0:00:02 > 0:00:03Walk through any British city
0:00:03 > 0:00:08and you won't have far to go before you find some unfamiliar produce.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13It's all too easy to walk past shops that are a bit different,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15but I just can't resist having a look.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20From Japanese to Jamaican, Brazilian to Bangladeshi,
0:00:20 > 0:00:24food in this country has never been so exciting.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27What a crazy colour. Amazing green.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Oh, look!
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Now I want to meet some of the unsung heroes behind it all.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38There's no better way to get an insight into people's lives
0:00:38 > 0:00:39than through the food they eat.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43So I'm going to meet some of the brilliant home cooks
0:00:43 > 0:00:46that have brought their cuisine and their culture to Britain
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Praise from you is praise indeed.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52To find out what, why and how they cook.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54I'm just one boy who loves to cook.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57- I'm one boy who loves to cook, as well.- That's it!
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Sharing food is nice, and if you can share food with someone,
0:01:00 > 0:01:02you've made a friend for life.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06In exchange for the generosity of these home cooks,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10I'm going to make my own dish to put with theirs in a celebration
0:01:10 > 0:01:14of what makes us so different, but also what brings us together.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Whether it's chow mein, pad thai or tagliatelle,
0:01:29 > 0:01:33the noodle is loved throughout the world
0:01:33 > 0:01:36and everybody has put their mark on it.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41At their most basic, noodles are just flour and water, yet,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43with a bit of love, they become wonderful ribbons,
0:01:43 > 0:01:48but it's what you do with the noodles that makes them unique.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53I'm going to meet three devoted home cooks who I hope will show me
0:01:53 > 0:01:55the secrets and the flair
0:01:55 > 0:01:58that goes into the noodle dishes loved in their mother countries.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03The whole world loves a noodle.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Like many of us in the UK, my first introduction to noodles
0:02:07 > 0:02:12was Italian spaghetti, and a recipe we all know.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17So before I go anywhere I want to cook spaghetti bolognese, my way.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22I've got my own version quite different from the usual one.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27My version coats the noodles in all those familiar
0:02:27 > 0:02:32and comforting flavours, but instead of mince I'm using short ribs.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39Now, I can remember when spaghetti bolognese was really exotic.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43I was about 9 or 10 years old and everything was meat,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45potatoes and greens and then Mum came home
0:02:45 > 0:02:48with the ingredients for spaghetti bolognese...
0:02:50 > 0:02:51..and everything changed.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Add chopped onions, carrots for sweetness,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00and a bay leaf or two to the meat and roast for about half an hour.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05In my version, I use fresh tomatoes rather than tinned.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10It feels a bit more authentic Italian, even if the dish isn't.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Spaghetti bolognese is something that was invented
0:03:13 > 0:03:17by Italian chefs, but when they came to Britain in the '60s
0:03:17 > 0:03:19and they thought this was what we'd like.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22The classic ragu sauce of Bologna,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25which is never served with spaghetti,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28is a very long-simmered dish.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32And if you're going truly authentic you'd have it with tagliatelle.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Add a good splosh of beef stock and as much garlic as you dare.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40I could crush it. I could slice it.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I'm actually going to put the whole head in.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And then this lot goes back in the oven for a good hour.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55What I love about noodles is they're so versatile they go with almost
0:03:55 > 0:04:00anything. They're the perfect partner to soak up other flavours.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05What's going on here is utterly glorious,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09so all the goodness from those bones has gone into that sauce.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I'm just going to let them rest a bit.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16The soft, roasted garlic is mild and sweet.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19And now I just squash the tomatoes.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25What I'm actually doing here is concentrating the flavours.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27All the goodness from those beef bones,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31all the juice from the tomatoes, the sweetness from the garlic.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32It's all going in there.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37You know, I do love the classic recipe made with mince,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39but this is going to be so much more succulent.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41I can't wait to eat this.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49You know, this is big food, it's big flavours.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50There's a lot going on here.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52There's the sweetness, there's the sharpness
0:04:52 > 0:04:54and there's all that sticky fat from the meat.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00It's not formal cooking, it's just fun food.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Time for the spaghetti to bring the whole dish together.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15How good does that look?
