0:00:02 > 0:00:05Italian food is the most popular cuisine in Britain.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08And there is one woman who's been at the heart of this.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13- Hello, love. How are you? - Hi, gorgeous. Mwah!
0:00:14 > 0:00:18An unsung culinary hero, who's changed the way we all eat.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21And yet, too few of us know her name.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28Now 91, she's the Italian food writer, Anna Del Conte.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Anna Del Conte was a pioneer
0:00:30 > 0:00:33of Italian food here in Britain.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38When she started to write Italian cookbooks, we were ready for them.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39When I was writing my first book,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43I think Anna was probably the leading influence.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Ever since she arrived in the culinary wasteland of
0:00:46 > 0:00:50- post-war Britain... - Pour in some of your lovely sauce.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55..Anna's waged a quiet war of words to open our hearts to the joy
0:00:55 > 0:00:57of eating al Italiano.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59And there it is.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Along the way, she's inspired a battalion of chefs and writers
0:01:05 > 0:01:08who've been eager to spread the word on TV.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12If I ever want a reference, I'll probably go to Anna Del Conte.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14She's got it, she's nailed it.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17But if our faces have become familiar,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20our guiding light has remained quietly in the shadows.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22- Thank you.- Thank you, thank you, very, very much.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24I have to say, next to my mother,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27there's no-one who has influenced me more.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Don't make me cry, please.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32To get a flavour of how she inspired us,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35we'll be cooking three of Anna's classic recipes...
0:01:35 > 0:01:36That's enough.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39..her quick and easy pesto with a special twist,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42an authentic ragu a la Bolognese...
0:01:42 > 0:01:45It's all a question of nurturing.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48..and a very festive tiramisu.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Perfect.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52This is Anna's story.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57The godmother of Italian food in Britain.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59The cook who changed our lives.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Today, Anna Del Conte lives in Dorset,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15next-door to her daughter and four grandchildren.
0:02:15 > 0:02:21At the age of 91, she's published 15 defining books on Italian food.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24For me, food is my country, very strongly.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27And I wanted to talk about my country, Italy,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30to my new country, England.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33And she's still writing and cooking for the whole family.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38Now, let it cook gently. It absorbs, you see?
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Anna's recipes are infused with the knowledge of
0:02:41 > 0:02:45- and a passion for the ingredients... - This is arborio.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47..built up over 80 years in the kitchen.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Now, risotto is a dish of the north,
0:02:49 > 0:02:54like pasta is a dish of the south, simply because rice grows there.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Today, Anna and her granddaughter Coco are cooking risotto al limone.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Now, go on, stir. You've got to stir it because you
0:03:01 > 0:03:03didn't want it to stick to the bottom.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07This recipe combines lemon juice, herbs, egg yolks,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- cream and Parmesan. - Like that.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14It's the perfect example of Anna's quintessential Italian style -
0:03:14 > 0:03:18a few simple ingredients, perfectly balanced.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19Put it there.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22When I read Anna's books or when I look through the recipes,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25it reminds me a lot of my grandmother cooking.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Very essential, very straightforward.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It's Anna's unique family quality that
0:03:31 > 0:03:36has encouraged us Brits not just to eat Italian, but to cook it at home.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39The great thing about Anna's books is they are authentic,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42but they are written for an English audience.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46She doesn't assume that you're going to know what she's talking about.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49And it's her un-chefy approach to Italian food
0:03:49 > 0:03:51that has been so inspiring.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53When I was writing my first book,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57I think Anna was probably the leading influence.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01I was so relieved to see a book of recipes written by a home cook
0:04:01 > 0:04:05for home cooks, I knew that I could read that and it would doable.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07- It's delicious.- It's really good.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I first met Anna more than 20 years ago.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23But this is where we're meeting today, Bar Italia in Soho...
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Hello. Buongiorno.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28..one of Anna's favourite places in London.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35We're grabbing a quick drink before we go shopping for our lunch.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Anna used to come to Bar Italia for a real espresso when she
0:04:42 > 0:04:46first came to England in 1949.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48It was a refreshing break from British food.
0:04:48 > 0:04:54- Were you completely shocked by the food?- Oh, God, yes. Yes, I'm sorry.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- No, no, no.- It was... I found it was the smell,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00the thing that really put me off.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05It was the smell of fried and fried fat.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07But there still must have been rationing.
0:05:07 > 0:05:14Oh, yes. Certainly the butter and the meat went on till 1954.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18'When Anna first arrived, she found Britain was a culinary wasteland.'
0:05:20 > 0:05:23The war had shrunk the British larder.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26We ate bread and dripping, but meat only if we were lucky.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33Rationing was worse after the war than during the war.
0:05:33 > 0:05:39Spam fritters and snook, omelettes made with dried egg,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41would have been the norm.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Toast and dried egg breakfasts aren't much to shout about.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47But now, even they're going.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Honestly, I'm beginning to dread each new day.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53There were some signs of improvement.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56A transatlantic phenomenon has at last made its mark in British shops,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58the self-service store.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Its advocates believe that when the customers see more,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03they'll want more.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05But with rationing still casting its shadow,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07more wasn't really an option.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13There was no choice. You ate what was put in front of you.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18Stand by of the British diet is the meat pie, but it is just these foods
0:06:18 > 0:06:22which are most likely to harbour bacterial infections and poisons.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26And lunch was often just a stale and sorry sandwich.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Was it a bit of a culture shock?
0:06:29 > 0:06:34- I don't think I felt very attuned for a long time.- Yes. Yes.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40It's no surprise Anna wasn't feeling quite at home.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44After all, she'd arrived in a world where Mediterranean flavours
0:06:44 > 0:06:45were unknown.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48If you said the word garlic, people held their noses.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49"Garlic!" they'd say.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52And they thought olive oil was something you put in your ear.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54You know, if you had earache, you put olive oil in it.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56You got it from the chemist.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59That was the only olive oil you could get, from the chemist.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03And when it came to pasta, a BBC spoof had us all fooled.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06The last two weeks of March are an anxious time
0:07:06 > 0:07:08for the spaghetti farmer.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10There's always the chance of a late frost, which, while
0:07:10 > 0:07:14not entirely ruining the crop, generally impairs the flavour.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19But in fact, even in the 1950s,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22there was a little piece of Italy in Soho.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26# Magic moments... #
0:07:26 > 0:07:31So, every week, Anna would make a pilgrimage for olive oil
0:07:31 > 0:07:33and cheese, pasta and salami.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Her destination was Lina Stores, a culinary oasis of wonderful
0:07:39 > 0:07:44Italian ingredients, still there more than 60 years on.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46- We are now.- Here we are.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50Let's go in.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57- Now, let me get my list. - Let me get a basket.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59On Anna's list are the ingredients for
0:07:59 > 0:08:02a gorgeous lunch we're going to cook together.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07On the menu are three British favourites,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11dishes we all love, but we often get wrong or simply buy ready-made.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16We've got some serious shopping to do.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17I've got a huge bit, sorry.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21TRANSLATED FROM ITALIAN:
0:08:24 > 0:08:28For the antipasti, we're making a very special pesto.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Anna's hunting for the perfect piece of cheese.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34- You taste it.- I will, with pleasure.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35As any Italian will tell you,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39small variations in flavour can make or break a dish.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43No, it is very salty. I love that it somehow tastes lemony and salty.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44Yeah, it's very good.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- Oil.- Oil, oil, oil.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51'Finding olive oil in an Italian deli is easy.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53'The trick is to buy the right one.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56'For a pesto, a light Ligurian oil is perfect.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59'Though it appears they've got everything but.'
