Basilicata or Lucania?

All good intentions... as they say, have to be set aside when one encounters a challenge... say a flat tire?  We were all set to leave bright and early which we did.  Then into our journey for Basilicata, we have a flat tire, which set us back a couple of hours for our day's activities.  But to add to our appreciation of life and wonder, we enjoyed beautiful scenery as this part of Italy truly is breathtaking.

Basilicata is the name most are familiar with when speaking of this region.  A lesser known name is Lucania, but both names refer to the same region. 

The city is an ancient wonder and the ancient was our focus for the day.  We spent our afternoon being educated on the ways of ancient food and preparation from our esteemed chef Federico Valicenti.  His is a passion about the history of food and how to preserve its simplicity.    He has researched the gastronomy of the area and transfers this history into unique recipes that highlight this ancient connection from the fruits of the land.  He tells a timeless tale through his food and we were all to willing to be told a story. 

Each dish took us back in time.  Red peppers played a staring role in this tale, even being used a paprika, which we are more familiar with in Hungarian cooking.  Here is a sampling to ignite the imagination:

Pecorino Cheese Sauce
Various Salumi all handmade
Porcini Mushroom Bruschetta
Bread Bowl Vessels filled with onion, grilled peppers and herbs
Long Pasta made from whole grains to include barley, chickpea flours as well
Tomato Pasta with ricotta salata and vinegar sauce
Pork with raisins, wine, juniper berries and red onion
Leg of Lamb done the way it was on the wedding night*

*The leg of lamb traditionally was for the spouse and the idea was that you would eat your way up the leg... food is after all very sensual experience, isn't it? 

We enjoyed every dish, every story out on the veranda overlooking the city and surrounding countryside.  We took a journey to our ancient past and loved every bite along the way.

While we were there, a local journalist was interviewing some people.  Peppe Zullo was interviewed along with Carmella and Uncle Ralph!  We are not certain where this will air, but it was fun to be part of this story.

We finally returned with full bellies and an appreciation for our ancient past.  A quiet, calm evening sharing insights, cheese and wine await.

Ciao ciao.