0:05:15 > 0:05:19You know, all the ingredients of the classic bolognese are here,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21but in there my way.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25A simple ingredient.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Born in Italy, but every bit a part of modern British life.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Of course, it's not just the Italians
0:05:39 > 0:05:40who bring out the best in these.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46First on my tour of new flavours to try with noodles
0:05:46 > 0:05:48is a Spanish speciality.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52But, instead of Spain, I'm heading to Narberth in South Wales.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58This decade has seen a large influx of Spanish immigrants to the UK.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04But the lady I'm meeting today made Britain home a long time ago.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Maria left the orange groves of Valencia
0:06:09 > 0:06:12when she married an Englishman 48 years ago.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19Let's go have a look and see a little bit of Spain.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22'Valencia feels very much alive in Narberth.
0:06:22 > 0:06:28'Maria's Spanish home cooking is heavily indulged by her son's deli.'
0:06:28 > 0:06:30What a little find!
0:06:30 > 0:06:33I can't believe this is here, I just can't believe this is here.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Here we are, for the fideua.
0:06:36 > 0:06:42So the dish that you're cooking for me today, this is what we need.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46We need that. We need nora.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48That is noras. Noras. It's not chilli.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52- Spanish peppers. - Yeah, Spanish peppers,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56which they used to dry outside in the street.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00That will bring the flavour of the fish, 100%.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06'Maria's enthusiasm for Spain's wonderful ingredients
0:07:06 > 0:07:08'is positively infectious.'
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Try some of the cheeses. A nice piece of Manchego.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Wow! That is gorgeous.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Look at that.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19- Oh, isn't that beautiful? - Isn't that beautiful?
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Mira!
0:07:21 > 0:07:22Morcilla.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Ah, so this is black pudding.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28Oh, Maria.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30I can't tell you how good this is.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Mira, mira, mira, mira, mira!
0:07:33 > 0:07:35SHE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:07:40 > 0:07:42You're going to get me into trouble.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45We're going to have fun today! SHE LAUGHS
0:07:45 > 0:07:48You don't want to move to north London, do you, by any chance?
0:07:49 > 0:07:53With you I'd go to the end of the world, OK?
0:07:53 > 0:07:54I'd follow you!
0:07:54 > 0:07:59Oh, my Lord, this is going to be the best day of my life.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03'I get the sense that Spanish Maria
0:08:03 > 0:08:05'has made quite an impact in Narberth.'
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Oh, look at that! The lovely monkfish.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- So handsome!- Yeah!
0:08:11 > 0:08:17We need the mussels and the squid. Yes, I would like two of those.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19So, have you eaten some of Maria's food?
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Of course, yes!
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Everybody in the county has eaten some of Maria's food.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29Fideua is a Valencian noodle dish that gets centre stage for special
0:08:29 > 0:08:34occasions, and we're cooking it for Maria's friends and family.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35Come in.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39I can't keep up with you.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44OK, the most important thing there is, is to do your stock.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- Simple fish stock?- Yeah.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50'Just like my spaghetti, the secret to Maria's dish
0:08:50 > 0:08:55'is plenty of robust flavours. Those dark nora peppers will give
0:08:55 > 0:08:59'the stock loads of depth, along with the monkfish.'
0:09:04 > 0:09:06'And a pinch of saffron.'
0:09:06 > 0:09:10Oh! You're grating the tomato.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Yeah, we're going to use that later for the fideua.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15- But that is going inside.- Ah!
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Ah. The magic ingredient now. We just put...
0:09:22 > 0:09:24- Thought it might be. Cheers. Salut. - Salut.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29'The stock simmers away for 20 minutes.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32'A pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon finishes it off.'
0:09:32 > 0:09:33And chuck it in there.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37'Now for the hard work.'
0:09:37 > 0:09:38I love mussels.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43We have the paella dish. There we are.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47And we'll go outside in the garden. There you are, you can carry that.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Are we going to cook in the garden? Seriously?
0:09:49 > 0:09:51In the garden, yes! Like it used to be!
0:09:53 > 0:09:55'If this dish looks familiar,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58'it's because it was never intended for noodles.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01'It started out as traditional Spanish seafood paella.'
0:10:02 > 0:10:07The story about the fideua is about the people that went to do a paella
0:10:07 > 0:10:11and then they forgot the rice but then he said, "Pepe!
0:10:11 > 0:10:16"Where is the rice?" and Pepe said, "Ha!"
0:10:16 > 0:10:21"Bring us something else!", and then, "So, well, we put the fideos."
