Episode 1 A Welsh-Italian Christmas with Michela Chiappa


Episode 1

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How does your family celebrate a traditional Welsh Christmas?

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Tinsel? Turkey?

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Trifle? Sprouts?

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You won't find many of those things in our house

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as we do Christmas slightly differently.

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My name is Michela Chiappa,

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and I'm Welsh born, but Italian bred.

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And I'm equally proud of both my cultures.

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And so just like thousands of other Welsh Italians throughout Wales,

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my family has taken traditions and recipes from both countries

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to create a unique festive food fusion.

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THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

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From pasta to pears, leeks to laver bread,

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I want to share with you a Welsh-Italian culinary mash up

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to get your Christmas taste buds trembling

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and maybe change what you put on this year's festive plate.

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From Merthyr to Bangor, Aberystwyth to Newport,

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I'm going to take you on a mouthwatering journey

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in search of the perfect Welsh-Italian Christmas.

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We got the computer! I told you, didn't I?

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December 25, 1990.

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Merthyr Tydfil.

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So that's me, Michela,

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in the Rupert the Bear cast off dressing down.

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My baby sister, Romina, is struggling

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to unwrap her very big Christmas present.

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And middle sister Emi screams in delight.

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I remember this Christmas really well,

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because Emi and I got our very first computer.

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A beast, almost as big as Romina's toy car,

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which my Uncle Laz soon took over to play Space Invaders and Pong

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for hours on end.

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The gifts we were given that morning were probably no different to those

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unwrapped by most Welsh families 26 years ago.

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However, what unfolded over the rest of our Christmas Day,

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the traditions, the get-togethers, the food was far from typical.

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For the Chiappa clan,

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the festivities began and ended on a single street in Merthyr,

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Lower Thomas Street.

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It still gets me every time I walk down this street.

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I've not got any family left living here,

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but it's just a really weird feeling,

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because this is packed with history for me.

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I was born here. I was born in that house up there, on the top floor.

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That was my Nonna's house.

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That was Uncle Tony with his family, five children.

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Uncle Frank and Auntie Tina was this one here.

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And Christmas Day was utter chaos.

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The whole tribe, uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces

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would gather together after church and roll en masse

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from house to house.

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It was chaos. Utter, utter chaos.

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There were probably 25 of us,

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maybe even 30 ranging from newborns, kids, grandparents, mums, dads.

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This was before lunch started.

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This was biscuits, nuts, cake, the typical Italian thing.

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"You've got to have some. Have another coffee."

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"I've just had one next door." "You've got to have another one."

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Noise, noise, noise! And that was the start of Christmas.

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Actually, it was just the beginning of a five-hour food festival,

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platters of cured meats, cheeses, smoked salmon,

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snails for my uncle Laz.

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Eugh!

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Anolini in brodo, food of the gods.

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We'll get onto that one later in the programme.

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Then a Welsh-Italian main course mash up,

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turkey crown with all the trimmings,

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beef stracotto, roasties, vegetables, Yorkshire puddings.

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And then you'd get onto the cheese, then there'd be the desserts,

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about six desserts because everybody needs their favourite

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from poached pears, tiramisu, panettone,

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Christmas pudding had to be on there, brandy butter.

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There'll be some chocolates offered, and then coffee.

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And there might be a bit of ice cream.

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In fact, it wasn't really a meal.

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It was a marathon.

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But it was, and I still want it to be, magical.

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And probably more so than ever because for me now,

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with two small daughters,

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I feel it's my responsibility to keep these traditions alive.

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But I also understand that in today's nonstop, 24/7 world,

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traditions are easily lost.

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SHE SPEAKS ITALIAN

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Even in my own family,

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with Emi now living in America and Romina now working in London,

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five generations of tradition could melt away like snow.

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Which is why, this year,

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I've decided it's about time

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I reinvigorated the Chiappa family Christmas.

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Yay!

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So I'm going to go on a journey all across Wales to meet other fellow

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Welsh Italians and see what their traditions are.

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And maybe even pinch a few for myself.

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And then I'm going to put together

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the ultimate Welsh-Italian festive menu.

