0:00:02 > 0:00:07There's nothing I'm more passionate about than what, how and why we eat and drink.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12In this series, we'll be looking at the trends in modern food and drink
0:00:12 > 0:00:15that influence the way we all shop and cook today.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Pasta is the world's favourite food.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23It's versatile, value for money and convenient.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25But more importantly, when we cook pasta,
0:00:25 > 0:00:28we bring a little bit of Italy to the table.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32'Chef Angela Hartnett is proud of her Italian roots
0:00:32 > 0:00:34'and is a pasta purist.'
0:00:35 > 0:00:37You're making it look so easy!
0:00:37 > 0:00:41Well, in my youth, I've made a fair bit!
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Journalist Matthew Fort believes that when it comes to good food,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48no-one does it better than the Italians.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52The joy of Italian food in Italy for me is the simplicity
0:00:52 > 0:00:55and the way it focuses upon the qualities of the ingredients.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00Drinks expert Kate Goodman gives us the inside track
0:01:00 > 0:01:01on what's hot in the drinks world.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04There's a growing trend to matching cocktails with food.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06I think it's a really interesting idea.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Got a bit of a kick, hasn't it?
0:01:09 > 0:01:15And Antonio Carluccio shares his secrets about what makes Italian food so good.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20You need passion, fantastic ingredients and a lot of confidence!
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Food and Drink is back!
0:01:33 > 0:01:35The world is in love with pasta.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38It out-sells meat, rice and even vegetables.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41It's such a simple dish, with just three ingredients.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Angela.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Your Italian roots. Tell me about it.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48On my mother's side, Italian background.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Her parents emigrated to South Wales between the wars.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55As the eldest granddaughter, I always had to do the cooking,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57the cleaning and all the rest of it.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59My brother, bless him, two years above me in age,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03- I don't think has ever to this day made me a bowl of pasta!- No.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07I'm making a rustic wild boar ragu from northern Italy,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11while Angela makes the traditional accompaniment of tagliatelle.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15If you can't get hold of wild boar, beef will do just as well.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24..chopped and fried in olive oil
0:02:24 > 0:02:26to create the base of this hearty Italian stew,
0:02:26 > 0:02:30- or cinghiale.- Cinghiale, yes. - Did I say that right?
0:02:30 > 0:02:32I think you did. I'm not going to start correcting you, Michel!
0:02:32 > 0:02:34It's a Toscana dish.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37It's very much the north west.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42That's the thing about Italian food, everyone thinks it's a mixture of everything.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44But I think it's even more regional than French food.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49In northern Italy, traditionally they would have butter, cream and cheese.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53It's very much about the regions and how rich they were traditionally.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Even today, the north is much more wealthy, more industrial,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59whereas the south is seen as much poorer.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01So they'd use more vegetables, more olive oil,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03less meat, cheese and butter.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Pasta has just three ingredients.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Flour, eggs and salt.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09It takes a matter of minutes to make.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14Angela's using 300g of finely milled 00 flour,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16which is best for making pasta,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18and three eggs with salt to season.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22She simply makes a well in the middle of the flour,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24cracks the eggs in and mixes together.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I'm just kneading it to a nice firm consistency.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Then let it rest for about ten minutes.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Then we can roll it into tagliatelle.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36This is how, as a kid, I learned to make it.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39My grandmother, till the day she passed away, was making it by hand.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41- Can I have a feel?- You can, indeed.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43You're checking my work, now!
0:03:43 > 0:03:48- It's lovely. Lovely and elastic. - Let's hope so.- It's not sticky.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50I always do this little trick.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54I slice it in the centre so you can see that everything's mixed in,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57there's no flour, it's nice and smooth.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59- You know you're ready.- It looks so, so smooth!
