Antonio Carluccio - live webchat Tues 27 Nov 2-3pm

Deedaa

Dear Antonio, I have several of your books and particularly enjoyed The Two Hungry Italians programmes. I wonder if you can tell me how to make gnocchi fritti? We had some once at a ristorante near Modena. They were split open and filled with prosciutto. I have never found a recipe so I could try making them at home.

Don't confuse with the gnocchi di patate that you buy in bags. Make triangles or lozenges of pastry - between puff and shortcrust - and deep fry. Try with a savoury choux pastry - it will puff up when you cook it and you can split it. Let me know!!

AntonioCarluccio

Supergranny

My question is have you ever thought of trying to get your restaurants along teh motorway. It would be so ace to be able to have a decent, affordable meal whilst on the road. Is it impossible to out Little Chef?

(By the way I love your website. I buy the wild boar ragu jars in bulk! Link here)

Motorways...motorway food. Carluccio's food is to be enjoyed in peace (although it comes quite quickly to the table) but in a service station everything is pre prepared to make it quick so it wouldn't work.

Also...somewhere I wrote the recipe for that. You could try to make it!

Supergranny

My question is have you ever thought of trying to get your restaurants along teh motorway. It would be so ace to be able to have a decent, affordable meal whilst on the road. Is it impossible to out Little Chef?

(By the way I love your website. I buy the wild boar ragu jars in bulk! Link here)

Motorways...motorway food. Carluccio's food is to be enjoyed in peace (although it comes quite quickly to the table) but in a service station everything is pre prepared to make it quick so it wouldn't work.

jeni

Dear Antonio.
All my recipes for spaghetti with a beef and tomato sauce specify using white wine rather than red, why is this?
I do find the addition of a little nutmeg helps as well. What do you think?

I like a gentle smell of wine for flavour.

And as far as I'm concerned you can add so many things - it's a very personal thing.

twinsmum100

Ciao Antonio,

I have met you quite a few times and I know you love telling jokes!

Do you have a good one you'd like to share with us Gransnetters?

Two little prawns talk to each other and one says "I am a little bit worried. Mama went to a cocktail party last night and she's not back yet"

CariGransnet

I'm going to add my praise for Carluccio's too - the only restaurant I have come across which not only caters for gluten free (DD - allergy) but has an ENTIRE gf menu (inc freshly made pasta)

Thank you! I'd love to know why you've done this when no one else (that I've found at least) has?

We try! Thank you for the compliment.

phoenix

When my understanding is that Antonio now acts as a consultant for the chain, and is less involved in the day to day things, but I may be wrong.

Antonio , I believe that you have suffered from depression but are now moving forward, how did you manage to do that? My experience of clinical depression is that I find it so hard to motivate myself to accomplish even everyday things, let alone run a business.

Yes you are not wrong - I am a consultant which gives me a great deal of pleasure because Carluccios listen to my proposals and my criticisms which gives me a great deal of pleasure.

Regarding depression...try to get good doctors and psychologists. They will help but the one that can help yourself is you.

whenim64

I like Carluccio's, too. Their sea bass is unfailingly gorgeous, and their fat olives on the deli counter are addictive. I don't pick up those aggressive vibes that you get from some chains. The local one in the Trafford Centre has friendly staff who treat me and my friends and family as though we are part of their family. They fuss round us and play with the babies.

Antonio, your food is wonderful, your series with Genaro was funny and poignant, and the home cooked meals you showed us would be great to try. Have you bought about putting those traditional rustic meals on your menus?

Yes slowly they will be incorporated according to seasons.

granjura

How do you feel about the cloning of our British cities. The same shops, the same cafés, the same fast food chains... and now the same restaurants, however wonderful and good they are- like Carluccio's. I am a great admirer of yours, but I'd rather go to a small independent Italian restaurant, with their own regional recipes, than a chain, as I really do not want all British cities to end up the same. Grazie tante (Odile della Svizzera francese).

I feel the same as you. I also like to come into a city and find different things. Ideally only in Italy you can find family restaurants where they cook well. Here too but they are big restaurants. Single restaurants are not sometimes very reliable. The independency of Carluccio's regarding menus is achieved by having many recipes which are chosen for the daily menu to give the variety that one would want to find in different premises.