Many of the recipes in this book were never written down - they were demonstrated by mothers to their daughters. In the same way the reader, trying out the recipes, can use their own imaginations, but remembering that Italians have very specific ways of cooking, varying from region to region. Puglia is known for the quality of its olives, vegetables and fruit: the traditional recipes use these ingredients, cooked simply and deliciously. Each season is different and the recipes passed from generation to generation celebrate, rather than disguise, the intense flavours and colours of the raw ingredients. Th is is not a simple cookery book; it is enhanced by beautiful illustrations in pencil and ink by Emma Hobbins.
