The Cuisine of Southern Italian Women

Home , Ciceri e Tria, Marinara sauce, Mediterranean cuisine, Zuppa alla modenese

Mediterranean Secrets for a Healthy and Happy Life

Marika Rascazzo

The Cuisine of Southern Italian Women

Mediterranean Secrets for a Healthy and Happy Life

Marika Rascazzo

Written and Edited by Maria Carmela (Marika) Rascazzo Photography by Maria Carmela (Marika) Rascazzo and Kristine Merz

Copyright © 2012 Maria Carmela Rascazzo All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without prior permission in writing from the writer and publisher. The distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the author and publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrightable materials. Your support of the author‟s rights is appreciated.

Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be emailed to the following address: [email protected]

About Dr. Marika Rascazzo

Marika Rascazzo works as a cardiologist at the Copertino (Lecce) Hospital, in Puglia Italy.

For many years she has been promoting the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet on cardiovascular diseases.

She has a passion for cooking and is a AIS wine sommelier and Slow Food member.

Introduction 7

1 The Mediterranean Diet 9

1.1 The Mediterranean diet in the past 10

1.2 The Mediterranean Diet and Italian cookery 11

2 Alimentation: risk factor or instrument of degenerative disease prevention 12

3 Benefits of Mediterranean diet: is it only the effect of the antioxidants? 15

3.1 Macronutrients of the Mediterranean diet 18

3.2 Beyond the Mediterranean diet Pyramid 22

3.3 How to recognize good quality products 24

4 Home cooking and Southern Italian women’s role 29

5 The Mediterranean diet as cultural heritage 31

5.1 The Mediterranean diet: the 4Cs Model 32

6 Modern eating trends and diseases of affluence 34

6.1 Economic progress and modern eating habits in Italy 35

6.2 Does the Mediterranean diet of Southern Italy still exist? 36

6.3 How to become conscious and responsible consumers 37

Conclusions 39

7 RECIPES FROM PUGLIA 40

FROM MY GRANDMOTHERS. TO MY MOTHER. TO ME. 41

SOUPS - ZUPPE 43

1. TOMATO SOUP WITH GOAT CHEESE 44

2. CARROT SOUP 46

3. LENTIL AND FARRO SOUP 48

4. VEGETABLE SOUP 50

PASTA & RISOTTI 52

1. DURUM WHEAT ORECCHIETTE PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE 53

1.1 TOMATO SAUCE 55

2. DURUM WHEAT PASTA WITH CHICKPEAS 57

3. GNOCCHI WITH ARTICHOKE SAUCE 59

4. AGNOLOTTI PASTA WITH RICOTTA AND EGGPLANTS (AUBERGINES) 61

5. RISOTTO WITH SEAFOOD (MARINARA) 63

6. RISOTTO WITH ARTICHOKES 65

FISH - PESCE 67

1. OCTOPUS SALAD 68

2. BAKED ANCHOVIES 70

3. COD WITH POTATOES AND CARDONCELLI MUSHROOMS 72

4. SEA BREAM IN SEA SALT CRUST 74

5. STUFFED SQUID 76

MEAT – CARNE 78

1. BAKED EGGPLANTS (AUBERGINES) WITH MEAT, CAPERS AND TOMATOES 79

2. CHICKEN WITH POTATOES 81

3. MEATBALLS & STUFFED BIG MEATBALLS 83

VEGETABLES - VERDURE 85

1. GRILLED EGGPLANTS (AUBERGINES) 86

2. ZUCCHINI (COURGETTES) PARMIGIANA 88

3. SWEET AND SOUR BELL PEPPERS 90

4. EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) BALLS 92

5. SEASONAL VEGETABLE PIE 94

SWEETS – DOLCI 96

1. HOMEMADE LEMON GRANITA 97

2. HOMEMADE PEAR JAM TART 99

3. RICOTTA CAKE 101

4. TIRAMISÙ 103

5. BANANA AND CHOCOLATE MUFFINS 105

BREAD – PANE 107

1. HOMEMADE BREAD 108

Acknowledgements 110

Bibliography 111

Introduction The connection between diet and health has often been demonstrated. Healthy eating is one of the factors which can help the prevention of illness, give the possibility of living longer and improve the quality of people‟s lives.

In addition, eating is also a source of pleasure. Eating flavorsome food with friends and family is one of the pleasures of life that we cannot and should not give up.

Numerous books which deal with this subject are usually the result of the collaboration of two figures: a doctor and a cookery expert. On the one hand, the doctor, on the basis of scientific data, explains which incorrect eating habits can lead to cardiovascular illness or tumors. On the other hand, the cookery expert proposes recipes which allow us to eat with appetite whilst safeguarding our health.

In my case, as the author of this book, there is the unusual coexistence of a cardiologist who on a daily basis examines patients with problems of heart attacks and at the same time also has a passion for the Mediterranean cooking passed on from mother to daughter, according to an age-old tradition in Puglia. Consequently, I aim to discuss the risks connected with incorrect alimentation, suggesting not only how to choose ingredients and food, but also how to cook them.

My objective is to contribute to the improvement of people‟s quality of life, promoting an eating style, the Mediterranean Diet typical of Southern Italy, which has been proved to combine the enjoyment of food with the safeguarding of health.

Scientific research has many times demonstrated the benefits of this ancient way of eating and cooking, based on a so-called „peasant‟ diet.

My analysis comes to the conclusion that the benefits in terms of flavor and health of the Mediterranean diet, do not simply derive from the care in the selection of the ingredients used.

Apart from the combination of the various elements, a fundamental factor is the cooking method, which is essentially home cooking, centered on the figure of the woman. Therefore, I believe that the Alimentary Pyramid of the Mediterranean diet(1) can be added to: it must also include all the traditional methods of

7 preparation handed down for centuries from mother to daughter, which make the Mediterranean diet really unique.

In 2010 the Mediterranean diet has become an intangible cultural asset of UNESCO. The Mediterranean diet encompasses more than just food and involves the rediscovery of the psycho-physical wellbeing which comes from the possibility of cooking and taking care of ourselves and of our nearest and dearest, recreating social ties.

The Mediterranean “old” way of eating, based on a peasant diet, can be a valid response to the “modern” eating trends which are resulting in a rapid increase in cardiovascular and degenerative diseases, in Southern Italy as well as in other geographical areas.

Because of its simplicity and possibility of combining health and psychophysical wellbeing, the Mediterranean alimentary model can easily be carried out in any context, not only in Italy.

I believe that only by means of more widespread information, can people be more aware and more responsible for their own alimentary choices and discover the pleasure of eating well.

I believe that only by means of more widespread information, can all the culinary and cultural traditions which make up the Mediterranean Diet, continue to be preserved.

1 The Mediterranean Diet The Mediterranean diet is seen as one of the healthiest traditional alimentary models in the world.

This book deals with the particular Mediterranean diet that has developed in Southern Italy, in regions such as Puglia, Sicily, Campania, etc. This ancient alimentary regimen and culture originated from the time of Greek colonization, thousands of years ago, when the olive was first introduced.

The characteristic ingredients are typical of the Mediterranean basin regions (Spain, South of France, Greece, etc.) which have a mild climate almost all year round and are near the sea. However, this alimentary regimen has developed in Southern Italy with particular characteristics with regards to the combination of foods and their preparation, making it unique compared to the cookery of other countries.

The alimentary model of this geographical area is a „peasant‟ diet, which does not use large quantities of animal fats or protein. Typical foods (extra virgin olive oil, pasta, bread, legumes, vegetables, fruit and wine) are cleverly combined with the right quantity of animal products (meat, fish, dairy) and thus provide a way of eating which definitely combines good health with flavor and eating well.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to point out that in this area the Mediterranean Diet is not only represented by the presence of individual foods (such as olive oil, legumes, cereals, vegetables), but also by the simultaneous combination and interaction of the various components, systematically consumed. These need to be prepared according to suitable gastronomic criteria.

Without these methods of preparation, the Mediterranean diet may not guarantee the same results in terms of flavor and health.

1.1 The Mediterranean diet in the past The Mediterranean diet has been followed for centuries, due to tradition rather than for reasons of health. Our ancestors learnt through experience the use of herbs and plants both as food and as medicine. It was with the progress of botanical sciences, the cultivation of food crops and their use in cooking, that their gastronomic and at times therapeutic virtues have come to be better understood.

The medicinal properties of garlic have been known for centuries. Nowadays these have been demonstrated scientifically, both for their antibacterial properties and as adjuvant in low-fat diets, as garlic inhibits the biosynthesis of cholesterol, aiding the diminution of low-density lipoprotein and increasing the high-density lipoprotein.

Chili pepper, which has been used from time immemorial in the cooking of populations in Southern Italy as it was held to be the cure for so many illnesses, in fact has a strong analgesic quality due to the capsaicin which it contains. Moreover it can be used as an alternative to salt.

The evident antioxidant power of the carotenoid present in red tomatoes, that is lycopene, is recommended to reduce the incidence of some types of cancer, atherosclerosis and as an anti-aging substance.

There are many other examples of typical foods of the Mediterranean diet with quite well-known beneficial components.

In the 50‟s, the Seven countries study led by A. Keys(2), which for the first time documented the longer life span of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean area, in particular of Southern Italy, attached importance to the advantages of the typical Mediterranean diet.

More recently, in 2011, scientific studies in the Journal American College Cardiology have recognized that the Mediterranean diet is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular illness and cancer and has a beneficial effect on diabetes and obesity.

1.2 The Mediterranean Diet and Italian cookery There is a tendency, especially outside Italy, to simply identify Italian cookery with Mediterranean cookery. Italian cookery is typically regional and each region, even when using similar ingredients, has different alimentary traditions, with different results from the point of view of health. In the Southern regions extra virgin olive oil is used almost exclusively, with very rare use of butter. A Florentine-style beef-steak or tortellini from Emilia Romagna with butter and ham are totally different from a plate of legumes or Puglian ear-shaped pasta.

2 Alimentation: risk factor or instrument of degenerative disease prevention Even though medical therapy and surgical procedures in cardiology, as in every field of medicine, are making progress and thus are more and more often able to deal with a whole range of pathologies, no medical advances will ever be sufficient, if prevention is not aided by adopting a suitable style of life and alimentation.

-Alimentation and cancer diseases

There is a correlation between alimentation and carcinogenesis. It has been discovered that some types of tumor are more common in some countries than others and that the style of alimentation is often more relevant than genetic features. For this reason, for example the frequency of breast cancer which is lower in Asia with respect to the industrialized West, notably increases, once oriental women migrate to the West.

The Food nutrition and the prevention of cancer study (2007) has shown that in pathologies of the gastro-intestinal system a percentage between 30-70% of cases can be linked to what we eat. A daily diet which includes red meat and meat preserved for a short or medium period, is associated with a higher incidence of cancer of the intestine or of colorectal cancer compared to what happens on the other hand with the daily consumption of fish.

Without doubt there is also genetic predisposition in carcinogenesis, but in most cases the start of the transformation of healthy cells into tumor cells is influenced by the environment: smoke, exposure to radiation, diet.

-Alimentation and cardiovascular risk

The nutritional state also effects cardiovascular risk.

The high intake of calories, the quality of food with a high energetic density and the reduced amount of energy burnt encouraged by a sedentary style of life, result in obesity. Obesity, in its turn, is an important cardiovascular risk factor which reacts both directly and indirectly.

Not surprisingly, in my clinical experience in the Intensive Cardiology Therapy Unit, I have almost always discovered that obese or seriously overweight patients also have metabolic syndrome, due to the combination of hypertension,

12 dyslipidemia and reduced tolerance to glucose. The metabolic syndrome increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The metabolic syndrome features: blood sugar level above 100mg/dl; trigliceridemia above 150mg/dl; level of high-density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol under 50 mg/dl for women and 40 mg/dl for men; arterial hypertension; waist measurement over 85 cm for women and 100cm for men.

