5 Top Cooking Courses in Italy - The Daily Meal

Wine of the Week: Real Lambrusco from the Land of Bologna - Jeremy for the Houston Press

Sfincione: The Real Sicilian Tradition - Sicily Guide

David Downie, Camogli and Cheese Focaccia - A quick and funny romp to Camogli - Wandering Italy

Gaglioppo: One of the Most Exciting Categories in Italy Today - Do Bianchi

Street Food Catanese Style at Da Nitto - Volevo Fare lo Chef (in Italian)

The Day I Fell in Love: Fishing on Lake Trasimeno - Brigolante

Al Grottino in Rome: Artisanal Beer, Pizza, Fritti and Steak - In One Place - Revealed Rome

The Pizza Chronicles - Searching for the Best Pizza in Naples - The American in Italia

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Food and Wine Festivals in Italy:

Barolo Night 2011 - July 23 - The town La Morra, in the Piedmont region, celebrates the king of wines - Barolo - with a progressive dinner in four locations, showcasing La Morra cuisine with a wine pairing.

Sagra della Porchetta di Arricia - September 4 - The town Arricia, near Rome, most famous for the roasted suckling pig starts porchetta celebrations on the first Sunday in Septmeber

Piadina Days - September 10 & 11 - The province of Forli-Cesena in the Emilia-Romagna celebrates the region's famous piadina

Slow Food Cheese - September 16 to 19 - Bra, the home of the Slow Food Headquarters - An cheese festival that originally highlighted only local cheeses, now is an international affair celebrating artisanl cheesemaking - the site is still under construction

Taste of Milano - September 15 - 18 - Food festival celebrating the food of Milan

CousCous Festival - September 20 - 25 - San Vito Lo Capo, Sicily

EuroChocolate - October 14 to 23 - Perugia - The biggest chocolate festival in Italy

Alba Truffle Festival - October 8 to November 13 - The 81st Annual truffle festivals takes place in Alba

Chocolate in Piazza - November 4 - 6 - Carpi in Emilia-Romagna celebrates its 3rd annual chocolate festival

Merano Wine Festival - November 4 - 7 - One of the biggest wine events in Italy - The 20th anniversary of this festival will happen in the northern Italian city of Merano

Festa del Torrone - November 18 - 20 - In Cremona, a festival to celebrate the candy that much of Northern Italy associates with Christmas

 

 

 

Related Posts:

Seven Sensational Gelateria in Turin

History of Chocolate in Turin - Gianduja and Much More

Caramel Gelato and Five Favorite Gelaterie in Rome

Torta Caprese - Flourless Chocolate Cake from Capri

Foods Not to Miss in Sicily

The Pastries of Lecce with Pastry Chef Luca Capilungo

Journey Through the Pastries of Napoli

Articoke and Spinach Ravioli

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

Pizza Lover's Odyssey in Naples

The Dish from Liguria: Seafood Risotto

 

 

Italy on a Plate - The Week in Italian Food: June 12, 2011

This week it's all about the red and green. Not only the colors of Italy, but also the colors of summer fruits and vegetables, especially cherries, tomatoes and zucchini. All three make several appearances in the recipes I've chosen for this week's Top 10. I hope you love the collection of links from the recent festivals in Vico Equense as much as I do - pizza from the greatest pizzaioli in Italy, and upscale Italian food from some of Italy's biggest names in chefdom. Along with the section on the Vico Equense festivities, Eating Italy links include food under the Sicilian sun, the Frugal Travler falls in love with Naples and its food, more gelato and a newish restaurant in Rome, much about wine in Puglia and Alto Adige, and more. Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

 

My Choice for This Week's Top 10 Italian Food Recipes from Around the Web:

Negroni - Paula makes the classic Italian cocktail - Bellalimento

Torta Salata di Zucchine e Carote (Savory Zucchini and Carrot Cake) - Briciole

Zucchini and Garlic Scape Frittata - Italian Food Forever

Pasta con asparagi, pinoli e feta (Pasta with asparagus, pine nuts and feta cheese) - Viaggi e Sapori

