Presented by
Viktorija Todorovska
Author and Sommelier

Podcast courtesy of WBEZ’s Chicago Amplified

While most of are not familiar with the region, Puglia, the heel of the Italian boot, has the simplest, yet most flavorful cuisine in Italy. Puglian food is deeply rooted in the geography and traditions of the Italian South as well as the region’s identity as the country’s breadbasket and the largest producer of olive oil. Puglian cooking has two important features of great interest to food lovers today. The preparations are simple and easy, requiring no special equipment or ingredients. Also, Puglian cooking is based mostly on legumes, vegetables, and extra virgin olive oil, which makes it healthful. These features, which were historically motivated, continue to be relevant today as we are discovering the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

And who better than to bring us on this food journey than Viktorija Todorovska, a food and wine writer and educator whose first cookbook, The Puglian Cookbook: Bringing the Flavors of Puglia Home, paints a vivid picture of the region and its culinarytraditions. She will bring a sampling of her recipes to flavor her talk, and sign copies of her book, with profits going to fund the Culinary Historians of Chicago.

Viktorija studied Italian cooking at Apicius, the International School of Hospitality in Florence, Italy, and continues to explore the culinary traditions of Italy during her travels. An accredited Sommelier, Viktorija has a passion for wine that is inseparable for her love of food and writes about wine and leads wine tastings and classes. Visit her websites: www.olivacooking.com and www.mywinesmarts.com.

Program hosted at Kendall Colege.