Puglia native Anna Maggio believes eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and that simple dishes are the ones we should relish. "When someone has done something with a few fresh ingredients and it tastes good, that’s a victory,” she says. And those victories are a way of life in her homeland.
Her beautiful new book, Under the Olive Tree: Memories and Flavours of Puglia, celebrates the rustic cuisine of this region of southern Italy, the heel of the Italian boot, where she grew up in a small village. At age 10, her family moved to Milan. Shortly after they arrived in the affluent city in 1956, she began to feel embarrassed of her accent and southern roots, which were perceived as uncultured and uncouth at that time, she recalls. “I even changed my name to Barbara, because it seemed like a more northern name.”
But after Maggio moved to England in her early 20s, she gained a new appreciation for her upbringing and her childhood in Puglia. “I realized there was so much not known about what good food is, and I wanted to share the conviviality and allegria (cheerfulness) of the cuisine of Italy,” she says.
Maggio led culinary tours and classes in several Italian regions, and 12 years ago, she bought a 250-year-old trullo, a traditional stone dwelling with a conical roof, in Pascarosa near Ostuni in Puglia. Maggio ultimately decided to write Under the Olive Tree to pass on the recipes, flavors, and customs that she learned from her mother as a child.
Under The Olive Tree
“The cuisine of Puglia is simple, and cooking has always been something passed through generations. You have to cultivate an inner feeling for the ingredients,” Maggio explains. With this book, she wanted to record and leave a trace of these food traditions, which had never been written down in her family.
Olives, peppers, eggplant, cime di rape (“broccoli rabe”), tomatoes, artichokes, and almonds are among the Pugliese staples that Maggio highlights in the recipes in her book. She emphasizes that the freshness of the ingredients is crucial, and recommends using only in-season produce. "We shouldn’t be eating strawberries in January,” she says.
Fennel illustration from Under the Olive Tree
A few of Maggio’s other pro tips: Use the right amount of salt, not too little (your food will be insipid if you don’t). Also, be selective about what you put into your body; you feel happier if you eat good things.
And finally: Have a lot of laughter and pleasure with your food always. And don’t overcook the pasta.
“Puglia is a land where nature is unspoiled and culinary traditions are still very much alive," she says. "Sharing a bruschetta and a glass of wine can be more convivial than a banquet. This is what I now celebrate.”