Tordelli Versiliesi - A pasta recipe from Tuscany - Tuscanycious

Oven Roasted Tomato and Onion Pasta - Aroma Cucina

Shrimp Risotto - Chef Chuck's Cucina

Fegatini di Pollo e Polenta (Chicken Livers and Polenta) - The Saucy Chef

Cherry and Ricotta Ice Cream - Life in Abruzzo

Crostata di Frutta e Frangipane al Pistacchio - Volevo Fare lo Chef (in Italian)

 

 

Eating Italy:

Italian Cuisine Thrives Under the Sicilian Sun - NPR

Naples: Must-Sees and See What Happens - New York Times

Anatra Grassa: Newish Restaurant in Rome - Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome

Slow Food on the Amalfi Coast - Bellavventura

Vestri for Chocolate and Gelato Lovers - Panini Girl

Best Gelato and Best-Kept Secret in Rome - A peak inside I Caruso - Revealed Rome

Tips for Tipping in Italy - Parla Food

Fare la Scarpetta (Licking the Plate Clean) - Under the Tuscan Gun

Panella: Almost of Century of Bread - A look inside almost century-old bakery, and so much more, in Rome - Tavole Romane (The link I provided is the one translated into English by Google)

Eggplant Lasagne with 3-tomato sauce in Puglia - Jeremy shares more of his food finds in Puglia - DoBianchi

Salumi Therapy anyone? A Mortadella facial? - A Spa Unlike Any Other: The Rise of Cured Meat Therapy - The Atlantic

Discovering the Lesser Known Wonders of Italian Wine - ANSA

Farinata - Anna shares a little information and history on this Ligurian staple - Italian Notebook

Ageing Wine to Music in Puglia and A Foretaste to Puglia - Jancis Robinson

From Piemonte to Puglia's "Radici del Sud" Tasting of Southern Italian Wines - Berry's Wine Blog

Garantito IGP: Gewurztraminer from Alto Adige - Not Just for Italians - Kyle Phillips Italian Wine Review

 

Beginning last Sunday in Vico Equense, on the Bay of Naples, there were two food festivals, Festa a Vico (June 5-7) and A' Pizza (June 8). The first brought out 150 of the hottest chefs in Italy, and the second had "the best pizzaioli in all the world." (I'll be on the lookout for both of these feste in 2012!) Many Italian journalists and bloggers attendend and recounted the festivities on their sites. Below are links to some of the recaps. All except Parla Food's are in Italian, but the mouthwatering photos in each post speak a universal language. (I would also suggest translating the text, if you don't read Italian, because there is great information, along with individual perspectives on the festivities, in each of the write ups.)

Festa a Vico, 150 Chefs Converge on the Bay of Naples - Parla Food

Il Racconto della Festa della Pizza - Paperogiallo (There are addresses at the bottom of the post for all the pizzerie of the pizzaioli who attended the event.)

Festa a Vico 2011 - 15 articles covering the festa - Scattidigusto

Festa a Vico Quest' Anno - Tzatziki a Colazione

Pizze a Confronto per la Gazzetta Gastronomica del duo Bonilli-Cortese - Scattidigusto

La Pizza in Riva al Mare - ArteTeca's Kitchen

 

 

Upcoming Food and Wine Festivals in Italy:

Degustando Pisa 2011 - June 1 to 30 - Pisa - Throughout the month participating restaurants in Pisa are participating in the event, offering special fixed-price degustando menus with traditional Pisan dishes

Melodia del Vino - June 28 to July 8 - Festival where Tuscan wines and classical music meet - Various locations in Tuscany (For a description of the Melodia del Vino festival in English - Tuscanycious)

Barolo Night 2011 - July 23 - The town La Morra, in the Piedmont region, celebrates the king of wines - Barolo - with a progressive dinner in four locations, showcasing La Morra cuisine with a wine pairing.