0:10:21 > 0:10:22And that is how it was.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26So this is a dish born of an accident?
0:10:26 > 0:10:27Of an accident, yes.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29This is a happy accident.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34'In goes chopped onion, some lovely sun-dried Spanish peppers
0:10:34 > 0:10:36'and the grated tomato.'
0:10:36 > 0:10:40We need now the fideua, the pasta. Put it all in there.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47'Fideo noodles are just like Italian spaghetti, but in tiny strands,
0:10:47 > 0:10:52'and Maria cooks hers directly in the pan with everything else
0:10:52 > 0:10:55'and a good dusting of smoky Spanish paprika.'
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Now we need the stock.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01You better go get the stock now, now, quickly! Quickly.
0:11:01 > 0:11:02- I'm going!- Now, please!
0:11:05 > 0:11:10Come on, then, Nigel, this is ready!
0:11:13 > 0:11:18'The cooked fish is added back in, along with crushed, salted almonds,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21'garlic and parsley, known in Spain as picada.'
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Then you take the newspaper, you put it there
0:11:27 > 0:11:30so it will not evaporate too quickly.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34'Maria's impromptu rustic lid can be replaced with foil, if you prefer.'
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- So that's resting.- So why did I clean all those mussels?
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Oh, my God! The mussels! Go quickly!
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Go! SHE LAUGHS
0:11:51 > 0:11:54OK, we'll cover that now. There we are.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59It'll be fine, just five minutes. Salut!
0:11:59 > 0:12:01- Salut!- Salut!
0:12:01 > 0:12:06'Seems like the perfect time to find out more about this Spanish lady
0:12:06 > 0:12:10'and her late English husband Paul, who made 1960s Britain their home.'
0:12:13 > 0:12:18I didn't speak any English at all, and then we arrive and it was
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Sunday lunchtime and all the shops were closed, but there was a little
0:12:22 > 0:12:29shop, a corner shop, so Paul went and he buy Fray Bentos pie because it's
0:12:29 > 0:12:35the only thing and sliced bread, which I never, never had in my life,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38and some Nescafe coffee.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42And I went back in the sofa and I sit down and I cried,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44"I want to go home, I don't want to stay here!
0:12:44 > 0:12:46"Please, let's go home."
0:12:47 > 0:12:50So a pie in a tin, sliced bread and instant coffee.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52- And instant coffee. - Welcome to Britain!
0:12:52 > 0:12:55That's it! SHE LAUGHS
0:13:00 > 0:13:03My goodness. Very good!
0:13:03 > 0:13:09I've never known pasta soak up so much flavour! What a joy.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- What a joy! - Thank you, Maria. Thank you so much!
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Thank you. Thank you.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18I can tell it means a lot to Maria
0:13:18 > 0:13:22to share a taste of home with others.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23There he comes!
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Well, salut! Nigel, it's been a pleasure meeting you.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- You too. - It's really been fantastic.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Cheers, everybody.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43'Maria's noodle dish is a vibrant celebration
0:13:43 > 0:13:45'of her Valencian heritage...'
0:13:47 > 0:13:49'..a dish that unites families in Spain,
0:13:49 > 0:13:54'and that's doing the same thing for her here, in this corner of Wales.'
0:13:58 > 0:14:02From this colourful centre piece to food on the go,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04noodles mean all sorts of things to us.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09But what most of us have in common is we get them from a packet.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14I've found a place where they tend to make their noodles from scratch.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Steffi grew up in Stuttgart, Germany,
0:14:17 > 0:14:22where cooking is a passion and where making noodles is an art form.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25The word noodle actually originated in Germany.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26- Hello.- Hello.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29- Come in.- Nice to meet you.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33'Steffi left Germany for Belfast at the end of the '90s.'
0:14:34 > 0:14:38'She brought with her a legacy of family recipes
0:14:38 > 0:14:39'passed down the generations.'
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Steffi, what are you making today?
0:14:44 > 0:14:47In the south of Germany, we have our very own noodle tradition
0:14:47 > 0:14:49and they're called spatzle.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52- Spatzle?- Spatzle. We have them with everything.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54And these are slightly different,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58I think, from any noodles I've come across, in the way we make them.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01So I hope I can show you something new today.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06'All noodles are made from some kind of flour and water,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09'give or take an egg or some olive oil.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13'Steffi's family recipe starts with flour and eggs.'
