A: When I was growing up, food was all around me. We knew the local fishermen, my father hunted, and my mother used to forage for wild herbs and mushrooms. As a family, we constantly talked about the quality of produce, where it came from and what we would have for our next meal.
A: From an early age, I used to watch my mother, father, aunts and older sisters cook. One day, when I was about 10, my father took me to visit his friend’s restaurant. I loved it there so much that I ended up staying the whole summer to help out!
A: Without a doubt. I love cooking for my family whenever they come round, and I also look forward to visiting my sister’s house in Italy, because she cooks all my favourite dishes for me.
A: They’ve always enjoyed cooking, especially pasta dishes.
A: Olive oil, tinned tomatoes and pasta – these three ingredients are all you need to make a quick, simple and nutritious meal.
A: A simple spaghetti with tomato sauce. It’s always a winner!
A: My Zia [Aunt] Maria’s meat ragù, which we would have for Sunday lunch. It was quite a ritual – she would choose the cuts of meat carefully and begin to prepare them the day before, gently leaving them to bubble away for hours in a rich tomato sauce until just it was just the right consistency. We would enjoy the tomato sauce with pasta to start and then have the meat as a main course. It was a heavenly meal, and one I still make today.
A: The dishes are so simple, but you never tire of eating them.
A: A tomato sauce, because it can be used for pasta and as a base for many other Italian dishes.
A: I grew up by the sea and often went fishing as a kid, so I would love to have been a fisherman in a different life!