Tag: salento

  • PUGLIA, OR LE PUGLIE

    PUGLIA, OR LE PUGLIE

    PUGLIA, OR LE PUGLIE.

    Across the Apulian territories among sea, countryside, historical cities and an important culinary tradition.

     About 800 km of coastline distributed between the Ionian and Adriatic seas, give the traveler a colorful spectacle.

     Because the color is the main character of Puglie, or better, of Puglia, with a thousand shades of blue and emerald sea green, yellow and white of the sandy beaches; gray coastlines that slope sometimes gently at times to peak in the deep waters.

     For those who want to know and be surprised by the authenticity of the places, this region enjoys the wonders of the natural landscape that alternates between the spontaneity of the Mediterranean olive trees silver, the changing colors of the vineyards and gardens that alternate with deep red of the land.

     Also charms with blinding white light of the fishing villages or Baroque buildings, it is to live the unique experience of places and hospitable people, conquer curious palate with intense flavors of simple ingredients that cause important dishes.

     From north to south, Puglia is to discover!

    Across apulian territories:

    Murgia

     The Murgia‘s Culture and Traditions. In addition to a lot of green and with some of the most beautiful landscapes of southern Italy, Murgia capture and it is to be appreciated for many activities, fot its scents and for the flavors of local gastronomy.

    Bari’s land 

     The Bari area extends between the last step of Murgia and the coastline. It is a karst area, with altitudes almost constantly decreasing from 300-400 meters above sea level in the inner points to the sea.

    Alberobello, Valle d’Itria and Costa Merlata

     Alberobello, Valle d’Itria and the Costa Merlata welcome visitors with expanses of olive trees dotted with trulli … unparalleled, trees that dominate the red of the land and buildings that in the historic center of Alberobello became a UNESCO heritage created by the skilled hands of men and that make the scene around a succession of wonderful color effects, till the sea.

    Ionian coast

     The Ionian coast is characterized by wide beaches and a limpid water gently sloping into deepness. Karst hills just as an arch protects Taranto, known as the ‘city of two seas’, the capital of a region that got a strong tourist vocation and popular food and wine tradition.

    Puglia Imperiale

     Crossing the territory of Puglia Imperiale, from the plateau of the Murgia descend to the Adriatic coast between Barletta and Trani, with the feeling review the history of a land that is rich in evidence with a beautiful countryside that serves as a background to big farms, historical cities heart, cathedrals, castles .. with Castel del Monte that catches the eye throug all the way.

    Gargano, Capitanata and Daunia

     The territory extending from the Gargano to Daunia presents a variety of scenarios: sweet hills in Fortore river valley, Daunian Apennine area and Ofanto river valley, the plain of Tavoliere, the Gargano National Park area view on the untouched archipelago of the Tremiti Islands.

    Salento

     The sun, the sea, the wind … the Salento. It is the nature the first thing that strikes coming in this land stretch between two seas. The Salento has its heart in the province of Lecce and reaches the Adriatic to Brindisi and Taranto, on the Ionian sea.

    Puglia, or Puglie

     Puglie, or rather, Puglia has many qualities and if the lack of high mountains is compensated by the proximity to the Abruzzo and Basilicata, from Gargano to Salento there is really everything.

    photo credits
    (pixabay.com; pugliapress.org; mapio.net; truriders.it; lupuzzu.it; sedicotaranto.it; gazzettadaltacco.it; hoteltimone.it)

  • UniSalento, CNR and Xylella Fastidiosa Diagnostic

    UniSalento, CNR and Xylella Fastidiosa Diagnostic

    UniSalento, CNR and Xylella Fastidiosa Diagnostic.

    it is an article by Almanacco della Scienzacnr.it

    Unisalento research group and CNR have developed a device for Xylella Fastidiosa Diagnostic.

    Scientific Reports, a journal by Nature group, published (Chiriacò, Luvisi et al., Scientific Reports 8, 7376 (6 Maggio 2018)), the result of a joint research group with University of Salento and CNR Nanotec of Lecce. The research was about a microsensor-based prototypal diagnostic device for detecting Xylella fastidiosa on the olive trees. Xylella Fastidiosa is bacteria living and reproducing inside xylematic vessels of olive trees and other plants.

    The developed device got ability to identify the pathogen presence, thanks to its high sensitivity. Pathogen afflicts the trees of the Salento area, with rapid analysis times. This is an important first step towards in-situ diagnostics, as a valuable tool in the hands of industry experts for field analysis.

    The Xylella Fastidiosa detection is usually performed using laboratory techniques (Elisa and Pcr).

    Serena Chiriacò, CNR researcher, says “the two traditional methods have been compared with the new test developed, new test was developed on electrochemical biochips. Results are comparable to those of traditional tests, but with significant costs and time spent for analysis advantages”.

    “The development of new diagnostic techniques – commented Andrea Luvisi, a University of Salento researcher – is a useful monitoring resource and an essential containment of the epidemic activity”.

    Authors of the publication explain that his work is the result of a solid collaboration between the University of Salento and the Cnr Nanotec. This collaboration allowed a strongly interdisciplinary team composition, with the presence of pathologists and plant physiologists, biologists, biotechnologists and physicists. These have worked together to create an innovative biosensor able to detect the presence of the phytopathogen.

