Neven's Italian Food Trails

Neven starts his culinary journey through Italy in Venice with a trip up the Grand Canal with guide Caterina Sopradassi who explains that much of Venice’s wealth came from the trade in spices and sugar. Together, they visit the fish and vegetable markerts close to the Rialto Bridge. Fish is a staple part of the Venetian diet and bacala, made with cod, is a Venetian speciality which Neven tries at the Hotel Papadopoli. Prosecco is produced in the Veneto region in north eastern Italy and Neven meets Paolo Sacchetto, a third generation prosecco producer, to taste some sparkling wine and to learn about the difference between prosecco and champagne. Neven finishes the programme with a recipe for a peach and Amaretti sponge cake.

Parma is situated within the Emilia-Romagna region, an area known as the gourmet capital of the Italy, and home to Parmesan cheese, Parma ham and balsamic vinegar. Neven is introduced to the city by tour guide Amalda Cuka who explains that the region’s food traditions are many centuries old. Neven meets Parma ham producer Paolo Tanara in La Prosciutteria, one of the city’s best known delicatessens. Neven then takes to the skies for an aerial tour in a microlight to see the farmland and vineyards responsible for the region’s famous foods. The following day, Neven’s stomach had settled sufficiently for him to have lunch in Ristorante Borsa in Valeggio Sul Mincio, a town with no less than 50 pasta restaurants, where he learned about making fresh pasta with Enrico Bolla. Neven then visits a farm which produces the milk used for parmesan cheese: one thousand litres of milk are need to produce 80 kg of cheese. Neven ends the programme with a recipe for pesto-stuffed chicken breasts wrapped i

Pisa may have the most famous leaning tower in the world, but Modena has one too, beside the covered market where Neven tastes parmesan cheese which is six years old and balsamic vinegar which is 25 years. Balsamic vinegar is only produced in a tightly defined area around Modena and Neven visits a producer to see how it’s made. As well as food, Modena is also famous for sports cars: Ferraris and Maseratis are produced nearby. Neven is driven around a race track in a Ferrari and afterwards samples gnocco fritto, a street food favourite of Modena’s. old. Neven ends with the programme with Michelin star chef Luca Marchini who gives Neven a masterclass in making risotto with parmesan.

Neven had never been to Florence before making this series so he starts the programme with a whistlestop tour around the city in an APE, a three-wheeled tuk tuk that was invented by the designer of the Vespa scooter. After seeing the Duomo and Santa Croce, the church where Michelangelo is buried, Neven meets Italy’s top barista (who represents Italy in coffee making competitions) who teaches him how to make the best cappuccino. Cantuccini, the Italian biscuit made with almonds, is often served with coffee in Italy and Neven meets Sr Masini, whose company has been making these Tuscan specialities since 1929. Neven ends the programme with a recipe for Chocolate & Hazelnut Semifreddo

After Venice, Parma, Modena and Florence, Neven goes deep into the Tuscan countryside to stay at Villa Camprestri, the world’s first olive oil resort, where he goes hunting for truffles and learns about olive oil and in particular about how different oils react with different foods: some oils suit pasta, others meat and others breads and cakes. Chianti is another product made in Tuscany and Neven also visits Piergiorgio Castellani, an award-winning wine producer who makes Chianti, another Tuscan speciality.

Having started his journey in Venice, on the Adriatic coast, Neven’s final programme comes from the Mediterranean resort of Sorrento, situated on the southern shore of the Bay of Naples. Fish, pasta and pizza are on the menu, with Neven visiting Soul and Fish where chef Vincenzo Incoronato prepares rock fish with linguine. Neven also learns what “Bronze Dye” dried pasta is, and why it’s considered the best, and he is taught how to make the perfect pizza by pizza maker Benito Iaccarino. Neven makes his own version of Ragu alla Bolognese, served with pappardelle, a wide pasta.