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While the largest and best-known Welsh-Italian communities

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are here in the valleys,

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there are many others spread across the country.

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So I'm going to begin my festive odyssey

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with a trip to the very tip of North Wales, Bangor,

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and a cosy little restaurant overlooking the Menai Straits.

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Pulcinella's is run by husband and wife team Mario and Yasmin De Rosa.

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Originally from Pompeii in the south of Italy,

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Mario's been in Wales since his teens.

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Alongside Bangor-born Yasmin, they make a perfect Welsh-Italian team.

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And today Mario has offered to show me

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a traditional Pompeii Christmas dish...

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-Hello! Piacere!

-Piacere!

-How are you?

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..with a distinct Welsh twist.

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Come on, then, Mario.

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I want to see, I'm starving, what are we doing?

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Well, it's turkey, the main meat.

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-OK.

-We're not going to do a full, we're going to split in pieces.

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-OK.

-Each one will be its own.

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-Roasted?

-Roasted.

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In the oven with potatoes, baby onions and peas.

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-With rosemary.

-OK.

-And cubed smoked pancetta.

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It's interesting, because it's kind of like a traditional British roast,

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but you get your own individual portion.

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Something like that, but everything is cooked together.

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Nothing apart, everything is cooked in the same tray

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and we're going to put everything in it.

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Oh, interesting.

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A one-pot turkey dinner?

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Come on, as any Welsh mam knows, it takes a minimum of six pots,

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five hours, and four large glasses of Prosecco

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to pull off a decent Christmas feast.

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Still, Mario reckons his Pompeii pot roast

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from his mamma's own traditional recipe, no less,

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is not only a one-dish wonder,

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it also takes just one hour to cook.

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I think this might be worth watching.

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So, tell me, where do you spend Christmas now?

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Do you spend it in Wales, or in Italy?

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-In Wales.

-So do you keep all these traditions alive for Christmas?

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We try. Every minute, I try to spend it

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with the family, friends, the closest thing.

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The things which make you happy.

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Adding the food, it just tops up everything.

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Food, family, friends, and a one-pot Christmas dinner.

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This man's got style.

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Shove everything in there.

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-Shove everything!

-Shove everything in there.

-I like it!

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-Onions, peas, just garden peas.

-But look at those lovely colours.

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-How simple and... And cheap this....

-That's it. You feed a nice family

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of six, even seven people, but it's so easy to do.

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Now we need to add a bit of garlic.

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-OK.

-Little bulbs, yeah?

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OK.

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-Few pieces of those.

-Go on, give me a go.

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That's it! You're really going for it, aren't you?

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I've noticed there's a cheeky glass of wine there.

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My mamma always said,

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-when you cook you have to have a little glass of wine.

-Always.

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For atmosphere.

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Obviously, not to overdo it, just a glass of wine while you cook.

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Just a little one.

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It puts you in a better mood and things, it relaxes you.

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Do you know what? It is my favourite time to have a glass of wine.

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-Just when you're cooking.

-Would you like a glass of wine?

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-I wouldn't say no!

-You shouldn't!

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Right, time to crack on.

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Next, a good glug of olive oil.

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Fresh rosemary.

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Just spread it around, everywhere.

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Make sure then all the oil amalgamates with it.

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OK, and what's going in now?

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I would love some black pepper.

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-Salt, obviously.

-Obviously.

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But not too much.

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Like anything else, if you do too much it will overpower.

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-Too much! Too much! Too much!

-Too much!

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Next...

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We move to the turkey breast.

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-That's a pretty big breast, I have to say.

-It looks like an eagle! Yes!

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I'm glad you're doing this bit, I don't like cutting meat.

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-You don't?

-I hate cutting meat.

-It's the best bit!

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Flesh is good. Flesh is good.

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Nice and chunky.

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Being a breast as well, you don't want to overcook it.

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That's why you leave the skin on as well.

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All right, the next thing we do now, we just... Frying pan.

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-We are just going to seal it from the outside.

-OK.

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When you see it, you make, like, a shield around it.

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The heat is getting in, but it's not getting out.

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So most of the juice it stays inside, and that's how you want it.

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You wanted cooked, but still nice and tender, the juice.

