Some say the food can teach you everything you need to know about a culture.
Research shows that 39% of travelers say the key reason they recently took one or more trips was the availability of culinary activities. Chef Paulette Licitra, an Italian cooking instructor in Nashville, has combined that special love for food and travel by leading “live like the locals” Italian cooking adventures. Paulette’s trips take small groups to experience Italy as an Italian.
She has taken women to Rome, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast. The groups stay in apartments, shop outdoor food markets, visit butcher and produce stores, and then bring it back to their local kitchen to try their hand at local specialties. Beyond cooking, they visit popular attractions and go on wine tours.
She shares a recipe with us that she found in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast from a local chef. Buon Viaggio & Buon Appetito!
Simmered Cod in Acqua Pazza (Crazy Water) with Tomatoes, Garlic & Parsley.
2-3 large ripe tomatoes, coarsely diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
A pinch of hot pepper
1/4 cup minced parsley
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups water
4 Cod fillets
1/2 loaf baguette, sliced
In a large sauté pan, with a cover, add all the ingredients, except the fish. Cover and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for about 30 minutes. Take the cover off and let liquid reduce to at least half. Add the cod fillets. Season fish with salt. Cover partially (askew), and cook until fillets are done and cooked through — about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the bread slices. Serve a toasted bread slice to each person with a cod fillet and juices.
Paulette Licitra teaches cooking classes, and leads food-focused tours in Italy, Nashville & New York. Paulette completed her professional culinary studies at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in NYC. She was Chef at Rustico Cooking in New York, cooked in Mario Batali’s restaurant Lupa, and her catering company Chez Paulette specialized in appetizer parties for private and corporate events. Paulette has traveled extensively in Italy for culinary research, and studied with home cooks in Lazio, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Piemonte, Campania, and the Veneto. She can be seen on Nashville’s Channel 4 WSMV’s “More at Midday.” Paulette is also the publisher of the online food journal, Alimentum.