0:09:08 > 0:09:10I... Probably Marche.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12- ANNA SPEAKS ITALIAN - Exactly.
0:09:12 > 0:09:13So that's similar to the Ligurian one.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17So I presume you want a light one so it doesn't overwhelm the pesto.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21- On the pesto, yeah. Shall we do the salumi?- Do.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25'No antipasti would be complete without some beautiful cured meat.'
0:09:25 > 0:09:28- Felino.- Felino...- Ah.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32'Anna chooses a Felino salami from the north of Italy...'
0:09:32 > 0:09:33SHE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Very good. The flavours. Chilli. It's just...
0:09:41 > 0:09:43pig. Beautiful, lovely pig.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48'..and some luscious lardo, or back fat. It's delicious on warm toast.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54'Now we just need some pancetta for the ragu, and mascarpone
0:09:54 > 0:09:57'for the tiramisu. Oh, and the olives.'
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- They look lovely.- They're huge!
0:10:00 > 0:10:03- After you.- Bye.- Ciao, grazie.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05- Goodbye.- Bye-bye. - Thank you very much.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09Being with Anna's a reminder that at the heart of real Italian
0:10:09 > 0:10:11cooking is good shopping...
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and an encyclopaedic knowledge of ingredients.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18And that know-how certainly shines through in our first recipe.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25- We're going to have lunch, and I'm going to cook for you.- I'm honoured.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29And first we are having pesto. I'm making pesto for the antipasti.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32This is the basil. Quite good, actually.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34It is quite nice and smelly.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38So I think what we'll do... Shall we do it in this one?
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- Are you ever going to be allowed back in Italy?- Yes. Don't tell them.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Don't tell them.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46'In Italy, pesto is traditionally made in a pestle and mortar.'
0:10:48 > 0:10:51- That's enough.- 'But Anna's as pragmatic as she is passionate.'
0:10:53 > 0:10:57- Do we have the pine nut?- Yeah.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58'And using a processor,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01'it's surprisingly easy to make pesto at home.'
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Mm. It really smells fantastic.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- You think a little more? - Always.- Always.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11SHE LAUGHS
0:11:11 > 0:11:14'Next is the vital ingredient for a good pesto.'
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- This is...- A light one. - It's very mild. And for...
0:11:17 > 0:11:20And you... You taught me that about 20 years ago,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24- and everything you tell me, I remember.- Press it down and I pour.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27'If the oil's too strong,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30'it'll overpower the essential flavour of the basil.'
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Ah! Pesto here is so popular.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I know, because when you think what
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- a teeny, teeny part of Italy it comes from.- Now...
0:11:40 > 0:11:44pecorino and Parmigiano.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47'The flavour of the two cheeses gives the pesto silky depth.'
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Can you manage?
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- I didn't mean to be rude. - THEY LAUGH
0:11:54 > 0:11:56- I meant to be kind.- You are kind.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- It's quite extraordinary.- Yes. - We, in Italy,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03- mainly use pesto only on pasta. - Yes.- That's it.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- And here we use it on everything. - Yeah, on everything.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Well, I have to say, in my experience of feeding children,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12if you put pesto in something, they'll eat it, whatever it is.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19- It's lovely to have you around. Come again.- I'll stay forever.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22'For a classic pesto, you can stop here.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24'But Anna's transforming hers
0:12:24 > 0:12:27'with another gorgeous Italian ingredient.'
0:12:27 > 0:12:29- Where is the ricotta? - It's in the fridge, but...
0:12:29 > 0:12:33What are you doing eating my cheese?
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Um, I'm clearing because I can't bear....
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- to have things around that I don't use any more.- OK.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Here's your ricotta, I'll get rid of this.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Now, what we do is put it in.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50'Anna's twist turns the pesto into an incredibly moreish dip.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52'Perfect for parties.'
0:12:52 > 0:12:55- Go on, add, add, add. - Add, add, add, add, add.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00But not so much more. All done.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02It would be nice on pasta, even like this.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06- Because in a way, when you stuff pasta, you use ricotta.- Yes.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- I might have to steal this from you. - Now, can we taste it?
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- Mmm!- Mmm!- Lovely.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18'Now, time to assemble our antipasti misti.'
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- The Felino.- The Felino.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24And here we've got some wonderful culatello.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28'Antipasto means before the meal, and misto, mixed.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31'It's a careful curation of flavours,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34'a lesson in the essence of Italian food.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40'We've got the obligatory bread and some choice pieces to dip
0:13:40 > 0:13:41'into the ricotta pesto.'
0:13:43 > 0:13:45This is a lovely spread.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49'The perfect accompaniment is Anna's trademark cocktail
0:13:49 > 0:13:50'of Prosecco and Campari.'
0:13:50 > 0:13:53That's lovely. Chin-chin.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58- Mmm!- Lovely. Now...
0:14:00 > 0:14:04- I'm going to have some of this. - I love...
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- You don't need to have such a big array anyway, do you?- Oh, no.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10This is more what you might have in a restaurant.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13We're managing quite well, just the two of us.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17'The secret to good antipasti is simplicity.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21'Beautiful, fresh ingredients, lovingly prepared.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23'It's the key to Italian cooking,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26'and it's a lesson Anna learnt as a child in her hometown of Milan.'
0:14:33 > 0:14:38It was here that Anna's fierce culinary intelligence took root.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41She's brought her granddaughter Coco to the house where she
0:14:41 > 0:14:43was first inspired to cook.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46- And that is the flat where we were. - The top one?
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Yes. And this was the kitchen. The second floor.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Maria's kingdom, our cook.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55I spent hours in the kitchen with her.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Coming home from school, we used to run into the kitchen and say,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- Maria... - SHE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:15:01 > 0:15:03"What are we cooking?" And she used to...
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Oh, she used to make the most fabulous gnocchi di patate.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Very quickly. And polpette with...
0:15:09 > 0:15:13And seasoned with a little truffle inside. Heaven.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17She was a very, very good cook. She inspired me a lot.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Maria's truffle-laced meatballs showed Anna how to use one
0:15:20 > 0:15:25very special ingredient to make a dish really sing.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29And Anna's mother, Ernesta, knew just where to buy the very best.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32At Milan's smartest deli,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34the shelves are lined with lavish treats.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38But Anna's making a beeline for truffles.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44How wonderful. These remind me so much of my mother.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46We used to buy the small one,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49and we used to go back all the way to where we lived.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54Like that. Smelling it, with the truffle in my hand.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57What does a good one smell of, Nonna?
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Some people say they smell of armpit, Parmesan...