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And now we're going to put it with our veg.

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And there we are. A little nest, like my mamma used to say.

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Lastly, seal some smoky pancetta in a little olive oil.

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For anyone that can't stand to cook a roast turkey on Christmas Day

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because they can't fit it in the oven or, you know,

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they haven't got the time, this is a brilliant dish,

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because one hour in the oven

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and you've got an amazing twist on a roast turkey for Christmas day.

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Just push to the side, so it's nice and sealed.

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And it's done.

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-We just have to wait.

-Where's our glass of wine, eh?

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Yeah, where's the glass of wine? Come on!

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And as promised, just one hour later,

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thanks to the magic of mamma's one-pot turkey roast,

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Mario's serving up.

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Looks good, but will it pass the taste test?

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Merry Christmas, Buon Natale.

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Oh, grazie.

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-Buon appetito. Salute.

-Salute.

-Chin-chin!

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-Buon Natale.

-Buon Natale.

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Nadolig Llawen.

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Silence! Silence!

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-A sign of good food.

-Bellissimo.

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The rosemary, pancetta, Cipollini, it's a great Christmas Day roast.

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One pan, no washing up. What a great little secret.

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Simple, and everybody can do it.

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Mama de Rosa's Christmas feast.

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Grazie, Mama.

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Mario, what a character!

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It's been such fun meeting him.

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I mean, in there is a little bit of Italy,

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but we're right here on the North-Wales coastline.

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And yet, you know, he made a traditional Italian dish,

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which is different to the ones that I know,

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it was a bit more like what we know back here.

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A roast, in a tin, cooked slightly differently, delicious,

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with such simple ingredients.

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And it was just...

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It's just amazing to see how close our cultures actually are.

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In the morning, I leave Bangor

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and head down through Snowdonia towards Aberystwyth.

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If truth be told, I'm a bit bleary eyed,

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as I spent last night tossing and turning over this sticky question.

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How many times do you have to do something

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before you can rightfully call it a tradition?

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Can you call something that you, or your family,

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or a group of your friends do regularly a tradition?

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Or is it something that has to be repeated

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and then handed down through the generations?

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In the case of my family's Christmas, starting in the 1920s,

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when my great-grandfather, Giovanni Viazzani,

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walked all the way from Bardi in northern Italy to Merthyr.

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And then going down through each of the four generations

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that have followed, our Christmases have always been the same.

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Church on a Christmas morning, then a big family gathering,

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followed by a five-hour, Welsh-Italian food-athon.

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So having giving it a lot of thought,

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I think it's safe to say that after 90-odd years,

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the Chiappa family Christmas is a tradition, not a fad.

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Aberystwyth greets me with a seasonal, wintry welcome.

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I'm here to meet up with Chiara Agnelli,

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owner of a traditional Italian bar and deli in the town centre.

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But before I can get anywhere near her sumptuous-looking millefoglie

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or cannoli, I get a totally unexpected surprise.

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I just met Juana, or Joan, as she's known around here,

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and apparently we're cousins.

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Yes. She's from the same tiny little village above Bardi as me, Pilati.

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-And so your Nonno, no, your father...

-Yes.

-..was cousins...

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-My mother.

-Your mother was cousins with my Nonno.

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-Yes.

-So do you remember...?

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His Nonno then, your Nonno's father.

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-Yes.

-My goodness!

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You find cousins everywhere.

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I, constantly, with my father... We'll go to a new town,

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whether it's in Wales, or in Italy,

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"Michela, Michela, meet your cousin."

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And I'm like...

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You know, we were on a flight recently

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and there was a cousin of mine! So you're a real Welsh Italian.

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Yes. Yes.

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I was actually born across the road where there is a Starbucks now.

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At this point me and Juana,

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my long lost cousin I never knew I had,

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are joined by two other members

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of Aberystwyth's thriving Welsh-Italian community.

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Pierre and Paolo.

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I don't think I'm related to either of them,

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although both of their families also hail from Bardi.

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So you never know.

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So, tell me,

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I'm trying to find out whether we all have the same traditions.

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So, for Christmas, what are your traditions?

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Definitely anolini in brodo.

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-Definitely.

-Snap.