The treatment of the metabolic syndrome has to aim at improving insulin sensitivity and indirectly at reducing body weight, adopting a more healthy style of life, based on correct alimentary choices and adequate physical exercise.

Various studies (3-4) have illustrated that a moderate reduction in body weight has a positive effect on the metabolic syndrome, reducing the resistance to insulin, the plasmatic level of lipids and the arterial pressure.

The connection between diet and production of insulin is also well known. Insulin is a hormone which is produced by the pancreas and one of its functions is to absorb the glucose from our cells and maintain a constant blood sugar level.

Its action is directly influenced by the type of diet:

-A diet rich in carbohydrates, particularly simple carbohydrates (refined sugars), increases the need for insulin, the feeling of hunger and so results in the depositing of fat in the central part of the body (abdominal obesity).

-A diet rich in saturated animal fats (5) in the long term produces insulin- resistance, that is inefficiency in the insulin produced to control blood sugar levels and an increase in the cellular growth factor IGF-1, which favors the development of tumors.

With regards to this, it is emblematic the KANW(6) study carried out on 162 healthy patients from 5 countries, randomly selected to follow a diet with a high content of animal fat (the main condiment was butter, rich in saturated fats) or a diet with a high content of vegetable fat (the main condiment was extra virgin olive oil, rich in monounsaturated fats).

The results indicated that the animal fats (saturated) worsened insulin-sensitivity while vegetable fats (monounsaturated) did not.

In addition to this, it was observed that the positive effect of the type of fat on the insulin-sensitivity was amplified in the group that consumed a moderate quantity of total fat.

These results make the difference between the two diets even clearer.

To sum up, an ideal alimentary regimen(7) which reduces the incidence of insulin resistance (thus of the metabolic syndrome and of tumors) aims at 2 requisites:

-Low level of saturated fats (without overdoing the total quantity)

-Large quantity of vegetables, fruit, legumes and foods with a low glycemic level.

Clearly, chronic degenerative illnesses do not depend solely on diet but have multifarious origins. But while some risk factors of these illnesses cannot be modified, like age, sex or family history, on the other hand diet can be modified. So diet is one of the risk factors that can be modified as it is correlated to people‟s style of life.

Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to find a “magic diet” which is able to protect the organism. What we know is that a diet which is rich in vegetables, grains, extra virgin olive oil, aromatic herbs and low in saturated fats and cholesterol can reduce the incidence of neo-plastic and chronic-degenerative illnesses.

This diet can be identified with the characteristics of the Mediterranean diet. Recent studies (8) have also confirmed that following this type of diet produces a significant reduction in mortality due to cardiovascular illness and tumors.

In the sphere of cardiology, the GISSI prevention study(9) has demonstrated that this diet also considerably reduces deaths after heart attacks.

3 Benefits of Mediterranean diet: is it only the effect of the antioxidants? One of the most popular hypothesis on the beneficial mechanisms of the Mediterranean diet deals with the antioxidant capacity of its various components.

The antioxidants can be divided into four groups:

1.vitamins: Vitamin A (dairy, eggs, carrots, tomatoes), Vitamin C (fruit, vegetables, oranges), Vitamin E (nuts)

2.minerals: in particular selenium (fish, nuts)

3.carotenoids: lycopene, betacarotene (carrots, spinach, tomatoes)

4.polyphenols: (vegetables, cherries)

Some antioxidants are not water-soluble, but are liposoluble, as for example vitamin A and E and carotenoids. This means that they are absorbed more easily if consumed with oil. This is one of the reasons why, for example, it is better to dress or cook tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil. And not surprisingly, one of the principal dishes of Mediterranean cookery is tomato sauce, in which the tomatoes are cooked in extra virgin olive oil (see section 1.1, pasta recipes).

The antioxidants act in the following way:

-by directly blocking the free radicals which come from the external environment and from the internal metabolism of these substances;

-by disabling some enzymes which transform substances which are pre- carcinogenic into carcinogenic ones.

-by encouraging the process of detoxification of carcinogens

-by inhibiting peroxidation of the lipids incorporated in the cell membranes and the plasmatic lipoproteins.

In particular, the betacarotene (an antioxidant) consumed above all with fruit and vegetables is not completely transformed into vitamin A, but is also deposited in tissues where it blocks free radicals.

The toxic quality of nitrates, present in numerous foods (salami and hams), is counteracted by vitamin C and E, and phenols which, in the first part of the gastroenteric tract, inhibit the formation of nitrosamines and so the toxic effects of nitrates.

From this analysis, it would be mistaken to come to the simple conclusion that all that is necessary to be in good health is to take a specific antioxidant. This is not in fact true. On the contrary, the opposite can happen.

Miraculous pills do not exist! In fact, the antioxidant substances that exist in nature, if taken in high doses can be damaging.

A study conducted in Finland analyzed 3,000 smokers, divided into 4 groups, who took as dietary substances: beta-carotene, vitamin E, both substances and a placebo. The experiment was interrupted because contrary to expectations, the beta carotene increased the incidence of lung cancer and myocardial infarction. Moreover, in the group that took vitamin E, brain hemorrhages were more frequent.

This study is a practical example of the fact that natural antioxidant substances, if consumed in high doses can be damaging.

Therefore, it is necessary to emphasize that the unique quality of the Mediterranean diet does not lie solely in the fact that it allows us to consume a particular food, which has a beneficial effect.

The Mediterranean diet is unique, because it includes a combination of various elements which interact: grains, legumes, extra virgin olive oil, fruit and vegetables, fish etc.

The Mediterranean diet does not eliminate any element. Everything is eaten in moderation. And it is the combination of the various elements that has a beneficial effect.

-An adequate quantity of fruit and vegetables ensures a significant intake of vitamins and minerals. At the same time, it reduces the energy intake of the diet, due to both limited fat intake and with regards to the satisfaction of hunger.

-Cereals which are not industrially refined (whole rice, barley, farro, durum wheat pasta) are rich in polyunsaturated fat, starch and proteins. They are one of the main sources of carbohydrates in the Mediterranean diet.

The external part of their grain contains fiber and micronutrients such as antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

When the external layer of the grain is removed, due to the refining process, the precious nutritional qualities are lost without gaining any advantages with regards to flavor. The only advantage of the refining process is that food is faster to cook.

-Legumes are low in fat and rich in vegetable protein, starch and fiber which slow down the speed of absorption of glucose and keep cholesterol at a low level.

However, tinned legumes should be avoided, because they contain preservatives and the tins can release toxic substances into the food.

-Extra virgin olive oil is the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet. It consists of a part which is saponifiable (95-99%) made up of saturated, mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and triglycerides and a part which is unsaponifiable (0.4-5%) made up of vitamins E, A, D, polyphenols. The largest quantity of fatty acid present is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, which reduces the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol and increases that of HDL (good) cholesterol. (10)

Thanks to the intake of the monounsaturated fatty acids, flavonoids, polyphenols, extra virgin olive oil has a preventive effect on tumors of the bowel, prostate and breast (11) and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis.

However, it is necessary to remember that extra virgin olive oil is a fat and that 100 grams of oil contains 900 kilocalories, so it should be consumed in moderation. It should also be used as a substitute for saturated fats and not as an addition to them.

-Fish, another principal component of the Mediterranean diet, contains a similar amount of protein to meat. But it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids (mainly in blue fish) and is a good source of calcium and vitamin D. Everyone should consume at least 2 portions a week.

Even though in recent years it has been shown that fish can contain pollutants (mercury, dioxins), the benefits derived from its consumption are superior to the possible risks. As a general rule, it would be better to choose small blue fish which have been less exposed to pollutants.

The Mediterranean diet allows for an ideal equilibrium between macronutrients (animal and vegetable proteins, vegetable and animal fats, carbohydrates) and the antioxidant compounds (vitamin A, C, E, betacarotene, polyphenols, tannins).

This is one of the reasons why, it has an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular and neo-plastic illnesses (tumors).

As said before, the main recipe of the Mediterranean diet is without doubt the tomato sauce. Consumed fresh in the summer or as a conserve during the winter, the tomato sauce is concentration of antioxidants and vegetable fats (extra virgin olive oil). Tomatoes have to be cooked with the skin where the powerful lycopene is concentrated (see section 1.1, pasta recipes).

No dietary supplement or cocktail of vitamins, antioxidants or mineral salts can ever substitute what we can find in a balanced and correct way of life.

3.1 Macronutrients of the Mediterranean diet To understand in more detail the characteristics of the Mediterranean diet and the balanced dietary behavior connected with it, we will look at some general nutritional concepts and how the macronutrients work.

The biological cell processes inside our organism are guaranteed by:

-Proteins

-Fats

-Carbohydrates

Our body needs the three macronutrients, which have to be balanced both in terms of quality and quantity, during the day.

Different health organizations recommend that you eat different amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates each day, with most agreeing that complex carbohydrates should make up the largest percentage of your calories. Fats and protein percentages should be roughly equivalent.

Proteins

One of the important aspects of the Mediterranean alimentary model is the fact that the daily energy intake of proteins is only 10-15% of the total calories, of which more than 60% is provided by vegetable proteins.

The vegetable protein, mainly from legumes, lowers the concentration of cholesterol in the blood. This effect is due to the partial inhibition of the intestinal absorption of the alimentary cholesterol. Vegetable proteins also modulate the lipid metabolism, lessening the insulin response to the intake of carbohydrates.

Vegetable proteins, unlike animal proteins (fish, meat, eggs) lack some essential amino-acids and for this reason should be associated with cereals with high compensatory protein content.

Proteins consumed in excess are preserved in the form of fats which can be used when needed.

Fats

As far as fats are concerned, they are an important energy reserve for our organism, as well as being fundamental components of cell membranes and the precursors of regulating substances. In the Mediterranean Diet, fats constitute 25-30% of total calories, of which: 64% monounsaturated, 11% polyunsaturated and 25% saturated fats. The use of extra virgin olive oil as the sole fat used as a condiment explains the dominance of monounsaturated fats in the Mediterranean diet.

Saturated fats come from animals and are solid at room temperature. They are found in the fat in meat, in lard, in butter, in dairies, in coconut and palm oil. These last two are used widely in the food industry because they are stable and do not go rancid and so the foodstuffs that contain them can be preserved for a long time. They are fats that our body only needs in small quantities. An excess of saturated fats increases the level of LDL cholesterol and thus the risk of cardiovascular illness.

Monounsaturated fats are found in extra virgin olive oil, almonds, avocado. They slow down the absorption of carbohydrates.

Polyunsaturated fats are found almost everywhere and are liquid at room temperature. Seed oils are particularly rich in this type of fat. The most interesting polyunsaturated fats are omega-6 and omega-3, called essential

19 because our bodies are not able to synthesize them and so they have to be introduced by means of the diet.

The most important essential fatty acids are omega-6 which are found in many foods amongst which cooked oil, animal fat and egg yolk. Once introduced in to the diet, omega-6 fatty acid is metabolized and transformed into lipid mediators with a pro and anti inflammatory action.

Omega-3 is found in the green leaves of plants, linseed and blue fish. Only substances with a positive action, especially on the heart, are derived from omega-3. The GISSI prevention study found a reduction of 20% of deaths due to myocardial infarction, if the post infarction patients were treated with omega-3.

Another type of fat which is not produced by nature but is produced artificially also exists. These are hydrogenated or trans-fats and are extremely dangerous. They are polyunsaturated fats transformed into saturated fats by means of a process of hydrogenation which occurs with heat at a low pressure. In this way, for example from liquid soya, sunflower or maize oil, solid margarine is produced and can be kept for a long time without going rancid. They are particularly used in the preparation of industrial products like crackers and snacks where it is important to keep food fresh for a long time.

It has been shown that hydrogenated fatty acids make the cell membranes more permeable to toxic substances, altering the selectivity of the membrane barrier. So they weaken the immune functions and influence the lipoprotein metabolism increasing the LDL cholesterol.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a source of energy and are divided into simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are mainly contained in fruit and are rapidly digested, producing immediate energy.

