TARANTO, A SIMPOSIO COOKBOOK

WELCOME TO TARANTO

Welcome to Taranto, the city of the two seas.

The Mar Piccolo, small sea, home of mussels and flamingos; and the Mar Grande, big sea, home of sirens.

Taranto is the Ionian seaside city at the northwestern end of Salento, and the historic capital of Magna Graecia, the Greek colonizing reign of Italy.

It is also a lesser-known destination, still capable of showing both its pros and cons. Spontaneous behaviors and dirty looks. Real people and everything closed in August. Untouched folklore and unconsciousness — and neglect — of the treasures and cultural wealth.

I was not too fond of Taranto when I first visited.

More than a decade ago I loved Puglia, but Taranto… not that much.

THINGS YOU MAY NOT EXPECT TO FIND IN TARANTO

Two seas — one of mussels and flamingos, the other of sirens.

A city that was once one of the great centers of Magna Graecia.

Tarantulas, poison, and a dance once believed capable of curing their bite.

Fireworks watched from a fisherman’s boat.

Seafood eaten beneath the stars in the old town.

Family stories, women, old photographs, legends, nights out and people who slowly reveal the place.

A FEW PAGES FROM TARANTO

OPEN THE BOOK

A Bucket List
Legends
A Day in Taranto
Angelica
Rodolfo
True, Cruel, Story
A Mermaid
Dance Therapy
Nights Like This
Women of Taranto
Procession
Two From Taranto
Old Pictures
Taranto’s Food

AND THEN WE COOK

Friselle
Puccia Rolls
Uccelletti
Panzerotti
Tubetti con le Cozze
Riso Patate e Cozze
Orecchiette con le Cime di Rapa
Fave e Cicoria
Purp’ a Luciane
Calamari Ripieni
Scattiate
Sannacchiudere

TARANTO’S FOOD

We will learn to cook with the gifts of the sea and the ground.

Mussels, pasta, bell peppers, fava beans, calamari, bitter greens, fried doughs and traditional sweets.

But in Simposio, recipes rarely remain just recipes. They lead to people, seasons, beliefs, memories, places, and the circumstances that made a dish what it is.

A CITY I HAD TO LEARN

Puglia was everything I could ask from Southern Italy: overwhelming flora, paradisiac beaches, delicious and fresh food, penniless youth camping in muddy groves, and Pizzica nights.

Taranto didn’t fit that picture.

It took time, Luca’s family and friends, old stories, food, holidays, conversations, museums, and years of returning for the city to begin revealing itself.

The more I dug, the more I was astonished.