0:16:00 > 0:16:02SHE LAUGHS
0:16:02 > 0:16:04- Armpit, Parmesan and garlic.- OK.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09The luxurious flavours of Milan
0:16:09 > 0:16:12kindled Anna's love affair with food.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14But when the Second World War broke out,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16bombing raids and food shortages
0:16:16 > 0:16:18forced the del Contes to leave the city,
0:16:18 > 0:16:23taking refuge with friends in Emilia-Romagna.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Anna arrived in a land of plenty.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30In this rich farmland, she discovered the beauty of fresh,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32seasonal ingredients.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Here, her mother knew the family would never go hungry.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41I think probably she had the inkling that we would never be starved,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44and we never starved. I never ate so well in my life like here.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Anna's returning to the farm where she learned some of the most
0:16:47 > 0:16:50important culinary lessons of her life.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52There it is. Yes.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55This one is it, yes, I'm sure.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Lessons that shaped her cooking, and ours.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Back then, a family friend took them in,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05and it's his great granddaughters who are meeting Anna today.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12THEY SPEAK ITALIAN
0:17:16 > 0:17:20Brings back a lot of memories. Let me see, let me see, let me see.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25It's more than 70 years since Anna stepped through these doors.
0:17:27 > 0:17:28Thank you.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Yes, yes, yes. Oh, yeah, that's the same.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36When they took us in, they gave us this room,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39which was my parents' room.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42- And here was our little sitting room.- Ah, OK.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Anna's room was on the first floor.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Oh, gosh, yes. Isn't it beautiful?
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Now, these are all vineyards, are still vineyards, I presume.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59- Yes, they are all vineyards. - Peaches.- Apricots, peaches.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04- Apricots.- Apricots, peaches. And some apples, but just a few.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06The ingredients were incredibly good.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09They would all come from here, they were all local.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11The chickens were here, the eggs were here.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15The milk was there, the butter was there. The wine was there.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19So I learnt here what materia prima, "the good ingredients", are.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24And that gave a tremendous impression on my palate, I think.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29My food culture. And I will never forget that.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Anna ate some of the best meals of her life at the farmhouse.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38But the cooking had a very different flavour to the sophisticated meals
0:18:38 > 0:18:40she'd enjoyed in Milan.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44The pig, which was slaughtered once a year.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47It was a real feast, because you ate everything.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52Pig is like the music of Verdi, there is nothing to throw away.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56And everything is ate, from the ear to the tail.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59They made the salumi and they made the prosciutto.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03And it was slightly more salty than the one of Parma.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05But they were quite delicious.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09At the farm, Anna learnt that with a little creativity
0:19:09 > 0:19:13and loving attention, even the most basic ingredients could be turned
0:19:13 > 0:19:15into something sumptuous.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19It's the secret to cucina povera, or peasant cooking,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22the heart and soul of Italian food.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25And it's a lesson she'd take with her when she left Italy
0:19:25 > 0:19:27for England in 1949.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32When she came to London to work as an au pair,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36cooking Italian was the one way Anna could connect to her country.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41There were two things that I missed terribly when I came here.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45One was the light. Nothing I could do about light.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47And the other thing was food I missed.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51But I could try to do something about food. And I did.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56After meeting her husband Oliver, Anna started a family,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59and she was soon serving up soulful Italian food.
0:20:01 > 0:20:0460 years on and she's still at it.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Today Anna is making a classic Tuscan bruschetta with Coco.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10First, the skin,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12and you cut it in half.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16I always take the germ of the garlic out. You see, that's the germ.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21The garlic is much sweeter if you remove that.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23And brush.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24- Rub.- OK.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30- Squeezing it so the juice comes out.- OK.- With any luck.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31And we go like that.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37You do the garlic and I do the tomato.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41The bruschetta is an example of Italian simplicity.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45What's the most important thing for a bruschetta, do you think?
0:20:45 > 0:20:46It's good bread.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50The bread should be, I think, a ciabatta type of bread.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52- Yeah.- Good tomato.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Excellent olive oil.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58Bruschetta can take a rather nice, strong oil.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00There's some lovely leaves. Now...
0:21:04 > 0:21:05And there it is.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10These days, we take good Italian ingredients for granted.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14But when Anna was raising her family, it was a different story.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19There was no mozzarella, for instance, no mascarpone, no ricotta.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Peppers were unknown,
0:21:21 > 0:21:22courgettes practically unknown.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26There was marrow, but, frankly, not very good to eat.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28There was no squash.
0:21:28 > 0:21:29Very boring.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34And if the family wanted to eat out,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37restaurants were a rather stuffy affair.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40English restaurants right at the beginning of the '60s
0:21:40 > 0:21:41had white tablecloths
0:21:41 > 0:21:43and an incredibly snotty head waiter,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47who would look down his nose at you if you ordered the house wine.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50And it was all holy hush - you know, you were in the presence
0:21:50 > 0:21:53of gastronomy, so you had to be very quiet.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54And the food wasn't very good.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02But in the '60s, the pendulum started to swing.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06The British were slowly developing an appetite
0:22:06 > 0:22:08for more sun-kissed flavours.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13More and more people were able to travel to the Mediterranean.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16You know, it was that whole thing about sun and olive oil
0:22:16 > 0:22:19and garlic and tomatoes that actually tasted like tomatoes.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22It meant that when they came back home
0:22:22 > 0:22:24they wanted something different.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29This isn't Rome.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32It's a London restaurant which hasn't been slow to cater
0:22:32 > 0:22:34for the Italian craze.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Mm-hm! How would YOU like to be waited on by a vestal virgin?
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Offering flamboyant spectacle,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46the new Italian trattorias made an exciting change.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48I think they really turned a page
0:22:48 > 0:22:51and really put the fun into having dinner.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Italian restaurants, they were like really cool and trendy.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59It would be noisy, there'd be lots of Italians yelling,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01and they enjoyed serving.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03And their whole attitude to food was so different.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07With affordable prices and unchallenging menus,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10they opened up restaurants to the people.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Sometimes I have the spaghetti, which I like very much.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15I mean, I'm just a common chap, like, you know,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17which likes his pint and all that.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20But in their efforts to pull in the punters,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23the food on offer wasn't always authentic.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26They were doing recipes...
0:23:26 > 0:23:30able to attract British. So...
0:23:30 > 0:23:34Rightly, Anna Del Conte said it was Britalian food.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37They did have a few uniquely British dishes,
0:23:37 > 0:23:41the most famous of which I suppose was called pollo sorpresa,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44which was the Italian version of chicken Kiev.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49And it was always served with a great deal of ceremony, you know.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53You had to cut it open in a very particular way
0:23:53 > 0:23:57so there wasn't this sort of Vesuvius-like eruption
0:23:57 > 0:23:59of garlic butter all over the place.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02I thought it was crazy.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05I thought, "That's got nothing to do with Italy."
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Whatever their shortcomings,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Italian restaurants had awakened a love for pizza and pasta.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17What we in Britain weren't yet doing
0:24:17 > 0:24:19was cooking Italian food at home.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22For that, we would need guidance.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25I thought pasta was an unknown ingredient.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29And I wanted the English to know more about it, to know the right...
0:24:29 > 0:24:31how to cook the right sort of pasta.
0:24:31 > 0:24:37Partly, it was my feeling that the cooking of my country, Italy,
0:24:37 > 0:24:38should be better known.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41It was a hymn...hymn to my country.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46That hymn to her homeland kick-started Anna's career.
0:24:47 > 0:24:53Anna Del Conte was a pioneer of Italian food here in Britain.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56She touched the pulse of the British
0:24:56 > 0:24:58and said, "Something has to be done."