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It's all anolini, anolini.

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The wife is the same.

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Anolini, anolini.

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What is this anolini?

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It's the dish of the gods.

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Or so my father would have you believe.

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Traditional Christmas fair in Emilia-Romagna,

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the North-Italian region my family originate from.

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Anolini in brodo consists of tiny pasta parcels

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plumped with braised beef, cooked in a chicken broth

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and sprinkled with plenty of Parmesan cheese.

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My dad, if any guests come,

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and he sees them eating anolini he goes nuts.

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He's like, "This is like gold dust in our house."

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Oh, yes. You save them.

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I have to keep a reserve, yes.

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Definitely.

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There's an ever-growing number of Aberystwyth Welsh Italians

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joining me at the table.

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And all agree that no Christmas could possibly be complete

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without anolini in brodo.

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Although, in fairness, aside from Sicilian Adriano,

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everybody else, Pierre, Paolo, Luisa, Mauro

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and my long lost cousin Juana all originate from the same area

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in northern Italy as me.

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And there, anolini is as traditional as Christmas pud.

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Owner, Chiara, on the other hand, is from Milan, but with Sicilian blood.

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And for her, no Christmas feast would be complete

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without Melanzane alla parmigiana.

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An incredibly simple Italian classic

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for which every family will have their own particular recipe.

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And Chiara's about to show me hers.

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-That's the tomato sauce.

-OK. So you already made this?

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-Yes.

-Onions, garlic, oregano. I do put sugar.

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MICHELA GASPS That's all right.

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-Yeah, no. Just to bring the... To take the acidity out.

-I do.

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And then you bake the aubergines in oil.

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-And bake them in the oven?

-Yes.

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-For what? 5-10 minutes?

-One thing I've noticed...

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-No, less than that.

-OK.

-Much less. Probably five.

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One thing I've found about the aubergines,

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in Italy I used to soak them with the salt.

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Now I don't need to do it here.

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I don't understand why.

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It's because they modify the vegetables, I think.

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Shh. Don't tell anybody, OK.

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Melanzane alla parmigiana is essentially a vegetarian lasagne.

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So you treat your aubergines like the pasta sheets,

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so you layer it with, like, a tomato sauce

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and then the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

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And that's it. It's delicious.

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There's a bit of a debate whether it's a dish from Emilia-Romagna

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or whether it's a dish from the south, right?

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But, whatever, it's a lovely dish.

0:16:190:16:21

OK. Mozzarella.

0:16:210:16:23

-Thank you.

-Grated. Grated mozzarella.

0:16:230:16:26

I've already got it this way because I think it's easier.

0:16:260:16:30

Next, add a dash more salt, a bit of pepper,

0:16:300:16:33

and a sprinkling of oregano.

0:16:330:16:35

That's the first layer complete, now just repeat.

0:16:350:16:38

You must have learned how to cook from your mum.

0:16:380:16:40

-Not really.

-No?

-No, she doesn't cook.

0:16:400:16:43

-An Italian who doesn't cook?

-I know. It sounds so strange.

0:16:430:16:46

And sometimes I'd rather not say, because no-one believes that.

0:16:460:16:50

-But that's the truth.

-Wow!

0:16:500:16:52

Chiara's family secret, passed down by her grandmother, and not,

0:16:520:16:56

of course, her mamma, is to sprinkle lots and lots

0:16:560:16:58

and lots of Parmesan cheese over the top layer.

0:16:580:17:01

And finish it off with a handful of breadcrumbs.

0:17:010:17:04

After 25 minutes in the oven at 190 degrees,

0:17:050:17:08

the end result...

0:17:080:17:10

There you go.

0:17:100:17:11

..is a bubbling Melanzane Parmigiana with a crispy, caramelised crust.

0:17:110:17:15

That's amazing, that crust.

0:17:150:17:17

Wow. Look at that!

0:17:170:17:19

Oozy cheese.

0:17:210:17:22

Lovely.

0:17:220:17:23

-Do you like it?

-A lovely crunch on it.

0:17:250:17:26

Lovely, isn't it? Can we handle adding this to a Christmas menu?

0:17:280:17:33

Where would we fit it in? After the anolini, before?

