Jamie Oliver

Jamie's Great Escape Jamie's Italian cooking tips

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Date Published:
25/10/2007

Italian cuisine made simple

Jamie spent six weeks travelling around Italy re-discovering his love of cooking and learning lots about the art of Italian cuisine. Learn to cook wonderful food just like Mama does with these top tips from Jamie's travels.

Tips

  • Keep things simple – use the freshest, in season, locally produced ingredients.
  • Be bold with your flavours - go for rustic, robust flavours.
  • Make the local dishes – Italians like their regional dishes and don’t like them being messed about with. Ask the mamas and the nonnas for their family recipes.
  • Have fun with your cooking – as seafood chef Giovanni from Marettimo told Jamie.
  • It’s all about flavour rather than appearance –this is cucina povera or peasant food.
  • You don’t need lots of time – Italian mums cook quick fantastic food like risotto or pasta – even after a long day at work.
  • When buying meat – think about how the animal lived and was killed. Was it humane? If you buy meat at a butchers or at the meat counter of a supermarket you can ask these questions.
  • Be adventurous – try out new flavours, new recipes and new ingredients.
  • Show your passion for cooking – all Italians are passionate about food from the youngest child to the oldest grandfather.
  • Remember what Jamie says; ”As long as you care, as long as you’ve got your family around the table, whether its French, English or Italian – its just cooking and that’s what it’s all about."

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