Sagra della Porchetta di Arricia - September 4 - The town Arricia, near Rome, most famous for the roasted suckling pig starts porchetta celebrations on the first Sunday in Septmeber

Slow Food Cheese - September 16 to 19 - Bra, the home of the Slow Food Headquarters - An cheese festival that originally highlighted only local cheeses, now is an international affair celebrating artisanl cheesemaking - the site is still under construction

CousCous Festival - September 20 - 25 - San Vito Lo Capo, Sicily

EuroChocolate - October 14 to 23 - Perugia - The biggest chocolate festival in Italy

 

 

Related Posts:

Pizza Lover's Odyssey in Naples

Pizza al Taglio at Pizzarium in Rome

Classic Salentino Cuisine Reinvented at Sette di Sette in Lecce

Salento Style Lunch at Cantine Menhir

Wine Tasting in Tuscany - Along the Chianti Trail

Roman Pasta Dishes and Ten Places to Eat Them in Rome

A Tour of Lecce - The Baroque Beauty of Puglia

 

On seeing the facade of Lecce's Basilica Santa Croce, the Marchese Grimaldi said it made him think that a lunatic was having a nightmare. It's too whimsical and merry to make me think of nightmares. Instead the extravagence and frivolity of it had me wondering what kind of happy hallucinogenics those artists were taking, and hey, could I get some. I think the facade has every kind of flower, leaf, garland, fruit, vegetable, cherub and animal known to man.

Rose window and column of the Basilica Santa Croce facade

Leccese Baroque inside the Basilica

 

This elaborate ornamentaion also adorns other churches, building facades, courtyards, terraces and windows throughout Lecce's historic center. The style is the city's own, called barocco Leccese (Baroque Leccese) and carved from the local stone, pietra Leccese. The stone begins as a soft mass and hardens with time, making it easy to carve into intricate decorations.

One of the many Baroque courtyards in the city

During my visit, I spent most of my mornings wandering and wondering through the streets and piazze of this outdoor Baroque museum. I'd imagine the stories and fantasies behind each whimsical carving. Lecce, the capital of its province commonly called Salento, was my base from which I explored this most southern region in Puglia, and the bottom point of Italy's heel. The mornings were relatively quiet in the historic center, but at Noon it's a different story. Opera music rings out in Piazza Sant' Oronzo, alerting everyone to get out in the piazza and drink; it's aperitivo time! The cafes that line the piazza and its side streets fill up with those meeting for a before-lunch drink.

Piazza Sant' Oronzo

As it is a great meeting place and the social center for many of Lecce's festivals and festivities, the piazza is bustling at night. Calling back to Lecce's Roman era and the first century, are the remains of the city's Roman Amphitheater. A little less than half of the theater has been uncovered. The rest remains hidden underneath the piazza. The column in the center of the piazza is one of two from Brindisi, which marked the end of the Appian Way. There's still some dispute as to whether Brindisi gave the column to Lecce or whether Lecce took it. Atop the column is a statue of Lecce's patron saint, Sant' Oronzo, who is credited for saving the city from the plague in 1656. Every August, the city holds a celebration in his honor.

One can easily stroll through the entire historic center in a day. The other Baroque beauty not to be missed on your walk through Lecce is the Piazza Duomo, and the Duomo itself and its bell tower. Also spectacular is the Church of Santa Chiara with another ornate facade and a famous ceiling made of papier mache.

Other things to see beyond the Baroque is the Villa Comunale. The lush gardens are a perfect place to have a picnic or sit and rest your feet. You can visit the cartapesta museum and the many cartapesta shops that dot the historic center's streets. Some even offer lessons in this centuries-old tradition. Wine bars and pubs fill both the historic center and newer city center (it encircles the historic center). Lecce has a vibrant and nightlife, yet one with a very casual feel. Definitely a city, but a small one with a population of around 100,000 people. All the locals seem to be friends with each other.

