Stories, traditions, and memories from Puglia

A Rain of Sweet Memories in Andria — La Petresciata and the Tender Magic of My Hometown

A Rain of Sweet Memories in Andria — La Petresciata and the Tender Magic of My Hometown

14 February 2026

What better time than Carnival to bring a little joy and lightheartedness to these cold, gray winter days?

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Remembering November: Life along Cemetery Avenue

Remembering November: Life along Cemetery Avenue

9 November 2025

November smelled of olives, smoke, and chrysanthemums — a month that taught me what it means to remember.

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The wool of our sleep: a tradition I will never abandon

The wool of our sleep: a tradition I will never abandon

19 July 2025

In the large courtyard of our family home, we used to wash sheep's wool from mattresses and pillows.

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Making Tomato Puree: A Summer Ritual Etched in My Memory

Making Tomato Puree: A Summer Ritual Etched in My Memory

26 June 2025

Today, I buy tomato puree at the supermarket like most people do. But until about twenty years ago, we made it at home.

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Harvesting and Cleaning Almonds

Harvesting and Cleaning Almonds

20 May 2025

As a child, I remember seeing mountains of almonds piled up in my father's warehouse in Andria, Puglia.

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Fava Beans: A Taste of Memory

Fava Beans: A Taste of Memory

4 May 2025

My mother often prepared dried fava beans with wild chicory — a simple, rustic dish that was a staple in our home.

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The oil and its use in the past

The oil and its use in the past

19 May 2024

Olive oil appears in all recipes of modern cuisine, but in the past, even in Puglia, it was not commonly used.

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Stockfish and baccala

Stockfish and baccala

19 May 2024

The cod I buy at the supermarket is absolutely not like the one my mother used to buy at the New Market in Andria.

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The "Cocchia" (bunches of tomatoes hung up)

The "Cocchia" (bunches of tomatoes hung up)

28 April 2024

In Apulia, this is what they call the bunches of tomatoes hung up for winter storage.

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The origins of the nickname "Spigadolce"

The origins of the nickname "Spigadolce"

21 March 2024

My great-grandfather had the nickname Spigadolce, and in the village, he was known more by this nickname than by his surname.

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The "rasaul" (the dialect name from Andria for spatula)

The "rasaul" (the dialect name from Andria for spatula)

23 February 2024

It is an object forged from ancient culinary wisdom. The traditional spatula for making orecchiette.

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