0:04:00 > 0:04:03In a separate pan, seal 750g of wild boar
0:04:03 > 0:04:07until it's turned a lovely golden brown.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11I'm using the neck, as this is the most succulent cut.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Once the vegetables have softened, add 100g of pancetta
0:04:16 > 0:04:17and a bay leaf.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20I'm going to be adding just a little bit of orange peel
0:04:20 > 0:04:23to this, just to add more flavour.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Just a tiny bit.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28It's important to cook these vegetables off and get some colour.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31After a few minutes over a high heat,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34transfer the boar into the casserole
0:04:34 > 0:04:35with the vegetables and pancetta.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40In the restaurants we'd probably do a lovely veal stock that's already been prepared.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43A bit of chicken stock. But we're doing authentic.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- Authentic. So Italian wine, of course.- Good, good, good.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48Into the pan.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- And water.- Perfect, yes.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55I'm going to clingfilm the pasta and leave it for five to ten minutes
0:04:55 > 0:04:57just to rest, like pastry.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00While the meat juices bubble away with the wine,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04add a couple of tablespoons of puree to the ragu.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05It's important when using this stuff
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- that you actually cook it off a bit. - Yes.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Because it can be bitter if it's not cooked out.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Do you cook with wild boar?
0:05:14 > 0:05:15Yes, we do similar to this.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19We make a tagliatelle and we do a bolognese,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23but rather than as the British do with spaghetti, we do tagliatelle.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28Or fettuccini. If you go to Tuscany, Lombardia and Piedmont, those areas,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30- you'll get this fantastic wild boar ragu.- Absolutely.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32- Wild boar.- It's there constantly.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Pour the wine and meat juices into the casserole
0:05:35 > 0:05:39before adding 200ml of water to help create a thick sauce.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42And now...
0:05:43 > 0:05:45a few oregano leaves.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Lovely. Smelling good.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51It's just about coming to a gentle simmer, so I'll put the lid on
0:05:51 > 0:05:54and then I'll slow cook it.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57It mustn't boil. If it boils, the fibres will get tough.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Put into the oven at 150 degrees for an hour and a half.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Long, slow cooking is the secret to all braised meats and ragus.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09It should be really, really moist. Almost falling apart.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11'While the ragu is in the oven,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13'take the pasta dough out of the fridge
0:06:13 > 0:06:15'and cut it in half.'
0:06:15 > 0:06:17It's better to do it in two lots,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19just in case something goes wrong,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and also you have more control with a smaller amount,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23rather than a huge amount.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Just flatten it out.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27'If you're using a pasta maker,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30'make sure it's set on the widest setting.'
0:06:30 > 0:06:33You're rolling it out by hand first.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I remember my dad making "les nouilles", noodles,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40which is the equivalent of tagliatelle in French.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43And he rolled them until they were cigarette paper thin, by hand.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47I doubt, as a kid, my grandmother ever made pasta with a machine.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48It was a new thing.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52The pasta needs to be rolled twice on each setting.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56At least 16 times to get it to the right thickness.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Tagliatelle and fettuccini is probably the one pasta
0:06:59 > 0:07:01I do make by hand.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Whereas spaghetti, linguine,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05all the much thinner ones, I tend to buy.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07You're making it look so easy.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Well, in my youth, I've made a fair bit!
0:07:11 > 0:07:15You want it to feel like it's soft, but not wet.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18A bit like a pillow case. Nice and smooth.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Enough so you can see through slightly,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22but not totally transparent.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25I'm going to leave this a moment just to dry slightly.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27I always put it on semolina rather than flour.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29It takes the moisture out of it.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33'Angela would be the first to admit that when it comes to making pasta,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36'practice really does make perfect.'
0:07:36 > 0:07:38You can feel it's quite dry now.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40We'll sprinkle a bit of semolina.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43When you put flour on pasta and it cooks, it tends to stick to it.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46The semolina will come off in the cooking.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49So we're going to just fold it like this,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52into, if you like, little rectangles,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54so it looks like little pillow cases and parcels.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Bring it down to you
0:07:56 > 0:07:59and then, literally, in one movement, straight down.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01About one centimetre? Is that right?
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Yeah. You can go thinner like fettuccini,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05or a bit fatter like pappardelle.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- And that's it.- Wow, look at that. - There you go.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11This is what we want, Kate. No pressure!
0:08:11 > 0:08:13I'm nearly there.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15- Beautiful.- There we are.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18- That's it.- Let's have a go. All right!
