Food, Wine and Cooking

The staple diet of the southern Italy is tomatoes, fruit, fish, cheese, cured meats, pasta and pizzas. All pasta is cooked in salted water (to raise the boiling point). The average southern Italian has a longer life span than us. Vegetables are very fresh and are eaten in season. Meat is not a part of their everyday staple diet. The fishmongers outnumber butchers in Santa Maria by 5 to one. Fruits are bountiful and in season are a delight. Lemon and olives are staple ingredients. (picture spaghetti all' aragosta)

Local dishes are usually fish based and include pesce acqua pazza, souté alla vongole & impepata di cozze. "Acqua Pazza" or crazy water is the traditional local fisherman's dish, where the fish is half steamed and half simmered in tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and seasoning. Shell fish is cooked in spicy olive oil and lemon "souté" or in a tomato based sauce "zuppa". A tasty dish is mussels in pepper, a local dish and now being served in top restaurants.

Local wines are highly palatable from jugs of vino locale to the local quality wines, which are both splendid and gaining a reputation. The local grapes are of Greek origin: "Fiano" is the big fruity white best drunk young: "Aglianico" is the big red with lots of tannin - it's best drunk after 3 years or more. This wine is compared with the big reds of the north and the top vintages are not too expensive. Try a good vintage, you will demand more!