    The lab-on-chip realized includes a microfluidic module allowing to perform analysis on small sample volumes. Its performances are competitive compared to conventional diagnostic methods. Further advantages are portability (the whole device measures a few square centimeters), low costs and ease of use.

    Once industrialized, the proposed technology can provide a method of analysis made in Salento, useful for implementing a large-scale screening.

    The Study Result:
    (Chiriacò, Luvisi et al., Scientific Reports 8, 7376 (6 Maggio 2018))

    Info contact:
    Serena Chiriacò, ricercatrice Cnr, mariaserena.chiriaco@nanotec.cnr.it;
    Andrea Luvisi, ricercatore di Patologia vegetale dell’Università del Salento andrea.luvisi@unisalento.it;
    ph. +39 0832 298870

     

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  • The Pasticciotto

    The Pasticciotto

    The Pasticciotto

    it is a recipe by La dolce cucina di Paolaladolcecucinadipaola.blogspot.com

    Fancy of spring, sun, mild temperatures (not suffocating heat!!!),  trips, summer vacations…

    The Pasticciotto leccese: lu sule, lu mare, lu jentu… the Salento!

    Summer holidays make me thinking about the sea, the sea immediately brings me to Salento, Maldives of Puglia.

    We Apulian citizens reach easily the sea coast: we have a lot of choice, Adriatic seacoast and Ionian seacoast … from the Gargano to Santa Maria di Leuca, till the Gulf of Taranto, often sandy coasts, other rocky.

    Personally, I like fine and clear sand beaches, crystalline sea, shallow water, the sunset or sun setting in the water, while I enjoy the last hours of the day.

    Here, I described the Ionian coast! My holiday in Salento … Ugento and surroundings, my memories of a girl camping with my family, then with friends, then with the boyfriend, then with husband and son.

    Who does not yet know this region must necessarily plan an holiday here in Puglia, there is so much more than the sea and the picturesque coastline!

    And… if you travel to Salento… pasticciotto is compulsory!

    The Pasticciotto leccese

    The pasticciotto leccese is a typical sweet dish of the Salento area, an oval shape pastry wrap custard filled. There are many variations, with sour cherries or with chocolate cream or many creative kinds.

    My favorite pasticciotto is the classics cream filled or those with cream and sour cherries. You can not go to Lecce and do not try one! Just can not!

    I often prepare them. A friend of mine from Lecce, gave me a special recipe and gave me special oval molds, directly from Salento.

    Certainly, each family from Lecce and each pastry shop in Lecce preserve its own recipe, its own secret that will never ever tell you.

    This happens for all the typical city and regional recipes!

    I’m brave and I throw myself in this concentrate of goodness … here is my recipe.

    Ingredients to prepare the Shortbread dough:

    500 g flour 00
    250 g lard
    200 g granulated sugar
    150 g whole eggs (about 2 large eggs)
    1 organic lemon (grated rind)
    1 pinch of salt
    5 g ammonia for sweets

    Ingredients to prepare the Cuttard:

    500 ml whole milk
    4 egg yolks
    180 g granulated sugar
    45 g cornstarch
    1 berry of vanilla

    Ingredients to prepare the Dressing:

    Sour cherries in syrup

    How to do:

    Start to prepare this particular shortbread dough, typical for pasticciotto.

    In the mixer pour the lard, the salt, the sugar, the lemon grated rind, the ammonia and activate the kneader and then add the flour.

    When homogeneous mass was formed, turn off the kneader, shape a flattened loaf by hands and put in the fridge for an hour, cover the dough with plastic food film.

    The consistency of this shortbread dough is different from the usual one, it is less compact and requires a quick processing.

    In the meantime, start to prepare the cuttard: in a saucepan pour the milk (heated), put the vanilla bean into infusion without seeds, pour seeds with the yolks in a bowl.

    Add the sugar and put the egg yolks slightly, add the starch and continue to mix for a few more minutes.

    As soon as the milk boiled, pour the egg whites, wait for it to boil again, quickly mix with a whisk and after 1-2 minutes the cream is ready: this is the cooking method of Luca Montersino, that I prefer.

    Immediately pour it into a low and wide bowl and put it in the fridge to cool it covered with food film.

    Then start to prepare the pasticciotto: took the cold shortbread dough out from fridge, took three quarters of the entire dough and spread it quickly in between of two sheets of baking paper, cut the oval and cover molds pressing with fingers to make the pastry adherent
    to the walls.

    Fill with cream the mold almost to the top, on the top of some pasticciotti place some sour cherries in syrup.
    At this point spread the remaining pasta and cut out the ovals that must cover the pasticciotto.

    With fingers press along the edges to make the pastry adherent well and give the characteristic dome shape.

    Make the dough rest in the fridge for 1 hour.

    After cooling, brush the surface with a beaten egg and cook in a warm oven ( 200 degrees for 15/17 minutes).

    They must be getting colored, not too much.

    Take them out of the oven, make them cool and then remove the pasticciotto from the molds.

     

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