Gino begins his Italian journey on the stunning Amalfi Coast, a favourite holiday destination from his childhood. First off Gino visits the pretty town of Amalfi, world-famous for its lemons ,and explores a secluded citrus grove, high on the cliffs above the town. Here, he picks and tastes Amalfi’s legendary lemons with a family who own the grove. Motivated by the breathtaking location, Gino whips up a creamy lemon mousse topped with crushed amaretti biscuits - using Amalfi’s unique fruit and the local citrus liqueur, limoncello. Eager to find more tasty Italian ingredients, Gino then heads further down the coast to an organic buffalo farm. Here, he meets expert mozzarella makers and is keen to try his hand at crafting the pliable cheese. As the sun goes down, Gino hosts a sailing trip with his new friends from the lemon grove and dishes up delicate buffalo mozzarella wrapped in parma ham and rocket, paired with a delicious cocktail of limoncello and prosecco.
Gino's Italian adventures continue in Naples - the area of Italy where he was born and where he trained to be a chef. Here, he examines the foods and ingredients that have made the city famous - pizza and coffee! Naples is world famous for its pizza and credited for inventing the Margherita pizza of mozzarella, tomato and basil in 1889. Whilst in Naples Gino investigates the Neapolitan food trend of fried pizza – and helps an award winning chef make this surprisingly tasty street snack.
Gino pays a visit to Puglia, a region where centuries of tradition meet modern day. Close to Bari, the bustling capital of the Puglia region, the cool sea breezes helps to provide perfect conditions for growing olives and producing local olive oil.
Gino makes a culinary journey around the country's capital, where his first stop is one of Rome's finest delicatessens.
Gino returns to Campania, the Italian region where he grew up and where his family still live today. He pays a visit to Gragnano, which is world-famous for its pasta. He also visits a picturesque orchard, where he comes across the reddest cherries he’s ever seen. Gino pays a visit to his Italian relatives and for the first time ever decides to cook for them.
Gino is in Puglia on the lookout for some amazing food and visits Altamura, a place known for it's world-famous historic bread. He then moves on to one of the poorest regions of southern Italy, Basilicata. He samples some traditional cucina povera, which translates as poor people’s cuisine.
Chef Gino D'Acampo sets off on another tour of his home country, this time exploring the north of Italy. In the first edition he examines the food that has shaped the city of Florence, beginning by tackling the bistecca alla Fiorentina - a thick and juicy steak - before preparing sliced T-bone with a colourful courgette ribbon and goat's cheese salad. He then heads to the town of Prato, sampling a pastry chef's speciality brioche buns with an aromatic, creamy filling, and conjuring up his own dessert of apple poached in red wine with amaretti biscuit cream.
Gino D'Acampo's next stop is Venice, where he takes a trip on a gondola with a local countess to find out about a type of Venetian tapas called cicchetti, before creating his own ciabatta-based platter, featuring courgette and fennel with capers, prawns on chilli mayonnaise and breaded cod on lemon mayonnaise. The chef then heads out of the city to the nearby island of Burano, where he participates in a highly unusual method of cooking risotto.
Gino D'Acampo explores the gastronomic region of Emilia-Romagna. In a part of Italy famous for its cured meats, the chef is amazed to find an ancient cellar packed with prized culatello, including one reserved especially for Prince Charles. He then buys a wedge of Parmesan cheese and uses it to enhance a colourful dish of fried aubergine, tomato and mozzarella, topped with basil and olive oil dressing. His culinary quest continues in Modena, where he samples some of the world's finest traditional balsamic vinegar and prepares chicken and pancetta served with asparagus and cherry tomato salad.
Gino D'Acampo tours the picturesque region of Liguria in north-west Italy. His first stop is the village of Camogli, where he meets a family making a living from fishing tourism, before preparing sea bass in caper and butter sauce served with griddled, marinated carrots. Keen to explore more of the coast, the chef heads to Recco, where he helps a baker prepare the town's famous type of focaccia. Finally, Gino rustles up one of Liguria's most popular dishes - trofie pasta with rustic pesto, green beans and potato.
