Our Favorite Spots in Puglia & What I Cooked Last Week

Where we stayed and what we ate in Italy, spicy Thai watermelon salad, healthy strawberry chia pudding

Hi everyone,

Hope you had a great week! I’m so excited to share all my recommendations from our trip to Puglia, in southern Italy. As you probably know, Doug and I love to travel, especially to places we’ve never been before. We’re always drawn to destinations that feel a little more off the beaten path rather than the major tourist hubs. This summer, I wanted to return to Italy since it had been a few years, and I’d been craving al dente pasta. Puglia had been on our radar for a couple of years. I’d heard good things from friends and always wanted to visit. Plus, we knew the food would be amazing.

Pasta alla norma (eggplant sauce) from Osteria da Giuseppe. Al dente perfection!

Whenever we plan a trip, we always think about the food first. Doug and I have a saying: “If the food is good, nothing else really matters.” And I honestly believe that. Even if there isn’t much sightseeing, I’ll have the best time if the meals are great. The opposite is also true. If the food is disappointing, it can really affect the whole trip.

Doug did so much research and planning for this vacation, which I really appreciated. He’s especially good at finding wonderful hotels. And the food, of course, was incredible. Italy really is the place for perfectly cooked pasta, and I was happy to eat it for both lunch and dinner every day.

Below, I’m sharing all of our Puglia recommendations, including the small coastal towns we visited, our favorite pasta dishes, and where we found the most beautiful locally made ceramics.

First, here’s a recipe for creamy strawberry chia pudding I made last week. It’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup and fresh strawberries and tastes like dessert, but it’s packed with fiber, protein, and omega-3s. It’s perfect for breakfast, a snack, or whenever you’re craving something sweet. I hope you give it a try!

As always, my cookbook Maxi’s Kitchen is now available for purchase at your local bookstore or online:

Thank you so much for your support 🤍

What I Cooked Last Week! ↓

Strawberry Chia Pudding

This creamy strawberry pudding is packed with protein, fiber, and antioxidants. It tastes like dessert, but also makes for a great breakfast or afternoon snack.

Healthy Strawberry Chia Pudding

53.3KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

You can download the PDF recipe above and watch the video here :)

Our Trip to Puglia ✈️

Wandering the streets of Ostuni 🤍

Puglia is a region in southern Italy. If you look at a map, it’s the heel of the boot. It’s known for its beautiful little towns along the coast, and we loved that it felt so authentic, with mostly Italian and European tourists rather than lots of Americans. Unlike the Amalfi Coast, which I’ve visited before and found a bit glitzy and catered toward tourists, Puglia had a much more local feel. The beach clubs and restaurants were reasonably priced, and there was so much to explore. We stuck to the eastern coast this time, but on our next trip, we’d love to stay longer and drive along the western side. If you go, definitely rent a car, since you’ll be driving between towns and beaches.

Getting on the local schedule ☕

As I mentioned, Doug did a ton of research before this trip. When we travel, we’re less interested in going to every sight and more interested in living like locals. We love grabbing coffee at a neighborhood café, finding a hole-in-the-wall spot for lunch, spending time at the beach, or hanging by the pool. We’re pretty low-key travelers.

One thing Doug looked into was what a typical day in Italy looks like. Most people start with a cappuccino in the morning. (Coffee with milk is generally for the morning since it’s more filling.) Lunch is usually around 2 p.m., followed by an espresso.

Loved having a nice lunch out by the water every day 🤤

In the afternoon, there’s a riposo, a 30- to 40-minute nap, then another espresso, aperitivo hour (cocktails), and finally dinner around 9 p.m. Knowing the local schedule helped us time our meals so the restaurants had a nice atmosphere when we arrived. Besides, most places didn’t even open for dinner until 7 p.m.

Funnily enough, we fully committed to the schedule every day, including the riposo and multiple espressos. In the States, coffee sometimes makes me anxious, so I usually drink matcha instead. But somehow the Italian espresso made me feel amazing. We were thriving!

Where we stayed 🛎️

The region in Italy is known for its masserie, traditional farmhouse estates that have been converted into hotels, bed and breakfasts, and guesthouses.