Years ago if you had told me that I would be cooking and eating octopus, I'm sure I would have laughed in your face. Ha! Who me? I have always been a squeamish eater. Not limited in my choices (ok, as a child I was limited, I have to admit it), but not particularly adventurous either. I like fish and even shellfish, but I draw the line at mollusks and things that are still alive. Trust me, I have lived in both Japan and Italy where people eat things that are still alive...
Octopus is something that I imagined I wouldn't like, but instead I have discovered is quite delish. And living here on the Adriatic coast means access to freshly caught octopus all summer long.
Imagine a relaxing day at the beach. You've got your suntan lotion, your magazines to read while kicking back on your beach chair, your goggles for taking a swim when it gets too hot...what more do you need? Well, if you are a normal, red-blooded man from our town, you also need an old wire hanger and a bit of raw meat. To catch octopus with, of course!
This video shows step one of the octopus tenderizing process. It is not recommended viewing for the tender-hearted animal rights crowd, but it is what you have to do to render the octopus edible. If you prefer a version without live action, take a look at
this series of photos on my other blog Molfetta Daily Photo entitled
The Death of an Octopus or Lunch is Served.
After the poor creature has been beaten to death and had its head turned inside out (ugh again!), it looks more or less like this fellow in the photo below:
At this point, many locals start cutting off bits (or even chewing them off directly) and eating.
Personally, I prefer my octopus cooked. A nice recipe is Octopus Salad. Just boil the octopus in a small quantity of water for about 20 minutes. You don't need much water because, as a local saying in dialect goes, "u pulp s cosc ind all'accq so stess" or "the octupus cooks in its own water."
Once it's cooked, just chop the whole thing up into bite-sized pieces and mix with olive oil and chopped parsley...and buon appetito!
I used celery because I was out of parsley on the day I took this photo. There was also not much salad left by the time I took the photo...it's a popular dish at my house.
Sunday is the big beach day around here. For many families it's the one day they can spend all together, so they organise a picnic lunch and go for the whole day.
A key consideration for me is my hair. Nothing gets me more nervous than my hair whipping about and sticking in my eyes every 30 seconds.
So up it goes, rolled into what they call a "banana" style and held tight with a butterfly hair clip.
Look at those waves. This is very unusual for the Adriatic, there is usually no wave action, just a vast expanse of blue-green water. 
So unusual that I wasn't the only one taking pictures...
Do you wear jewelry when you go to the beach?
All the women here do!
This "Maestrale" wind is a strong wind that blows in from the North-West.
It made it chilly in the shade, but hot in the sun. It's always hot in the sun here in the summer! Some people are hot, others feel cold.
Did you notice the little blue glass pieces these men are using to keep their cards from blowing away?
My beach Crocs. I have a shoe fetish, be patient with me...
No comment.
At this point, many locals start cutting off bits (or even chewing them off directly) and eating. 
I used celery because I was out of parsley on the day I took this photo. There was also not much salad left by the time I took the photo...it's a popular dish at my house. 