Gino D'Acampo travels through the landscape of Tuscany, beginning in the city of Siena, famous for its sloping Piazza del Campo and its `panforte' - a rich, spiced fruit-and-nut cake dating back to the 13th century. The chef tastes this ancient Christmas treat and, inspired by its flavour combinations, creates his own chocolate version. Next, he visits some Benedictine monks and tours their vast vineyard, before using their Tuscan red wine in his recipe for marinated beef skewers and three-bean salad.
The final leg of Gino D'Acampo's tour takes him to Bologna, widely regarded as Italy's gastronomic capital. Making his way to a trattoria, he meets a chef who has been honing her bolognese sauce recipe for almost 30 years. Gino then prepares his grandfather's take on tagliatelle alla bolognese and explores the local speciality of mortadella. Finally, he goes on the trail of the region's distinctive local pasta - tortellini - and creates his own version with ricotta cheese, hazelnuts, orange zest and chocolate chips.
Gino begins his latest Italian escape in a place very close to his heart, Olbia on Sardinia's North East coast, where Gino has lived for the past 3 years. As a chef Gino is passionate about fresh produce, so at his beautiful home he grows his own vegetables and tends to his very own vineyard too. What better than to invite a few close friends over for an Italian Festa to celebrate Sardinia's national dish? As Gino prepares Porcheddu, the mouth-watering roasted suckling pig.
Gino leaves the coast behind and heads deep into the mountains, to unlock the secrets to Sardinia. The island is home to more 100 year olds than any other, and it’s all down to its landscape and diet. He visits the town of Orgosolo, made famous by the abundance of murals on the walls, depicting its proud history. Then on to a working farm where he meets a shepherd who explains how the simple food from the land sustains the Sardi people. He visits a distillery that still brews Sardinian moonshine and gets more than he bargained for when he tastes this fiery tipple. Finally, Gino whips up a hearty rustic pasta dish, using traditional but simple ingredients, and serves it to his new found friends.
In this episode, Gino is back on the road again, leaving the mountains and heading south to the coast and the capital of Sardinia. On his way he takes a fishing trip and learns how fishing in the deep blue waters runs a close run second to farming on this island. He then visits the bustling capital city of Cagliari, where he is introduced to the unique textures that the locals use to enhance their fish dishes. After a whistle stop shop at Europe’s largest covered market, he makes his way to the magical ancient site of Nora, where he cooks a succulent tuna dish, as the sun sets over the ruins.
Tonight Gino says arrivederci to Sardinia and arrives in the capital city of Sicily, Palermo. Sicily is somewhere Gino has never been before, but has never visited, so this is a real journey of discovery for him. Home of the mafia, a vibrant street food culture and interesting history, this portside city stops Gino’s in his tracks. He has an unexpected encounter at the street food market, meets the man who stood up to the mafia, and ends up wine tasting in Marsala, finishing up his day in the vineyard cooking a beautiful chicken in marsala sauce.
Tonight it's all about the food and how Sicily’s interesting history has influenced the food they eat and the ingredients they use. Crossing the island, taking in the beautiful baroque towns of Noto and Modica, Gino learns about chocolate and cassada. Past the temples of Agrigento, he makes his way up to the foothills of mighty Mount Etna, to Sicily’s lemon riviera, and makes a sumptuous lemon risotto in a lemon grove.
Gino finishes his food odyssey of Sicily with a bang! In the pretty town of Taormina, Gino learns how to make cannoli - Sicily's most famous sweet. Gino climbs the craters of Mount Etna and tastes Etna fire water, a fiery tipple with a recipe that's stayed the same for centuries. Gino then makes a personal pilgrimage to the town of Savoca, the setting of Corleone in The Godfather, which just so happens to be his favourite film of all time! Here he meets the owner, shares a world famous granita, and ends his magical journey by cooking on the terrace of this infamous bar. How did he do that? Well, he made them an offer they couldn’t refuse!
Gino begins his latest Italian escape in Abruzzo - a little known region of Italy, bordered by Lazio, Marche, Umbria and the Adriatic Sea. It’s so far off the beaten track; it only opened an airport at the turn of this century! Gino will experience fishing and farming first hand - two things that define this beautiful region.