0:08:18 > 0:08:22When I eat tagliatelle with boar, I think of my grandmother. We were all there at Christmas.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24- 20 of us round that table. - I'm there!
0:08:24 > 0:08:29But it's that romantic thing about pasta and all that is Italian.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Yes, it's exactly the same for me with the wine.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Italy has such a variety of wine. It's absolutely amazing.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40There are 2,000 indigenous grape varieties in Italy.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Every time I go, or go to a tasting, I always find something new.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46What do you think will go with this, Kate?
0:08:46 > 0:08:48There are strong flavours. Wild boar, slightly gamey.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Tomato based sauce. Orange peel in it.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Bay leaf, oregano.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55For me, it's a Tuscan dish and I want a Tuscan wine with it.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59I want that lovely bitter cherry quality. Sangiovese,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02which is the main grape variety in Tuscany.
0:09:02 > 0:09:03They have a sort of herby earthiness
0:09:03 > 0:09:05which this dish has as well.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10'Having gone to the effort of making fresh pasta,
0:09:10 > 0:09:15'the secret to cooking it properly is to boil it in lots of seasoned water.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17'Too little, and it'll all stick together.'
0:09:20 > 0:09:21- Mmm!- Beautiful.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23'It only takes a minute-and-a-half
0:09:23 > 0:09:27'and when it's ready, simply lift the pasta out of the water
0:09:27 > 0:09:28'so it stays wet.'
0:09:28 > 0:09:32'Mix together with the sauce and heat through for another 30 seconds.'
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Every little bit of pasta is coated
0:09:34 > 0:09:36with that sauce.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41A lot of people have two thirds sauce, a third pasta.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43I go two thirds pasta, a third sauce.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46The pasta, to me, is the dish.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47Look at that! Ooh!
0:09:47 > 0:09:51We're going to... Beautiful flavours there.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52I'm making a bit of a mess!
0:09:52 > 0:09:55You're allowed to make a bit of a mess!
0:09:55 > 0:09:58That's it. Little bit of Parmesan grated on at the end.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- Freshly grated Parmesan, of course. - Freshly grated.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06'Just before serving, top with fresh porcini mushrooms or ceps
0:10:06 > 0:10:08that have been fried in olive oil.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11The ultimate Italian garnish for this hearty stew.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Pasta may be one of the quickest dishes to make,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17but the trick with the ragu is not to rush it.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Take your time and you'll end up with a thick, rich sauce
0:10:21 > 0:10:24that tastes of the time you've invested in making it.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27- Mmm!- Smells good.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Looks amazing, as well.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34- Oh, yes.- The ragu is delicious.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38The pasta is lovely. It's got that wonderful texture
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- of fresh pasta.- Mmm.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42It's got a little bite to it, yet give,
0:10:42 > 0:10:48- and it's soaked up all that sauce. - The meat is so succulent and tender. It's falling apart in my mouth.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50The wide ribbon pastas like pappardelle, tagliatelles,
0:10:50 > 0:10:56they're fantastic with meat sauces, whereas traditional spaghetti is much better with tomatoes.
0:10:56 > 0:10:57So what have we got to drink, Kate?
0:10:57 > 0:11:01This is really quite an earthy, rustic dish, isn't it?
0:11:01 > 0:11:04It's got those lovely savoury, earthy characters.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07So the first one I'm going to show you
0:11:07 > 0:11:10is a gin version of a bloody Mary.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12It's actually called a red snapper.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14It's a really lovely flavour match.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Gin actually gives it a bit more body than a vodka.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22You've got the Tabasco, so it's quite a hearty, savoury, spicy drink.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- Hm.- I think it will stand up really well to this dish.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27I'm really interested to see what you think.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31There's a growing trend to matching cocktails with food.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32It's a really interesting idea.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Ooh!
0:11:34 > 0:11:36- Ooh!- It's got a bit of a kick, hasn't it?
0:11:36 > 0:11:38That's a really good tomato juice, as well.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40What we did there, with the tomato juice,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43we actually used fresh tomatoes, warmed them up a bit,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47then drained off the pips and the skins so you've got a lovely freshness as well.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49It balances that nice tangy orange as well.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52- I think all those flavours... - Does it work?- Actually, yes,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54I think it does work.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56You know what, Kate? You've impressed me!
