Gennaro's Cucina: A cookbook of classic Italian recipes that help to budget during a cost-of-living crisis

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Gennaro is renowned for being a mentor to Jamie Oliver and teaching him, with Antonio Carluccio, about Italian cooking. He spoke to Chris about when he first met his young protege, and said that they still “talk every day.”

Welcome | Gennaro Contaldo

Heat plenty of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan until hot, then add the pumpkin slices (you may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan) and deep-fry for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil. Iron Chef America - Served as one of Jamie Oliver's sous chefs during his battle with Mario Batali (2007)He won’t touch out of season fruit and veg flown thousands of miles to give us year-long supermarket produce. “Cherries are everywhere at the moment – when I see them in a shop, I won’t even taste it,” he says.

Gennaro Contaldo recipes - BBC Food Gennaro Contaldo recipes - BBC Food

Cucina povera’ is the food that traditionally fed the poor of Italy yet remains the basis of most Italian dishes we love to eat today. It’s a simple philosophy – delicious, hearty meals using accessible and affordable ingredients. Encouraging an ethos of zero waste, Gennaro’s Cucina ensures that every part of the ingredient, and your budget, is put to good culinary use. Gennaro is brand ambassador for Parmigiano Reggiano and Birra Moretti (watch. their unique ‘Bring Your Own Table Event here), and works with Italian holiday company Citalia, helping promote the best of Italian food and travel to his beloved Italy.

Contaldo left Italy in 1969 for England where he worked in the kitchen at Barnet General hospital. He married in 1974 and had three children - he later had two more children with his current partner. He briefly established an Italian antiques business before returning to cooking. Contaldo's inspiration to cook in England was partly due to the availability of game and fungi, both important components of Amalfitan cuisine. In media interviews, Contaldo has frequently voiced his enthusiasm for foraged wild food, especially mushrooms. [1] [2] [3] In this inspirational cookbook, Gennaro takes you on a culinary journey of regional basic Italian staples and turns them into beautiful meals. With tips and ideas of what to do with leftovers, Gennaro helps home cooks squeeze maximum use from the ‘cucina povera’ ethos, turning humble ingredients into nourishing feasts without taste sacrifice.

Gennaro Contaldo’s cheap, delicious Italian On my plate: Chef Gennaro Contaldo’s cheap, delicious Italian

Gennaro joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with cinch to talk about the book, which focuses on Cucina Povera - using simple ingredients in inventive ways to spend less and, ultimately, eat better. Cucina Povera is the type of cooking the chef was brought up on and that he still uses today. It originated mainly from rural Italian areas, where meals were created using the limited number of ingredients available – either what people grew or what little they could afford to buy. Contaldo grew up in the small village of Minori on the Amalfi Coast, developing his love for food from days he spent hunting with his father and grandfather, and collecting herbs for his mother. He began working in local restaurants at the age of eight. Contaldo is also known for his association with Jamie Oliver, whom he first met at Neal Street Restaurant in the 1990s. The two chefs have since maintained a close friendship and professional relationship. Oliver even once put up a reward for information when Contaldo's restaurant, Passione, was burgled in 2003. [5] Contaldo has appeared on many of Oliver's television shows, such as The Naked Chef. He made a comic appearance as one of Oliver's sous-chefs on Food Network's Iron Chef America, in a battle against famed Italian-American chef Mario Batali. Contaldo also developed menus for Oliver's UK restaurant chain Jamie's Italian, in which he is a business partner. In 2011 he toured the Italian regions alongside Antonio Carluccio in a four-part series for the BBC, "The Two Greedy Italians". This was followed up by a second series which aired in 2012, "The Two Greedy Italians: Still Hungry". If people knew how to cook, they would save at least half – at least!” he says. “I press everyone to learn how to cook because once you’ve learned how to cook, you can use whatever you find in the house.”

Parmigiana di zucca

Gennaro Contaldo OSI ( Italian pronunciation: [dʒenˈnaːro konˈtaldo]; born 20 January 1949) is an Italian chef known for his association with his British protégé, Jamie Oliver, and his partnership with fellow Italian chef Antonio Carluccio and their BBC Two television series Two Greedy Italians. Gennaro Contaldo puts a bowl of penne in front of me. “Eat! Enjoy it!” he says. It’s 10am, but you don’t turn down pasta at an Italian chef’s house – no matter what time it is. Parmigiana was originally made with aubergines from southern Italy, says Gennaro Contaldo. “Where aubergines are abundant during summer, pumpkin is plentiful during the colder season, especially in rural locations where this autumnal squash provided necessary nutrition for families.” You’ll need: Contaldo has made cooking appearances on numerous other television shows. On BBC1's Saturday morning show Saturday Kitchen, he set a record of 16.36 seconds for making a three-egg omelette. In 2014 he was also awarded a Guinness World Record for the most ravioli made in two minutes. [6] Along with the majority of post-war Italian families, a young Gennaro was raised on a diet harvested on a limited budget. Restricted choice of scarce ingredients meant they learnt the value what they had, how to cook dishes lovingly and use imaginative methods of preservation to make simple dishes go far: including salting, drying and curing.