 

 

Lecce and the entire Salento region are still very much one of Italy's best kept secrets. In July and August, Italians, and some Europeans, flock to Salento's long and curving coastline to bask on the sun-drenched sand beaches. The other months are ideal for a less crowded visit to the area. Even warmer and more welcoming than its climate, and as playful and festive as the barocco Leccese, are the people of the Salento region. Every person I met proudly and enthusiastically showed me a little bit of his or her land. And, how can you not love a city that announces Noon-time happy hour with arias in the piazza?

 

 

 

 

Some places to eat:

Locanda Rivoli - Via Augusto Imperatore 13 - phone: +39 0832 1830128: In the historic center, just around the corner from Piazza Sant' Oronzo, this trattoria serves up traditional Salento cuisine and homemade desserts.

Joyce Pub - Via Matteo da Lecce 5 - phone: +39 0832 279443: Part Irish pub part vineria, they serve up classic Salento cuisine. Also, it is possibly the only restaurant open in the historic center on Mondays. You'll find it a short walk from both the Basilica Santa Croce and Piazza Sant' Oronzo.

Bar Sette di Sette - Galleria Piazza Mazzini, Via Oberdan 13 A/B: Located in the newer city center, Chef Paola puts a creative twist on traditional Salento cuisine. They offer a "Happy Hour" buffet where you can nibble on traditional dishes in finger food portions. The buffet is included with a cocktail purchase. Cocktails range from 6 to 8 euros. Lunch is also served daily.

Le Zie - Via Colonnello Archimede Costadura 19 - phone: +39 0832 245178: The "aunts" serve up traditonal fare with a home-cooking feel.

Pizzeria La Perla - Via Giovanni Antonio Orsini De Balzo 15 - phone: +39 0832 246380: If pizza is what you're craving, this is the place to go. The pizza is thin and crispy and toppings are generous.

 

 

Pasticciotto

To satisfy a sweet tooth:

Pasticceria Luca Capilungo - via Bari 7: For the ultimate in Leccese pastries, especially the pasticciotto, and other sweet specialties from Lecce's top pastry chef.

 

Bar Cin Cin - Piazza Sant' Oronzo: The second pastry shop of Luca Capilungo, this pasticceria is in the historic center, serving chef Luca's pastries and gelato.

Caffe Alvino - Piazza Sant' Oronzo: Another pastry shop in the historic center's piazza to find pastries and gelato

 

Where to Stay:

Chiesa Greca Bed & Breakfast - Piazzetta Chiesa Greca 11 - phone; +39 0832 302330. This B&B was once part of the Greek Church, which is still there beside the B&B, and dates back to the 1300s. They have 5 charming and spacious suites, where you sleep under ancient Leccese walls with all the modern comforts. My room, "La Chiesetta," still had the remains of one of the church's frescoes. I stayed at the Chiesa Greca Bed & Breakfast as a guest of YL Tours Congressi.

 

 

Chiesa Greca in Lecce (the B&B Chiesa Greca is behind it)

Remains of a fresco and the living room in the Chiesetta Suite

 

 

 

 

 

Getting there and around:

 

By train: You can reach Lecce easily by Rome, Naples and Bari on Italy's high-speed Frecce trains.

By plane: From many Italian and European cities, you can find low fares with the low-cost airlines (i.e. EasyJet and Ryan Air) flying into the Brindisi Airport or Bari Airport. From there, you would drive or take a train into Lecce.

Getting around in Salento: It is best to have a car. The roads are tranquil and easy to drive. Trains in the Salento region aren't a feasible way of getting from one town to another. During the summer months, SalentoinBus provides quicker bus transportation from Lecce to many of the region's coastal cities, like Otranto, Gallipoli, and Santa Maria Leuca and more.

