The celebrity chef is returning to his motherland in a new ITV series.
The telly personality will glean cuisine tips from the ‘Mammas’ of his home country in Gino’s Italy: Like Mamma Used to Make.
Gino – whose credits include Ready Steady Cook, This Morning and Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip – will be travelling the length and breadth of Italy to encounter local dishes from matriarchs and their families.
Nicola Lloyd, Factual Entertainment commissioner, ITV:
“This show will see Gino immersed in the culture that fired his passion for cooking, inviting viewers to join him as he celebrates the women who nurture and continue the traditions that make Italian food the centre of family life with all the warmth, humour and wisdom that brings.”
Starting in his place of birth, Torre Del Greco in Napoli, where he learnt to cook in the kitchens of his Nonna Flora and Mamma Alba, Gino is going back to his roots to celebrate all the women whose kitchens have fuelled Italy through their incredible food.
With recipes including Pasta al Genovese, Steak Fiorentine and Tortellini, Gino will have his work cut out to keep up with the women running the kitchens which he visits.
Gino:
“From learning to make pizza at the fingertips of my Nonna Flora, to stirring simmering pots of ragu in my mamma’s kitchen. From the first meatballs I rolled with my aunty Clara to the Spaghetti Vongole that I make for my own family. My journey as a chef is all thanks to two generations of women, who without their passion for the food that they fed their families, I would not be where I am.”
The series will be accompanied by a cookbook published by Bloomsbury.