In the second episode, Gino heads to the beautiful mountainous region of Trentino-Alto Adige - situated in the very north of Italy and bordering both Austria and Switzerland. To help uncover the unique culinary heritage, Gino first heads to Valfloriana, where dairy farmer Graziano will teach him how to make the traditional caciotta altimo cheese, which is flavoured with thyme.
Gino D'Acampo explores the northern region of Lombardia, where goes to Harry's Bar on Lake Como to unearth the secret of the establishment's best-selling drink - the bellini. The chef hitches a ride on George Clooney's boat to take a tour of an Italian villa that is on the market for 16m euros, before fly-fishing for agone and creating a supper from his catch.
Gino D'Acampo explores the central region of Umbria, the fertile plains of which provide vegetables, grains, truffles and meat. The chef starts his journey near the town of Spoleto at small farm producing lentils before travelling to Norcia, and ends up at the manmade Marmore waterfalls, where he whips up a feast inspired by his travel.
This northern region hugs the Ligurian sea and with the infamous Cinque Terre on it's coastline, Gino learns the secret of Italian gelato, not just an ice cream but a way of life! Liguria is famous for its seafood and pesto, but Gino is interested in the one ingredient that is the backbone to all Italian cookery. Olive oil. So he visits a grove high above the coastline and finds out for himself how the humble olive is turned into this liquid gold, before he cooks up a dish that takes it's inspiration from the region.
Affectionately known as Chiantishire, Gino is going to unearth the secrets of the Chianti Classico wine in the beautiful region of Tuscany by making his own in the Baroli vineyard, the place where Chianti was invented. He then joins the vintage bike riders of the Eroica, riding on the symbolic white gravel roads through the Tuscan countryside.
Gino D'Acampo explores Piedmonte, a northern region that borders France and Switzerland and sits at the foot of the Alps. It is known for sophisticated cuisine and wines such as barolo, but it is also home to a truffle festival in the town of Alba, where Gino meets a man whose job is to hunt for the delicacies with his trusty four-legged friend. Piedmont is at the heart of the Italian rice production and Gino tries his hand at rice harvesting and cooks a meal that celebrates the Po Valley area.
The chef Gino D'Acampo returns to his homeland of Italy to explore the Mediterranean coastline, kicking off his journey on the famous Amalfi coast. Here, the chef visits the picturesque villages of Positano, Cetara and Minori, and learns how unique Italian food traditions are being kept alive by the locals.
Gino D'Acampo sails to the island of Capri, where he meets the man who made his name photographing Jackie Kennedy, and unearths the origins of Italy's most famous digestivo. Back on the mainland, Gino goes in search of a unique little ingredient that packs a punch in the culinary world and creates two show-stopping dishes along the way.
Gino D'Acampo reveals the hidden Tuscany with its beaches and traditional cowboys, and travels to the region of Lazio via an ancient Roman highway. He also stops off at Gaeta, where he learns how to make this little town's signature street food before cooking up a feast on the shores of the picturesque town.
Gino visits the ancient island of Elba, where he meets an octogenarian known as the "bee whisperer", who creates award-winning honey. He also checks out Napoleon's house and creates a melt-in-your-mouth honey chicken dish and an easy-peasy risotto cooked on a beach made of iron.
Gino D'Acampo has to get his hands dirty when he visits the home of water buffalo mozzarella and takes a trip to the ancient ruins in Paestum, before learning how to make handmade fusilli pasta the traditional way, up in the beautiful mountains that overlook the sea.
Tonight Gino returns to the area he grew up in, the bay of Naples. Home of the pizza, street food and fantastic seafood, this is foodie paradise. First Gino shows us how to make THE Neapolitan breakfast, then for lunch he goes up on the roof to make a classic fish dish and then after a flying visit to the foothills of the mighty mount Vesuvius, Gino’s back on the coast to whip up a romantic dinner for two.
Tonight Gino reveals the rugged and wild region that is Calabria. Its landscape is as breathtaking as the powerhouse ingredients it produces and this week it’s about fire and spice, with eye watering chillies, a new wonder salami, and then an Italian ingredient that is as English as they come. Join Gino as he explores this vast region by train, taking in the coast and the mountains, and creates two dishes in honour of this wild region.