 

 

 

 

*Join me in Puglia in 2012 on a Food and Wine Lover's Culinary Journey

 

 

Related Posts:

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

Cheese of Puglia: Making and Eating Fresh Cheese in Salento

Lunch Salento Style at Cantine Menhir

The Pastries of Lecce with Chef Luca Capilungo

Classic Salentino Cuisine Reinvented - Sette di Sette in Lecce

Pugliese Pasta: Sagne Ncannulate with Schiattariciati Tomato Sauce

The Dish from Lecce: Rustico Leccese

The Dish from Puglia: Ricci di Mare in Porto Badisco

The Dish from Puglia: Friselle with Tomatoes

The Dish from Puglia: Ricci di Mare in Porto Badisco

 

 

Porto Badisco, on the eastern coast of Salento and just south of Otranto, is certainly a place of beauty. Its cove is a haven for beach lovers.  In the summer, the sandy shores along the inlet fill up with sun bathers, and swimmers and snorkelers dot its glimmering turquoise waters.  This place is also one of myth and history. According to Virgil, Porto Badisco is the place where Italy's founder, Aeneas, first landed after fleeing Troy.  Also nearby, a little past the cove, is the Grotta dei Cervi (Caves of the Deer) dating back to 4,000 B.C.  In the caves are sketchings and drawings from the Neolithic Age and the first inhabitants of the area.  Many of the sketches are of deer; hence the name.  On a clear day looking out across the Adriatic Sea, one can see the shores of Greece and Albania.

 

 

 

 
Rug weaved to replicate the sketches from the Grotta dei Cervi

 

As it was March and not yet beach weather, we made a short visit to Porto Badisco, specifically for one of its delicacies.  What do you eat when you're at Porto Badisco?  Sea Urchins! Freshly caught in and around the inlet, these ricci di mare (their name in Italian) are the pride of the area.  Locals brag that the ricci here are the tastiest among all the others in Italy. Their flavor is due to the particular combination of elements surrounding the coastline and those within the waters and along the cove.  In the summer, people eat the urchins by the hundreds, buying them at the local market just south of the cove or diving for them.  The edible parts are the colorful strips that line one side of the shell.  Often called the roe, this orange flesh is actually the organ that produces the eggs, its sex glands, or its gonads.

 

 

 

 
Market in Porto Badisco where we bought sea urchins (photo courtesy of Ylenia)

 

 

There are several traditional ways to eat them, with pasta, slathered on bread alone or with provolone cheese, or with a small spoon to lift out the flesh.  Everyone assured me that the best way to eat them, however, is without any help, but instead to lap up the flesh with my tongue.  At first, I was a little apprehensive and a little worried my aim might not be that good.  I timidly placed my tongue inside the urchin, fearing I would miss and hit the outer spines.

All went well, and they were right.  By extracting the flesh out with my tongue, the flavors instantly hit me - a creaminess combined with the fresh and salty sea water.  The flesh has the texture of panna cotta.  It is creamy and a little gelatinous, and acted as a conduit, transporting and coating my mouth and tongue with the flavors of the urchin, the sea and a little of Porto Badisco. Fresh, salty, tangy and intense, the tastes tingled inside me, and I immediately craved another.  No wonder people order hundreds of these at a time.

 

 

 

 

*Join me and taste all the treats of Puglia on this Food & Wine Lover's Culinary Tour through Puglia 2012!

 

This post is part of Wanderfood Wednesdays, a group of food-loving travelers who blog.

 

The photo at the top and the one of the market are courtesy of Ylenia and used with her permission.  All other photos are mine, All Rights Reserved.