Complex carbohydrates, which are present in cereals and root vegetables, have to be decomposed and guarantee a slow release of energy after a meal.

In the Mediterranean diet, carbohydrates represent 55-60% of total calories, 80% of which is provided by complex carbohydrates, which include starch and alimentary fiber.

Even though alimentary fiber is not a nutrient, it has functional and metabolic effects which make it an important component of the diet. In fact it increases the

20 sense of fullness, improves the functioning of the intestine and reduces the risk of chronic-degenerative illnesses, such as bowel cancer, because it reduces the contact time with the intestinal mucous.

The benefits of the Mediterranean diet come from the use of carbohydrates which are mainly complex with a low glycemic index.

The glycemic index is defined by Jenkins (12) as the relationship, calculated as a percentage, between the glycemic increase obtained after 2 hours of the intake of a food and the glycemic increase after the intake of a quantity of the same content of glucose, taken as a reference.

The glycemic index depends not only on the carbohydrate content of the food but also on its carbohydrate composition (different content of simple versus complex carbohydrates), on the presence of fiber or fat.

For example the same quantity of pasta has a glycemic index of 50-59%, which is lower than wholemeal bread (60-69%) and than white bread and rice (70- 79%). So pasta will cause a minor glycemic increase compared with that produced by these other foods, but will produce a higher glycemic index (GI) than the same quantity of legumes.

Carbohydrates with a low glycemic index cause a more gradual insulin response guaranteeing a constant hematic level of glucose.

The glycemic index is useful as an indication of the carbohydrate source to choose to make up a meal, but other factors contribute to the speed of absorption of carbohydrates and to the insulin response.

Very important are the presence of fiber and fats and the treatment the food has undergone (for example, the refining of wheat grains or maize increases the glycemic index). And very crucial is also the method of cooking (for example, GI is lower in al dente compared to overcooked pasta).

Therefore, meals consumed during the day must be balanced both in terms of quality and quantity of the three macronutrients: proteins, fats, carbohydrates.

It is not possible to eliminate some macronutrients in favor of others. Carbohydrates cannot be substituted, for example, with vegetables because in the short term this type of diet could produce a loss in weight, but in the long term it leads to nutritional imbalances. Nor should a diet rich in protein be

21 favored, if we consider that the daily intake of protein for an adult should be 1 gram per kilo of body weight.

The Mediterranean diet is one of the alimentary models that most successfully balances the various macro-nutrients. This equilibrium occurs, above all, when the Mediterranean diet is prepared by means of typical home-made cooking.

In fact, only by cooking at home, can the origins and the quality of the ingredients be personally checked and at the same time a balanced meal of protein, carbohydrates and fats can be prepared and consumed.

Furthermore, only by cooking at home it is possible to use the correct quantity of salt and natural condiments such as extra virgin olive oil.

This last point is very important as often in restaurants excessive quantities of fat are added, in order to make dishes more appetizing.

3.2 Beyond the Mediterranean diet Pyramid In 1993 the Harvard School of Public Health, the European Office of the World Health Organization and Oldways introduced the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid as a way to represent the healthy traditional Mediterranean diet(1). The Pyramid was updated in 2008.

The main principles represented in the Alimentary Pyramid of the Mediterranean diet are:

1.abundance of fruit and vegetables;

2.more whole food (less refined cereals and derivatives);

3.use of “good” fats (extra virgin olive oil, fish, nuts such as walnuts, almonds and pine nuts etc.);

4.use of aromatic herbs (instead of complex sauces);

5.small quantity of meat;

6.variety of foods during the week;

7.intake of 1.5-2 liters of water a day (limitation of fizzy sweet drinks);

8.limited consumption of cakes (a couple of small portions per week of simple not elaborated cakes);

9.regular physical activity.

I agree with the Pyramid. However, if we limit ourselves to this list we lose the essence of the Mediterranean diet.

In fact, the consumption of all the foods described by the Alimentary Pyramid must have two fundamental requirements:

-the choice of high quality ingredients

-the personal preparation of food.

In fact, these were the distinctive aspects of the particular way of eating of the populations of Southern Italy, where the Mediterranean diet had its origins. The Mediterranean diet model presupposes particular criteria for the finding of ingredients and cooking, which are also based on safeguarding territoriality.

The Mediterranean cuisine is simple and pays more attention to the source and selection of ingredients than to their transformation.

The recipe for tomato sauce is a perfect example of this. There is nothing simpler to prepare that is so tasty and healthy. But for this recipe not “all tomatoes” would be the same. Only tomatoes that are red in color, grown in the sun, in season and freshly picked (ideally from a farmer you trust), would work.

The same applies to any other ingredient. It‟s the high quality of each ingredient used that makes the Mediterranean diet so simple and tasty. Ingredients used are local, freshly picked and seasonal. They are bought at the market every day or directly from select producers.

In addition to the choice of the ingredients, also the personal preparation is extremely important. Without the particular methods of preparation typical of the Mediterranean cookery, those ingredients may not result in such nutritious and tasty dishes.

The strong point of Mediterranean cookery is the simplicity of the method of preparation. This means that it is a way of cookery for everyone and its secrets are accessible to anyone without much effort. This consents the adaptability of the practical and health needs of each person. Also, the Mediterranean cookery can be carried out in any context, not only in Italy, but all over the world.

Undoubtedly, the way we live nowadays does not allow us the amount of time and patience that our grandmothers had in the kitchen. But we should dedicate more time to what appears to be essential and important for our health.

In fact, only the possibility of cooking our own meals allows us to personally choose the ingredients that we put on our plates and guarantees us a healthy balanced diet.

Moreover, the common opinion that eating healthily, by cooking our own meals, is more expensive should be debunked. In reality, the opposite is true. Besides, we must remember that dietary guidelines recommend only small quantities of expensive foods such as meat, fish, poultry and cheese and suggest the use of more vegetables, legumes and unrefined cereals.

Larson(13) has written that those who do not know how to cook are more likely to choose prepared foods or to eat out, and rarely consume fruit and vegetables. In general, nowadays it is not simple to choose the right foods, given that publicity exerts such an enormous pressure on our way of eating.

3.3 How to recognize good quality products Provided that the quality of the ingredients is so important in the Mediterranean diet, how do we choose amongst an enormous number of food products?

The choice of a quality product begins with the reading of the label. Reading the labels of all the products that we buy may seem very boring at the beginning but it will make shopping easier in the following days.

In general, quality products have labels with more information and comprehensible terms. Undoubtedly, we need to have general information about the product we want to buy, to avoid being influenced by packaging, price or publicity.

Pasta

In the case of pasta, the quality of the raw material that is the durum wheat is essential.

It is necessary to check that the protein content on the label is over 15%: a higher protein content will make the pasta more consistent when chewed. Raw pasta, if made using traditional methods, should look rough and feel opaque.

Just as important is the cooking which should be done in abundant salted water. In this way the starch will absorb water and modify its structure, becoming more digestible and more suitable to combine with various condiments.

It is important that the pasta is cooked „al dente‟ that is consistent and resistant when chewed: an excessive absorption of water during cooking will make the pasta gluey with a less pleasant taste. Moreover and above all, overcooked pasta has a higher glycemic index.

After cooking, the real quality of the pasta used can be verified: only good pasta leaves the cooking water limpid.

Bread

Even with a common product like bread, it is necessary to take some care in recognizing the quality of the products.

Bread is obtained by cooking a mixture of flour, water and yeast with or without the addition of salt.

Bread should have a crumbly yellow-brownish crust, soft and elastic interior which is white or yellow depending on the flour used. The fragrance of bread depends not only on the raw material used but also on the rising. Good quality flour should be used and stone-ground grains are preferable because they conserve the nutritive substances.

Yeast transforms glucose into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide creating a secondary substance which gives the bread aroma and fragrance. While cooking bread, when the yeast dies, the carbon dioxide makes the dough swell and creates a soft honey-combed interior.

In poor quality bread there is an attempt to speed up the rising process by adding chemical substances and very often the flour used does not come from the grinding of the grain of wheat (most common wholemeal bread is produced with refined flour with the addition of bran).

The first European bread to boast Protected Denomination of Origin PDO status is that from Altamura (in Puglia) produced with durum wheat semolina. It has a

25 thick crust, not less than 3 millimeters; the interior is like a honey-comb and straw-colored, soft with the fragrance of wheat; it has a good consistency and has a delicate flavor. It is bread that due to its characteristics keeps for many days.

Fruit and vegetables

The quality of fruit and vegetables is influenced by the system of cultivation, in greenhouses or in the open, when it is picked and by its treatment afterwards. All these factors influence the nutritive and sensory characteristics of these products.

The demand for fruit and vegetables out of season has certainly affected the system of production and now it is easy to find any product at any time of year. However, even if these products look good, they will be lacking in flavor and their typical fragrance.

So it is preferable to buy seasonal products and if possible produced locally so that they have been ripened on the plant.

This is particularly relevant for climacteric fruit (apples, persimmons, apricots, avocado, bananas, figs, kiwi, mangoes, peaches, tomatoes, pears), which can be picked well in advance, without interrupting the ripening process, and then distributed on the market looking good but lacking their typical fragrance.

Extra virgin olive oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the basis of a healthy and tasty eating. Extra virgin olive oil is the principal distinctive element of the Mediterranean diet compared to other nutritional models. It is always present in any preparation of Mediterranean cooking and is used both as a condiment for cooked and raw dishes.

The quality of the extra virgin olive oil is important from the nutritional point of view. We need only consider the role that fat plays in the diet and the serious problems which come from the consumption of saturated animal fats.

But the quality is also vital for the final result of gastronomic preparation. An extra virgin olive oil with defects, even used in minimum quantities would inevitably transfer its imperfections to the flavor of the dish.

The quality can be evaluated on the basis of three principal criteria:

-Acidity: a good extra virgin olive oil should not be above 0,4%, but legally it can be as high as 0.8%

-Peroxide: this is an indication of the degeneration and ageing of oil, the cause of an unpleasant taste and smell. The peroxide value must be as low as possible when the oil is put on the market.

-Polyphenols: these are antioxidants. The higher the level of polyphenols the better the quality and the longer the oil can be kept. The presence of polyphenols can also be detected by tasting, giving a more or less spicy sensation.

For extra virgin olive oil to be of a good quality it is important that the olives are picked between October and December when the color starts to change from green to brown. Many producers delay the harvest at the expense of quality in order to increase the quantity.

Once the olives are picked the processing should be started within 24 hours. This avoids the development of unwanted fermentation caused by the crushing that the olives receive.

The subsequent mechanical pressing must be cold pressing.

The criteria, such as color or limpidity, are not indicators of quality because they can be reproduced artificially avoiding filtration and dyeing the oil with chlorophyll.

It is useful to take note of where it is produced. In fact oils which come from arid, calciferous soils are preferable because they guarantee better drainage of rain water and so avoid decay.

It must be kept in dark-colored glass bottles or tins, away from light and heat sources. If the container is well-sealed the oil will keep for about 18 months. After this length of time the oil will not be damaging to the health but will lose part of its organoleptic characteristics.

The oil used in the Mediterranean diet is indisputably “extra virgin olive oil” and not oil sold as “olive oil” which is the result of a refining process with possible addition of coloring and chemical solvents.

Therefore, to be labeled as extra virgin the oil must respect precise chemical- physical criterion measured in a laboratory and must also be appreciated on the basis of its organoleptic characteristics.

There exists a panel test of tasters who express their evaluation about the sensory characteristics of the oil. Their judgment will evaluate the presence and intensity of its good qualities (fruity, bitter, spicy), and the absence of defects (rancid, metallic, mould, etc.). If the oil being judged does not respond to the established chemical-physical and sensory requisites it will be declassed into virgin olive oil or even lampante oil.

