A note about focaccia and pies

The great city of Naples is the place where pizza was born, but it is Recco on the Ligurian coast that first gave us focaccia. This bread, either made into a sandwich or eaten as it is, makes for a very portable form of food that requires no knives and forks - ideal for a population of sailors and fishermen. This theme continues when looking at the number of pies and open tarts that crop up on the Ligurian menu: delicious, nourishing and transportable fare that can easily be packed and forever contains the intense perfume and flavours of Liguria’s famous olive oil and herbs as an evocative reminder of home.