0:24:59 > 0:25:02There is this sense of the personal connection.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05It's her experience, it's her life,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08erm, you know, in a series of dishes.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10She's your friend in the kitchen.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12There she is at your elbow, telling you what to do.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13It's a marvellous sensation.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16I think Anna just hit the right moment, didn't she?
0:25:16 > 0:25:19I mean, when she started to write Italian cookbooks
0:25:19 > 0:25:21we were ready for them.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Anna's first book introduced us to the extraordinary variety
0:25:24 > 0:25:27of Italian pasta and how to cook it all.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30And in the '70s, Delia took up the baton.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Hello, and welcome again.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37This week's programme is all about how to cook pasta,
0:25:37 > 0:25:42which does come in a great big array of sizes and assortments.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45These are egg noodles, sometimes called tagliatelle.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46And that's called lasagne
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and that makes a really delicious dish, one of my very favourites.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53# Golden brown, texture like sun... #
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Delia showed the way, but when Britain began attempting bolognese,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00the results were often shockingly inauthentic.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Burn an onion, abuse a bit of nasty, grey, grisly mince.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Chuck a bit of ketchup in.
0:26:05 > 0:26:06It was pretty filthy.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And that Parmesan we used to get, that was very much...
0:26:09 > 0:26:10And it smelt of puke.
0:26:10 > 0:26:15Thankfully, Anna's book showed us how to cook ragu alla bolognese
0:26:15 > 0:26:17the proper Italian way.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20And that's exactly what we're cooking for lunch.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- We are going to do a ragu for lunch, aren't we?- Mm. I love that.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32And we're going to have it with tagliatelle, not with spaghetti.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33I know, I know, I know!
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- Not spag bol.- Not spag bol.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38- Anyhow, can we start with the pancetta, please?- I certainly can.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40You've got the non-smoked one.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44Absolutely, because we don't have a lot of smoked food in Italy.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48It's not very... I'm sure you know. Not smoked such a lot.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52There is masses of ragu. There are as many ragus as there are cooks.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56The one we're making today - the classic one, so to speak,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59the real, proper, the true ragu.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Now, where is the oil?
0:27:01 > 0:27:04People in this country always think extra virgin olive oil
0:27:04 > 0:27:07always is better. But you don't cook with it.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11No. Because it's very...strong.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15- Strong... I mean, deliciously...- Mm. - ..but rather peppery flavour,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17which wouldn't go with that.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21'Anna starts by heating olive oil and butter.'
0:27:21 > 0:27:25You want the garlic? I can remember what you said to me
0:27:25 > 0:27:28a long time ago, which is that you just peel the garlic...
0:27:28 > 0:27:30- And put it in and take it out. - ..and when it is golden
0:27:30 > 0:27:33you take it out again so it has just got like the breath of the taste.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Very seldom in Italy, I'm sure you've noticed,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37there is onion and garlic.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- No, I haven't. - In the old...old fashion
0:27:39 > 0:27:41they would never put the two together.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44My mother never put garlic and onion, because one...
0:27:44 > 0:27:48seemed not to kill, but interfere with the flavour of the other.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53'After removing the garlic, Anna adds the pancetta.'
0:27:53 > 0:27:54I love that smell.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Oh, it does smell.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59So, you've got three different fats going on.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Three different fats going on, yes. Do you not approve?
0:28:02 > 0:28:05I approve wholeheartedly.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Can you please chop a little bit?
0:28:07 > 0:28:10- No, you can do some work for a change!- Good.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Oh, my... How old is that?
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- My great-grandmother.- So...
0:28:19 > 0:28:22And she died in 1936.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26We lost the house, we lost everything during the war.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- Not this one!- Kept hold of that.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30It followed my mother everywhere.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Once the onion is chopped we add it to the pan
0:28:33 > 0:28:36with a pinch of salt to stop the onions burning.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Now, this is the soffritto starting.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Now I'm going to put carrots and celery.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47- The soffritto is just giving the dish the basic.- The foundation.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51It's the base of a lot...a lot of Italian dishes.
0:28:52 > 0:28:53- There.- Thank you.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57After the soffritto has softened, we add the meat.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59This is beef.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01It should be lean, not too fat.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03- We've got enough fat there.- Yes.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05- Well, it's just beef.- It's only beef.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06And this is the closest.
0:29:06 > 0:29:12- I want it to be the real regional thing, etc, etc, you know.- I do.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15- OK, do you want to swap?- Yes.- Here.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17Don't burn yourself, cos it's quite a small fork.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21It's very good, though, this, isn't it? It's not too finely minced.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23No, it shouldn't be, it shouldn't be again.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25- You should feel the grain in your mouth.- Yes.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29- It should get just slightly crusty.- Yes.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Otherwise it's become a stew instead of...
0:29:31 > 0:29:33- Yes, it braises then.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36- Now...- Crumbly.- ..the tomato puree.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39- Tell me when to stop. - No, I don't want you to stop.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41- We certainly need all that.- Yeah.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45'And in a classic ragu, that's where the tomato ends.'
0:29:45 > 0:29:48Some people put... er, peeled tomato.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51This is a meat sauce, not a tomato and meat sauce.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54- It is a meat sauce.- Mm-hm. - Fundamentally, you're right.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57That's correct - it is not a tomato sauce, it's a meat sauce.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02'Next, we add a touch of grated nutmeg...'
0:30:02 > 0:30:04That's it. Thank you.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06- '..some red wine...' - That's lovely.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09And then we put the wine.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11- Barbera!- Yeah. - How lovely. That's it.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13'..and a glug of stock.'
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Er, did we put salt? No.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19Hmm, only on the onions. Not much.
0:30:19 > 0:30:20I'll put a little more.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25'The final crucial ingredient is milk,
0:30:25 > 0:30:28'often neglected in a British bolognese.'
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Now, we put the milk in. The milk softens it.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33- Milk is... It's a gentle flavour. - Mm-hm.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37It's all a question of nurturing your dish.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39- A ragu needs nurturing.- Yeah.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42And then we put the bay leaves. I think two. What do you think?
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Yeah, I think two is absolutely fine.
0:30:46 > 0:30:47And then we taste it.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53- Oh! Very, very rich. I love that. - Good.- Really rich.- Mmm.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56- You cook it for a long time.- Mmm. - It won't be cooked yet.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59- No, but it will be fantastic. - I think minimum is two hours.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01But frankly, the more longer it is...
0:31:01 > 0:31:04One used to cook it for four or five hours.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10- Yeah. Is that all right? - That's more than all right, darling.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12MUSIC: That's The Way I Like It by KC and the Sunshine Band
0:31:12 > 0:31:14For most of us in the '70s,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Italian food was something you could enjoy only in restaurants.
0:31:17 > 0:31:22For many who ate pasta at home, the chances were it came out of a tin.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Well, I sort of belong to a generation where, in fact,
0:31:25 > 0:31:27it was tinned spaghetti and spaghetti hoops.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29Remember spaghetti hoops?
0:31:29 > 0:31:31Most people's idea, in the '70s,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34of Italian cooking would probably be tinned ravioli.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38And it was in a sort of weak tomato sauce
0:31:38 > 0:31:42and slimy overcooked ravioli, which slopped out and was horrible!
