Jamie's Great Italian Escape

Puglia (1x5)

: 16, 2005

From generation to generation Jamie went deep into the heel of Italy to discover the secret to good regional food. He learnt that there was nothing the Italians loved more than having their food cooked for them– just the way their mamas do it. The test of time When he prepared a meal for a family of bakers in Puglia, he discovered they had very clear ideas about their traditional dishes like pasta al forno: keep them simple, use good ingredients and don't tamper with the recipes, which have been passed down the generations. One satisfied Italian grandfather praised the meal for being rustico or rustic – traditional peasant food which is the backbone of Italian cuisine. Many of Italy's most famous dishes have grown out of cucina povera, the cuisine of poverty. Pizzas were originally a way to liven up unleavened bread, and many pasta dishes, such as pasta con aglio e olio, served with just garlic and oil, were devised to make the most of the simplest and cheapest produce. Unlike French haute cuisine, which is built on expensive ingredients and sophisticated preparation techniques, Italian cooking remains tied to its peasant past in both flavour and appearance. This is particularly evident in traditional Pugliese food. Travel companies are marketing Puglia, with its fantastic climate, unspoilt beaches and unique architecture, as the new Tuscany, but it differs from Tuscany in many ways – most profoundly because of Italy's historic north-south divide. Contrasting cultures The north of this long, thin country is cooler, greener and lusher than the south. This makes it ideal for lucrative cattle and sheep farming. It also enjoys good communications with the rest of Europe, which explains why Venice was an important, influential city for so many centuries. Other great cities of the north, such as Rome, Florence and Milan, have always attracted more industry and wealth than their southern counterparts. By contrast much of the south is a hot, hars