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Angela, for you, it has to be the wine, of course.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04It's a classic Tuscan wine made mainly with Sangiovese.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06It's a Chianti Classico.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Chianti Classico is a step up from Chianti.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12So with Chianti, you get lots of bright fruit flavours,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15whereas with Chianti Classico you get more depth of flavour,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17more richness, you get some cinnamon spice,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19which is really important here.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24That works perfectly with that. It's not overkill.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26It's a bit Christmassy, you know?
0:12:26 > 0:12:29You can smell Christmas. There's a lot of that in there.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31I have the soft option.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Again, it's interesting to see the rise of soft drinks
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and food matching.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40You can go into restaurants now and they have a full juice menu
0:12:40 > 0:12:43or soft drink menu, to go with the food they're offering.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47So people are thinking about soft options and what works well with food.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Again, I wanted something with some spice.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53So I've gone for a ginger beer.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- Ahh!- I like ginger beer, cos it's quite warming,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58it's got that lovely spice.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01You have to be careful cos you can get really sweet versions.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03This is quite dry and tangy.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05I'll have a little bit and pass it round. See what you think.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Again, it's that wintery, autumn.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10You always associate ginger spice and everything.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15- It's lovely. Really warming. - It's lovely.- I like ginger beer. - It's delicious.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- Mm.- That tanginess works well with it.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19It's lovely.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22We've created an authentic Italian dish
0:13:22 > 0:13:24I'd be proud to serve to Angela's relatives.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26But we've all been there.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31Out for a meal and served up something no self-respecting Italian
0:13:31 > 0:13:33would ever want to be associated with.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38Journalist and Italophile Matthew Fort shares our pain!
0:13:40 > 0:13:43It seems we just can't get enough of Italian food.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48You can do what you like with a recipe in the privacy of your own home,
0:13:48 > 0:13:53but is it too much to ask to get the real thing when you go to a restaurant?
0:13:53 > 0:13:57A watered down version of the original gets up my nose
0:13:57 > 0:13:58as it goes down my throat.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Over the years, I've explored most of Italy's regions,
0:14:05 > 0:14:11absorbing as much of the history, culture and above all its food as I could manage.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13The more I've explored,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16the more fascinating, diverse and delicious
0:14:16 > 0:14:19I've found that food to be.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20But there is a problem.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23It's a bit like these Roman baths here in Bath.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26They are Roman, of course,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29built by the Romans in the Roman style.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33But the materials they are built from are not Roman.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37But over the years, they've evolved to meet the different demands
0:14:37 > 0:14:38of different people.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Now, the same can be said of Italian food.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45That, too, has evolved when it has left the mother country.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47But evolution suggests a change for the better.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50And I'm not sure that this is the case.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Franco Pidala and Nunzio Mola
0:14:54 > 0:14:58have run one of the most successful Italian restaurants in the south-west of England
0:14:58 > 0:15:03for the last 12 years, giving what they promise is true Italian hospitality.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06The joy of Italian food in Italy for me
0:15:06 > 0:15:11is the simplicity and the way it focuses on the qualities of the ingredients.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Lamb chops, for example,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17what you get is three lamb chops on the plate and a piece of lemon.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22We're so used to having a piece of meat flanked by the potatoes
0:15:22 > 0:15:25and a green veg and a white veg, perhaps.
0:15:25 > 0:15:31But that is why we have lost that kind of genuineness that we have in Italy.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36All over the world, Italian restaurants are adapting their authentic traditional recipes
0:15:36 > 0:15:39to suit the palates of local clientele.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42But I want to taste the authentic Tagliatelle Alfredo,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44with butter and Parmesan,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47not the Anglicised version with ham and mushrooms
0:15:47 > 0:15:51and certainly not the all-singing, all-dancing American version.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55I'm going to start with "the classic" as I like to think of it.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01I can taste the sort of egginess of the pasta through the sauce.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04The sauce, although it's quite rich, it's quite neutral.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07The tease, it's like a seasoning, really.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10OK. This is the English one.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Already the flavour of the pasta has gone.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16You're getting the flavour of the ham, the texture of the mushrooms.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19And then the American one. It'll taste much the same.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21And the peas are for decoration!