0:31:42 > 0:31:45I mean, how much more Britalian can you get?
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Tinned ravioli on toast!
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Great!
0:31:50 > 0:31:54Of course, Anna's authentic version might take a little more time,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57but the difference is more than worth it.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01- It's been cooking for about 2-2½ hours, hasn't it?- Mm-hm.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05'And with the ragu nearly ready, it's time to cook the pasta.'
0:32:05 > 0:32:08- Yes.- Aw, does that make you happy?- Beautiful.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11And so, what did I learn from you, that I quote all the time?
0:32:11 > 0:32:14"The water you cook pasta in must be as salty as the Mediterranean."
0:32:14 > 0:32:17- Yes. Not the Atlantic.- No, no, no!
0:32:17 > 0:32:21It's about 15ml, which is one good tablespoonful,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24- for one litre of water.- Oh, right!
0:32:24 > 0:32:28And we do it with tagliatelle. Ragu is never done with spaghetti.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31No, I suppose, if you did it with this, it would be too heavy for it.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33- It just slips through it. - Yes.- That's right.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39- Put them all in. Don't you think so?- Of course.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44- Bring it back as quickly as possible to the boil.- Yeah.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46- And then you give it a good stir...- Yes.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48- ..and you boil it without the lid. - It's boiling.
0:32:48 > 0:32:53- You need a roaring boil. - A "roaring" boil - fantastic!
0:32:53 > 0:32:55- LID RATTLES - There it is.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57- Yeah.- Yes.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00'The pasta has to be cooked al dente, still with a bit of a bite.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05'Finally, Anna dresses the pasta with sauce.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09'It's a delicate art we all too often get wrong over here.'
0:33:09 > 0:33:11- We can dress a little bit. - So just a bit?
0:33:11 > 0:33:14So you don't want too much, otherwise you're turning into us.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Ah! Otherwise it becomes a Britalian dish...
0:33:17 > 0:33:21- Yes!- ..and not an Italian dish. The proportion of sauce to pasta
0:33:21 > 0:33:24should be two tablespoons of sauce per portion of pasta.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35How much do we want?
0:33:35 > 0:33:36Just carry on. ANNA LAUGHS
0:33:36 > 0:33:38We're sharing it now.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42- No, that's for you alone, darling! - Yeah!
0:33:42 > 0:33:44OK.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Again, don't overdo it with the Parmesan...
0:33:47 > 0:33:49- Yes.- ..because it's quite a strong thing.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52It should be grated and not shaved.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54I haven't got a fork. Oh, here it is.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57- I'm hungry. Are you?- Very, actually.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00Oh, dear. I've got too much.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Obviously, I wasn't born to twirl like you.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08- Good.- It's very good.- Mm-hm.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Thank you.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Lovely.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17- It's the lovely Barbera that I put in there.- Yes.
0:34:17 > 0:34:18Well, that's the rule, isn't it?
0:34:18 > 0:34:21Don't use anything in cooking you wouldn't drink.
0:34:21 > 0:34:22- Grazie.- A te.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27MUSIC: Take On Me by Aha
0:34:27 > 0:34:29Anna's first book was a success,
0:34:29 > 0:34:31but she couldn't change our lives overnight.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35And with the '80s in full flow,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38it wasn't looking good for Italian food in Britain.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Microwaves were in and people just couldn't get enough of them.
0:34:42 > 0:34:43It'll be two minutes, OK?
0:34:43 > 0:34:46So, although lasagne may have been on the menu,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Mama certainly hadn't made it.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52And, of course, pizza came in a box!
0:34:52 > 0:34:55People were in love with convenience food.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59My sister and I were obsessed with all the really rubbish crap foods.
0:34:59 > 0:35:00My mum wouldn't let us have them -
0:35:00 > 0:35:04you know, lasagne, microwaved lasagne - all these things that...
0:35:04 > 0:35:07We weren't exactly sort of, you know, it wasn't poor us, but, yes,
0:35:07 > 0:35:12we wanted to get deeper into this white heat of food technology.
0:35:12 > 0:35:13- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16And some of our much-loved Italian restaurants
0:35:16 > 0:35:18had become a bit of a joke!
0:35:18 > 0:35:21- Pasta!- Thank you.- Thank you. - A bit of fattening, eh?
0:35:21 > 0:35:25Something to...grab hold of! Nice one!
0:35:28 > 0:35:29They're all like that in 'ere -
0:35:29 > 0:35:32jamming their groins into your tortellini!
0:35:33 > 0:35:35The big comedy pepper grinder!
0:35:35 > 0:35:38- Pepper, ladies? - Thank you.- Thank you.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Make-a you nice and hot!
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Nice-a big one, eh?
0:35:47 > 0:35:51Trattorias in Britain were a poor imitation of the original.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55We still hadn't cracked the art of cooking real Italian food.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59- ANNA:- Good ingredients are the base of the Italian cooking.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02They've got to be pure and simple.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06All the other ingredients that goes in are simply to
0:36:06 > 0:36:11emphasise the flavour of the main ingredient, not to distract from it.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16It's a mantra Anna picked up in her early years in Italy.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21And it's the inspiration behind the food at Da Mandarein,
0:36:21 > 0:36:25a rustic trattoria near the farm where she stayed during the war.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29Now, we're going to have... some of the best food in Italy.
0:36:29 > 0:36:30HUM OF CONVERSATION
0:36:30 > 0:36:32The restaurant is buzzing with regulars -
0:36:32 > 0:36:36workmen who flock there for an authentic hearty lunch.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Here, the food's inspired by cucina povera, which elevates
0:36:43 > 0:36:48the humblest ingredients by cooking them with loving respect.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50Anna's keen to compare recipes,
0:36:50 > 0:36:54- so she's joining Signora Gigliola in the kitchen.- What are we doing?
0:36:57 > 0:36:59- Oh, zucca! Pumpkin!- Zucca.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Her signature dish is home-made tortelli -
0:37:02 > 0:37:05fresh egg pasta filled with whatever's in season.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07Can I check what is inside there?
0:37:07 > 0:37:10- Zucca, amaretti... - Pumpkin, amaretti.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14- ..Parmigiano-Reggiano. - Yes. Amaretti?- Si.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16How fascinating! The biscuit?
0:37:20 > 0:37:23The pumpkin filling is carefully wrapped in her home-made pasta.
0:37:33 > 0:37:34- And like I do - al dente.- OK.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37Because now the fashion is to put only the yolk.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43- No.- It doesn't work.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46The final touch is to cut the pasta into parcels,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49a process Anna fell in love with as a child.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52I loved the... I loved as a...
0:38:00 > 0:38:03- These are the pumpkins one - zucca? - Zucca.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07ORDER GIVEN IN ITALIAN, SHE ACKNOWLEDGES IT
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Within the lunchtime rush on, Anna's getting involved.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Now, I've got to work.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14I can't just talk.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Along with tortelli dressed with sage butter,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20they're dishing up a rich ragu alla bolognese.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25And roast quails wrapped in prosciutto.
0:38:27 > 0:38:28Not bad for an everyday lunch!
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Prosciutto's much nicer than bacon.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34But the Italians do care deeply about their food.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37And here, everyone eats well.
