Trulli living …in Puglia

Anthony’s Puttanesca Sauce … scroll to the bottom of this post for the recipe..

Magical moments transpire when we let go of our expectations and live at present.

Our goal when visiting Puglia, Italy, was to slow down and enjoy the lifestyle and the environment that was right around us. We planned few excursions and only had one dinner reservation for the entire week. We rented a vehicle and Anthony drove us around the beautiful little villages and small country roads. By resisting the over planned vacation, we were able to feel the energy around us and to have quality time spent together enjoying the markets, the shops, the people, the villa and the conversations around the table with our boys. What beauty!

Even though planning ahead is my mantra, during this vacation it was in the moments that were unplanned, that we relaxed and truly vacationed!

As we traveled through Puglia, we stopped at a city named Alberobello. This City known for its conical shaped homes with stone walls, stacked together, is enchanting. Scattered amongst all of the little homes are gift shops and restaurants. The word Delicatessen stood out to me. I heard the word used while speaking in conversation with several Italians during our stay. Here in Alberobello, we saw a plaque on a store advertising one of the oldest Delicatessen’s housed inside a Trullo. As a young girl, I remember that Delicatessens or Deli’s as we often called them, were abundant on Long Island. Every neighborhood had at least two or three really good Deli’s run by local families. It was in those little markets that you always found the best of everything. Fresh milk and eggs and always the freshest and most delicious homemade potato salads, sliced meats and sandwiches. I also remember, hearing the most fun and lively conversations in and around the Delicatessen. Deli’s symbolized the word community.

Since food is our business and our lifestyle, we love to visit other markets and food establishments when we travel. Here in Italy we were mesmerized by the assortment of little shops and delicious accouterments. We had fun looking at all of the Italian products and labels. We shopped and cooked almost every day during our stay at the villa.

For us, cooking at home is fun, relaxing and allows us all to take part in the meal. Whether your forte is chopping veggies or setting the table, even if it’s cleaning up at the end of the meal. When the process is enjoyed together it seems to take the stress out of dinnertime and allows for impromptu stories and memories. The photos below are from the evening that Anthony simmered up a twist on our friend Frank’s recipe for spicy fresh sauce. So much fun!

Anthony’s Spicy Puttanesca Sauce…adapted from Frank’s recipe!

Ingredients:

32 Plum Tomatoes

32 Black Olives; (Italian or Greek olives, pitted and chopped)

1/3 cup chopped white onion

1 diced jalapeño

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

3 or 4 tablespoons crushed garlic cloves

Lots of fresh basil and fresh oregano

Salt and Pepper to season …plus your favorite cheese for grating. Pecorino or Locatelli are favorites and a Ricotta Salata is also delicious!

16 oz of your favorite pasta; cooked al dente.

Method:

First things first….find your favorite music to set the tone!

1. Simmer up a large pot of salted water, while you make a small X in the bottom of each tomato with a pairing knife.
2. Once the water is simmering, gently lower the tomatoes into the pot and simmer until the skins start to loosen. This should take 8-10 minutes.
3. Remove the tomatoes from the water and peel the skins.
4. Sauté the onion in several tablespoons of olive oil. Once the onions have started to soften its time to add the garlic and the jalapeño. Continue sauté for another minute before adding the olives and the fresh herbs.
5. Next is the tomatoes. Crush them by hand as you add them to the pan of onions and herbs. Stir together, season with salt and pepper. Add one last tablespoon of olive oil to top it off! Always taste the sauce, and then adjust the seasoning!
6. Once the sauce is heated through you are ready to boil up the pasta and dinner is served! When using fresh tomatoes in season …it really is that simple!