Preserving small farms and traditional ways of making food
Curated Culinary Experience in Puglia
Behind the scenes over the past few months and years, I've been crafting an intimate group tour of Puglia with Livio of Zest of Italy.
The mission of this culinary experience is to share the JOY and NOURISHMENT that comes from eating REAL FOOD.
So our guests can enjoy some of Italy’s best small farms, restaurants, and their traditional ways of making food.
WHY WE CHOOSE PUGLIA?
You see, Puglia captured my heart a few years ago, and my family and I have been going back time and time again, exploring new corners and revisiting places we had already grown to love to get to know it better.
Livio is a former engineer turned food expert having graduated from the Slow Food University in Pollenza. (My hubby and I very affectionately call him a food nerd).
Like literally!
He was born in Turin (northern Italy) to a very large southern Italian family (from Puglia), which is one of the reasonswhy he is the perfect person to collaborate on this project with. Think northern Italian efficiency plus southern Italian big heartedness.
Since then, he has worked with some of the biggest names in food, sharing his knowledge and passion for preserving Italy's food culture by supporting local artisans.
This is why this Materia Prima – Puglia experience is so special!
To the intimate group of people who will be joining us on this tour, we will unlock the doors of Apulia that so few people get to see.
You're getting access to decades of knowledge, experience, and relationship-building.
And I know how vital this is.
Whenever my hubby and I travel (anywhere in the world), we research. It's a massive project of cross-checking references, reading guidebooks, visiting the websites of our favorite bloggers in the area, and calling up personal friends (whose opinions we trust) to finally arrive at the outline of our travel (and food) itinerary.
And let's not forget navigating the dates certain places are opened and closed. Cause this is Italy. Finding a good restaurant that is open on a Monday is no small feat in itself. (hahahahaha)
Jokes aside, organizing a fantastic travel experience isn't just about finding and choosing the right place (a fundamental part of it). It's also about arranging it in a way that makes sense. Accommodating days places are open and closed and travel times so you're not exhausted from your vacation.
Literally, the hubby and I were sitting at the pool on one of our last trips to Puglia (deciding between our top three choices for places to go eat) when we looked at each other and said, this is why people pay travel experts.
Materia Prima - Puglia is so much more than a "trip" it’s an experience.
It is an opportunity to dig deep into the essence of this stunning region.
to share the bounties that it provides from the incredibly fresh seafood of Monopoli,
to the tasty vegetables of the "entroterra" (inland in English)
and the people that make all of it possible.
You see, to me, food, when done right, is about the intersection of nourishing the body and the soul
It's about caring for the planet, for ourselves and others.
It's about releasing stress and welcoming wellness.
So much about what we see in the space of food culture is about "being healthy" or, let's face it, the gazillionth fad diet. And theirs so much restriction and control, it's so freaking exhausting!
And I don't even live in America! (This is just from listening to some of my friends.)
Materia prima strives to dismantle that.
MATERIA PRIMA IS ABOUT JOY.
The joy of sitting around the table in communion, the joy of eating an incredible meal, and the joy of drinking a crisp glass of Apulian Rose.
I'm looking forward to laughing along side the pool in our five star hotel, as we enjoy the pizza that we made with our own hands in a centuries old wood burning oven.
MATERIA PRIMA IS A JOURNEY BACK TO THE FUTURE.
Where we can discover places like Matera, one of the longest inhabited places in the world, learning and understanding what our past can teach us about life and the future.
It’s about preserving small farms and traditional ways of making foods.
(Far, far away from big industry poison.)
MATERIA PRIMA IS ABOUT PEACE OF MIND
The peace of mind that comes from knowing that your food is produced the right way—as nature intended.
All you have to do is slow down and just listen to your body.
You can forget about the rules and the restrictions and all the stress that comes with our corrupted North American food culture.
Livio and I are so looking forward to hosting you all in June 2025 as we explore the people who are TRULY keeping these traditions alive (and not the tourist traps that claim to be Italian food).
Want to join us in Puglia?
You can find out more about it here - https://doingitaly.mykajabi.com/materiaprima
Know this experience is for you? You can save your seat here.