As for all alimentary products also extra virgin olive oil can boast trademarks of quality, such as PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), TSG (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed). These trademarks are given by the European community on the basis of particular qualitative characteristics.

Much more could be said about other important components of the diet and Mediterranean cookery, such as wine, and about the knowledge necessary to choose and select them well.

Real information about the foodstuffs we have to choose cannot only be the result of theoretical documentation.

It is also essential to have first-hand experience where the food is produced, seeing how olive oil, wine, bread and dairy products are made. Only in this way is it possible to really discover the secrets of each food and to check directly the quality.

It is also necessary to consider that the choice and selection of a quality product is made first of all by the seller even before the consumer. So it is easier to find quality products in small specialist shops in areas where the foods are produced rather than in large distribution chains.

However nowadays, the Mediterranean diet model, of eating healthily and with appetite, is influencing more and more the economic decisions of the great chains. Therefore, it is possible to find high quality fresh products even in supermarkets.

Modern systems of conservation and transport make the availability of products of a certain area possible all over the world and this is definitely to the consumers‟ advantage.

4 Home cooking and Southern Italian women’s role Mediterranean cooking was home cooking which centered on the figure of the Woman. The Women were the custodians of the gastronomic traditions which were passed on by word of mouth from mother to daughter and at the same time they were interpreters of the art of cooking.

The art of cooking involved not only patience and dedication, but also the capacity to transform the simplest products from the fields into nutritious and tasty food.

At the time of our grandmothers all the sophisticated food processors that can be found in a modern kitchen did not exist, but that their dishes were not less delicious. An example is the dried broad bean purée, a traditional and tasty Pugliese dish cooked in a terracotta pan. This type of pan was ideal for the preparation of foods which required slow cooking such as legumes because it maintained intact the flavors, assured uniform cooking and required less fatty condiments.

Nowadays, it is rare for these cooking utensils to be used on a daily basis. However, it is still necessary to use pans which have the same qualities, i.e. that do not release harmful substances, that distribute evenly the heat by means of a multi-layered base. This allows the addition of less cooking oil and avoids the micro-carbonization of the food at the bottom of the pan.

While the cooking process is important because it exalts the fragrance and flavor of the food and makes it more digestible and safe from a hygienic point of view, it is also important that it does not modify the nutritional quality of the food.

For example in the cooking of vegetables it is preferable to stew them at a low temperature, in this way the thermolabile vitamins which are sensitive to heat, in particular vitamin C and those of the B group, will not be destroyed and there will be less dispersion of vitamins and mineral salts in the water.

In the cooking of fish (sea bass, sea bream, white bream) it is necessary to take account of the fact that their flesh which is rather tender tends to flake very easily and so prolonged cooking should be avoided. So prolonged cooking should be avoided. Therefore stewing at a low temperature or cooking covered with salt in the oven is preferable. In this last method with the high temperature of the oven, the salt that covers the fish will solidify and will not only absorb

29 part of the fat, but will also seal in the fish, preventing the loss of the nutritive substances, flavors and fragrance.

The healthiest cooking methods are the least elaborate which leave intact the flavors and nutritional quality of food.

In some cases it is necessary to add condiments such as fats, herbs or spices. Fats should be used in the right quantities and chosen with care. In fact, the high temperatures which are reached during the cooking process modify the organoleptic characteristics of the fats in the condiments and can generate toxic substances like acrolein.

As extra virgin olive oil is mainly composed of monounsaturated fatty acids, it is more resistant to the oxidative phenomenon of cooking and for this reason it is safer than other oils and than butter. However, extra virgin olive oil is still a fat and it should always be used in moderation.

The Mediterranean cuisine is simple with very few rich dishes. Extra virgin olive oil is preferred to butter and aromatic herbs (chili pepper, basil, oregano etc) to salt.

Not all traditional Mediterranean dishes are healthy.

For example, it‟s not very healthy the habit of frying dry bread to be eaten with legumes; or frying pasta in the traditional recipe of pasta and chickpeas. Another example is the habit of frying eggplant (aubergine) slices in the eggplant parmesan.

These typical traditional dishes are very high in calories and even if they may have been acceptable when people burnt up more energy, nowadays they cannot always be offered.

However, the same dishes can still be used if we adjust them, making them less calorific and more healthy. For example, foods could be toasted rather than fried, and in this way the intake of calories can be reduced while safeguarding the flavor.

5 The Mediterranean diet as cultural heritage In 2010 the Mediterranean diet has become an intangible cultural asset of UNESCO, with this convincing motivation.

The Mediterranean diet constitutes a set of skills, knowledge, practices and traditions ranging from the landscape to the table, including the crops, harvesting, fishing, conservation, processing, preparation and, particularly consumption of food.

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a nutritional model that has remained constant over time and space, consisting mainly of olive oil, cereals, fresh or dried fruit and vegetables, a moderate amount of fish, dairy and meat, and many condiments and spices, all accompanied by wine or infusions, always respecting the beliefs of each community.

However, the Mediterranean diet (from the Greek diaita, or way of life) encompasses more than just food.

It promotes social interaction, since communal meals are the cornerstone of social customs and festive events. It has given rise to a considerable body of knowledge, songs, maxims, tales and legends. The system is rooted in respect for the territory and biodiversity, and ensures the conservation and development of traditional activities and crafts linked to fishing and farming in the Mediterranean communities of which Soria in Spain, Koroni in Greece, Cilento in Italy, and Chefchaouen in Morocco are examples.

Women play a particularly vital role in the transmission of expertise, as well as knowledge of rituals, traditional gestures and celebrations, and the safeguarding of techniques.

In the words of UNESCO, the Mediterranean diet is synonymous with a balanced approach amongst different nutrients, but also an expression of socio- religious traditions, an appreciation of local products and the social aspect of alimentation.

The Mediterranean diet is the photograph of a population. It is impossible to disassociate the concept of this diet from the idea of family, community and of genuine social values. In the places where the Mediterranean diet is established,

31 food has never been solely a means of nourishment but also a factor of sociability, of the sharing of affection and feelings at particular times of day.

For this reason, nowadays, following the Mediterranean diet should not only involve a recognition of its nutritional advantages, but also allow the rediscovery of the psycho-physical wellbeing which comes from the possibility of cooking and taking care of ourselves and of our nearest and dearest, recreating social ties.

5.1 The Mediterranean diet: the 4Cs Model The previous arguments about the Mediterranean diet can be summarized using a 4Cs model.

All the four elements together are necessary to describe what the Mediterranean diet means and why it is such a healthy and tasty cuisine.

The benefits in terms of flavor and health of the Mediterranean diet, do not simply derive from the type of ingredients and care in their selection (olive oil, whole grains, fish etc).

Apart from the combination of the various elements, the particular methods of preparation, typical of the Mediterranean cookery, are a fundamental factor.

Finally, the Mediterranean diet also has social values and is associated with the concepts of family and community. It involves the psycho-physical wellbeing which comes from the social interactions and communal meals.

If any of the above elements is not present, the Mediterranean diet may not result in such nutritious and tasty dishes.

6 Modern eating trends and diseases of affluence In Western countries, the progressive disappearance of a rural-handicraft type of society has contributed to the increase of the available wealth destined to the acquisition of material goods, including food.

Consumers are influenced by the publicity for a consumerist model of life. The consumption of foods with a high energy-nutritive content and with a low ability to satisfy the appetite has become habitual. This consumption is often associated with greater social prestige.

Our organism has adapted over the course of millions of years to survive as hunters constantly in motion and with limited food resources, especially not of a hypercaloric type. Nowadays, the food on the tables of the industrialized countries has never been so abundant and so easily available.

If on the one hand this has increased children‟s growth and the average life expectancy of the population, on the other hand bad alimentary habits are limiting the benefits obtained so far by medical and social progress.

Famine and infections, which were causes of death in the past, have given way to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular and neoplastic illnesses (the so-called diseases of affluence).

Various studies (Seven countries study) have illustrated that:

- There is a significant increase in mortality due to diseases of affluence, in countries where a western refined diet, rich in foods with a high energy-nutritive content and poor in fiber, is prevalent.(14-15)

- When adjusting to the eating habits and style of life of another community, more developed in terms of economic affluence and consumptions, a population face several changes. These cause an increase in diseases of affluence, and with the same incidence of the more developed community.(16-17)

The changes in the style of eating have led to a loss of the ability that our ancestors had to recognize particular flavors and fragrances. The choice of foods was dictated, both by the availability or scarcity of foods and by various social or religious variables (for example the benefits of fasting for Lent or the abstention from meat eating on Fridays) and in addition by the interest that a particular food may have on a perceptive-sensorial level.

For millions of years humans have been guided in their choice of food by their primitive sensorial capacity, i.e. taste and smell. Nowadays, these capacities have been lost. In fact, it is necessary to follow a demanding course for wine experts to learn to distinguish the particular after taste which a good quality wine has.

Moreover, taste is strongly influenced by information from publicity which is not exactly objective as it is dictated by market choices and marketing strategies. We often choose one food product rather than another not because it is actually fresher, wholesome or with a natural fragrance but because the publicity has convinced us that the product is healthy and made as nature created it..... (apart from the additives!).

In reality mass production, the expansion of means of communication, transport and conservation, the onset of a global market, an apparent affluence and abundance of food, have brought about irreversible changes in eating habits in western countries. The traditional importance reserved for cereals or legumes has been superseded by fast food which offers more tasty food, rich in refined carbohydrates and fats but poor in the nutrients, which are indispensable for health.

6.1 Economic progress and modern eating habits in Italy After the Second World War, with economic revival and the rise in the standard of living, also in Italy, like in other Western countries, there was the beginning of a widespread action of mass communications by the food canning industry.

Initially, choices were for semi-manufactured foods (stock cubes, tomato purée) which saved time and were very versatile and meant a minimum personal contribution by the consumer in the preparation of meals (for example: addition of spices to a roast or to a traditional risotto).

Subsequently reducing the time spent in cooking, also Italian consumers turned to pre-cooked foods which needed reheating.

Nowadays, in Italian supermarkets there are numerous standard products for every need: tortellini pasta, for example, can be found with a hundred different fillings.

Pre-packed products are chosen, because they make us think of the values of our traditional gastronomy, memories of childhood and one‟s own homeland. But also because they correspond to the necessity of the moment (low cost, guaranteed flavor, limited time).

But what is there behind the pre-cooked or pre-packed dish?

Previously, foods were personally prepared by people who knew exactly what they contained and their curative properties.

These days, even if we read the label, the consumer cannot really know what is in pre-cooked or pre-packaged foods.

6.2 Does the Mediterranean diet of Southern Italy still exist? In the less developed and industrialized regions of Southern Italy which are still based on a rural economy, “peasant” cooking and very healthy alimentary habits have still resisted the impact and consequences of alimentary industrialization, the diffusion of hypermarkets and the model of fast food.

However, even in these regions where the Mediterranean diet is traditionally followed, an increase in the incidence of cardiovascular illnesses has been noted.

The high cost of natural foods, a sedentary lifestyle, meals out, the increased intake of hypercaloric foods and smoking have all contributed to the onset of bad eating habits.

During my experience as a cardiologist at Copertino hospital, in Salento Puglia, I have been able to observe how the rate of cardiovascular illnesses has increased even if it remains lower than the national average. This, even though Salento is one of the regions where the Mediterranean diet originated and where still today great attention is paid to the quality of food products and people can easily buy eggs, vegetables, cheese from trusted farmers.

There are more and more cases of young patients who are affected by myocardial infarction who are admitted to my Intensive Therapy ward and who are mostly suffering from dyslipidemia (with a high level of cholesterol and triglycerides), diabetics as well as smokers.

This data makes me wonder to what degree the Mediterranean diet is still part of the eating habits in Salento or in Southern Italy.

In the past, in the regions of Southern Italy it was usual for our grandparents to find wholesome, zero kilometer (produced a short distance from their kitchens) foodstuffs on their table.