0:16:21 > 0:16:23It does kind of give you a different flavour.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25It does, but it sweetens it.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30I think you had a near neighbour who tried to set up a traditional Italian restaurant
0:16:30 > 0:16:32and run it along traditional lines.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34What happened to him?
0:16:34 > 0:16:36He went bankrupt.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40The food he was serving was traditional Italian food.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44So you've clearly taken the slightly more successful route
0:16:44 > 0:16:48and you've adapted your dishes. How do you feel about that?
0:16:48 > 0:16:53Well, if you didn't adapt, we wouldn't be here talking to you today.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58I'm in no doubt that many Italian restaurants make delicious food.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02But like Indian, Chinese, Mexican and French restaurants the world over,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06we consumers have diluted their cooking cultures
0:17:06 > 0:17:09and I believe lost the magic of authentic cuisine
0:17:09 > 0:17:12and the flavours of Italy that so inspire me.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16The sad fact is
0:17:16 > 0:17:20that too often, the Italian cooking you find here in Britain
0:17:20 > 0:17:22and elsewhere
0:17:22 > 0:17:25bears about as much relationship to the real thing
0:17:25 > 0:17:29as a low-alcohol lager does to a proper pint.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33We want authenticity, don't we? Well, I certainly do.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37I want to taste a tagliatelle Alfredo without peas,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40lamb chops without gravy, sauces or veg,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and a tomato salad that sings of Sicily.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47And I'd like to do that without having to go to Italy!
0:17:48 > 0:17:52He's got a point. Italian food, great in Italy.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54I've never been disappointed. But over here...
0:17:54 > 0:17:58It's definitely got better. When my relatives came to this country,
0:17:58 > 0:18:0140 or 50 years ago, no-one was interested in Italian food.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04And now it's on every high street,
0:18:04 > 0:18:05it's in every capital city.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08It's one of the most popular, if not the most popular food in the country.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14So what would be your tips on how to spot a really good Italian restaurant?
0:18:14 > 0:18:17One would be the menu and seasonality on it.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19You want to see things that are in season.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21They don't have to be from every region, but in season.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24You would never go to a good Italian restaurant in December
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and then see a tomato salad.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29That, to me, is wrong in all levels.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32- You can substitute tomatoes with tinned tomatoes.- Totally.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Because they've been picked at their optimum ripeness.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Then they're there to be used all year round.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43In fact, my grandmother used to preserve her own tomatoes during the summer months
0:18:43 > 0:18:45and we'd use that in the winter months.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49So there's also a myth there with pre-prepared produce.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51- Mm.- I would definitely have thought
0:18:51 > 0:18:55that fresh tomatoes would be superior to tinned.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58No, I agree. I think tins are much better.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01So how would I know which pastas are best to make at home
0:19:01 > 0:19:03or which to buy in?
0:19:03 > 0:19:09Pennes, macaroni, those rolled and complicated ones, I'd definitely buy in for home.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13To be fair, we, in the restaurants, we buy dried pasta.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16So let's see what the difference is.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17Taste test!
0:19:17 > 0:19:21- We have here some home-made pasta. - OK.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23I won't tell you which one it is.
0:19:23 > 0:19:29Some supermarket-bought fresh pasta, and some dried pasta.
0:19:29 > 0:19:30OK.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- You try first.- All right.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36This feels very soft.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42Mm.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45- I'm not such a big fan of this one. - This one's nice.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47- Yeah, that's good.- Soft. - It's quite rubbery, this one.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49A bit too thick, as well.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52I think they're all good.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54A drizzle of olive oil, a bit of Parmesan on top, very nice.
0:19:54 > 0:20:00My favourite one is the one that's coloured lovely and golden egg yolk.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03- Visually nice. And a lovely texture.- Mm.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07A nice bite to it. It's good al dente.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09I'm guessing that this is home-made.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12I actually really love this one.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17I love how soft it is in your mouth, the texture it has.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18So...
