Autumn in Auckland... Summer in Uzès
/I'm very happy to announce the BIG news on the culinary tours front. I am hosting two tours this year – Uzès in July which is full and Puglia at the end of August which has 4 places left. Here's the rumble on Puglia:
Puglia is right down in the south of Italy in the heel. In late August it will be hot but not overwhelming.
It's famous for gorgeous beaches, Baroque cities, white washed villages, organic masserias (farmhouses) and very sweet people.
The cuisine is overflowing with seafood, olive oil, sexy reds, pasta, burrata and fabulous bread. We eat and cook all this while dancing the pizzica (folk dance), laughing and singing.
Full details are on the website HERE.
Tours 2023
Flushed with confidence and the hope of a more settled 2023, I have also decided on dates for my tours next year. My mission has always been to provide really authentic gastronomic and cultural experiences. We travel initially to lose ourselves and then to find ourselves. Behind every person and every household is a story of local traditions and daily life in villages and towns. Traditional food is about ancestral memories and looking back and holding on to old cultures – it is profoundly about identity. Come with us and partake in the honesty, grace, generosity and fun that is a Peta Mathias tour. Suitable for fit and healthy gastronomic adventurers!
Marrakech – 7 – 14 May 2023
Basque – 3 – 10 June 2023
Uzès – 7 – 13 July 2023
Puglia – 2 – 9 September 2023
Portugal – 17 – 23 September 2023
Uzès Cooking Classes 2022
I will be in my home in Uzès, South of France, from the beginning of June till the end of September. I teach market based cooking classes on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Everyone who comes to these classes wants to sell up and decamp to Uzès. Maybe it's the gorgeous market bursting with cheeky sellers, wine tastings, three million kinds of cheeses and the smell of dried lavender. Maybe it's the 16th century buildings, cobblestone streets and beautiful central square filled with fairy lights. Or maybe it's that when we all cook Southern French recipes in my kitchen with Southern French ingredients and drink lots of rosé for our health, we really understand something about the joy and sensuality of life in the South. More info on my classes is HERE.
My latest book Shed Couture, on fashion and clothing, is now available in audiobook – so you can hear my dulcet tones explaining why fashion is art, beauty, identity, history and joy. You can purchase my audiobook via Audible, Google Play etc HERE.
Involtini Di Carne (Meat Rolls) – serves 4
Here's a Puglian recipe to inspire you, taught to me by our cooking teacher Gianna in Lecce.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
an onion finely chopped
small handful finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
chilli flakes to taste
2 tbsp pinenuts
400g pork, cut thin and pounded in a little
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
fine slices pecorino cheese (about 50g)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup Italian tomato sauce
extra virgin olive oil
Heat the oil in a frypan and brown the first 6 ingredients – about 10 mins. Allow to cool.
Place pork slices on the chopping board and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pecorino on top.
Distribute the onion mix over the top, roll up and secure each one with a toothpick.
Heat the olive oil in a frypan and fry the involtini for 5 minutes on both sides to brown.
Turn the heat down, add wine and tomato sauce and simmer covered, for another 10 mins.
Serve with the sauce when still hot.
See you soon, maybe in Uzès, maybe in Puglia but certainly in that beautiful gastronomical land of our hearts where the world is at peace, everyone is able to eat good food and everyone respects each others differences.
Peta