These days feeding oneself with products of the same quality can only be the result of a precise choice and of a conscious commitment.

6.3 How to become conscious and responsible consumers Even though the healthy Mediterranean diet is not always part of the common eating habits of people who once used to follow it, it is still possible to improve one‟s alimentary behavior. In fact, while in the past the Mediterranean diet was followed as a habit or by necessity (as our ancestors did not have any alternative), nowadays we can (and should) follow this diet on the basis of a conscious choice.

This choice begins when we can choose alimentary products without being influenced by the various commonplaces induced by mass communications.

Often, the Mediterranean diet model becomes a slogan which publicity makes use of to propose certain foodstuffs, whose organoleptic characteristics should be carefully evaluated by consumers.

For example, we usually feel satisfied if we have used extra virgin olive oil to flavor a food, without considering that the characteristics and the definite dietary benefits of this oil depend a lot on where it has been cultivated, the picking methods and the production and conservation of the product.

Moreover, it is not taken into account the fact that the benefits of the Mediterranean diet do not come from the presence of single elements but from their interaction and particular cooking methods.

With the aim of making the consumer more conscious of their own choices and autonomous with respect to fashions or the influence of publicity, it is therefore necessary to educate and provide information about the characteristics and benefits of the various products and cooking methods of Mediterranean cookery.

So it is necessary to evaluate the right methods of production by means of visits to the producers, with the aim of motivating them to guarantee high levels of quality.

I believe that the choice of a healthy model of life inspired by the healthy Mediterranean diet is easy to realize in the places where this way of eating has been practiced for centuries, where large quantities of wholesome food are available and where alimentary industrialization, hypermarkets or the model of fast food model are not established.

Moreover, in my opinion due to its simplicity and possibility of combining flavor and health, this alimentary model is easily applicable even in other countries other than Italy.

The model of the Mediterranean diet would be a valid response to that conviction which nowadays more and more prevails (both in Italy and abroad) that the old way of eating, based on a peasant diet, which does not include too much fat or animal protein, not only is the best way to be healthy, but becomes a source of psychophysical wellbeing.

This conviction has been reinforced in recent years by the widespread diffusion of associations and movements inspired by the principal of eating healthily, such as the Convivia of Slow Food. In fact in the charter of principles of this movement it says: “Food is the unifying element which allows the reconnection of worlds which in the modern era have become separate and have followed autonomous paths, such as production, consumption, health, environment, care for the body. Slow Food promotes a way to bring food back to its important role in individual‟s lives and in all social organizations.”

In tune with these principles there is also the growing interest that consumers have for organic products.

Conclusions Nowadays more and more people realize that there is a close relationship between food on the one hand and health, longevity and physical well-being on the other hand.

Eating healthily and with appetite and the research for quality in food have nothing to do with refined, sophisticated foods or with elaborate recipes.

Healthy and tasty foods are easily realized by recuperating those alimentary traditions that, like the Mediterranean diet, have proved to be healthy and tasty.

Fortunately, nowadays it is more and more prevalent the idea that the old way of eating, based on a peasant diet which does not include excessive quantities of fats and animal proteins is the best way to stay healthy, eating with pleasure.

Moreover, the recuperation of alimentary traditions which have proved to be valid, can also give food a social and cultural value, allowing the reconnection of production, consumption, health, environment, care for the body and social ties, which - as the Slow Food Founders quite right said - have followed different and autonomous paths.

7 RECIPES FROM PUGLIA

Millenary Olive Oil Tree

FROM MY GRANDMOTHERS. TO MY MOTHER. TO ME. This section is about my personal recipes.

In the previous pages I have already described the important role Southern Italian women played in the Mediterranean culture, safeguarding and transmitting ancient gastronomic traditions.

I was born in a small town in the Salento region of Puglia. From a very young age, I was unconsciously exposed to my family‟s gastronomic traditions.

My Grandmothers have been my teachers. I learned as I watched and imitated them while they were making delicious dishes. Learning their art of cooking was like playing a game more than attending a cooking school.

Instructions were not written down, but transmitted verbally and with gestures. There were no written recipes and even measuring ingredients out with a scale was considered not necessary.

Hands were used instead of a scale. Therefore, during the preparation of recipes they would use a handful of flour, a pinch of pepper, or feel with their hands the right texture of the dough and spread olive oil with their hands.

Cooking involved all senses: touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing and was too limiting to write down on a paper all sensory qualities that a cooking preparation needed to have.

Because recipes and gastronomic traditions were passed on by word of mouth they could be different from family to family and from town to town. But the Mediterranean cooking was always centered on the figure of the woman.

Our grandmothers spent large part of the day in the kitchen. The meal preparation was a ritual that involved dedication and patience, in order for their dishes to be tasty and special at the same time.

The kitchen was the most important place in the house where family issues were discussed and where our grandmothers were able to secretly influence people‟s moods and emotions with the good smell of their dishes. Therefore, if apparently, women were relegated to the kitchen and had a marginal role in the family, in reality they were controlling all the events.

It is also interesting to consider how the cooking method changed passing from one generation to the next.

My mother‟s cooking is that of a woman who worked outside the home: she is an example of the generation change. In the kitchen, she can be compared to a “magician” with her biggest ability being to prepare fantastic dishes in very little time.

Even though eating healthy and tasty food is still her priority, she had to learn to optimize the time spent in the kitchen.

Moving on to my generation, I , and many women my age, have learned from our grandmothers how to use our senses in the preparation of food. Moreover, we have learned from our mothers how to organize our time, still making very delicious dishes.

The followings are my family‟s recipes, which I only slightly revised to make them healthier. I guarantee the final result in terms of taste does not change.

Ingredients are typical of the Mediterranean diet of Puglia and Southern Italy: legumes, grains, fish, little meat and many aromatic herbs. Extra virgin olive oil is used almost for everything. There are no fried foods and butter is never used.

The cooking method is very simple and focused on combining health and flavor.

SOUPS - ZUPPE

1.Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese 2.Carrot Soup 3.Lentil and Farro Soup 4.Vegetable Soup

1. TOMATO SOUP WITH GOAT CHEESE Zuppa di pomodoro con Formaggio di Capra

Ingredients 4 servings 2lb 2oz (1 kilo) red tomatoes, chopped ½ onion, sliced 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (intense flavor) 1 pinch sea salt fresh basil chili pepper 4 teaspoon French Goat cheese 7oz (200 grams) toasted durum wheat bread croutons

This recipe is similar to the tomato sauce used for pasta (see section 1.1, pasta recipes). In this case, with cheese and bread, it also makes a wonderful soup or starter.

Directions In a large saucepan, gently cook the onion in extra virgin olive oil (1 tablespoon) for about 2 to 3 minutes, until it begins to soften.

Add tomatoes, lower the heat to minimum and put on lid. Leave for about an hour to cook and reduce. Remove from heat, put through fine sieve or Moulinex, and discard all the bits. Return the sauce to heat, add salt, spicy pepper and leave till desired consistency has been reached. Then, add the basil leaves.

Cut the bread into small pieces and toast it. Put 1 teaspoon of goat cheese in the middle of each serving bowl. Cover with the tomato sauce and basil leaves. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Accompany with toasted bread. Serve it warm.

Key ingredients: high quality tomatoes (red, grown in the sun and organic).

Tips: do not remove the skin when cooking the tomatoes. All flavors and the powerful lycopene (and antioxidant) are in the skin.

2. CARROT SOUP Zuppa di Carote

Ingredients 4 servings 1 leek, thin slices 2 small potatoes, thin slices 6 carrots, thin slices 2 glass water 5 thyme leaves 1 teaspoon sea salt pinch black pepper 3 ½ oz (100 grams) toasted durum wheat bread croutons 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (intense flavor)

Directions Pour a glass of water in a pan and cook the leek and potatoes, for 10 minutes.

Add the carrots, sea salt, and remaining water and cook for 30 minutes with the lid. Stir one of twice so it does not stick. Switch off and allow to cool. Using an electric mixer, puree the carrots. Sprinkle with thyme and black pepper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and accompany with toasted bread. Serve it warm.

Key ingredients: good quality extra virgin olive oil; good bread (best if homemade).

Tips: this dish is perfect for vegetarians. Notice that the leek and potatoes are sauté in water (not olive oil).

3. LENTIL AND FARRO SOUP Zuppa di Farro e Lenticchie

Ingredients 4 servings 3 ½ oz (100 grams) farro 7oz (200 grams) lentils 1 potato 6 red cherry tomatoes, halved 1 carrot, chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 leek, sliced 6 radicchio leaves ½ glass wine 1teaspoon sea salt Pinch black pepper 5-6 marjoram leaves water (as necessary) 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (intense flavor) 3 ½ oz (100 grams) grated Cacioricotta cheese (or Parmigiano)

This recipe is a very good example of the Mediterranean peasant cuisine of Puglia, because of the combination of good carbs, proteins and fats.

Directions Soak the lentils and farro for at least 5-6 hours. In a pot, soften the leek together with the carrot and celery in water ( ½ glass). Add the lentils and farro and cover with water. Add the potato cut in small cubes, the tomatoes, sea salt and pepper and cook for about 1 hour. Cut the radicchio lengthwise in strips and cook it separately with the wine for 5- 10 minutes, with the lid on. Five minutes before the lentils are ready, add the radicchio and the marjoram leaves. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve it warm with Cacioricotta cheese

Key ingredients: farro; lentils; good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Tips: this dish is perfect in the winter and summer.

4. VEGETABLE SOUP Minestra di verdure

Ingredients 4 servings 2 small potatoes, in cubes 1 leek, sliced 4 carrots, chopped 7oz (200 grams) red cherry tomatoes, halved 10 ½ oz (300 grams) spinach 10 ½ oz (300 grams) cauliflower 7oz (200 grams) mushrooms, sliced 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 liter water 7oz (200 grams) toasted durum wheat bread croutons 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (intense flavor) 3 ½ oz (100 grams) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Directions

In a large pot, cook the potatoes and leek in water (1 glass) for about 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower cut in small pieces, the carrots and more water and cook for about 30 minutes. Add the mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes and cook for other 15 minutes. Season with salt. Serve it warm with toasted bread and Parmigiano cheese. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Key ingredients: all the vegetables (in season, freshly picked, in different colors).

Tips: use any vegetable you like, but add according to the cooking time.

PASTA & RISOTTI

1.Durum Wheat Orecchiette Pasta with Tomato Sauce 1.1Tomato Sauce 2.Durum Wheat Pasta with Chickpeas 3.Gnocchi with Artichoke Sauce 4.Agnolotti Pasta with Ricotta and Eggplants (Aubergines) 5.Risotto with Seafood (Marinara) 6.Risotto with Artichokes

1. DURUM WHEAT ORECCHIETTE PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE Orecchiette al Pomodoro Fresco

Ingredients 4 servings For the orecchiette pasta: 10 ½ oz (300 grams) durum wheat semolina per person ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 cup tepid water 3 cups of tomato sauce with basil (see section 1.1, pasta recipes) 3 ½ oz (100 grams) grated cacioricotta cheese from Puglia

Orecchiette is the most traditional pasta in Puglia. It is made without eggs. Only durum wheat semolina (mixed with barley, farro) and water are used. This gives a brown color to the pasta and makes it healthier. They are accompanied with broccoli (cime di rapa) in the Bari area; and with tomato sauce and cacioricotta cheese in the Lecce Salento area.

Directions Put the semolina in a mixing bowl and slowly pour tepid water into the semolina. Add the salt. Knead the semolina with your hands until most of the

53 water has been absorbed. Move on a rough wooden board and keep kneading until the dough becomes very smooth. Roll the dough and cut into small pieces. Using a blunt ended serrated knife, drag each piece around the knife and reverse over the thumb in order to give the shape of a little hat. Leave the pasta to dry. Bring a large pot of cold salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta. Cook for 5-8 minutes to have it cooked “al dente”. Serve the orecchiette with the tomato sauce and grated Cacioricotta cheese. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil raw on top.