 

Related Posts:

Classic Salentino Cuisine Reinvented at Sette di Sette in Lecce

Lunch Salento Style at Cantine Menhir

Tour of Lecce - The Baroque Beauty of Puglia

The Pastries of Lecce with Pastry Chef Luca Capilungo

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

The Cheese of Puglia: Making and Eating Fresh Cheese in Salento

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

Pugliese Pasta: Handmade Sagne Ncannulate Schiattariciati (with a "bursted" Tomato Sauce)

The Dish from Puglia: Friselle with Tomatoes

The Dish from Lecce: Rustico Leccese

Cozze alla Marinara - Neapolitan Style Mussels in a Spicy Tomato and Wine sauce

The Dish from Liguria: Fish Ravioli in a Seafood Sauce

Taste of the Sea in Ortigia and Spaghetti Siracusana

My Last Meal: Preparing for the End of the World

 

Spaccanapoli and Napoli's Historic Center

 

Spaccanapoli, the street that cuts Napoli's historic center in two.  I had heard about this street before my first trip to Naples.  While weaving my way in and out of the narrow cobblestone, sometimes crumbling, streets of the city's historic center (il centro storico) I couldn't believe that there was one street in this tangled web that actually stood out.  

Then, Bonnie of Napoli Unplugged took me up to the Castel St. Elmo.  From the castle walls, high above the maze of streets, I finally believed.  From above, Spaccanapoli, does exactly what its name says.

 

 

 

 
Spaccanapli (via Benedetto Croce) - with Castel St. Elmo in the background far above 

 

The street is one of three east-to-west streets from Neapolis, the original Greco-Roman city. At Piazza Gesu' Nuovo, the tourist office states that Spaccanapoli "officially begins." Here it is called via Benedetto Croce.  As you travel east, it changes to via San Biagio dei Librai.  The street actually extends farther, both east and west, than the official confines.

During my visit last summer, Bonnie took me on a little of both her Saturday Strolls in the Centro Storico - Part 1 and Part 2.  As Bonnie states, "A stroll through the centro storico is filled with many 'Oh my God' moments!"  She was right. There were so many, that on my recent March visit, I returned again to wander along Spaccanapoli and the area.  Below is a photo tour of some of my favorite places along this walk, and some of the interesting stories of the locales.

 

Cloister of Santa Chiara - Although Naples has the reputation for being a city of chaos, and in many cases lives up to it, one can find peace and tranquility in the many cloisters and churches throughout the city.  The cloister of Santa Chiara, with its Majolica-tiled columns and benches is the best of those serene spots. Lush gardens, gorgeous and colorful art, and shade; I could sit here in utter silence all day.

Besides the cloister, the complex of Santa Chiara has a stunning presepe (nativity scene) and ruins of a Roman bath. The church is also full of history. Here, Bonnie beautifully shares a little of the history of the Church of Santa Chiara.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

Via San Gregorio Armeno - The alley overflows with hand-crafted nativity scenes (presepi), statues of Pulcinella, traditional Neapolitan tamborines, and other trinkets.   On a cool spring day or even in the oppressive heat of summer, you can feel a little Christmas spirit by walking along this alley (just off of via Benedetto Croce, to the left).

Along with the traditional hand-crafted items, they also have little statues of Napoli's soccer players.  A Fabio Quagliarella statue, one of my favorite players from Italy's squad, is availble with his old Napoli jersey and one with a Juventus jersey (his new team).  I was so tempted to get one or both, but opted for a more traditional Pulcinella instead.

 

 

 

 

 

Ruins beneath Basilica San Lorenzo Maggiore - The basilica alone is worth a visit, but even more amazing are the ruins below. A Greek agora, then Roman forum, that dates back before Christ unfolds below the earth.  We wandered without any crowds, or anyone else, among the ruins, imagining a time long ago. 

Note: This is not part of the Naples underground tour, Napoli Sottoterranea, whose entrance is nearby in Piazza Gaetano.

 

 

 

 

 
This begs the question: A pizza oven from over 2000 years ago?

 

  

Duomo - The Duomo with no dome, I realized this while searching for this church from Castel St. Elmo.  This church is also known as the church that holds the treasures of San Gennaro, Napoli's patron saint. 