Often featured on bucket lists, The Aeolian Islands is the final destination on Gino’s epic coastal journey. Tonight he visits the two contrasting islands of Salina and Panarea to find out what they contribute the the italian kitchen, and it turns out, quite a lot. Join Gino as he finds out what keeps Robert Di Niro coming back to these islands, and has a watery encounter with a creature of the deep.
Tonight he begins his epic journey in the magical city of Venice, where he takes a tour around it’s labyrinth of waterways with one of the cities youngest gondoldiers before cooking up a classic Venetian lunch of Cicchetti for Riccardo and his father. Gino takes a trip across the lagoon to Burano for a lesson in lace making - and he heads to the infamous Rialto market at dawn to buy fresh crab for his final dish of linguine with crab and prosecco.
Gino heads South along the Adriatic to visit two UNESCO sites. First the beautiful town of Ravenna - famed for its byzantine mosaics - where Gino meets the artists who restore these ancient works, and has a chance to put his mark on a new mosaic. Outside the oldest restaurant in the city he makes a classic Piadina flatbread - explaining how to make the very best homemade pesto. Gino then heads South and onto somewhere he has never been before - the Republic of San Marino - clinging to the top of a mountain it is the oldest and fifth smallest nation in the world. After meeting the crossbowmen and with incredible views of the coastal plains below, he cooks up a delicious panettone and honey pudding fit for a queen.
The next stage of Gino's journey along the Adriatic Coast brings him to an area he has never visited before - the hidden gem of the Conero Riviera. This is a place of lush mountains, turquoise waters and rolling vineyards - it's even hailed as the new Tuscany. Here Gino visits an ancient vineyard where he makes a sumptuous sweet treat to go with their famous red wine. After visiting the medieval hilltop town of Castelfidardo to see the world's largest accordion he takes to the water to get the best view of this spectacular stretch of coast. And it's with this backdrop that he cooks the classic Italian version of Macaroni cheese- paccheri quattro formaggi.
Tonight Gino leaves the mainland of Italy behind and takes to the skies to visit the remote Islands of Tremiti. One of Italy’s best kept secrets this stunning archipelago lies 22 miles off the coast in the middle of the Adriatic. Local Marco gives him a tour of the largest island before Gino collects some local wild herbs and the mornings catch to create a delicious fish kebab, Robinson Crusoe style on the beach - with a homemade Italian twist on tartare sauce. The islands are a protected marine reserve so Gino heads out to see the magical world beneath the waves, and explores the medieval fortress that was once a prison. Finally using more local herbs he cooks up his own twist on a classic Italian steak dinner.
Gino is half way through his Adriatic journey and exploring the magnificent mountain range of Gargano National Park. Here he heads to a special farm, nestled in ancient olive groves which still makes a local cheese, caciocavallo, the same way they have for centuries. After a lesson in cheese making Gino prepares a classic parmigiana di melanzane for the farmer and his family - can he do their award-winning cheese justice? He then travels further south to the extraordinary town of Polignano A Mare - which teeters 20 meters above the cliffs on a maze of sea caves. This is the international home of cliff diving - but can Gino make the jump? This is the only part of the Adriatic where the locals have historically eaten more meat than fish - so Gino creates a hearty healthy one-pot lamb stew.
Gino now deep in the Puglian countryside and tonight he visits a Masseria, or farmhouse, which grows its so many incredible ingredients everything from figs to almonds and of course olives. Gino samples their oils amongst the ancient olive groves - some made from olives from thousand year old trees. Here Gino makes a dish where the oil is king - spaghetti al peperoncino- with just five ingredients this is the ultimate plate of pasta Gino then heads to the small town of Cisternino for an unmissable lunchtime treat- at a butchers who BBQ their meat for you. Finally he reaches the white city of Ostuni and after trying his hand at painting the city walls Gino creates his version of Italy's most famous dessert Tiramisu - will it meet with the approval of the cities painters?