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Where did you learn this recipe? Where did it come from?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18My mum would make them, my granny would make them.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Everyone would be making them around me,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24so, at some point, you just want to try it.
0:15:24 > 0:15:25Sparkling water.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29We believe sparkling water makes the dough just a little bit lighter.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Usually, I use an electric mixer, but I was told off for that
0:15:32 > 0:15:34because that's just laziness.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40'There's a lot of technique to making spatzle and it's down to some
0:15:40 > 0:15:44'treasured tools and a few of Grandma's secrets.'
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Now, this is the tricky bit.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53Oh, beautiful. Look at those. So a really thin amount of dough?
0:15:54 > 0:15:58For me, it's very difficult making this dish in some respect,
0:15:58 > 0:16:03because I always feel the shadow of my mother and my grandmothers
0:16:03 > 0:16:06and my great-grandmothers watching over me, just thinking,
0:16:06 > 0:16:07"This is not how you do it,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10"it should be done much thinner, quicker."
0:16:10 > 0:16:13The name spatzle means small sparrow. It's probably to do...
0:16:13 > 0:16:15- Small sparrow?- Small sparrow.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Oh, how lovely!
0:16:17 > 0:16:20So if they get too big, my mum used to take them out straight away
0:16:20 > 0:16:23and say, "That's not sparrows, that's pigeons."
0:16:23 > 0:16:27For me, the spatzle always, they're always very,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30very close to my heart, because the moment I eat them, the moment
0:16:30 > 0:16:34I make them, it's just like taking me right back into my childhood.
0:16:38 > 0:16:39Go for it!
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Um, you did it like that, didn't you?
0:16:45 > 0:16:47- You didn't do it like that. - That would probably be an eagle!
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- That would be an eagle! - Golden eagle.- An albatross!
0:16:50 > 0:16:51SHE LAUGHS
0:16:51 > 0:16:54It actually doesn't take that long to get the hang of it.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- How many years did you try for? - SHE LAUGHS
0:16:57 > 0:17:00- 26! - THEY LAUGH
0:17:03 > 0:17:05That one is so mine!
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Yeah, that's a nice pigeon!
0:17:07 > 0:17:10You can serve that as a dish on its own.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Just with a bit of butter and salt!
0:17:13 > 0:17:16This, to me, is comfort food.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19It is comfort food and you want them to soak up the sauce,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21if you have them with a... like a casserole dish.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25My favourite is just layering them with cheese.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Put them in the oven, have a bit of fried onion on top of that.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32That's just my absolute favourite. It's not diet food.
0:17:32 > 0:17:33No, well...
0:17:34 > 0:17:35Who needs diet food?
0:17:36 > 0:17:40'The dishes we most identify with are often the ones that comfort us.'
0:17:41 > 0:17:45'I've got a fitting tribute to go with Steffi's gorgeous spatzle.'
0:17:47 > 0:17:49'Instead of soaking up the flavours like Maria's,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53'I want to give these a rich coating of creamy sauce.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56'A sort of Anglo-German macaroni cheese.'
0:17:58 > 0:18:03So I'm just going to grate this lovely smoky cheese into here.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07'Melt Bavarian cheese into a pan of cream, add black pepper,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10'tear in a few slices of smoky German speck.'
0:18:10 > 0:18:12I'm a tearer. I like jagged edges.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14That's the thing about comfort food, as well - you don't want
0:18:14 > 0:18:19comfort food to be arranged in neat layers, it has to be rough.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21No, because it does exactly the opposite of comfort.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27'Spread out the noodles and then smother with the sauce.'
0:18:28 > 0:18:31'Steffi's traditional fried onions finish off our dish.'
0:18:33 > 0:18:35That's looking good.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38'After a quick stint in a hot oven, Steffi's noodles
0:18:38 > 0:18:41'and our Anglo-German lunch are ready to eat.'
0:18:43 > 0:18:45That's just perfect.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47You know, every noodle all over the world,
0:18:47 > 0:18:52it's basically flour and water. In some cases, flour, water and egg,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54but they all are so different.
0:18:56 > 0:18:57Well, it's lovely, and the textures,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00it comes really together really well.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03This is a deeply, deeply soothing dish.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08'Despite Germany's noodle heritage,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11'they aren't a nation you would naturally associate with noodles.'