0:17:330:17:36

I'm sure we'll find a slot somewhere along the line.

0:17:360:17:39

-Yeah.

-We could make it an all-day event then.

0:17:390:17:41

From seven o'clock in the morning until seven at night.

0:17:410:17:45

Buoyed by my trip to North Wales,

0:17:470:17:49

I drive back south with a head full of ideas

0:17:490:17:52

for my ultimate Welsh-Italian festive menu.

0:17:520:17:55

But I'm only halfway through my road trip.

0:17:550:17:58

And my next stop is the capital city.

0:17:580:18:01

I've just arrived here at Cardiff's Riverside market.

0:18:010:18:04

It's a lovely day.

0:18:040:18:05

I'm here to meet someone a bit later.

0:18:050:18:07

But first I want to go and see if I can find

0:18:070:18:09

some lovely Welsh produce for my Italian Christmas feast.

0:18:090:18:12

Do you know? I love farmer's markets.

0:18:120:18:14

They offer a variety of local home-grown produce

0:18:140:18:17

that even ten years ago you could only really find in Italy.

0:18:170:18:21

Produce like chard, packed with nutrients,

0:18:210:18:24

cheap as chips, and delicious, sauteed in a little butter

0:18:240:18:27

with a squeeze of lemon and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

0:18:270:18:30

Mm!

0:18:300:18:32

Thank you.

0:18:320:18:33

Of course, the problem with all this fantastic fare

0:18:330:18:36

is that you end up trying and buying more than you bargained for.

0:18:360:18:39

Cheese.

0:18:390:18:40

Oh, it's delicious.

0:18:400:18:41

'More cheese.'

0:18:410:18:42

I like that. Oh, I think I'll have one of those.

0:18:420:18:44

Thank you.

0:18:440:18:46

'Bread to go with the cheese.'

0:18:460:18:48

And... Oh, gin!

0:18:480:18:50

-Do you want a little taste?

-Go on, then.

0:18:500:18:51

How would you put gin into, like, a Christmas lunch?

0:18:530:18:56

A lot of people like to mix sloe gin with Prosecco.

0:18:560:18:59

To add an accompaniment to a cocktail.

0:18:590:19:04

This with Prosecco.

0:19:040:19:06

So that's got sloe berries, elder berries, and damson berries.

0:19:060:19:09

So, it's not just sloe.

0:19:090:19:10

I might have just found myself my Christmas Aperol spritz.

0:19:100:19:14

-Perfect.

-Sloe gin and Prosecco.

0:19:140:19:16

Chard, cheese, bread, and gin.

0:19:160:19:18

Thank you very much.

0:19:180:19:19

'Productive morning!'

0:19:190:19:21

But now it's time for me to seek out

0:19:210:19:23

the next source of inspiration for my Welsh-Italian festive menu.

0:19:230:19:27

Cardiff University tutor Bruna Chezzi.

0:19:270:19:31

-Ciao!

-Piacere.

-Piacere.

0:19:310:19:33

-Come stai?

-Bene, bene, grazie.

0:19:330:19:35

And who's this little one?

0:19:350:19:37

Ah, this is Oscar Luigi Tudor, my little Welsh Italian.

0:19:370:19:41

Hi, Oscar.

0:19:420:19:44

Bruna, who is Italian born, came to Wales to study 15 years ago.

0:19:440:19:49

-Could we get two cappuccinos please?

-Yes, absolutely.

-Thank you.

0:19:490:19:52

Fell in love with a Welshman and Wales.

0:19:520:19:55

And now, like me, has started on the next generation of Welsh Italians.

0:19:550:20:01

But being a Catholic, Bruna still observes the Italian tradition

0:20:010:20:04

of eating no meat on Christmas Eve.

0:20:040:20:07

Just like we do in the Chiappa household.

0:20:070:20:09

-Look how big the cabbages are.

-Oh, wow!

0:20:090:20:11

-Look at the parsley.

-I know.

0:20:110:20:13

-The parsley would be good in the risotto.

-OK.

0:20:130:20:15

With the fish, and the prawns.

0:20:150:20:16

So the dish that Bruna wants to add to my Welsh-Italian menu...