The main treasures are two vials of the blood of the martyred saint San Gennaro.  The Feast of San Gennaro is on September 19th.  Each year, and on the first Saturday in May,  the city celebrates the liquifaction of  the blood, an omen of good fortune for the city.  If the blood doesn't liquify, that's not a good sign for Naples and possibly the rest of the world. After the two recent times in which the blood didn't liquify, bad things happened.  In 1980, Naples had an tragic earthquake and in 1944, Mt. Vesuvius erupted.  (I'm just reporting what I've been told and read.  Plus, I would never want to suffer the wrath of a Neapolitan nonna's malocchio for ever questioning this miracle.)

 

 

 

 

 

Piazza San Domenico Maggiore - The piazza is home to one of the three "plague spires" in Napoli.  The city began erecting the spires after the plague of 1656, as offerings for delivering the city from the plague.  The other two spires (guglia in the singular form in Italian) are the Spire of San Gennaro and the spire in Piazza Gesu' Nuovo, both in and around Spaccanapoli.

 

 
 

  

Of course, I also found some things to eat.  The centro storico is a haven for the Naples food lover.  Many of the best pizzerie are in the centro storico.  Friggitorie (Fry shops) abound, almost one after the other.  There you can pick up any assortment of fried treats, fried pizza, arancini, fried vegetables, etc.  My favorites are  crocche' di patate (potato crochettes) and mozzarella in carozza (fried mozzarella in a bread "carriage").  Any food fest in the centro storico should end with something sweet, a few Neapolitan pastries.  Scaturchio, the oldest pastry shop in Naples, is right on Spaccanapoli, in Piazza San Domenico Maggiore. 

 

 

 

 

 

Useful Links:

Bonnie has a very helpful page at Napoli Unplugged: Listing many of the Churches in Naples, which includes opening hours and links to websites, when available. 

Complex of Santa Chiara

Complex of San Lorenzo Maggiore

 

 

Related Posts:

Journey Through the Pastries of Napoli

Pizza Lover's Odyssey in Naples

Pasta alla Genovese and Other Classic Neapolitan Sauces at Citta del Gusto

Dining Around Naples with Napoli Unplugged

A Taste of Napoli: Fifteen Favorite Dishes for the Food Lover in Naples

A Drive Along the Amalfi Coast

Bella Napoli: Neapolitans Warm My Heart Like Their Food Warms My Stomach

Dish from Naples: Pizza Margherita

Torta Caprese Recipe - Flourless Chocolate Cake from the Isle of Capri

Cozze alla Marinara recipe - Neapolitan Style Mussels

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

 

Masserie are traditional farmhouses, great white buildings popping up throughout Puglia's countryside. Built between the 14th and 18th centuries, they were fortified with high exterior walls to protect the inhabitants from Turk and pirate invasions. Made with the stone of the area, these massive white structures contrast against the verdant olive groves, blue Salentine sky and gentle roll of the land. The masserie were communal living quarters for the farmworkers and their families. Inside the walls, it feels like a little city. Most masserie have a grand courtyard, spacious communal rooms, stables, a storehouse, a tower and a chapel. The farmworkers usually lived on the ground floor and the owners lived above.

In recent years, many of the masserie, those abandoned in the early 20th century, have been restored. The restored masserie (plural for the singular masseria) that get the most attention are those that have been renovated and made into luxurious hotels or the smaller ones, now both boutique and rustic bed and breakfasts. Others have been restored to their original working state and are again producing wines, cheese, olive oil, produce, wheat, or a combination of these. Many of these working masserie will give guided tours and tastings of their products, provided you call and make an appointment first.

After my morning of cheesemaking at Azienda Padulano, we visited L'Astore Masseria. L'Astore Masseria has been in the Benegiamo - Di Summa family since the 1930s. It was one of the first masserie to be restored, and in the 1990s, they reinitiated wine production on the facilities. Currently they produce wines and olive oil. Paul Benegiamo and his wife Claudia invited us into their home on the masseria, for lunch with L'Astore wines, and a tour of the grounds.

