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

muddyboots

Oh and another question - I've read that you studied languages - what made you change your career choice?

I studied languages because I wanted to communicate - to learn as much as I could about the food and customs of other countries.

popster

Hi, Antonio! Which mushrooms do you think work best in mushroom risotto?

The best is fresh porcini - or a mixture of fresh wild mushrooms. Saying that it's possible to achieve a good result by using normal button mushrooms as the fresh element with the addition of dried porcinis - and even adding a porcini cube (available in Carluccio's!)

geekygran

What are your store cupboard essentials for every day Italian meals?

Basically pasta, oil and tomatoes in a tin or jar,. Should you have a bit of bacon, pancetta or even ham it would go nicely. And I always keep a can of good beans such as borlotti.

thickofit

Do you think British attitudes to food and cooking have changed in the time you've been living in this country? Have you learnt anything from us Brits about food or has it all been one way?

Yes! From the situation I found in 1975 when I came here and now it has changed quite a lot. However I still don't see British chefs embracing in full the abundance of excellent ingredients that there are in this country - game, fish, meat and vegetables.

Unfortunately many of the young chefs want to be trendy and they use ingredients from other countries to be interesting. Try with the British ingredients more and keep it pure according to your culture.

The second question is very interesting. Italian food and British food are two worlds apart. In England little interest - in Italy over interest. I am enthusiastic of the idea to enjoy both.

Zorro

Is it true (I think I read it in a review of one of your books) that you don't think bolognese should go on spaghetti - and if so, why not?

No - you are right. For the last time I repeat... (!) that the tagliatelle alla bolognese is an original dish from Emilia Romagna. The combination of a ragu made with just two meats and no herbs whatsoever - just a little bit of onion and tomatoes is ideal to complement the local homemade tagliatelle. The squarish shape pf the tagliatelle gives an extra sensation to the palate that spaghetti can't. A comparison would be to make steak and kidney pie with liver!

whippit

I am always a bit nervous of polenta. But I have a bag sitting in the larder at the moment....what should I do with it?!

I agree that for you British polenta sounds like a punishing porridge. It is a porridge if you like, however if you add parmesan, butter and good fontina cheese and mix it with that it becomes such flavoursome mixture that you can eat with anything and it's very good. It's called polenta concia. The recipe is in one of my books!

boudoirbabe

Hi Antonio, this is a slightly weird question, but how would you recommend cooking rabbit? I've just been given a couple (skinned and ready to go - no idea what to do with them, really)

Chop. Coat with flour. Fry in oil to brown. Remove rabbit and put in the same oil peeled and cut potatoes, olives, rosemary (possibly Ligurian olives) and onions (cliced). Mix everything in the oil and season. Add the rabbit. Bang in the over at 220C for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with a bit of white wine and cook another 30-40 mins. And eat!!

Alphafemale

This is such a difficult time of year to eat healthily - not many vegetables, no salads to speak of. Do you have a good recipe for a winter salad or vegetable dish?

Yes - now is particularly time for Swiss chard and spinach. A good time to keep some vitamins in by steaming or braising briefly with a bit of olive oil, garlic and chilli. A bit of lemon.

underwhere

Hi Antonio, You have gone from running (I think) one very posh restaurant in Neal Street in Covent Garden to restaurants on every high street in the UK, pretty much. Which do you prefer? Are they very different? And do you still own the business?

Neither. One (Neal Street) was my real jewel with which I could experiment with dishes quite a lot while catering for many afficionados. The significance of Italian food is to make it available to many people and share ideas, the good quality of freshly prepared food and that's what I had in mind with Carluccio's but more modestly priced. The result thanks to all of you is wonderful.