0:20:160:20:19

A few carrots, yes, please.

0:20:190:20:21

..is a prawn and vegetable risotto.

0:20:210:20:23

A dish where colour is just as important as flavour.

0:20:230:20:27

-Lovely. I'm famished, I am.

-I'm always hungry.

0:20:270:20:31

'Andiamo in cucina. Let's go to the kitchen.'

0:20:310:20:34

What I love about a risotto is this is how simple it can be.

0:20:360:20:40

It's some cheap, cheap ingredients.

0:20:400:20:42

You've got... Always start with an onion.

0:20:420:20:44

-I always have an onion in a risotto.

-Yes, yes.

0:20:440:20:46

A herb. Some lovely veggies.

0:20:460:20:49

Some of the cheapest vegetables you can find.

0:20:490:20:52

And then, a risotto.

0:20:520:20:53

Now, the most important thing about risotto

0:20:530:20:56

-is you have to have the right rice.

-Absolutely.

0:20:560:20:58

So it has to be Arborio or carnaroli,

0:20:580:21:00

because it's a fat rice which absorbs all the flavours.

0:21:000:21:03

'As we get down to business,

0:21:030:21:04

'I take the opportunity to quiz Bruna

0:21:040:21:07

'on a subject very close to my heart.'

0:21:070:21:10

So you did a PhD on the Welsh Italians?

0:21:100:21:13

-Is that true?

-Yes, that's right.

0:21:130:21:15

To be more precise,

0:21:150:21:16

-it's on cultural representations.

-OK.

-Of the Italians in Wales.

0:21:160:21:19

Did you find anything out that surprised you?

0:21:190:21:22

Yes, for example, one of your programmes, Michela, that I watched.

0:21:220:21:27

The programmes on the Welsh Italians.

0:21:270:21:28

-Yes.

-I was watching that programme, it really brought tears to my eyes.

0:21:280:21:32

Because so many things have changed.

0:21:320:21:35

And I thought, you know, the things you were explaining I thought,

0:21:350:21:39

"Yes, this is me as an Italian."

0:21:390:21:41

But when I was a little girl, you know.

0:21:410:21:42

I'm not sure it's the same any more.

0:21:420:21:45

That's fascinating, I think, because what's happened with us,

0:21:450:21:47

is because we've been brought up in Wales we have clung on fiercely

0:21:470:21:52

to these traditions of doing anolini at Christmas and Easter traditions.

0:21:520:21:57

We've got to give you some credit for the fact that it's like you are,

0:21:570:22:00

-kind of, maintaining...

-Oh, totally.

-And carry on the, kind of...

0:22:000:22:07

-Italy that, you know, otherwise is going to be...

-Lost.

0:22:070:22:11

Disappear, going to be lost.

0:22:110:22:13

-Well...

-You are maintaining that old-fashioned...

0:22:130:22:16

Well, I hope so. I mean, you say about traditions dying out.

0:22:160:22:19

They don't have to die out. We can bring them back to life.

0:22:190:22:23

-No, exactly. Yeah.

-I think that is so important.

0:22:230:22:25

Our world is moving so fast.

0:22:250:22:27

And if we don't keep these traditions alive they will get lost.

0:22:270:22:30

Absolutely.

0:22:300:22:31

It would seem from Bruna's studies and observations

0:22:310:22:34

that it might well be down to our generation of Welsh Italians

0:22:340:22:36

to keep these Christmas traditions alive.

0:22:360:22:39

And then, hopefully, pass them on to our children, too.

0:22:390:22:42

-Shall we add the prawns now, I think?

-Sure.

-Yeah.

0:22:420:22:45

If you want to know how to make this risotto or any of the recipes

0:22:450:22:48

featured in this series, visit the programme website.

0:22:480:22:52

Buonissimo. Complimente.

0:22:570:22:59

Grazie.

0:22:590:23:00

-Salute!

-Chin-chin. Buon Natale!

-Buon Natale!

0:23:000:23:05

My whistle-stop tour of the Welsh-Italian community

0:23:050:23:08

began in Bangor with Mario's simple, but scrumptious

0:23:080:23:11

one-pot turkey roast.