0:38:37 > 0:38:38That's the asparagus one.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42- Grazie. I'm going to eat... - Mangiare?
0:38:46 > 0:38:47That's right.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54In Italian trattorias, all ingredients are worshipped.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Cooks here know a modest pumpkin
0:38:57 > 0:39:01can be as delicious as the regal truffle, if cooked the right way.
0:39:01 > 0:39:02Mmm!
0:39:02 > 0:39:05The trick is to lead each flavour shine.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09It's a philosophy Anna was
0:39:09 > 0:39:11determined to pass on to us in Britain.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14- Molto buono.- I really like it. - Mm-hm.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18And, in 1984, she did just that.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Anna's third book, The Gastronomy Of Italy,
0:39:22 > 0:39:27was a lovingly-researched encyclopaedia of Italian cuisine.
0:39:27 > 0:39:28As well as introducing us
0:39:28 > 0:39:31to a comprehensive array of Italian ingredients,
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Anna gave us easy-to-follow recipes that we could cook at home.
0:39:36 > 0:39:43The Gastronomy Of Italy is an absolute monument of food writing.
0:39:43 > 0:39:49To me, it's one of the half-dozen indispensable books on food.
0:39:49 > 0:39:54It's about simplicity, authenticity and integrity.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57All that knowledge, all that learning, all that elegance,
0:39:57 > 0:40:01is all in her work, it's there, and that's why she's such a good writer.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05For Giorgio Locatelli, Anna's recipes were a godsend.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09HE SHOUTS ORDERS IN ITALIAN
0:40:09 > 0:40:12He'd spent eight years cooking French haute cuisine when
0:40:12 > 0:40:15a friend asked him to be the chef at a new Italian restaurant.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19- ..off the bone. To share as well. - ALL:- Yes!
0:40:19 > 0:40:23I had a few ideas, but you know, in one week,
0:40:23 > 0:40:25I was already running short of that, kind of thing,
0:40:25 > 0:40:31so I ran down to Books For Cooks down in Notting Hill
0:40:31 > 0:40:35and I saw Anna Del Conte and I bought The Gastronomy Of Italy.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41As prescribed reading for kitchen staff in Giorgio's restaurant,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45Anna's book still influences his modern Italian style.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48And they're still firm friends today.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53- Anna!- Hello!- How are you?- Very well.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57He's invited Anna to his restaurant for a little thank you lunch.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59- Buongiorno!- Buongiorno a tutti!
0:40:59 > 0:41:01- ALL:- Buongiorno!- Buongiorno.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Giorgio, what are we doing, then?
0:41:03 > 0:41:06I think we're going to do a fish soup inspired by your book.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08The boys are always reading your book.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10- It's one of our favourite things. - Well, I'm delighted.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12If you use it, it means that it's good.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16Anna's Brodetto Abruzzese is a simple and hearty fish stew.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19But as a Michelin-starred chef,
0:41:19 > 0:41:23Giorgio's adding a few celebratory flourishes of his own -
0:41:23 > 0:41:28Sicilian prawns, razor clams from Wales and some beautiful plaice.
0:41:28 > 0:41:29Oh, look at that! Gosh!
0:41:29 > 0:41:31We're going to put a little bit of this as well in it.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35- I'm going to fillet it out. - That's so lovely. Oh!
0:41:35 > 0:41:37- It's a very big plaice. - Very big, yeah.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39- You obviously love fish. - HE LAUGHS
0:41:39 > 0:41:42- You handle it as if you love it.- Ha-ha!
0:41:42 > 0:41:44Oh, good. Look at that.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47To be Italian is to love food.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50There's a fierce national pride in the cuisine,
0:41:50 > 0:41:52to the exclusion of all others.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54When my dad came here, you know,
0:41:54 > 0:41:56I never could take him to a Chinese restaurant.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58- "I'm not coming to a Chinese restaurant!"- No, no, no.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00- "I want a plate of pasta!" - Absolutely!
0:42:00 > 0:42:02"I don't go to restaurants where they don't give you bread!"
0:42:02 > 0:42:04Absolutely! I have an Italian friend that walked out
0:42:04 > 0:42:07- because you couldn't have bread! - THEY LAUGH
0:42:07 > 0:42:09But when it comes to food,
0:42:09 > 0:42:12we in the UK are a rather more accommodating tribe.
0:42:12 > 0:42:17I've found that the British have got a much more wider palate
0:42:17 > 0:42:20- than the Italians. - Yes.- In a way.- Yes, yes.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22The English are able...
0:42:22 > 0:42:25- It's the only cuisine that's been influenced so strongly.- Yes.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29Let's cook this brodetto now. OK, here you are.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Giorgio begins by adding the shellfish
0:42:33 > 0:42:36to a pan sizzling with olive oil, garlic and chilli.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40Then he adds some lovely chunks of sea bream and red mullet.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44- Put a little bit of white wine. - LOUD SIZZLING
0:42:44 > 0:42:47- Sometimes, people put too much wine. - No, that's...- Look at it.- Yeah.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51- The little one you put. A little more.- No, just tiny. Tiny.- Yes.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55I really want it also... I let it really almost all evaporate.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59Once it's cooked, Giorgio puts the shellfish aside to add at the end.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02These are opened. These are all right.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04And the...? Oh.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07And this one I put on top and it stays there.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10He intensifies the flavour with some rich tomato sauce
0:43:10 > 0:43:13and a glug of fragrant fish stock.
0:43:13 > 0:43:14..calamari...
0:43:14 > 0:43:18Each piece of fish is added at just the right time,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21to ensure every element is cooked perfectly.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25I'm looking forward very much. Look at it!
0:43:25 > 0:43:27- I think it's ready, don't you? - It looks delicious!
0:43:27 > 0:43:31- Ha-ha!- Perfect! Perfect!
0:43:31 > 0:43:33Oh, I'm excited that I cook a nice fish soup,
0:43:33 > 0:43:35but I also cook it with you, so I'm double excited!
0:43:37 > 0:43:40Giorgio finishes his beautiful brodetto with
0:43:40 > 0:43:44a round of toast rubbed with garlic and doused in oil.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53Now, Giorgio, you said that I've inspired you a lot, but this is...
0:43:54 > 0:43:56This is much better than any I've done.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58- HE LAUGHS - Yeah!
0:44:00 > 0:44:04For a Michelin-starred chef, the instinct is to experiment.
0:44:04 > 0:44:09But Anna's unpretentious style is a reminder not to overdo things.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13This is what is very important for a chef,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16because we tend to really overwork!
0:44:16 > 0:44:18And overworking with Italian food doesn't work.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22Can you read admiration?
0:44:22 > 0:44:25"To Giorgio, a great chef, with admiration and..."
0:44:25 > 0:44:28- Love.- "..love."- Love.- Affetto!- Love! - THEY LAUGH
0:44:31 > 0:44:34- Thank you.- Thank you. Thank you very, very much!
0:44:34 > 0:44:39With The Gastronomy Of Italy, Anna had reached a vital audience.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43The book had become a Bible for a generation of chefs fired up
0:44:43 > 0:44:45to change the way Britain ate.
0:44:45 > 0:44:52Suddenly, chefs came from their sweaty, hot, sweary, dank kitchens
0:44:52 > 0:44:54and came in front of the cameras.