0:20:19 > 0:20:22You two chose this one.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25And you were right. It is the home-made fresh.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28This one, that I liked best,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32- was the supermarket fresh.- Yes.- Ahh.
0:20:32 > 0:20:38- And last of all, bringing up the rear, was the dried one. - My palate knew, didn't it?
0:20:38 > 0:20:40All three of these pastas are really good, actually.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45Everyone should have a packet of pasta in their larder at home.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49We all agree that Italian food is so wonderful. It's magical.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52But what is it that makes it so great?
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Italian chef Antonio Carluccio
0:20:56 > 0:20:59believes he discovered the secret at a very early age.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04I was born near Salermo in southern Italy.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08I remember two things about being a child.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Number one, I was eager to taste everything.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14And two, food was central to family life.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16- Buon Giorno!- Buon Giorno!
0:21:16 > 0:21:18It's lovely to be greeted in Italian!
0:21:18 > 0:21:22'I knew then that I was destined to be a gourmet.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25'I had already learned the essence of Italian food.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27'To have very good Italian food,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'you need passion, fantastic ingredients'
0:21:30 > 0:21:33and a lot of confidence!
0:21:33 > 0:21:37'As a child, every week my mother would take me to a cafe
0:21:37 > 0:21:39'on the way to market.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42'We would buy cured meats, cheeses and vegetables
0:21:42 > 0:21:44'to make delicious, simple food.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48'Just three or four good ingredients were enough.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52'Simplicity is at the heart of good Italian food.'
0:21:52 > 0:21:54These are fantastic ingredients.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55Basil,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Parmesan, and fantastic tomatoes.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Take all those wonderful ingredients,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04tasty, what do you think will happen when you put them together?
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Fantastic Italian food.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11'When I left Italy, I missed my mother so much.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14'I cooked her recipes so I'd feel closer to her.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17'If I ever got stuck, I'd just think,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19'"How would Mama do that?"
0:22:19 > 0:22:22'So when I say it's in my blood, you understand.
0:22:22 > 0:22:28'And just like Massimo Perdoni, I am not the only Italian who stays true to his roots.'
0:22:28 > 0:22:31This shop's been here since the late '40s.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34We've had customers that still come here, over 60 years old,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37been coming here since they were ten, 12, and they always buy the same products.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Parma ham, Parmesan cheese and fresh pasta.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44What do you think makes Italian food so fantastic?
0:22:44 > 0:22:48I always say that Italian cuisine, for me, the best is simple.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50We've got a lot of variety.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54- You can't go wrong.- And the quality. - Quality.- And the taste. - And the taste.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57- And the passion.- The passion of Italian food, exactly.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Look at me touching this salami! You can't go wrong!
0:23:03 > 0:23:05'Of course, in my lifetime,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09'Italians and our cuisine have spread across the globe.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12'So we are never too far from home!'
0:23:15 > 0:23:16When I read a menu like this...
0:23:17 > 0:23:20..my heart really starts to beat.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24'What makes Italian food so great
0:23:24 > 0:23:27'are the Italian people who love simple flavours
0:23:27 > 0:23:30'and keep them alive in their families.'
0:23:31 > 0:23:33SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:23:35 > 0:23:40'It's no wonder we are such passionate and confident cooks.'
0:23:41 > 0:23:43- There you go, sir.- Ah!
0:23:44 > 0:23:45Ahh!
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- And I've brought a board of salami. - Fantastic!
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- Bon appetit.- Fantastic.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Look at this! Sea urchins!
0:23:52 > 0:23:54They seem to be very fresh.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03It's an explosion of sea.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05I wish you could try them.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08But for me, the fact that a restaurant in London
0:24:08 > 0:24:11has something like that, it's unbelievable!
0:24:14 > 0:24:17This never will change in Italy.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The food, it's just fantastic.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23In Italy, politics is horrible.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26We can't write good pop music.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28But the food,
0:24:28 > 0:24:30nobody can copy this.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32It's just fantastic.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35'Whether it's fresh, quality ingredients,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37'or traditional rustic dishes,
0:24:37 > 0:24:43'for Antonio, authenticity is at the heart of the best Italian food.'
