NEVEN’S ITALIAN FOOD TRAILS (New series, programme one)
THURSDAY OCTOBER 5th 2017 7pm RTÉ ONE
In his brand new six part series, Neven’s Italian Food Trails, Neven Maguire travels from Venice on the Adriatic Coast, to Sorrento on the Mediterranean, visiting Parma, Modena, Florence and Tuscany. Along the way, Ireland’s hugely popular chef learns about some of the wonderful food and drink that have made Italian cuisine so popular around the world, including Parmesan cheese, pasta, Parma ham, Prosecco, olive oil, coffee and Chianti.
Neven enjoys street food beside a race track, he’s shown how to cook the perfect risotto by a Michelin star chef, and he is taught how to make the perfect cappuccino by Italy’s champion barista.
But Neven’s brand new series is not all about food – he takes some interesting trips as well: a water taxi up the Grand Canal, a microlight flight over Parma, truffle-hunting in Tuscany and a spin round a race track in a Ferrari.
And of course throughout this new six part series, Neven demonstrates some recipes inspired by his journey, including a classic Ragu, a Peach and Amaretti Cake, Chicken wrapped in Parma Ham, and Chocolate and Hazelnut Semi-freddo.
Programme one: VENICE
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 markets 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 this first programme with a recipe for a Peach and Amaretti sponge cake.
Neven’s Italian Food Trails is produced and directed by David Hare for Inproduction.TV and is sponsored by the Dunnes Stores Simply Better Collection
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