Learn to cook like a Pugliese

Stay in a 16th-century farmhouse while mastering cucina povera

Puglia is a destination famed for its beauty, but its culinary attractions are legion too. A charming new example that combines both traits is Masseria Trapanà, a 16th-century former farmhouse that has been restored and transformed into a nine-suite hotel serving traditional local food known as cucina povera (peasants’ kitchen) – to rave reviews. For those wanting to learn how to cook like a true Pugliese, this October (24-28) Masseria Trapanà will be holding a five-day cookery school with chef Maria Carla Pennetta for up to 10 people.

Classes will be held in the morning and late afternoon, focusing on local produce – much of it grown at Masseria Trapanà – such as fennel, rocket, fava beans, tomatoes and artichokes, as well as lamb and beef farmed nearby. One of the highlights will be learning how to make orecchiette, the small pasta that takes its name from its shape, that of a tiny ear. Another is a guided tour of Lecce, a town that is serious about food, followed by dinner at Le Zie, a trattoria serving cucina povera that opened in 1966.

Set over 150 acres, the land is planted with lemon, plum and nut trees, with one of the six gardens containing a glorious swimming pool. And as the hotel is only 12 minutes from the sea, the afternoons are taken care of too.

Australian owner Rob Potter-Sanders has spent three years transforming the dilapidated farmhouse into a five-star property. “The building had not been touched in more than 100 years, so this has been a true restoration,” he says. “For example, when we pulled the plaster off the walls of the chapel of St Barbara in the courtyard we found several frescoes, some dating from the 16th century.”

Food was always going to be very important to Masseria Trapanà, and when it came to choosing a chef, most of his friends assumed Potter-Sanders would engage someone with a Michelin star. “I didn’t want to go down that route; I decided to get local Maria Carla because she makes authentic cucina povera,” Potter-Sanders continues. “And her marzipan cake is famous throughout the region too.”