0:44:54 > 0:44:55MUSIC: Vogue by Madonna
0:44:55 > 0:44:59As the '90s dawned, the celebrity chef had arrived.
0:44:59 > 0:45:00I love cooking fish.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03It's so light and full of flavour and perfect for a romantic meal.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06Now, to make the risotto, what you need is...
0:45:06 > 0:45:09- Had you going!- As TV fell in love with food, they began
0:45:09 > 0:45:12- visiting our sitting rooms each week.- Beautiful, isn't it?
0:45:12 > 0:45:13So is the church!
0:45:14 > 0:45:16Orvieto white wine - splendid stuff!
0:45:16 > 0:45:19And Italian was top of the menu.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23It wasn't long before MasterChef
0:45:23 > 0:45:26was serving up Mediterranean flavours to the nation.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29Good luck. Have a really good time. And let's get cooking.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36Loyd's guest of honour was none other than Anna Del Conte.
0:45:36 > 0:45:37'In the forefront of those
0:45:37 > 0:45:42'extolling the virtues of Italian cookery is Anna Del Conte.'
0:45:42 > 0:45:48Welcome, Anna. Tell me, why has the last five years witnessed
0:45:48 > 0:45:52this unbelievable explosion of interest in Italian cooking?
0:45:52 > 0:45:56Well, I think that maybe more people are going to Italy than they ever
0:45:56 > 0:46:00did before, but I think mainly it's because, having discovered it,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03they found that it is very good and very healthy.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Anna had certainly wowed the other guest that night.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10Can we just mention your bedside reading at the moment?
0:46:10 > 0:46:14- What's on your...?- It's just the most wonderful coincidence.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17I have and I have had your book, The Gastronomy Of Italy,
0:46:17 > 0:46:20cos, in a way, it's almost like a history of Italy.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23Anna's MasterChef appearance was unusual.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26She's never been a TV chef. It's just not her style.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29MUSIC: Holding Back The Years by Simply Red
0:46:29 > 0:46:30- Mmm!- But her writing had reached
0:46:30 > 0:46:34disciples willing to take her message mainstream.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36And it was the discovery of her fifth book,
0:46:36 > 0:46:42Entertaining all'Italiana, that inspired me and brought us together.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46I had three copies of it - in the kitchen, the bedroom, in a loo -
0:46:46 > 0:46:51and, um, I became a bit obsessed with her.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54I read somewhere that she was doing a cooking demo and I was charmed
0:46:54 > 0:46:57and I went to speak to her afterwards to try and tell her,
0:46:57 > 0:47:01you know, how wonderful I thought she was and we made friends.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08'I was happy to pass on what I'd learned from Anna.'
0:47:08 > 0:47:11I do know that there is so much more to Italian food than pasta,
0:47:11 > 0:47:13but you've got to admit -
0:47:13 > 0:47:17it is something that makes our daily lives so much better.
0:47:17 > 0:47:21I'm making linguine with mushrooms, garlic and thyme.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24And this is so easy. You don't even cook it.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27By the time the pasta's ready, the sauce is done.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30MUSIC: Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack
0:47:30 > 0:47:34- And Giorgio was obviously keen to spread the word.- One of the secrets
0:47:34 > 0:47:39to making a good risotto is that we add butter to that at the end.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43With proper Italian recipes being broadcast loud and proud
0:47:43 > 0:47:46to the nation, we were finally cooking them at home.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50We had rediscovered a desire for the fresh and the home cooked.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54In the '90s, the entire thing exploded.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57You know, everyone talked about the Mediterranean diet.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00Food that was colourful, that was simple,
0:48:00 > 0:48:04that was delicious and that was good for us.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07We could embrace it. It wasn't scary. It was easy to cook.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11Smart Italian restaurants opened to critical acclaim
0:48:11 > 0:48:14- and leading the pack was London's River Cafe.- OK?
0:48:15 > 0:48:18So, when we, when we opened the River Cafe, we thought,
0:48:18 > 0:48:20"Why can't we have the kind of food
0:48:20 > 0:48:26"that we cooked and ate in Italy in a restaurant in London?"
0:48:26 > 0:48:30The River Cafe dared to serve peasant food.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33Bean soup with a trickle of olive oil on top.
0:48:33 > 0:48:37Really simple pared-down ingredients of real quality.
0:48:38 > 0:48:42The River Cafe's devotion to quality seasonal ingredients
0:48:42 > 0:48:44echoed Anna's own.
0:48:44 > 0:48:50Anna communicated real authenticity about what Italian food was
0:48:50 > 0:48:55and what it meant and her A to Z of, you know, Italian food
0:48:55 > 0:48:58was something that I still refer to.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00But it was one of her junior chefs
0:49:00 > 0:49:03who would take that message to the masses.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05Good olive oil on the bruschetta.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08This bruschetta's been rubbed with garlic.
0:49:08 > 0:49:09Lovely jubbly.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12Discovered on a TV series about the River Cafe,
0:49:12 > 0:49:15Jamie Oliver's easy approach to Italian food
0:49:15 > 0:49:17- was an immediate hit. - The flavours will be fantastic.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20People understood Italian food. But when Jamie came along - bang!
0:49:20 > 0:49:24You know, this was... We totally fell in lust,
0:49:24 > 0:49:28you know...chucked off all our clothes and dived in.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31People loved that. People loved the idea that it was
0:49:31 > 0:49:33a bit of this, a bit of that, throw it in a pan.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36I just want a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.
0:49:36 > 0:49:41And in the end, this amazing reinvention of Italian food,
0:49:41 > 0:49:44through the River Cafe and then widely interpreted by chefs
0:49:44 > 0:49:48everywhere, I think it's really in tune with what Anna
0:49:48 > 0:49:51has been writing about and telling us about for years.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54Oooh! # I like pasta! #
0:49:54 > 0:49:58Through TV chefs, cooks and her books, Anna's passion for
0:49:58 > 0:50:03proper Italian food was finally filtering through to the nation.
0:50:03 > 0:50:08The risotto with dried ceps and field mushroom on the top.
0:50:08 > 0:50:12And it was about to become very big business indeed!
0:50:12 > 0:50:14By now, the advertising industry
0:50:14 > 0:50:18had spotted the moneymaking potential of Brand Italia.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21Short cut sauces weren't just convenient, they seemed
0:50:21 > 0:50:23a passport to la dolce vita.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26It feels like the people buys into a little bit of a dream
0:50:26 > 0:50:29when they cook that plate of pasta.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31They're not just having a meal that time,
0:50:31 > 0:50:33they're not just having something to stuff themselves,
0:50:33 > 0:50:35but they just, they feel Italian, they feel like
0:50:35 > 0:50:37they're around the table with their family and so and so.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40Everything in Italy is good, everything in Italy is romantic,
0:50:40 > 0:50:43it's passionate, it's sunny, it's beautiful, it's cultured, um...