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Thailand, on the other hand, is.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22The Thai community in the UK is actually quite small,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24yet their food has made a big impression.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- Hello.- Good morning, Nigel.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Lovely to meet you.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33'I've come to Wimbledon to meet Mickey, who, like most Thais,
0:19:33 > 0:19:34'is a practising Buddhist.'
0:19:34 > 0:19:36- Have you been here before?- No.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42As you can see, it is quite magnificent.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Welcome to Buddhapadipa Temple.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48I've lived in London for, feels like for ever,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50and I had no idea this was here.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55'Mickey came to England seven years ago,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59'but, as a 23-year-old in Bangkok, he followed tradition
0:19:59 > 0:20:03'by living as a monk for the duration of the rainy season.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06'As one of the rules is that monks may not prepare their own food,
0:20:06 > 0:20:12'he relied wholly on the generosity of others for all his meals.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14'Now he's returning the favour.'
0:20:15 > 0:20:19This is the monks' lunch. I've brought a lunch for monks today.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21- You've cooked for them? - We cook for them.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25It's spiritual. We believe that whatever you offer to the monks,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29you have it in return somehow,
0:20:29 > 0:20:30so you have to do the best food ever.
0:20:30 > 0:20:35So, 5.30 this morning, woke up, make it fresh and here we are.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Please come in, Nigel. This is the monk residence.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44How beautiful is that?
0:20:44 > 0:20:47The monks, they're not allowed to bite.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49So you have to make sure you make it bite size.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52So everything in really small pieces.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54You've got eclairs!
0:20:54 > 0:20:55They've got eclairs!
0:21:03 > 0:21:06'Offering food is one of the oldest rituals in Buddhism
0:21:06 > 0:21:09'and one that helps keep the community here strong,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12'even if the Thai population is actually quite small.'
0:21:15 > 0:21:18'To keep a little piece of Thailand alive in Wimbledon
0:21:18 > 0:21:20'must take dedication.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24'I want to know what, and why, Mickey cooks what he cooks.'
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Watching you this morning,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31preparing the food for the monks with such care,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34it was very obvious that it meant a lot to you.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37My grandpas and my grandmas said, you know, whatever you want to eat
0:21:37 > 0:21:41in your next life, you have to give that to the monks.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43We all do it with heart,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46like, you know, we put our heart into cooking, so, these noodles
0:21:46 > 0:21:50that we're going to cook, both of us are going to cook together today,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53is coming from northern part of Thailand, Chiang Mai.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56And this dish makes me miss my grandma,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58cos every time she'd cook at home,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I'd be in front of her and have it all.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03I'm not a chef, I'm just one boy who loves to cook.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06- I'm one boy who loves to cook as well.- That's it!
0:22:07 > 0:22:10'Mickey's Chiang Mai-inspired khao soi noodles
0:22:10 > 0:22:14'are kicked off by heating a good dollop of curry paste.'
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Right, so, I'm going to stir the chicken in.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20And can I do this in a big frying pan?
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Not recommended, though. The reason I do it in a pot
0:22:23 > 0:22:25is because you want to keep the temperature.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Ah, OK.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28This is coming from my mum.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31- All the best tips come from Mum.- Yeah!
0:22:32 > 0:22:34It's looking good.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39'Add a pinch of curry powder and that Thai essential, coconut milk.'
0:22:39 > 0:22:41And then put the stock on top.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42Is that vegetable stock, chicken stock?
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- Chicken stock.- Chicken stock, OK.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47'There're some things you just can't explain in a recipe.'
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Right, so, now, medium heat. It's rock and roll bubble.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54They got rock and roll, which is like boom, boom, boom, boom.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56And then you've got a jazz bubble.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58The jazz were like very slow-cooking bubbles.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- Do you have hip-hop bubbles? - Yeah, you can do hip-hop bubbles.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02OK, fine.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10Flavour, tonnes. Fish sauce. This is palm sugar.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15'Now that just needs to happily bubble away.'
0:23:16 > 0:23:18This is me, when I was a monk.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Oh, what a lovely picture.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23I was a monk for four months.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27At the end it was quite challenging for the reason that there are
0:23:27 > 0:23:29so many rules protecting you,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31- There's a lot of rules! - Rules, mm-hm.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Two meals a day, breakfast and lunch.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36So once it's lunch time and that's eaten,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38- that's your food for the day?- Yeah.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41I mean, did that change the way you think about food?