0:23:110:23:12

And I'm now going to finish my jaunt in Newport,

0:23:120:23:15

with the most decadent fish dish I think I've ever seen.

0:23:150:23:19

Twins Sergio and Pasquale Cinotti came to Wales from Lazio

0:23:190:23:23

22 years ago and opened the Gemelli's coffee shop.

0:23:230:23:27

Famous for their outlandish sweets and desserts,

0:23:270:23:29

they now also have a restaurant.

0:23:290:23:31

And it's here that Sergio's promised to rustle me up a festival of fish

0:23:310:23:36

that pays tribute to the traditional Christmas dishes

0:23:360:23:39

his mamma used to make.

0:23:390:23:40

What is this? This is sea bass?

0:23:400:23:42

-Sea bass.

-OK.

-Filleted already.

0:23:420:23:44

So we try to put on one fish as many types of fish as we can.

0:23:440:23:49

-OK.

-They go beautiful together.

0:23:490:23:51

We've got some monkfish which already chopped.

0:23:510:23:53

We're going to make something like a mousse.

0:23:530:23:55

-OK.

-To go inside our fish. Our sea bass.

0:23:550:23:57

We have white crab, which has already been steamed and cleaned.

0:23:570:24:00

-We've got crayfish.

-Crayfish.

0:24:000:24:02

And we are in Wales, so we have to use some laver bread.

0:24:020:24:06

Lovely. Let's have a look.

0:24:060:24:07

-So first we cook it for about four to six hours, very low.

-OK.

0:24:070:24:11

After, tradition warrants that it comes with oatmeal and...

0:24:110:24:15

So you mix it with oatmeal?

0:24:150:24:17

And bacon powder. Fresh bacon powder.

0:24:170:24:20

-Bacon powder.

-And we make a cracker.

0:24:200:24:22

Wow, can I have a little try?

0:24:220:24:23

Of course you can. There you are.

0:24:230:24:25

Mm.

0:24:270:24:29

I like it. A new Welsh crisp.

0:24:290:24:31

Laver bread and bacon.

0:24:310:24:32

Time to crack on with Sergio's piscine extravaganza.

0:24:330:24:37

With the discarded fish bones being used to make up a stock,

0:24:370:24:40

he sets about the monkfish mousse.

0:24:400:24:43

Drop in the pre-cooked chunks into the blender,

0:24:430:24:45

add a pinch of sea salt, a healthy glug of fresh cream, blitz,

0:24:450:24:50

then spread this fishy confection over your sea bass fillet. Next...

0:24:500:24:54

-We use our laver bread.

-Yeah.

-Nice.

0:24:540:24:58

Now we have our white crab,

0:24:580:25:01

and again, the beautiful red of the crayfish.

0:25:010:25:05

Molto bene. Next sprinkle powdered laver bread onto some clingfilm.

0:25:050:25:10

-Wow! Look at that.

-Absolutely beautiful colour, isn't it?

0:25:100:25:13

-Very green.

-Roll your stuffed fish through the powder,

0:25:130:25:16

seal it in a little clingfilm parcel

0:25:160:25:19

and then leave it to rest on ice for about 20 minutes.

0:25:190:25:22

So we've got our little fish parcel.

0:25:220:25:24

-Yes.

-So, how would you serve that up then?

0:25:240:25:26

We're going to make a fantastic Bouillabaisse sauce.

0:25:260:25:28

A lot of shellfish and fish.

0:25:280:25:29

-Delicious.

-We're going to cook that.

0:25:290:25:31

We use that as a base on our dish, and put the sea bass right on top.

0:25:310:25:34

This is like fish, fish, fish, fish.

0:25:340:25:37

That's what Christmas is all about. Fish and festivity.

0:25:370:25:40

And most of all, tradition as well.

0:25:400:25:41

That's why I want to included into it laver bread

0:25:410:25:45

and this particular sauce.

0:25:450:25:47

-It's tradition.

-Keeping traditions alive.

0:25:470:25:49

That's what Christmas is about, yes.

0:25:490:25:51

Sergio gets the fish in the oven

0:25:510:25:53

while the shellfish-rich Bouillabaisse bubbles away.

