Flavors of Puglia
The realization that Italy is shaped like a boot is about as  old a notion as footwear itself. But how often is the heel of that  boot, the region called Puglia, ever considered? Rarely, to be sure.  It's not just the glorious, far-reaching history of Puglia that begs to  be explored, but also the living cultureandthe living foods.  Nancy Harmon Jenkins, author of theMediterranean Diet  Cookbook, has at least taken on the food of Puglia, and through  that portal we catch glimpses of the country's people, culture, and  history. For Jenkins is no mere cookbook author, andFlavors of  Pugliais no bottomless sump of recipes cast willy-nilly upon the  page. She brings a keen intellect to her work as well as a passion for  food, people, and the connections that can be made at a well-laid  table--connections unlike any others. She is an anthropologist of the  human soul as revealed through food, and the recipes she selects push  the reader into a much deeper understanding of the soul of Puglia than  would otherwise be possible. And the bonus? The sheer simplicity and  deliciousness of it all."The cuisine of Puglia was shaped by the cuisine of poverty,"  Jenkins reports. But the region is unusual for the way the poor and the  wealthy eat the same dishes, the same foods; "the rich simply eat  more," as Jenkins says. So the point of the food is to take a few  ingredients--never a lot of meat--and maximize the flavors. The  results, both heavenly and healthy, turn the cook back to the origins  of good food and diet. Jenkins's great trick is that she can make you  smell the dish prepared on the page and even see the ocean change color  as the sun fades and night embraces the land.