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Apulian Culture and tradition

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THE COURSE: you will discover Italian and Salentine gastronomy!; the course is held 2 times per week at one of the apartments of the students: students will prepare with the help of teachers the typical dishes of Italian cuisine that they will taste at dinner. The course is based on practical and theoretical lessons. The cooking course is held by the school in the apartments of the students in a very familiar atmosphere; the teacher is well trained but he is not a professional. Don't expect a "professional" school for cooking.

 In the course are included some visits to the Public Cooking School of Otranto (closed from June to August):

Students will take part, with the help of the Italian students and professionals of the school, in the preparation of the typical Italian and local recipes. After the preparation of the different dishes there will be a big lunch to which take part  teachers, Italian students and foreign students.  

APULIAN-SALENTINE GASTRONOMY: AN OLD CULTURAL TRADITION

The  province of Lecce has, without a doubt, a Mediterranean look about it. Its hot climate and vicinity to the sea, added to being so far south, are ideal for the growth of "weed" and olive trees. The entire territory is covered with olive groves, from which the delicious Pugliese olive oil is pressed. In many parts the rows of olive trees are alternated with large vineyards; vine-growing provides one of the area's main sources of income. The wines produced in this region are full of body and are particularly suitable for making vermouth. The wine and the olive-oil are two foundemental components of the Salentine cuisine

The course is the best occasion for sampling the products of a unique cuisine. These and many more dishes are served in the "putèe", the typical Salento restaurants where the traditions of popular cuisine are preserved.

The Salentine dishes are surprising: home-made pasta, cakes with honey and accompanied with fried fish, a complex, dried salted cod sauce, round bread rolls with mysterious insignia, pod-shaped honey cakes that allude to ancient Egyptian divinities.

All of these dishes have borrowed directly from cultures of the Mediterranean Basin and beyond, attesting to Salento's role as the meeting point of the most ancient of civilisations. 

	cooking lessons by the Public Cooking school of Otranto (not in the months from June to August)
lunch at the Public Cooking school	cooking lessons organized by school Porta d'Oriente (home made pasta)

Some recipes

Apulian Bruschetta

• 1 round loaf ltalian bread (with a hole in the center)
• 12 small ripe tomatoes, or 30 cherry tomatoes
• salt
• 12 leaves basil
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the bread in half horizontally. Bake 20 minutes, or until crispy and golden (watch that it does not burn). Cool. Slice the tomatoes in half horizontally. Season with salt. Toss with the basil and olive oil. Distribute the tomatoes and their dressing over of the bread, and serve.

Bruschetta With Roasted Peppers

• 4 yellow peppers
• 4 red peppers
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 bunch basil, minced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
• 1 loaf day-old Italian cornmeal bread (not cornbread)
• 1 lb. fresh robiola or mild goat cheese

Roast the peppers on a grill or under the broiler until charred on all sides: turn them as they roast to ensure even cooking. Peel the peppers while they are still hot. Remove the seeds, and cut into strips. Toss the peppers with the salt, garlic, basil and olive oil. Cut the bread into 1/2 inch slices. Top each slice with the peppers, their dressing and some crumbled cheese. Drizzle with more olive oil and serve.

Orecchiette with turnip tops

Ingredients for four people:
500 gr. of Apulian orecchiette
1 kg. of turnip tops
3 garlic cloves
1 pickled anchovy red pepper ( or black pepper)
1/2 glass of extra virgin olive oil ( about 100 ml.9

  Preparation:
clean accurately the turnip tops, keeping only the tops and the little and tender leaves. Meanwhile boil the orecchiette in salty water. In a capable frying pan put the oil and the garlic cut in big pieces and let them brown; then turn down the flame and put the cleaned anchovy cut in pieces and the whole red pepper. Cook them all for 2 minutes and then put out the flame. When the pasta reaches the half cooking, put together the turnip tops. Take away the garlic and the red pepper and put the pasta with the turning tops in the frying pan and make them cook for 3 minutes. Put off the flame and complete as you like also with some olive oil.

Suggested wine: a rosè of Salento or of Castel del Monte.

Mussels with pepper

Ingredients for four people:

1,5 kg. of mussels
200 gr. of tomatoes
50 gr. of extra virgin olive oil
a glass of dry white wine
a piece of celery a carrot
an anion
parsley
a red pep
black pepper
8 slices of home made bread

Suggested wines : white of Martina or Rosè of Salento.

Preparation:
clean very well the mussels. Boil the tomatoes in salty water and then peel and cut them in pieces. Clean all the vegetable, the onion and the garlic and make a middle minced which will be put in a pan with oil where will cook at low flame. Put the mussels in the pan and wet them with white wine. When all the mussels are opened, put the tomatoes and the whole red pepper and let them cook for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile toast the slices of bread. At the end of the cooking, take away the red pepper and put the mussels in a plate flavouring them with chopped parsley and a lot of black pepper. Complete with the slices of bread and a little of extra virgin olive oil.