0:25:530:25:56

And after nine minutes at 180 degrees.

0:25:560:25:59

Yes! Fish!

0:25:590:26:01

Ready. Fantastic.

0:26:010:26:03

-That's our fish.

-Oh, my goodness.

0:26:030:26:06

Our sauce is ready. It smells absolutely fantastic.

0:26:060:26:10

Oh, the saffron.

0:26:100:26:11

Absolutely. And the fish and a bit of wine, beautiful.

0:26:110:26:14

Maybe a good facial,

0:26:140:26:15

I could stay and have a saffron facial or something.

0:26:150:26:17

OK. We are going to put just some of it.

0:26:170:26:20

This dish, OK, it's quite a decadent dish.

0:26:200:26:23

You've got four or five different types of prawns in the raux,

0:26:230:26:26

then you've got the sauce, you've got caviar there, white wine.

0:26:260:26:29

Christmas you should try to treat your guests.

0:26:290:26:33

So you have to make the effort to spend a bit of money,

0:26:330:26:36

not just on gifts, but as well on food.

0:26:360:26:39

Would your mamma have done a dish with caviar and all these things...

0:26:390:26:42

-No.

-Or would it have been simple?

0:26:420:26:44

It would be simple, of course, especially those years.

0:26:440:26:47

It definitely would be simple.

0:26:470:26:49

But definitely she would make the extra effort.

0:26:490:26:52

That's it. That's our festive sea bass.

0:26:540:26:57

Wow! It looks incredible.

0:26:570:26:59

Yeah, we try to put classic and modern approach together.

0:26:590:27:03

-Gorgeous.

-It looks fantastic.

-Amazingly beautiful.

0:27:030:27:06

But I really want to try it.

0:27:060:27:07

-Of course, we take it on the table.

-Come on, then.

0:27:070:27:11

So we'll try to cut it right in the centre.

0:27:110:27:15

Wow! Look at that.

0:27:150:27:16

See, you've got the grain of laver bread.

0:27:160:27:18

You can see the crab. You can see the crayfish.

0:27:180:27:21

-Absolutely fantastic, isn't it?

-It smells amazing.

0:27:210:27:25

Come on, I'm starving!

0:27:250:27:27

Wow, I got a big bit. That sauce smells divine.

0:27:270:27:31

-Thank you. Thank you.

-There you are.

0:27:310:27:33

Wow! Look at that!

0:27:330:27:34

So you've got saffron, you've got caviar.

0:27:340:27:36

I've got it all!

0:27:360:27:38

-Buon appetito.

-Buon appetito.

0:27:380:27:40

-Delicious. Wow!

-You can taste the fish.

0:27:440:27:48

You can taste the laver bread, yeah.

0:27:480:27:50

It's delicious.

0:27:500:27:51

See, when you've got quality ingredients

0:27:510:27:54

you don't need really to do much elaboration.

0:27:540:27:57

We didn't do much, did we?

0:27:570:27:59

-No.

-Not much(!)

0:27:590:28:02

I think it's fresh, simple and delicious.

0:28:020:28:06

Delicious and decadent.

0:28:060:28:07

And with the laver bread and the fresh Welsh seafood,

0:28:070:28:10

Sergio has created a proper Welsh-Italian food fusion.

0:28:100:28:15

Would I put it on my festive menu?

0:28:150:28:17

Well, it's certainly given me some food for thought.

0:28:170:28:20

So I've eaten my way all around Wales

0:28:200:28:22

from Mario up north to Bruna down in the south.

0:28:220:28:25

And I think I can now cherry pick lots of different ideas

0:28:250:28:30

to create my ultimate Welsh-Italian festive menu.

0:28:300:28:35

So in the next episode of The Welsh-Italian Christmas,

0:28:350:28:38

I'm going to rustle up a six-course festive menu inspired by my travels,

0:28:380:28:43

and then serve it all up for scrutiny

0:28:430:28:45

when I throw a Christmas party for the Welsh-Italian community.

0:28:450:28:50

Missed that vital Italian ingredient?

0:28:520:28:55

Find all the recipes featured in this series at bbc.in/welshitalians.

0:28:550:29:01

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