Vieste (Foggia) Puglia, Italy: Not Just Another Italian Village

Vieste is a town and comune in the province of Foggia. The Region is Apulia in the southeast of Italy.

This old medieval town stands on the eastern coastline of the Gargano, a peninsula protruding towards Dalmatia, surrounded by the Adriatic Sea and separated from the Appennines by the Tavoliere plateau, a unique landscape of naturalistic and historic beauty, a melting pot of foreign populations.

It is important for the production of olives, olive oil and both mountain and sea typical food products. Riding bikes through the olive orchards to the little villages along the coast is a way to visit the region enjoying the views of the huge fishing nets propped up along the rocky shore.

The old village is not reachable by car. Stone steps bring you back in time to a village with glorious views of the Adriatic Sea. It is situated atop a cliff capped with white stucco flat roofed houses. Doorways framed with pepperoncini (red hot peppers), pomodori (cherry tomatoes), pepperoni (peppers) and aglio (garlic) line the old streets. Colorful and friendly proprietors welcome you into the small Enoteca and restaurants offering beautiful fresh grilled fish, troccoli chitarra, pastas with ripe vegetables grown locally and zuppa di peche (fish soup).

Apulia is one of the largest wine growing region in Italy and you will be pleasantly surprised at the quality of the wines. Deep in color and aroma, they compliment the flavors of the products grown in the region. Many are exported and can be bought in wine shops in the US. The best known are:

Aleatico di Puglia, Alezio, Brindisi, Cacc'è Mmitte di Lucera, Castel del Monte,Copertino, Galatina, Gioia del Colle, Gravina, Leverano, Lizzano, Locorotondo, Martina o Martina Franca, Matino, Moscato di Trani. Nardò, Ortanova, Ostuni, Primitivo di Manduria, Rosso di Barletta, Rosso di Canosa, Rosso di Cerignola, Salice Salentino, San Severo, Squinzano.

In the early nineteen hundreds many Italians immigrated from this region of Italy to America. They brought with them rich traditions, culture and wonderful recipes. Living in Europe for many years, I have traveled to Vieste often and took a cooking course to learn the local dishes of the area of my heritage. I documented many of these family recipes. Friends and Italian chefs have contributed, offering you the opportunity to enjoy the flavors found in Italian home kitchens. “Turo’s Pasta, Risotti & Sughi CD Cookbook” .

Fresh pastas including; handmade garganelli, agnolotti and farfalle. orecciette con cimi di rape, risotto with radicchio and red wine are easy to make. Unique recipes such as chestnut fettuccini with sage and pine nuts, or lasagna with Porcini mushrooms, fresh cavatelli with arugula and mussels bring me back to Vieste with fond memories. When you sit down to your homemade pasta, you will feel as if you are experiencing a meal in a little restaurant situated on a stone street overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

Log onto www.pturo.com for more information about the CD. Or visit the Vieste Tourist Office home page for information of the region.