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[Regions of Italy] 
[Back to Apulia]
One of the best apartments I had in Rome belonged to a family of the old Italian aristocracy. It was in the converted servants' quarters behind the family's fabulous Palazzo Santa Croce, which dominates the piazza at the foot of Via Giubbonari, that really great street that leads down from the colorful and exciting Campo di Fiori, my "corner market" for years and years.
To reach the apartment, I would walk along tiny Vicolo dei Catinari, pass under an archway and through tall iron gates to find myself in a space that dreams are made of. On one side of the cobblestoned courtyard were the former stables, with marble troughs from which horses must have drunk in another century. Further back there was a magnificent bubbling fountain, pictures of which, much to my delight, I came across in a history book one day!
There was only one other apartment back there, lived in by Maria Carlucci, an older woman who hailed from a small town near Bari in Apulia. When I first moved in she wasn't friendly, being very unhappy with my intrusion on her quiet little world. But little by little, we became very good friends, and remain so to this day. Like all the Pugliese I've met, Maria is warm, unpretentious, kind, and generous. And she cooks like an angel, as do so many from that region of Italy.
I used to drive each year through Apulia on my way to the Greek islands and always stopped a couple of times before reaching Bari or Brindisi for some of that great Pugliese food. Their cuisine is filled with wrapped and stuffed items, the kind of thing I love. Maria taught me how to cook some of those specialties. Unfortunately, I never got terribly expert at making the famous Pugliese orecchiette pasta, but I did love to sit in her cozy kitchen, sipping espresso and watching her spin out like magic those tiny "little ears." It was poetry in motion.
We sometimes went up to Campo di Fiori together where, in my opinion, they sold the best veggies on the planet--but Maria claimed they ran a poor second to those of Apulia. Like most Pugliese cooks, she used veggies in everything, including this delicious specialty pie that she taught me to make. She would roll out an ordinary pizza dough, spritz it with olive oil and spread it with onions she had sauteed with garlic, fresh halved cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, anchovies, a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella and parmesan, salt and pepper. If she had leftover cooked veggies, she'd put them in, too. Whatever. Then she'd roll out another round of dough, lay it on top and crimp the edges to make a giant ravioli-like pie. I have tried this using two cans of Pillsbury pizza crust: you get pretty good results, but nothing beats homemade pizza dough. After pricking the top all over and brushing it with oil, I bake it in a 350-degree oven about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Rosemary Torigian, Los Angeles
[Regions of Italy] [Back to Apulia]