Italy: MAMMA what are you cooking?

simple ingredients

The people I meet on my trips Home to Italy each year, 

are the parts of each trip I remember for years.   

 I met Mamma Giulia on an earlier trip when I had a tour of Masseria Provenzani, a luxury country estate outside of Lecce.

The courtyard pergola of Masseria Provenzani

 Mamma G creates joy for your mouth with Mediterranean cooking.    

Learn the secret ingredient she adds to Focaccia!

Taurinos’ olive oil is found in Mamma G’s kitchen

My second meeting I was treated as a valued friend.  During the week I spent in Puglia, Yle introduced me to many of her favorite people, all who I would never have met without her introduction: an oilve oil farm where trees date back 1,000 years,  the top pastry chef in Lecce, a famous artist and others. Stories to be posted at HometoItaly.com

After our visit to Taurino’s Olive farm  bit.ly/1g8dznj, learning to taste olive oil and viewing the operation of how to press olives, we took the short ride to the masseria.      This totally renovated farm complex may take your breath away!  From the miticulous garden to the pool or the room available in an old tower.   You shall immediately become entranced.

But we are here to meet Mamma Guilia, one of the outstanding cooks/instructors for Yltour.com Cooking with Mamma program.

http://www.cookinpuglia.com/  

The dough was mixed in advance and final preparation started.

Hot out of the oven, the smell of fresh focaccia was wonderful

As we sampled this delight, Mamma told me about her passion for cooking

I do not cook but I certainly enjoy eating!   Yle always takes such wonderful care of me, I think I am her only client!   

One visit with Yle Sambati and you are a friend for life!

Oh, the secret ingredient…………...POTATOES!   Mamma G adds potatoes to the mixture.

the texture was very fluffly compared to other slices of focaccia i had sampled.   You purchase a slice by weight  in most bakeries…… an after school snack, avoid the crowd wiht the local school lets out.