An Apulian Cooking Class

The famous Lama Monachile

Today's activity of choice WAS to be a DIY tour of the baroque city of Lecce, the "Florence of the South". However, after yesterday's heat trauma and perusing the stone and hard surfaces in online images of Lecce, we were content to enjoy the sea instead...and do laundry.

The day was pleasantly low key. Visit the beach. Wash our clothes. Nap and watch Netflix. 

Custard pasty today for breakfast

The Italians on holiday don't really wake up early. This beach would be insanely packed later...

Nearly 9am still no one awake!

Our evening activity was an Apulian cooking class. Our teacher was Anna Maria, a local from Conversano, a village about 10km inland from Polignano a Mare. Like many Italians, she was a hoot. We got the opportunity to chat in length as the other 6 participants of the class were 30 minutes late. It turned out that Anna Maria had a degree in political science, which declared was the most useless ever, as here she was now teaching tourists how to make orecchiette. She was also about to become an international TV star, having hosted Channel's Nine Getaway to film a special on the region!

The cooking class was fun, but more simple than the one we did in Verona. The pasta used a different flour and had no egg. Most of the class was spent trying to perfect the roll of the knife to create the shape of the orecchiette. The sauce she used was also based on Mutti as per our previous class. Highlight of the class was Maria's facial expression when one of our American cooking buddies asked how she made her "gravy" and her response when one of the American kids wanted to eat the pasta with no sauce...Why? What is wrong with you?

Maria chatted about food in Puglia while serving us freshly made focaccia, taralli, olives, and home made wine. We had time to chat, make new friends and eat good food! A lovely way to end our time in Polignano a Mare.

The brutally honest but hilarious Anna Maria

After kneading the dough, it is rolled into long strands. Cut small bits off and shape with a knife in a rolling motion. 

Eccola!

Very simple. Tomato based sauce, parmesan cheese and pasta. That is it!

So tasty

Look out for her on Channel 9's Getaway!