Cheeky chappy inspired by the Italian coast for new cookbook
Cheeky chappy Gino D’Acampo is bringing a taste of his Italian home (even borrowing recipes off his mamma Alba) in his new book and accompanying ITV series, Gino’s Italian Coastal Escape.
The charismatic TV presenter, chef and restaurateur, 41, is hoping to show that simplicity is the key to great Italian food.
Gino, originally from Torre del Greco, Naples, has travelled along “the most famous coast in Europe”, discovering the local specialities and authentic ingredients associated with Italy’s west coast. It is arguably the gastronomic spine of the country, with the book taking influence from traditional kitchens in Rome, Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, and the islands of Sicily and Elba.
It’s not just about eating well either, Gino also believes he has “a responsibility to make sure people understand where their ingredients come from”, which actually led to him uncovering a few culinary surprises. “You would never associate liquorice with Italian food,” says Gino, who discovered a taste for Calabrian liquorice while researching the book. “The more I travel, even for someone like myself who has been in food for so many years, I always learn something new and exciting.”
One of his favourite dishes he stumbled upon, and then adapted, is ndunderi (pronounced ‘dune-der-ee’), which he found while exploring the Amalfi Coast. “It’s like gnocchi but instead of potato, they use ricotta. This is another thing which I had no idea they did there,” he explains. “It’s so delicate, light and beautiful. Delicious!”
It is characteristic of the food Gino’s hoping to celebrate: simple, full of flavour, and all about the ingredients. The chef believes overcomplicating is what most people get wrong when attempting to cook Italian food.