Key ingredients: high quality durum wheat semolina.

Tips: to make orecchiette you need a rough wooden board and a serrated knife. The quantity of water to be added during the kneading may change depending on the weather. Do not add olive oil to the boiling water when cooking this pasta.

1.1 TOMATO SAUCE Passata di Pomodoro Fresco

Ingredients 4-6 servings 2lb 2oz (1 kilo) red tomatoes, chopped ½ onion sliced 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (intense flavor) 1 pinch sea salt fresh basil chili pepper

This tomato sauce recipe is one of the best representative examples of the Mediterranean cuisine. It is so simple, but so tasty at the same time!

Directions In a large saucepan, gently cook the onion in extra virgin olive oil (1tablespoon) for about 2 to 3 minutes, until it begins to soften.

Add tomatoes, lower the heat to minimum and put on lid. Leave for about an hour to cook and reduce. Remove from heat, put through fine sieve or Moulinex, and discard all the bits. Return the sauce to heat, add salt, chili pepper and leave till desired consistency has been reached. Then, add the basil leaves and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients: high quality tomatoes (red, grown in the sun and organic).

Tips: do not remove the skin when cooking the tomatoes. All flavors and the powerful lycopene (and antioxidant) are in the skin. Do not use too much olive oil when softening the onion. You can add it raw on top.

2. DURUM WHEAT PASTA WITH CHICKPEAS Pasta e Ceci (Ciceri e tria)

Ingredients 6 servings For the chick peas: 12 oz (350 grams) dried chick peas 2 liters water 1 garlic clove 1 small red onion, halved 1 carrot, sliced 1 stalk celery, chopped 3 red cherry tomatoes, halved 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon sea salt

For the pasta: 10 ½ oz (300 grams) durum wheat semolina 2/3 cup tepid water 1 teaspoon sea salt extra virgin olive oil (intense)

57 chili pepper flat leaf parsley, chopped

This dish is one of the best examples of the peasant cuisine of Puglia because of the combination of good proteins, carbs and fats. Traditionally 1/3 of the pasta was fried in olive oil. A healthier version is preferred.

Directions Soak the chickpeas overnight (8-12 hours). Next day, cover with two liters fresh water and add the garlic, onion, carrot, bay leaves, cherry tomatoes and celery. Add the salt, cover the pan and lower the flame. Cook for about three hours until the chickpeas become very tender. Add water from time to time, if needed. To make the pasta, put the semolina in a bowl and add salt and water very slowly while kneading the dough. Move on to a wooden board and keep kneading until the dough gets very smooth. Divide the dough in pieces and using a roller pin, make thin sheets. Cut them into short tagliatelle and let them dry. Cook the pasta together with the chickpeas for 4-5 minutes. Add chili pepper and parsley. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil raw on top. Serve it immediately.

Key ingredients: chickpeas; durum wheat pasta; good quality extra virgin olive oil; bay leaves.

Tip: perfect dish for vegetarian people.

3. GNOCCHI WITH ARTICHOKE SAUCE Gnocchi con Salsa di Carciofi

Ingredients 4 servings For the gnocchi: 1lb (500 grams) potatoes 7oz (200 grams) flour 1 egg pinch sea salt 2 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the artichoke sauce: 3 artichokes, thin sliced 1 leek, thin sliced 5 ½ oz (150 grams) fresh cow milk Ricotta cheese 5 mint leaves, torn 1glass water

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (intense)

Artichokes are abundant in Puglia and are in season from October to March.

Directions To make the gnocchi: Boil the potatoes and mash them. Add 1 egg, flour, a pinch of sea salt and mix everything with your hands. The quantity of flour depends on the potatoes. Roll the dough and cut in cubes. Using the gnocchi wooden board turn each piece into the gnocchi shapes. Bring a large pot of cold salted water to a boil over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the gnocchi and remove them once they start floating.

To make the artichoke sauce: Cook the leek and artichokes in water for about 20 minutes in a sauce pan. Puree them using an electric mixer. Add the ricotta cheese, 3-4 tablespoons of water used to cook the gnocchi and the mint leaves. Add the artichoke sauce to the gnocchi and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil raw on top. Serve immediately.

Key ingredients: fresh artichokes; good quality potatoes; good quality ricotta.

Tips: Once cut, artichokes are easily oxidized and turn black. To avoid this, put them in a bowl with water and lemon, or with water and a tablespoon of flour. Best potatoes to make gnocchi are floury with minimum water content.

4. AGNOLOTTI PASTA WITH RICOTTA AND EGGPLANTS (AUBERGINES) Agnolotti con Ricotta e Melanzana

Ingredients 4 servings For the pasta: 14 oz (400 grams) durum wheat semolina 4 eggs 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the stuffing: 10 ½ oz (300 grams) fresh cow milk Ricotta cheese 1 eggplant (aubergine) fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (intense flavor)

For the dressing: 3 ½ oz (100 grams) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (intense flavor) sage leaves grated nutmeg

Directions Cut the eggplant (aubergine) in half lengthwise and puncture them several times with a sharp knife. This vents steam as they bake, and prevents the eggplants from exploding. Bake in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 30 minutes (without any dressing). When ready, scoop out the flesh with a spoon and cut up into small cubes. Add the parsley and sauté in extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes, in a saucepan. Mix with the fresh ricotta stirring with a tablespoon.

To make the pasta, put the semolina in a bowl with the eggs and extra virgin olive oil. Knead the dough until it gets very smooth. Divide the dough in little balls and using the pasta machine, stretch out the dough in very thin sheets of pasta. Using a teaspoon, place some ricotta on the pasta sheet, fold and cut it using a pasta cutter. Seal it with your fingers. Bring a large pot of cold salted water to a boil over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Cook the pasta for 5 minutes. Remove it al dente and sauté in a saucepan with a few drops of olive oil and sage leaves, for 2 minutes. Serve adding the grated cheese and nutmeg. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil Serve it immediately.

Key ingredients: good quality ricotta cheese; good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Tips: for the stuffing you may also use other vegetables.

5. RISOTTO WITH SEAFOOD (MARINARA) Risotto alla Marinara

Ingredients 4 servings 1 leek, sliced 1 lb (500 grams) octopus 10 ½ oz (300 grams) small shrimps (prawns) 10 ½ oz (300 grams) brown rice ½ glass white wine flat leaf parsley, chopped pinch of black pepper pinch of sea salt 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (delicate flavor) octopus broth (as necessary) 3 bay leaves

Simple and healthy risotto made with brown rice and extra virgin olive oil.

Directions

Boil the octopus with the bay leaves for about 30 minutes in unsalted water. When ready, remove from the pot, allow to cool and cut into small pieces. Keep the octopus broth on the side and at constant warm temperature. Pour two tablespoons of octopus broth in a large sauce pan and soften the leek, till it absorbs all the liquid. Add the rice, pour in the wine and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the octopus and continue to add the broth, 1 ladle-full at a time, letting it absorb fully before adding the next ladle. Shell the shrimps and add to the rice 5 minutes before it is ready. Rice has to be al dente. Season to taste with sea salt. Sprinkle with parsley and black pepper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil raw on top. Serve immediately or the rice won‟t stay al dente.

Key ingredients: fresh octopus (best quality is the one from rocky sea bottoms, with two lines of suctions cups on the tentacles); brown rice; bay leaves.

Tips: to make the octopus more tender, freeze it overnight or beat with a meat mallet, before cooking.

6. RISOTTO WITH ARTICHOKES Risotto con i Carciofi

Ingredients 4 servings For the risotto: 4 artichokes 1 leek 1glass water ½ glass white wine 10 ½ oz (300 grams) brown rice 3 ½ oz (100 grams) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 1teaspoon sea salt pinch of black pepper 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (intense flavor)

For the vegetable broth: 1carrot 1celery stalk 500ml water

Simple and healthy risotto made with brown rice and extra virgin olive oil.

Directions For the vegetable broth, boil the water with the carrot and celery and keep it at constant warm temperature.

For the risotto, slice the leek and artichokes and cook in water in a sauce pan. Add the rice, pour in the wine and stir so it does not stick. Continue to add the broth, 1 ladle-full at a time, letting it absorb fully before adding the next ladle. 2 minutes before it is ready, add the cheese. Rice has to be al dente. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil raw on top. Serve immediately or the rice won‟t stay al dente.

Key ingredients: fresh artichokes; brown rice.

Tips: you can make the same risotto with other vegetables (mushrooms, zucchini).

FISH - PESCE

1.Octopus Salad 2.Baked Anchovies 3.Cod with Potatoes and Cardoncelli Mushrooms 4.Sea Bream in Sea Salt Crust 5.Stuffed Squid

1. OCTOPUS SALAD Insalata di polipo

Ingredients 4 servings 2 lb (1 kilo) octopus 2 liters water 1 whole carrot 1 whole celery stalk 7oz (200 grams) rocket (arugula) 10 ½ oz (300 grams) red cherry tomatoes, halved 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (delicate flavor) 2-3 bay leaves grated zest of 1 lemon

Octopus are abundant in the Mediterranean sea. Two species can be found: one that lives in sandy bottoms and the other that lives in rocky bottoms. The latter, which is the most valuable and savory, can easily be recognized by the two lines of suction cups on the tentacles.

Directions Boil the octopus with the bay leaves, celery and carrot for about 30 minutes in unsalted water. Then remove, allow to cool and cut into small pieces. In a salad bowl, mix the octopus with the cherry tomatoes, rocket and grated lemon zest. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Key ingredients: fresh octopus; rocket (wild type preferred); very good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Tips: to make the octopus more tender, freeze it overnight or beat with a meat mallet, before cooking it.

2. BAKED ANCHOVIES Alici al forno

Ingredients 6-8 servings 1lb 5oz (600 grams) fresh anchovies 1 ¾ oz (50 grams) breadcrumbs (center loaf, in powder) flat leaf parsley, chopped pinch of black pepper

Anchovies are abundant in the Mediterranean sea. Rich in omega-3 oils, these fish contain calcium, iron and phosphorus. They also provide niacin (which helps with DNA repair), selenium (for cell function), Vitamin A, D, E.

Directions Scale, remove the head and spine and wash the anchovies. Lay the anchovies covering the bottom of a baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the parsley and black pepper and sprinkle on top of the anchovies.

Bake in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes.

Key ingredients: use fresh anchovies (not salted).

Tip: make breadcrumbs from your own homemade bread. This dish makes a wonderful starter.

3. COD WITH POTATOES AND CARDONCELLI MUSHROOMS Baccalà con Patate e Funghi Cardoncelli

Ingredients 4 servings 1lb 12oz (800grams) dry salted cod, small pieces 14oz (400 grams) potatoes 14oz (400 grams) Cardoncello mushrooms ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped chili pepper 1 ¾ oz (50 grams) breadcrumbs (center loaf, in powder) 6-7 red cherry tomatoes, halved 1 glass of water

Directions Soak the cod fish in fresh clean water for 48 hours before use. Change the water twice a day to help remove the salt. Peel and cut the potatoes into 5mm slices. Mix them in a bowl together with the breadcrumbs, parsley, tomatoes and chili pepper. Cut the mushrooms into small pieces.

Lay a layer of potatoes covering the bottom of a baking pan. Add on top the cod fish (without the skin) and the mushrooms. Cover everything with the remaining potatoes. Pour in a glass of water. Bake in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 45-50 minutes. Serve tepid.

Key ingredients: dry salted cod; cardoncello mushrooms (you can also use King Oyster Mushrooms).

Tips: make breadcrumbs from your own homemade bread.

4. SEA BREAM IN SEA SALT CRUST Orata in Crosta di Sale

Ingredients 4 servings 2 lb (1 kilo) sea bass (or sea bream) 4 lb 4 oz (2 kilo) coarse sea salt ½ glass water

This is a very healthy and delicious recipe. With the high temperature of the oven, the salt that covers the fish will solidify and will absorb part of the fat. Also, the salt will seal in the fish and prevent the loss of the nutritive substances, the flavor and fragrance.

