Culinary Experience in Puglia – Live

Follow along as we’ll be sharing our experience in Puglia live! This weekend we’re joining Kathy of Food Lover’s Odyssey and Claudia Parisi on a food-filled adventure. Feasting is definitely on the itinerary along with lots of wine, cooking sessions and visits to towns in Salento. Stay tuned!  Catch up on Day 2 here and follow Day 3 live here.

Saturday, April 16

11.45pm: The Roman Amphitheater: a quick stroll through Lecce with Claudia. Here are ready to call it a day and time to say buona notte. Follow us live on Day 2 here  

10.50pm: Even with all the food and barely able to take anymore in, we were keen to know what was for dessert: A mimosa cake was the perfect ending.

  
10.30pm: And the main dishes came with side dishes too.

10.19pm: Next up we have three different tastings for our main course: baccala (salted cod), veal rolls and salsiccia. This is a culinary vacation, after all. (Photos to come as we’re waiting for those dishes)

10.18pm: The second pasta dish is served: orrecchiettone con le cime rapa (brocolli rabe).

  
10.00pm: We were all full from just the appetizers alone, which also included eggplant polpette, fried vegetables, involtini di melazane, and told that we still have two pasta dishes, one main dish and dessert. This first pasta dish Ceceri e Tria (chick peas with strips of fried pasta) is symbolic of the Salento area. Claudia added that this is the povera cucina from the area – protein and carbs.

9.05pm: Capocolla cured in red wine Nero di Troia and that smoked burrata is phenomenal! 

  
  
8.50pm: Starting dinner with spumante PiccolleBolle made with Negroamaro grapes by Duca Carlo Guarini.     

7.50pm: So what have we been up to the last 4 hours? Chilling in the masseria! Now we’re headed to Lecce for a walk and then it’s dinner!

  
3.30pm: Digestivo after lunch. Paolo shares insights into the nocino, walnut liquor), they make at the masseria. The pick the walnuts on June 23rd, Festa di San Giovanni, when they are unripe and green. 

The recipe uses 31 walnuts cut into quarters, where they are placed in a jar together with 1kg of sugar. It’s left in the sun for 3 days and after that, one liter of alcohol (95%) is added to the jar. It’s kept in a cool place for 60 days and then filtered, before being stored into smaller bottles and left to rest for another 9 months, all ready to drink the following June. 

1.51pm: We sure started with a feast! A glimpse of what we had: friselle, tiella, cheese (primo sale, mozzarella), sauteed peppers, pizzo (bread with tomatoes and olives).  

 1.15pm: Lunch is ready…buffet of all things good from Puglia!   

12.44pm: It’s 25C (77F) today in Martano, Puglia. The water is still a touch cold, it’s still April, but absolutely bearable for a swim.

12.20pm: Ready to dive into the pool!

12.12pm: This masseria dates back to the 17th century and was once a place where they processed tobacco. It was also a farm that raised animals, with stables and chicken coop, which have today been converted to beautiful rooms. Paolo and Lucia did a fabulous job in renovating this property, preserving the heritage of the place. 

11.59am: Settling down at the masseria in Grecia Salentina, which will be home for the next few days.

Grazie @foodloverkathy @ClaudiaParisi1 is so lovely! You’re going to have to drag me out of this masseria #Puglia pic.twitter.com/uMyHmIIhtv

— BrowsingItaly (@BrowsingItaly) April 16, 2016

9.53am: Got into Brindisi airport from Rome on time. Picked up by the lovely Claudia and now on our way to the masseria in Lecce, about an hour’s drive away.  

7.25am: Early start to the weekend. Puglia here we come!  

Before #Rome awakens we made our way to the airport to catch an early flight to #Puglia. pic.twitter.com/LaoAp9iBat

— BrowsingItaly (@BrowsingItaly) April 16, 2016