The garden, vineyards and olive groves on the masseria grounds

Olive groves and the muretti secchi

Atop the chapel are the bells and cross - Looking out from the terrace

Inside the chapel, preparing for Sunday Mass

We also visited the ancient frantoio ipogeo below the masseria grounds. A frantoio ipogeo is an ancient underground olive oil mill. It was built below the ground, or I should say, carved out of the stone that lay beneath the soil. This one was built in the 1700s. Just as olive groves are a main part of the Salentine landscape, frantoio ipogei are as ubiquitous underground. They told me that the majority of masserie in the area also have a frantoio ipogeo.

 

I'm not sure what made my mouth stay agape more as I walked through the frantoio, the genius of it or the madness of it. Through holes in the the ground, the farmworkers would drop the freshly picked olives, which were stored in a room, a separate room for each type. (The Salento region has twelve different types of olive trees.) From there all the work in turning the olives into olive oil would be done by the workers and animals. Everything was overseen by the nachiro, the "captain" of the underground mill. All, animals and workers, lived together underground during the entire olive oil-making season! Puglia is known for its pungent olive oils; now we may know why.

 

Millstone operated by mules

Entrance to the underground frantoio ipogeo - The animal's stalls

 

Rooms into which olives were dropped from above - An antique oil press

 

 

Next to the frantoio ipogeo, the Benegiamo family built their underground wine cellar to store the barreled wines. Along with the two big names in Salento grape varietals, Negroamaro and Primitivo, L'Astore also grows Petit Verdot, Aglianico, Merlot, Montepulciano, Syrah, Chardonnay and Malvasia Bianca.

 

Modern wine cellar beside the Medieval Frantoio Ipogeo

 

In the welcoming Salento way, a visit always includes a meal. All of us gathered in the kitchen to prepare it. I was even able to get another pasta-making lesson. This time we made orecchiette and minchiareddhri - together known as i maritati (recipe and history of the dish will be another post).

 

 

Preparing lunch in the kitchen (photo courtesy of Ylenia)

 

I Maritati - Handmade Orecchiette and Minchiareddhri

Claudia's Crostata with Orange Marmalade

Torta Cioccolata and caffe'

Before and with lunch, we had some of the wines from L'Astore. While working in the kitchen and tasting freshly fried polpette, we drank their rosato wine, Massaro Rosa, a rose' made with Negroamaro grapes and named for the massaro. The massaro was the working manager of the masseria. We drank a white with our first course, the cheese from Azienda Padulano. With the pasta and polpette, we drank the Filimei. Filimei, made with negroamaro grapes, is Salento dialect for figli miei (my children). Each name of a L'Astore wine has a special meaning, honoring the land or the wine-making traditions in Salento.

Of course it would be nice to stay in a masseria that has been restored into a 5-star hotel and newly equipped with a spa, pool, and wine bar; some even have golf courses. For me it was even more of a thrill to see a working masseria, visit the ancient and well-preserved olive oil mill, sample the fruits of L'Astore's labor and make and eat lunch within the restored walls of the old farmhouse.

 

*Join me in 2012 for a Food & Wine Lover's Culinary Journey through Puglia!

 

 

L’Astore Masseria
Via G. DiVittorio
73020 Cutrofiano (Lecce)
Phone: +39 0836 54 2020
Email:  info@lastoremasseria.it

*Guided visits and tastings are available by appointment only

Achille Benegiamo, Paolo's father, talks about the masseria here: Video of L'Astore Masseria and its Frantoio Ipogeo

Related Posts:

Cheese of Puglia: Making and Eating Fresh Cheese in Salento

Tour of Lecce - The Baroque Beauty in Puglia

Lunch Salento Style at Cantine Menhir

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

The Pastries of Lecce with Pastry Chef Luca Capilungo

Classic Salentino Cuisine Reinvented at Sette di Sette in Lecce

Pugliese Pasta: Handmade Sagne Ncannulate in Schiattariciati Sauce

The Dish from Puglia: Ricci di Mare (sea urchins) from Porto Badisco

The Dish from Puglia: Friselle with Tomatoes

The Dish from Lecce: Rustico Leccese