Directions Preheat the oven at 200 °C (400 °F) Clean the fish. Leave the skin and scales. Place a layer of sea salt in the bottom of a large baking pan. Lay the fish on top of the sea salt and cover it completely with the remaining sea salt.

Sprinkle a bit of water on top. Cook for about 25 -30 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F) . Remove the fish from the oven. Break the sea salt crust with a palette knife. Remove the fish from the sea salt and place onto a serving plate. Remove the fish skin and fins. You may drizzle with some good extra virgin olive oil (delicate flavor).

Key ingredients: fresh fish; coarse sea salt.

Tips: use the same recipe to make shrimps (prawns) in sea salt crust.

5. STUFFED SQUID Calamari Ripieni

Ingredients 4 servings 4 calamari 4 tablespoons bread crumbs (center loaf; use 1 or 2 day old durum wheat or barley bread) 1 ¾ oz (50 grams) grated Parmigiano Reggiano 1 small garlic clove, chopped 1 tablespoon capers 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped pinch black pepper 8 toothpicks 500 ml tomato sauce (see section 1.1, pasta recipes).

Directions

Prepare the tomato sauce on the side so it‟s ready to put the squid in, once prepared. Wash the calamari and separate the heads. Remove the eyes and cut the heads and tentacles into small pieces. Put them in a bowl, and mix with the freshly grated breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, capers, extra virgin olive oil and pepper. Scrunch it well with your hands so the breadcrumbs absorb all the flavors. Stuff the calamari, not more than 2/3 full and secure with two toothpicks. In large sauté pan, pour in the tomato sauce, add the stuffed calamari, cover with the lid and cook from 30 to 40 minutes, on a low flame. Only turn once as this wrecks them.

Key ingredients: fresh calamari (not frozen); good quality extra virgin olive oil; capers (in white wine vinegar); good quality bread (for breadcrumbs).

Tip: after you cook the squid, use the tomato sauce for pasta or toasted bread!

MEAT – CARNE

1.Baked Eggplants (Aubergines) with Meat, Capers and Tomatoes 2.Chicken with Potatoes 3.Meatballs and Stuffed Big Meatballs

1. BAKED EGGPLANTS (AUBERGINES) WITH MEAT, CAPERS AND TOMATOES Melanzane Ripiene

Ingredients 3-4 servings 3 eggplants (aubergines) 10 ½ oz (300 grams) minced meat (veal or beef) 3 ½ oz (100 grams) Parmesan cheese grated 1 ¾ oz (50 grams) thick bread crumbs (center loaf, use 1 or 2 day old durum wheat or barley bread) 4 ripe red tomatoes cut into chunks 3 or 4 tablespoons of wine 3 tablespoons capers ½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley pinch of dry oregano pinch sea salt pinch of black pepper 2 or 3 cups tomato sauce plus basil (see section 1.1, pasta recipes)

Directions Remove the green top of the eggplants (aubergines). Cut in half lengthwise.

Scoop out the flesh so there is a shell about 3mm thick. Boil a large saucepan of water. When it is boiling, add the eggplant shells for 10 to 15 minutes. Then remove and drain them. Cut up the flesh into small pieces, about 1cm square. In another saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the meat and wine. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add chopped flesh of the eggplants, tomatoes, capers, salt and pepper. Put the lid on the pan, and cook for about 1 hour on low heat. Then take off the heat and allow to cool. When cool, add cheese, freshly grated breadcrumbs, parsley and stir in. Then fill the shells. Put the stuffed eggplants in a baking pan, cover with the tomato sauce, sprinkle with breadcrumbs (fine) and oregano. Bake in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Key ingredients: capers (in white wine vinegar); good quality Parmigiano cheese; good quality bread (for breadcrumbs); dry oregano.

Tips: best served cold. Do not put any garlic. This recipe can also be used to stuff bell peppers as a substitute for eggplants. For vegetarians, the same recipe can be made without the meat.

2. CHICKEN WITH POTATOES Pollo con le Patate

Ingredients 4 servings 4 chicken legs 14oz (400 grams) potatoes 1 ¾ oz (50 grams) bread crumbs (center loaf, in powder) flat leaf parsley 6-8 Bay leaves rosemary 1 ¾ oz (50 grams) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 4-5 red cherry tomatoes 1 glass of water sea salt

Directions Slice the potatoes, put them in a bowl and mix together with breadcrumbs, cheese, sliced tomatoes, bay leaves and parsley. Put the chicken legs in a baking pan. Cover the chicken with the potatoes.

Sprinkle top with rosemary, breadcrumbs and sea salt. Pour in the water and bake in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 45 minutes. Serve warm!

Key ingredients: bay leaves; rosemary.

Tip: make the breadcrumbs from your own homemade bread.

3. MEATBALLS & STUFFED BIG MEATBALLS Polpette & Polpettoni

Ingredients for the Meatballs 30 balls 1 lb (500 grams) of minced meat (veal or beef) 1 whole egg ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped 4-5 mint leaves 3 ½ oz (100 grams) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 1 ¾ oz (50 grams) breadcrumbs (center loaf, use 1 or 2 day old durum wheat or barley bread) pinch Nutmeg pinch black pepper ½ teaspoon sea salt 500 ml of fresh tomato sauce with basil (see section 1.1, pasta recipes).

Additional ingredients for the Stuffed Big Meatballs: 1 ¾ oz (50 grams) cooked ham 1 ¾ oz (50 grams) Gruyère cheese 2 tablespoon of capers (in white wine vinegar)

Meatballs are not fried before cooking with the tomato sauce. Polpettoni are just a bit bigger in size than regular meatballs.

Direction for the meatballs In a bowl, put the meat, egg and parmesan and mix well by hand. Then add freshly grated breadcrumbs, black pepper, nutmeg, sea salt, parsley and mint leaves. Make small balls and put them on a tray. Place them in the fridge to rest for at least an hour (this is the secret!). In a large sauté pan, pour in the tomato sauce and add the meatballs. Cook gently for 40 to 60 minutes on a low flame and with no lid.

Directions for the stuffed big meatballs Cut the Gruyère cheese and the ham into small pieces. Put 3 capers, a small piece of cheese and ham in the middle of the meatballs. Make medium size balls and cook with tomato sauce for 40-60 minutes on a low flame.

Key ingredients: breadcrumbs (from good quality bread; make you own at home); homemade tomato sauce; good quality meat (choose and have it minced in front of you); nutmeg.

Tip: this recipe can also be done in the oven.

VEGETABLES - VERDURE

1.Grilled Eggplants (Aubergines) 2.Zucchini (Courgettes) Parmigiana 3.Sweet and Sour Bell Peppers 4.Eggplant (Aubergine) Balls 5.Seasonal Vegetable Pie

1. GRILLED EGGPLANTS (AUBERGINES) Melanzane Grigliate

Ingredients 6 servings 2 eggplants (aubergines) 5-6 fresh mint leaves 1 garlic clove, chopped extra virgin olive oil (intense flavor) traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena

Directions Slice the eggplants (with the skin) about 1 cm thick. Using your fingers, brush and coat the eggplant slices lightly with olive oil. Put them on a baking tray and bake in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 minutes. Turn the slices so that they cook well both sides. Once they are ready lay on a serving plate. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and traditional balsamic vinegar. Add mint leaves and garlic. Serve room temperature.

Key ingredients: fresh mint; good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Tips: this recipe is perfect in the summer. It makes a wonderful starter or side dish. Do not use too much garlic!

2. ZUCCHINI (COURGETTES) PARMIGIANA Parmigiana di Zucchine

Ingredients 5-8 servings 5 zucchini (courgettes) medium to large size 3 ½ oz (100 gram) of sliced Gruyère cheese 1 ¾ oz (50 gram) white 00 flour 3 tablespoons capers 2 anchovies pinch sea salt 4 cups tomato sauce with basil and chili pepper (see section 1.1, pasta recipes).

Traditionally, parmigiana is made with fried zucchini (courgettes) or eggplants (aubergines). This is a much healthier version as zucchini (courgettes) are not fried.

Directions Prepare the tomato sauce on the side. Before it is ready add the salt, basil and some chili pepper.

Smear a baking pan with olive oil. Slice the zucchini (courgettes) lengthwise, about 3mm thick. Using your fingers, brush and coat the zucchini slices lightly with olive oil, then dust with flour and put on baking tray. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C (400°F) for about 20 to 30 minutes. Cook until the zucchini are leathery and soft. Then in a baking dish with sides, pour in the tomato sauce to cover the bottom. Lay slices of zucchini. Do not leave gaps between them. Add cheese, capers, anchovies and cover with more sauce. Repeat till zucchini are used up. Sprinkle top with oregano if wanted, but don‟t put cheese on top before baking. Bake at 180 °C (350°F) for 20 to 30 minutes. Eat hot, cool or cold!

Key ingredients: capers (in white wine vinegar); the homemade tomato sauce.

Tips: you can make the same recipe without anchovies, which makes it perfect for vegetarians. It makes a wonderful dish for elegant dinners as well as a picnic.

3. SWEET AND SOUR BELL PEPPERS Peperoni in Agrodolce

Ingredients 4 servings 3 bell peppers, all colors chopped into strips or squares 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 table spoons raw sugar 3 table spoons white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon capers 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs (center loaf; use 1 or 2 day old durum wheat or barley bread) ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped 1 pinch of salt

Directions Put the extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan with the sugar. On a medium low heat, cook and watch for 2 minutes. The sugar will become translucent.

Then add the chopped peppers. Cover the pan with the lid and let cook for about 45 minutes till the peppers are softer. Check from time to time that they are not burning. Do not add any liquid. After 35 minutes, add the capers and the wine vinegar and keep cooking for 10 more minutes. Then add freshly grated breadcrumbs and parsley and turn off heat. Eat hot, cool or cold!

Key ingredients: capers (in white wine vinegar); fresh parsley.

Tips: this is a fantastic recipe that can be paired with any dish, bruschetta or meat, fish or pasta courses. The liquid can also be used as risotto base.

4. EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) BALLS Polpette di Melanzane

Ingredients 5-8 servings 1 eggplant (aubergine) 2 eggs 7 oz (200grams) grated Pecorino (sheep) cheese 5 ½ oz (150 grams) breadcrumbs (center loaf; use 1 or 2 day old durum wheat or barley bread) ½ cup flat leaf parsley 9-10 fresh mint leaves 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg pinch black pepper ½ clove of garlic chopped not mashed 5 cups tomato sauce with basil (see section 1.1, pasta recipes)

Directions Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and boil for 30mins in unsalted water.

Remove and squeeze it to wring out the water. Add the cheese, eggs, pepper, freshly grated breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, nutmeg, mint. Mix together by hand then make the shape of small balls. In a baking dish with sides, pour in the tomato sauce to cover the bottom. Add the eggplant balls. Cook at 180°C (350°F) for about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve, warm, cold or the day after.

Key ingredients: breadcrumbs from good quality bread (make your own); mint leaves; nutmeg; very good quality Pecorino cheese.

Tips: do not use too much garlic. This is a perfect recipe for vegetarians and for children who don‟t like eating vegetables.