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Yes. You learn.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- Whatever you have, and you do the best with it.- Yes.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48You cook a lot of Thai food, don't you?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Mm-hm, yeah. Thai food, to me, is very, very important.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56The flavour that I cook at home does remind me of my family.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00You know, like today, we cooked khao soi, you know, it's my home recipe,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03and it makes me feel happy and makes me feel home always.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06'Time for the star of the show, egg noodles.'
0:24:06 > 0:24:10These fresh noodles take almost no time to cook, do they?
0:24:10 > 0:24:11It's just minutes, seconds.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Seconds, yeah.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17So I'll put it on low heat. Just want to keep it nice and tidy.
0:24:20 > 0:24:21Yeah, I think it's good now.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28'Dark soy sauce adds flavour,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32'but Mickey's got a crisp little treat on the hob.'
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Oh, my word! I've never seen noodles fried like that.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Fantastic. A little noodle nest. Can I?
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Yes, please do.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Our khao soi curry is ready.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Oh, that smells so, so good.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52Right, so the garnish.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01What's not to like?
0:25:01 > 0:25:04There's nothing elegant about eating noodles, is there?
0:25:08 > 0:25:09Oh, Mickey.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10How is it?
0:25:10 > 0:25:12It's absolutely heaven!
0:25:13 > 0:25:15That is just utterly...
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Whoa! Spicy!
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- In the back?- Yeah.- Uh-huh.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21The thing I've taken away from this is that it's happy food.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Exactly!
0:25:23 > 0:25:25It's seriously happy food. It's good-time food.
0:25:25 > 0:25:26Good-time food, yeah.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29You can't possibly have a bad time when you're tucking in
0:25:29 > 0:25:34to noodles and coconut and chillies and lime and it's good-time cooking.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42From fideua to spatzle and khao soi noodles,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45every dish I've seen has harnessed not just the flavours,
0:25:45 > 0:25:49but also the traditions and togetherness.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52My challenge is to come up with a dish of my own
0:25:52 > 0:25:55with some of those same special qualities.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58I've got Maria, Steffi and Mickey coming to dinner,
0:25:58 > 0:26:02and I want to give them something from me
0:26:02 > 0:26:04which has been inspired by them.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08So I'm giving them my crisp Parmesan noodle cake
0:26:08 > 0:26:11with a basil-infused cream sauce.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17I'm using linguine because it's one of the first pastas I ever cooked.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22While the noodles cook, I'm going to start infusing
0:26:22 > 0:26:23lots of cream for the dipping sauce.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28You know, I love the way Maria infused her stock
0:26:28 > 0:26:31and I've got these lovely, almost fruity chillies.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34They smell like spicy raisins.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38And I'm going to infuse the sauce with these.
0:26:38 > 0:26:44Zingy lemon zest and an onion spiked with cloves add depth and flavour.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Then that just needs to infuse while I get on with the noodles.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Steffi loved cheese with her comforting spatzle, so I'm going
0:26:53 > 0:26:57to coat mine with Parmesan, smoked garlic and black pepper.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05This is why I didn't put any olive oil on this pasta.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08I actually wanted it to stick together a little bit.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13One of the things that dazzled me about Mickey's cooking was
0:27:13 > 0:27:18the textures and the fact that on top of all those soft noodles
0:27:18 > 0:27:21was this layer of crispness. And I love that.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26So mine are going into a pan to crisp up.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29On the outside, I think these noodles are going to be quite crisp.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Inside, I want them to have that little bit of softness.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38These noodles will really keep in the flavour,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40so instead of coating them with the sauce,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42I want something you can dip into.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46I've whizzed up basil with olive oil
0:27:46 > 0:27:47to give it a familiar and fresh kick.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Stir it in and serve on the side.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59So, I've got that crisp outside and then the soft
0:27:59 > 0:28:03pasta in the middle - that's exactly what I wanted.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06My noodles are a bit of everything.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08They bring together old flavours I know well
0:28:08 > 0:28:11with some of the new ones I've discovered.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Oh, look at that!
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- Can I try? - Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tuck in.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26'Steffi, Mickey, Maria and her family are all part of a new and
0:28:26 > 0:28:32'exciting culinary heritage in this country, one I want to celebrate.'
0:28:32 > 0:28:36- Salut!- Salut! - It's been a pleasure to meet you.