0:50:43 > 0:50:46Everything in Britain's a bit grey and boring, so, you know,
0:50:46 > 0:50:48go look on the sunny side of life.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51Eat some pasta, eat some Dolmio, become a great lover.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57Mega chains of Italian restaurants opened up on our high streets,
0:50:57 > 0:51:00Italian ingredients filled our shops,
0:51:00 > 0:51:03and pasta began to appear on every pub menu.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06Today, Italian food brings in the big bucks.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09But for Anna, it's never been about the money,
0:51:09 > 0:51:11it's always been about the food.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14What has been brilliant about her is the humility of it.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16You know, there hasn't been big fanfares
0:51:16 > 0:51:19and, "Oh! Anna Del Conte" and razzmatazz, you know.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22She quietly writes her books, her recipes are authentic.
0:51:24 > 0:51:29And there's no better example of Anna's essential joyful style than
0:51:29 > 0:51:33the festive tiramisu we're making to round off our sumptuous lunch.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40We're going to do the Tiramisu Natalizo. You know what it is?
0:51:40 > 0:51:43- Christmas, I would work out. - Well done.- It's a Christmas one.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46Now, you converted me to tiramisu, cos I was so snobbish about it.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50- I always used to call it "The Black Forest Gateau of the '90s."- Yes!
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Now, this is made with marrons glace, which is very different...
0:51:53 > 0:51:56- Yeah.- ..because we are Christmassy after all.- Yes!
0:51:56 > 0:52:00'We get cracking by whisking egg whites with a little lemon juice.'
0:52:00 > 0:52:03- Not like meringue, but nearly like meringue.- OK.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05I'm going to live dangerously. Excuse me, I'm going up a notch.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07- LOUD WHIRING - That's fine. Lift it up.
0:52:09 > 0:52:10Perfect.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11'We beat egg yolks and sugar
0:52:11 > 0:52:14'until the mixture becomes light and moussey.'
0:52:14 > 0:52:16- No, can you do it, please? - I can do it.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18- I'm a bit small, you see. - NIGELLA LAUGHS
0:52:20 > 0:52:22That's it. That's all right.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25This is the mascarpone.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27I put it in not so much at a time.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31'With the mascarpone mixed in, we add the egg whites.'
0:52:34 > 0:52:37I mean, it's something of a modern classic, isn't it - tiramisu?
0:52:37 > 0:52:42- Fundamentally, it's a trifle.- An Italian trifle.- An Italian trifle.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44'For the sponge layer, Anna dips madeleines
0:52:44 > 0:52:47'in a mixture of milk and white rum.'
0:52:47 > 0:52:49When you do an English trifle, you just do the same,
0:52:49 > 0:52:53- but you pour it over, don't you? - Yes.- The Italians like less liquid.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56- Yeah.- This applies to everything - that we don't like sloppy food.- Yes.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58The English prefer sloppy.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00- I'm sorry, I know it's a nasty word to use.- Yeah.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03- But I...- I know...- I use sloppy for the sake of a better word.
0:53:03 > 0:53:07No, that's why you call our trifle Zuppa Inglese - "English soup."
0:53:07 > 0:53:09Zuppa Inglese, you are right.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12'And then, we add Anna's star ingredient -
0:53:12 > 0:53:14'candied chestnuts, or marrons glace.'
0:53:14 > 0:53:17Beautiful. But even now they're used a lot in Italy,
0:53:17 > 0:53:19you call them the same, by the French name?
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Yes, and it was invented in Italy, in fact.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24- First created in Piedmont... - Yes.- ..the marron glace.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26- You're on crumble. - I'm on crumble duty?
0:53:26 > 0:53:28Very extravagant crumble.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32- You're not complaining.- Mmm. - You enjoy it.- I do. I love these.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35'After adding another layer of dipped madeleines, we slather on
0:53:35 > 0:53:39'more of the eggy mascarpone and pop some marron glace on the top.'
0:53:39 > 0:53:42- Another one.- OK, I've got room for another one here.- That's enough.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44'Finally, to allow the flavours to meld together,
0:53:44 > 0:53:47'we give the tiramisu some standing time in the fridge.'
0:53:51 > 0:53:52And now we have to be patient.
0:53:53 > 0:53:58- You want a marron glace, don't you? - Yeah, I do, thank you very much.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00- Beautiful. Shall we just share this bit?- Oh!
0:54:00 > 0:54:02You start.
0:54:02 > 0:54:03- Shall I try?- OK.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07- Mmm!- If you like it... - It's perfect!- Do you like it?
0:54:07 > 0:54:12The way that the mascarpone and the rum and the madeleine fuse together
0:54:12 > 0:54:15contrasts with that crumbliness of the marron glace.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17- Oh, I see what you mean, yes. - It really works.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20- I like...- It is...- ..that slightly waxy crumbliness in the middle.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23- I love marron glace with anything. - Mm-hm, I know!
0:54:23 > 0:54:25This is a triumph!
0:54:26 > 0:54:32Over 40 years, Anna Del Conte helped transform our culinary landscape,
0:54:32 > 0:54:35masterminding Britain's love affair with Italian food.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39I think that the cooking is one of the greatest expressions of love.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42At least it was for me. I hoped, with my books,
0:54:42 > 0:54:46that they would bring a little bit of Italy into their home.
0:54:46 > 0:54:50A little bit of sunshine, a little bit of what actually Italian,
0:54:50 > 0:54:51real Italian food is like.
0:54:51 > 0:54:56Her quiet authority has inspired some of our best Italian chefs.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59For me, Anna's cooking really illustrates
0:54:59 > 0:55:00the essence of Italian food.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05She taught us all an enormous amount. I have a huge debt to her.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08- It's not too sweet for me. - No, it's perfect.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10- It's not too sweet for me and I haven't got...- And you've got...?
0:55:10 > 0:55:13I haven't got as sweet a tooth as you and its not too sweet for me.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Some Vin Santo.
0:55:15 > 0:55:16A tiny bit.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19- See, that's very interesting. - That's the christening.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23And also what's really interesting about you as a cook, which is
0:55:23 > 0:55:26you're so, um, respectful of the traditions,
0:55:26 > 0:55:30but there's that Italian anarchic nature,
0:55:30 > 0:55:33which always wants to make you do little twists on it.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35- Well, that is... - So your next tiramisu is
0:55:35 > 0:55:37- going to be a Vin Santo tiramisu.- Ah!
0:55:37 > 0:55:40- You could dunk these in Vin Santo...- And then?
0:55:40 > 0:55:43- ..and then pile that up with mascarpone.- Ah.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46- I think it's a good idea. - Yeah, that's your next one.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49And we'll call it... Nigellana Tiramisu.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51Yeah, that's perfect! THEY LAUGH
0:55:53 > 0:55:57Anna's recipes and Anna's writing will endure,
0:55:57 > 0:55:58because they're timeless.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02Everything pared back, simple as can be, just about allowing
0:56:02 > 0:56:06beautiful ingredients to speak to you on a plate.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10- Anna?- Yeah?- I know you really hate it when people say nice things
0:56:10 > 0:56:13to you, but I have to say, next to my mother,
0:56:13 > 0:56:17- there's no-one who has influenced me more or who I love more.- Aw!
0:56:17 > 0:56:21- Don't make me cry, please. - THEY LAUGH SOFTLY
0:56:21 > 0:56:23- Thank you.- Thank YOU.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26- Thank you for everything. - To you.- For everything, Anna.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30- And I mean it. Mmm!- I do too. - Good. It really is good.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33Good Vin Santo! Oh!