0:24:43 > 0:24:45We've talked about ragu and we've tasted the pasta.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47But what about great Italian desserts?
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Tiramisu is the classic everyone knows about.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54But we're going to make one of my favourites, if not my favourite, zabaglione.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56- We're going to make this with peaches.- Yes.
0:24:56 > 0:24:57Poached peaches at the base.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01So we need to peel these peaches so they're going into boiling hot water
0:25:01 > 0:25:06for a matter of seconds, and that makes them easy to peel.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09After the peaches have boiled for a minute,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12plunge them into a bowl of ice to quickly cool down.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Then peel and chop into bite-sized pieces.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Poach in a pan.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Just a little pinch of these lovely lemon verbena leaves.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27They really are so fragrant.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29What are you thinking, Kate, for this?
0:25:29 > 0:25:33I'm going to go for an Italian liqueur. An Amaretto.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37- Ahh.- A bit of punch there. The base is apricot kernels.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41And it's got that lovely sweet almond taste.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44To make the zabaglione, separate five eggs
0:25:44 > 0:25:47and put the yolks into a bowl with Madeira.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53My little trick, which I think was your grandmother's trick as well.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58- Indeed.- For each egg yolk, use half an eggshell of booze.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00- Yep.- Ooh.- And it works.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- Cartouche for your peaches. - Cartouche, please, yes.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08A lovely round piece of paper to cover the peaches so we've got a bit of steam going on.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Add five tablespoons of sugar to the eggs
0:26:11 > 0:26:13and immediately start to whisk.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17The sugar is the equivalent of salt as the seasoning.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Once you add it to eggs, it starts to cook it.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23- Get whipping!- He's worked me all morning!
0:26:23 > 0:26:24- These upper arms!- Wa-hey!
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Come on, I'll take over!
0:26:26 > 0:26:29'Whisk the zabaglione for five minutes over a bain marie,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33'a large pan filled with hot water with a bowl on top.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37'This helps to cook the food slowly and gives you more control.'
0:26:37 > 0:26:41The base of your dish mustn't touch the water, or you'll end up with an omelette!
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Right. This is it.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Lovely texture.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47It's cooked all the way through.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Lovely and creamy, yet light.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53'This is a classic Italian dessert
0:26:53 > 0:26:57'that combines contrasting textures and flavours to great effect.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59'The crunchy biscuit and creamy custard
0:26:59 > 0:27:03'combined with the fresh peaches and sweet Madeira
0:27:03 > 0:27:05'make this a dessert to suit every taste.'
0:27:05 > 0:27:08All we need now are spoons!
0:27:08 > 0:27:10- There's only one!- I've got this!
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Tell you what, I'll just have to get this one!
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Good work!
0:27:22 > 0:27:23Oh, it's so light and fluffy.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26It's fantastic when it's still warm, as well.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29The peaches give that nice tanginess as well.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32The lemon verbena is coming through, but not too much.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34I love the crunch of the biscuits.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37It's got that lovely bite from the masala as well. And on that note...
0:27:40 > 0:27:42This is the end of the show, isn't it?
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- It's a really sweet liqueur.- Yes.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49To dilute it a bit, serve over rocks, nice and chilled.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52- It gives it that bit of freshness. - Whoa, that's powerful.
0:27:52 > 0:27:57But with the Amaretti, the zabaglione, it works.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00The Italians are passionate about their food, and with good reason.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Over generations, they've mastered perfect flavour combinations
0:28:04 > 0:28:08in dishes that are simple to make and delicious to eat.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Next time...
0:28:10 > 0:28:14Rachel Khoo joins me to make a luxurious dish
0:28:14 > 0:28:16that will really impress your guests.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Cheese and wine. What more do you need?
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Truffles are an extravagance,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24but they are absolutely to die for.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26And food blogger Kirsten Rogers
0:28:26 > 0:28:30shares her top tips on how to host the perfect dinner party.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34What to ask your guests to bring? Anything. Ooh!
0:28:34 > 0:28:35Booze!
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Candles!
0:28:37 > 0:28:38Dessert, perhaps!
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd