Antonio Carluccio: Interview with a fun guy

by Anthony Gardner

The restaurateur and cookery writer Antonio Carluccio was born in Italy in the province of Salerno, but has made his home in London. A former journalist and wine merchant, he ran the Neal Street Restaurant in Covent Garden for over 25 years, and is the author of twelve books, including 'An Invitation to Italian Cooking'. Carluccio's caffés and food shops can be found in London, Manchester and across the south of England. Antonio has received the Commendatore Omri for service to Italian gastronomy, and earlier this year was awarded an honorary OBE.

From whom have you learnt most about food?

When you are brought up in a large Italian family, it is natural that you learn about food. Living together, having meals together and being told about the importance of food for making your mind and body happy - this is a precious lesson that one never forgets. My mother was a culinary genius, and even during the War was always able to keep me and my siblings satisfied by producing something delicious from nowhere. She was my teacher; everything I have taught myself during my 50 years of living away from Italy has come from the attempt to recreate Mama's food.

At which restaurant (other than your own) do you most enjoy eating?

Due to my curiosity, I have tasted food from many ethnic sources, and I enjoy most of the world's cuisines. Some I would try again, and others definitely not. Naturally, I have always had a soft spot for my native cuisine, which is one of the simplest and best. I hate restaurants where you have to worship the chef - they are usually arrogant and out of touch with the idea of good food, freshly prepared, with excellent ingredients and at a fair price. I prefer humble ones.

What has been your most memorable meal?

I was travelling between Rome and Florence before the motorway existed with my first wife and her sister's child and the car had no air conditioning. At around one o'clock, in the middle of nowhere and under the harsh rays of the sun, I saw a little farm in the distance not far from the main road. We decided to ask for some water and to rest in the shade. The lady asked us to wait a moment. She returned with a large tray covered in an immaculate linen cloth. Underneath the cloth was a loaf of bread, salami, a piece of cheese and some fruit - followed by a jug of cold water. It was like a dream! The lady refused to accept any money, and it would have broken the sense of hospitality if she had. It was a biblical happening - an unforgettable meal.

Do you have a favourite dish?

I do not have one particular favourite, I have many. Pasta with tomato and basil; risotto with porcini (wild mushrooms); tagliolini with truffles; artichokes Roman style; ripe white peaches…

And a favourite wine?

I have favourite wines that go with my favourite dishes. A Barbera for Piemontese food, a good Chianti for Tuscan grub, fiery Sicilian wines for local Sicilian food, and a Moscato Spumante with dessert.

What is the best thing to serve on board a ship in rough weather?

I did my military service in the navy when I was 18, but I was never involved in any danger or particularly rough weather at sea. However, 30 years later when I was filming a short programme on food and drink for the BBC on a trawler, I was overwhelmed with nausea. The captain gave me a galette - a wheat biscuit with salted anchovy. It worked wonders and we managed to continue filming despite the rough seas. The film crew weren't too happy!

Where do you most like to shop?

I prefer to shop in markets and choose what to cook based on whatever is the freshest ingredient on that day. There are many markets that I like to visit, but among my favourites are the Venice fish markets at the Rialto; the markets of Porto Palazzo in Turin (which are Europe's largest open-air markets, where the local farmers' wives set up in small corners and offer whatever their farm has produced that day); Campo dei Fiori in Rome; Mercato Centrale San Lorenzo in Florence; and Il Capo in Palermo.

Where do the best mushrooms come from?

My passion for wild mushrooms is notorious. I have written two books on the subject, and although I think that Britain is a paradise for mushroom collectors, the taste and flavour of mushrooms is better in Italy. The best areas are in and around Borgotaro, and all of the hills around Piemonte. Trentino and Calabria, where wonderful mushrooms grow wild on the high plains of Sila, also offer a great variety.

Which are the five most important things to have in a larder?

Olive oil for frying and extra-virgin for raw food like salads; packs of pasta like spaghetti and linguine; tomato sauces, either bought or self-made; some salami, speck or Parma ham; cheese like Parmesan and fresh pecorino. With these ingredients you can prepare meals in minutes, and they are always ready for use.

And which piece of kitchen equipment do you cherish?

I have a set of knives that give me great pleasure when I cook with them. They must always be very sharp; it depends on you whether you prefer to cut neatly or to chop. I was given a set of Japanese knives for sushi when I was in Japan, which are amazing. Possibly the best knives are from Japan.

Whose food books do you enjoy reading?

As a food writer I receive many cookery books to read. I find it interesting nowadays how incestuous the recipes are: you keep discovering the same ones but with different names. I have taken great care not to repeat recipes in the twelve books I have published, but I must admit that creating them is not as easy as one thinks. My sources are sharp observation whilst eating out at restaurants, word of mouth from friends and relations, and talking with my peers. My first inspiration was from Pellegrino Artusi and Bartolomeo Scappi, who was cook to Pope Pius V and several cardinals. He was probably the first 'celebrity' chef, and certainly one of the first to write a book about cookery.

What is the hardest thing to master in Italian cooking?

Certainly the taste. Garnish is unheard of in Italy and considered superfluous, so the taste of good Italian food can only be mastered through the use of good quality ingredients.

What do you consider Salerno's most significant contribution to European cuisine?

Salerno had the first faculty of medicine in the world, La Scuola Salernitana, which was founded by the Benedictine monks in the ninth century: it was here that the impact of food on the mind and body was first studied. Sadly, the university closed when the Bourbons took over the region. In the last 200 years, the most famous and popular ingredient would be mozzarella cheese, known everywhere through its use on pizzas. Anchovies, tomatoes and lemons from the Amalfi Coast are three other perfect contributions from Salerno.

And Britain's?

The English breakfast is probably the most renowned dish worldwide. Compared with the brioche and cappuccino of the Italians, it is a very substantial meal, and I would actually eat it for lunch. Britain also has possibly some of the best meat in the world - lamb and beef, and plenty of game; shellfish; salmon; good-quality potatoes, and other vegetables and soft fruit.

Which is your favourite European city, and why?

I lived for twenty years in a small town in Italy called Ivrea, which I left 50 years ago; a couple of years in Vienna; three years in Berlin; ten in Hamburg; and I have now spent 32 years in London. I have visited cities like Paris, Rome, Florence and Venice many times, but I would say that I feel most at home in London. I like the fact that it's a very cosmopolitan city, and I like the British character - their privacy, the freedom of speech and respect for who you are and what you do. Based in London, you can move freely throughout the world, which I often do; but above all, you are able to meet the entire world here on your doorstep.

Where was your best European holiday?

As much as I love Europe for everything else, I tend to take my holidays in non-European countries, though I have had one in Italy and four in Greece. I like to visit other places like India, Bali, Australia, and the Seychelles, where the weather is paramount and there is little likelihood I will bump into too many people I know! For short trips I love Venice - my wife and I have already taken four of our five grandchildren one by one for a week's cultural trip. We will take the last one in autumn, and then perhaps all five together! Paris is also a place I visit regularly, as I have many friends there.

Which figure from European history inspires you?

Konrad Adenauer and Alcide De Gasperi were the two statesmen who impressed me when I was a young man. They were the initiators of Europe's coal and steel regulation. I was inspired to open my horizons and to move into Europe, believing myself to be a real European citizen. Borders and languages have never been a problem and I learned the language everywhere I lived to enable me to communicate. I guess that now with five languages, I could choose to live anywhere; but naturally I like to have a base, and London suits me very well.

How big an effect have EU directives had on British eating habits?

In my opinion the legislation regarding the production and sale of cheese has disturbed people's palates quite a bit. The addition of salt and sugar to manufactured, industrial foods has not produced any great benefits, and unfortunately those items are now sold by the tonne in supermarkets. However, there seems to be new-found and positive awareness throughout the world in the way people read labels to discover the actual content and provenance of the food.

If you weren't based in Europe, which continent would you like to live on?

Australia appeals to me a lot and I visit it frequently. Strangely, I am not particularly attracted to America, but South America could be of interest to me. I am also intrigued by Africa and the humanitarian and cultural projects that I could become involved in there.

What do you most miss about Europe when you travel to other parts of the world?

Europe is home for me. Every time I touch down at Heathrow Airport, I have the feeling of coming back to a place where I belong. Every European country contributes greatly to that cultural pot - the food, customs, history and languages are so different within such relatively short distances.

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© Anthony Gardner. All views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to the European Commission.