| Spring comes early to Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot, and the region's loveliest town, Lecce, is a baroque gem whose flamboyant, theatrical architecture is all the more dazzling in the sunshine. A further draw is its status as a foodie hotspot: the local tradition of cucina povera - simple, 'poor' ingredients transformed into outstandingly tasty dishes - is being hailed as the next big thing in Italian food. The run-up to Easter is a great time to sample it: fresh fave (broad beans) are eaten with new-season cheeses; lamb, kid and turciniedde (charcoal-grilled sausages made from lamb innards) appear on restaurant menus; and the pasticcerie are piled high with chocolate eggs and lamb-shaped almondy pastries, making this the perfect time for a weekend of gluttony. Easter Sunday lunch alone - a button-popping, multi-course marathon - is worth the trip. |
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Read more .......... Natasha Foges The Observer, Sunday March 9 2008
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Puglia: the perfect break |
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Frank Bruni, New York Times restaurant critic, describes Puglia ....
"What you will find, in place of big revelations, is an accretion of the small, quiet moments that can be so rare in more trammeled patches of Italy, which is to say most of the country."
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Read more .......... Frank Bruni, New York Times
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Sweet life of a best-kept secret |
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