If you want to learn about the distinctive cuisine of Puglia – and enjoy a luxurious holiday at the same time, then check out the culinary breaks at Stile Mediterraneo. This is a beautifully restored palace, situated in the little village of Squinzano, not far from Lecce – the baroque capital of Puglia, southern Italy.
It’s run by Cinzia Rascazzo, a native Puglian with an MBA from Harvard. Cinzia returned home after years of working in New York and London, (she speaks English and French, so you don’t have to worry about language problems) determined to share her passion for Puglia. She opened Stile Mediterraneo as a luxury B&B (average price 80 euros per person, if sharing a room), where guests can experience life in a comfortable Italian home. - and take a cooking course if they wish.
Authentic Food of Puglia
Puglia is one of the lesser known regions of Italy. It’s far to the south, in the heel of Italy’s boot and has a distinctive culinary tradition – the legacy of waves of occupation by Turks, Greeks, Romans and Spaniards. The cookery classes that Cinzia runs are designed to offer an authentic taste of Puglia. She was raised by her grandmother, who taught her how to cook, while her grandfather taught her all about making wine. If you come here you’ll be taught how to make the traditional family dishes that local people cook in their own homes, rather than the more formal dishes they’d eat when out in restaurants.
Visit Local Producers
All the classes are private and tailormade to your requirements. A one day cooking course will cost from 250-300 euros per person (depending on the ingredients used) and Cinzia is quite happy if you prefer to stay at another hotel, rather than Stile Mediterraneo. Her ethos is that you should be relaxed and enjoy your time in Puglia. If there are just 2 of you on a cooking course, then Cinzia and her sister Marika will be your teachers. If there are between 4 – 6 people, then a local cook will run the class. In the morning you’ll be taken to the local market to buy fresh ingredients, after which you’ll go and visit a food producer typical of Puglia. This might be someone who makes hand-made mozzarella, or a local wine-maker or olive oil producer.
Tailormade Cookery Courses
Then you’ll head back to Stile Mediterraneo for some lunch, and spend the afternoon cooking 3 different dishes. When the class is over, you’ll all have dinner together – a chance to learn about the local culture as well as its cuisine. Prices vary, depending on your requirements – but if two of you (sharing a room) stayed for 2 nights at Stile Mediterraneo and had a one day cooking course, the cost would be around 460 euros per person (includes 2 breakfasts and one dinner, but no flights or transfers).
Fava Beans and Chicory
Traditional Puglian dishes are simple, and based on lots of fresh vegetables, fish and pulses. In your culinary class you might learn to make orecchiette pasta. This is eaten with a tomato sauce and the local sheeps’ cheese, cacioricotta, in Lecce – and with broccoli and anchovies in Bari. Then there’s the ancient dish fave e cicoria, a traditional meal for the poor. It’s a high protein puree of fava beans (broad beans) which is served with chicory and Puglian olive oil. Other traditional dishes include tiella - which is baked rice with potatoes, mussels and courgettes (zucchini) – and ciceri e tria, a hand-made tagliatelle with chick peas.
Rebecca Ford - I'm a UK based freelance travel writer and photographer - and the country I most like to visit is Italy. That's not just because of the ...
