Starting From Scratch

The Age

Tuesday September 5, 2006

DAVID SUTHERLAND

Maria Pia de Razza lives in Wellington, New Zealand, but she grew up in the Puglia region of Italy. From an early age she was surrounded by homemade produce: the family farm produced olive oil and wine, and the household followed long-standing traditions and made most of the food from scratch.

"Everything was made by hand," she says, "and I loved it. I remember getting up at three in the morning just to be involved in the bread-making for the day ahead."

Maria Pia believes this sort of upbringing serves as a far better lesson in the art and craft of cooking than can be found in the most exclusive cooking schools in Europe. "You learn a feeling for cooking," she says. "A feeling for produce, for kitchen tradition."

She now runs a popular restaurant in Wellington, Maria Pia's, known for its home-style Italian food. She also contributed recipes for a four-course meal celebrating Pugliese produce to the international edition of the well-known Silver Spoon cookbook (other famous Italian chefs contributing menus include Stefano de Pieri, Mario Batali and Gualtiero Marchesi). And she's coming to Australia to cook a traditional Pugliese meal with a honey theme as part of the Taste of Slow Festival.

In true Slow Food tradition, artisan produce will feature, including locally grown honey, homemade pasta, and baby goat cooked in a wood-fired oven. Maria Pia's husband Richard Klein, who is the sommelier at the Wellington trattoria, will choose wine to match the dishes.

"It will not be cheffy food," says Maria Pia, "but just good food to celebrate friends and family and togetherness." -- DAVID SUTHERLAND

Silver Spoon from the Wood-Fired Oven, presented by the Central Victoria Slow Food Convivium, Friday, September 8, at midday at Ellender Estate, 260 Green Gully Road, Glenlyon, $70 (Slow Food members $65). Bookings 5348 7785.

Gabrielle Kervella prefers to keep production small-scale.

© 2006 The Age

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