5. SEASONAL VEGETABLE PIE Sformato di Verdure di Stagione

Ingredients 6-8 servings 9oz (250 grams) white 00 flour 2 eggs ½ eggplant (aubergine) 1 carrot 1zucchini (courgette) ½ fennel 7oz (200 grams) radicchio 3 ½ oz (100 grams) Grana Padano cheese 3 ½ oz (100 grams) fresh cow milk ricotta cheese 3 ½ oz (100 grams) Robiola cheese (or any spreadable cheese) pinch nutmeg pinch black pepper 1 teaspoon sea salt ½ glass of low-fat milk extra virgin olive oil

Directions Cut the eggplant (aubergine) in small pieces and sauté in extra virgin olive oil with the lid for 10 minutes. Grate the zucchini (courgette), fennel and carrot and add them to the eggplant (aubergine). Cook until they become soft. In another bowl, mix the flour with the eggs, grated Grana Padano cheese, ricotta, nutmeg, black pepper, sea salt and all the vegetables. Add the radicchio cut into small strips. Mix everything and add the milk. Prepare a baking pan with olive oil and flour and pour half of the mixture in the pan. Spread the Robiola everywhere on top. Cover with the second half of the mixture on top. Bake it in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 40 minutes.

Key ingredients: good quality and fresh ricotta cheese; robiola cheese; radicchio.

Tips: this pie is very good when warm but also the day after.

SWEETS – DOLCI

1.Homemade Lemon Granita 2.Homemade Pear Jam Tart 3.Ricotta Cake 4.Tiramisù 5.Chocolate and Banana Muffins

1. HOMEMADE LEMON GRANITA Granita al Limone Fatta in Casa

Ingredients ½ liter of water 10 ½ oz (300 grams) of white sugar zest of two lemons 2 glasses of lemon juice use 10” by 10” box

Directions Boil the sugar, water and zest of 1 lemon, till syrupy. When cold add the lemon juice and remove the zest. Boil again for a few minutes, and stir well. Cool the mixture and add the grated zest of one lemon. Freeze it. After about 2 hours remove from the freezer and using a spoon, mash around. Re-freeze, and use.

Key Ingredients: the lemons (organic and freshly picked).

Tips: serve with some mint leaves. It‟s perfect on a warm day.

2. HOMEMADE PEAR JAM TART Crostata con Confettura di Pere Fatta in Casa

Ingredients 4-10 servings 10 ½ oz (300 grams) white 00 flour 5 ½ oz (150 grams) sugar 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (delicate flavor) 1 whole egg 2 yolks 1 Italian baking powder bag (16 grams, Bertolini) pinch of sea salt grated zest of 1 lemon 20 ml freshly made orange juice Jam (as necessary)

Directions In a bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder. Add the sugar, a pinch of salt and grated lemon. Add the extra virgin olive oil, orange juice, yolks and whole egg. Knead all the ingredients with your hands and very quickly (this is the secret!!).

Cover the dough with a kitchen napkin and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Prepare the baking pan with the olive oil and the flour. Put 2/3 of the mixture in the baking pan using your hands. Spread the jam on top. With the remaining dough, make some strips and put them on top of the tart, making some squares. Place in a pre-heated oven for 25 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).

Key ingredients: homemade jam (traditionally pear or quince jam); freshly picked lemon.

Tips: serve it warm!

100

3. RICOTTA CAKE Torta di Ricotta

Ingredients 6-8 servings 12oz (350 grams) 00 flour 7oz (200 grams) sugar 5 ½ oz (150 grams) fresh cow milk ricotta cheese 5 fl oz (150 ml) semi skimmed milk 2 eggs 7oz (200 grams) plums (or peach) grated zest of 1 lemon 1 ½ oz (40 grams) pine nuts 1 ½ oz (40 grams raisins 1 Italian baking powder bag (16 grams, Bertolini)

This is a simple, quick and delicious recipe. It is made with no butter and no olive oil.

101

Directions In a bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and grated lemon zest. Add the two eggs and the ricotta. Then, add the milk and keep mixing. Cut the fruit into small pieces and mix everything. Prepare a baking pan with olive oil and flour. Pour in the mixture and bake at 180 °C (350 °F) for 45 minutes.

Key ingredients: good quality and fresh cow milk ricotta; freshly picked lemon.

Tips: you can use any seasonal fruit.

102

4. TIRAMISÙ

Ingredients 8 servings 2/3 mug of expresso coffee (with beans, not instant) 4 whole eggs 3 ½ oz (100 grams) icing sugar pinch salt Baileys ½ cup ½ pound (225 grams) fresh cow milk ricotta cheese 2 packets ladyfinger biscuits bitter cocoa powder 10 ½ oz (30 grams) black chocolate (at least 75%)

Directions Separate the eggs (yolks and whites) into two bowls. Using a beater, beat the yolks till pale and fluffy. In a separate bowl, add salt to the whites and beat till resembling a thick cream.

103

In a third bowl, mix the ricotta with the icing sugar, and then add to the whites. Mix slowly with a spatula. Finally, add in the yolks gently. Use dish about 12” by 8” Mix the coffee and Baileys together. Lay the biscuits in at an angle so they are raised, not flat (like roof slates). Using a spoon, lightly soak the biscuits with the coffee mixture. This is the secret! Then, spread the creamy mixture evenly over the top. Chop the dark chocolate (make small pieces). Pop in the chopped chocolate so it is hidden. Dust with cocoa powder. Leave in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours.

Key ingredients: very good quality black chocolate (at least 75%); Baileys; good quality and fresh ricotta.

Tips: make it in the morning for dinner, or the night before for lunch.

104

5. BANANA AND CHOCOLATE MUFFINS Muffin Cioccolato e Banana

Ingredients 4 servings 7oz (200 grams) white 00 flour 4oz (120 grams) low fat yogurt 4oz (120 grams) white sugar 3 whole eggs 2 tablespoons bitter cocoa powder 1 Italian baking powder bag (16 grams, Bertolini) 2fl oz (50ml) of rum grated zest of 1 lemon ½ banana, sliced 1 ¾ oz (50 grams) black chocolate - chopped

Directions Mix all the ingredients, adding the banana as the very last ingredient. Prepare the ramekins with olive oil and flour. Fill each ramekin 2/3 full.

105

Bake in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 minutes. Serve it warm!

Key ingredient: good quality cocoa powder; good quality black chocolate; rum.

Tips: you can also accompany with ice cream.

106

BREAD – PANE

1.Homemade Bread

107

1. HOMEMADE BREAD Pane Fatto in Casa

Ingredients 500 grams durum wheat (semolina) flour 1 yeast, in powder 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil natural water (as necessary) 1 teaspoon sea salt durum wheat (semolina) flour, as necessary (about 250 grams)

Directions Put the flour in a bowl. Add yeast, extra virgin olive oil and then sea salt. Mix everything with a wooden tablespoon. Add room temperature natural water, enough to obtain a sticky dough, almost liquid. Cover with a napkin and place in the fridge for 24 hours. After 24 hours on a wooden board spread the semolina durum wheat and knead it together with the dough. Make the bread shape that you like. Let the dough rise for 1-2 hours.

108

Bake in the oven at 250°C (480°F) for 20 minutes and at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes. Serve with cherry tomatoes, wild rocket and extra virgin olive oil. Or you use it with one of the soups in this book.

Key ingredients: natural water.

Tips: mix everything with a wooden tablespoon (do not touch with your hands).

109

Acknowledgements Writing this book has been a wonderful experience. In addition to realizing how much I love sharing what I know about the Mediterranean food, I also met very special people. Without their contribution this book would not be the same. I have learned so much from them and I want to thank them for their friendship and valuable help.

I want to thank so much Leslie Mello and Kristine Mertz, two American ladies, expert in Strategy and graphic design, who inspired me to write this book. As foodies, they came to Puglia three years ago and after experiencing the local “obsession” with sourcing the freshest ingredients and eating “well”, they suggested I wrote a book about the Mediterranean cuisine of Southern Italy. They have helped me so much with their advice, pictures and patience.

I also want to thank Sarah Knight for translating my work from Italian to English.

The events organized in Puglia by my Slow Food friends have been a wonderful source of inspiration and opportunity to experience the cultural value associated with food, as a way to preserve our traditions and bring people together.

The Farmers at the Monday farmers‟ market in Lecce (Puglia), the extra virgin olive oil producers and fishermen in my own town have contributed so much to my approach to ingredients, health and flavors.

Finally, I want to thank my mom, Dina, for her recipes and for teaching me the importance of family, friends and “good” food in my life.

110

Bibliography

Books: A Capatti, M Montanari, La cucina italiana, Laterza, Bari 2008 U Veronesi, M Pappagallo, Verso la scelta vegetariana, Giunti, Milano 2011 G.Sangiorgi Cellini, A. Toti, La dieta Mediterranea Giunti, Milano, 2010 A.Villarini, G Allegro, Prevenire i tumori mangiando con gusto, Sperling & Kupfer, 2009

Scientific Articles: 1.Willett WC, Sacks F, Trichopoulou A, Drescher G, Ferro-Luzzi A, Helsing E, Trichopoulos D., Mediterranean diet pyramid: a cultural model for healthy eating. Am J Clin Nutr 1995; 61 (suppl):1402s-1406s. 2. Keys A. Seven Countries: A multivariate analysis of death and coronary heart disease. Cambridge: Harvard University Press,1980. 3. Goldstein DJ (1992) Beneficial health effects of modest weight loss. International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders 16, 397–415. 4. St-Onge MP, Janssen I, Heymsfield SB. Metabolic syndrome in normal-weight Americans: new definition of the metabolically obese, normal-weight individual. Diabetes Care. 2004,Sep;27(9):2222-8. 5. Bo S et al. Dietary fat and gestational hyperglycaemia. Diabetologia,2001, 44:972--978 6. Vessby bet al. Substituting dietary saturated for monounsaturated fat impairs insulin sensitivity in healthy men and women: the KANWU study. Diabetologia 2001. 44: 312-319 7. Riccardi G, Rivellese AA. Dietary treatment of the metabolic syndrome: the optimal diet. BrJ Nutr 2000; 83 (suppl1): S 143-S148. 8. Trichopoulou A., Costacou T., Bamia C., Trichopoulos D, Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet and Survival in a Greek Population, The New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 348, N° 26, 2003. 9. Barzi F et al for the GISSI-Prevenzione investigators. Mediterranean diet and all- causes mortality after myocardial infarction: results from the GISSI-prevenzione trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003; 57: 604-11. 10. Reaven, P., Parthasarathy, S., Grasse, B. J., Miller, E., Steinberg, D. & Witztum, (1993b) Effects of oleate-rich and linoleate-rich diets on the susceptibility of low density lipoprotein to oxidative modification in mildly hypercholes terolemic subjects. J. Clin. Investig. 91: 668– 676. 11. World cancer Foundation and American Institute for cancer prevention 1997, Owen 2000 12. Jenkins DJ, Wolever TM, Taylor RH, Barker H, Fielden H, Baldwin JM,Bowling AC, Newman HC, Jenkins AL, Goff DV: Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange. Am J Clin Nutr 34:362–366, 1981. 13. Larson NI et al. (2009). Making time for meals: Meal structure and associations with dietary intake in young adults. J Am Diet Assoc 109:72-79. 14. Epidemiological studies related to coronary heart disease: characteristics of men aged 40-59 in seven countries. Keys A, Aravanis C, Blackburn HW, Van Buchem FS, Buzina R, Djordjević BD, Dontas AS, Fidanza F, Karvonen MJ, Kimura N, Lekos D, Monti M, Puddu V, Taylor HL. Acta Med Scand Suppl. 1966;460:1-392.

111

15. Coronary heart disease in seven countries. Keys A (Ed). Circulation. 1970 Apr; 41(4 Suppl):I 1-200. 16. Heart disease risk-factor status and dietary changes in the Cretan population over the past 30y: the Seven Countries Study. Kafatos A, Diacatou A, Voukiklaris G, Nikolakakis N, Vlachonikolis J, Kounali D, Mamalakis G, Dontas AS. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Jun;65(6):1882- 6. 17. Inter-cohort differences in coronary heart disease mortality in the 25-year follow-up of the seven countries study. Menotti A, Keys A, Kromhout D, Blackburn H, Aravanis C, Bloemberg B, Buzina R, Dontas A, Fidanza F, Giampaoli S, et al. Eur J Epidemiol. 1993 Sep;9(5):527-36.

112