This week Gino reaches the unique town of Alberobello with its cone-shaped Truili houses. Here he learns about the history of these iconic homes and gets a lesson in making the local pasta orecchiette from a Nona in her back garden. Using the pasta he creates his own version of the Puglian classic pasta dish orecchiette cime di rapa, will it live up to her expectations? Next, Gino heads to the city of Lecce - known as the Florence of the South for its stunning baroque architecture. Here he finds out about local tradition of cartapesta - or papier mache - before a flash mob of local dancers surprise him. Leaving Lecce Gino returns to the dramatic coast to create a chicken skewers dish with a sticky marinade and a healthy bean and fennel salad.
Tonight Gino finally reaches the end of his Adriatic journey and the tip of the heel of Italy's boot. Here in Santa Maria Di Leuca Gino meets Don Gianni who is the priest of Italy's most southerly church- and after a tour of this abbey Gino cooks a saffron and chicken risotto for Don Gianni and some of the nuns who work here. Leuca is also famous for its enormous waterfall- built by Mussolini it is only switched on on special occasions- and Gino gets the chance to switch it on! Finally he heads out by boat to see the end of Italy from the water- this is where the Adriatic sea ends and the Ionian begins. For his last dish of the series Gino cooks locally caught swordfish with rosemary sauteed potatoes and tangy gremolata.
Chef Gino D'Acampo tours his homeland by train, taking in some of some of the most scenic train journeys in Europe. He begins in the French Alpine town of Breil-sur-Roya, so he can travel into Italy in style. Once in his own country, he meets a doctor who does his rounds on horseback, and visits hazelnut groves where he prepares a chocolate cheesecake. In Turin, he fulfils a lifelong dream of racing on top of the world-famous Lingotto rooftop track and makes his final dish - fettuccine pasta with mascarpone and pork mince.
For the next leg of his journey, Gino D'Acampo boards an old steam train run by ex-railroad men and volunteers which takes him through the beautiful Tuscan countryside. His first stop is the town of Asciano, where locals try to compete with Siena's famous Palio horse race - only here they ride donkeys. Then it's on to the Chianti region where he visits a vineyard where they don't only make wine, but they also bathe in it too, an ancient tradition dating back to Roman times. After a luxurious wine bath, Gino cooks up a dish fit for any Emperor - farfalle pasta with funghi and spinach.
Gino D'Acampo visits the jewel of the Italian Riviera - the Cinque Terre - five towns that are only accessible by boat or train. He begins in the smallest town, Corniglia, where he meets an opera-singing florist, before hopping on the train to Manarola and the dry-stone wallers responsible for keeping the towns from crumbling into the sea. As he heads toward the end, he also heading to Vernazza, Gino meets wine producers who scale 1,000m above sea level to tend to their vines.
This week Gino is starting his journey in Italy’s food capital - Bologna. Before jumping on the train he picks up a snack for his journey, a Bolgnese classic and a childhood favourite for Gino - panino with mortadella. His train journey takes him north towards Mantova, Italy's rice growing region, where he helps out in the rice paddies before cooking at one of the oldest rice festivals in Italy. Here, the rice masters prepare over 30,000 portions of rice, and Gino’s making his own dessert version, chocolate rice pudding. Jumping back on the train, he then heads to Verona, the city of love, opera and all things artistic. Famed for being the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Verona is also home to one of the oldest art schools in Italy. Gino meets with a group of students and stands in as the model for their life drawing class, before cooking up meatballs in a tangy tomato sauce for the class.
This week Gino leaves Verona on one of Italy’s super fast trains and heads to the majestic Lake Garda, the biggest of the Italian lakes. Here he meets a team of rowers training for their annual regatta. After trying his hand at rowing, Gino cooks up a hearty sausage and bean casserole before jumping on the train and heading North towards the Dolomites. Arriving in the city of Bolzano, Gino no longer feels like he’s in Italy, as the majority of people here actually speak German. Taking the cable car further into the mountains, it’s like a scene from the Sound of Music. Gino rides a very special train on the Renon line, which is over 100 years old and with spectacular views overlooking Bolzano, he cooks a deconstructed apple crumble.
This week Gino’s train journey takes him on a star- studded line up of Tuscan cities, starting off in Pisa the city famed for its leaning tower, it is also the home of the iconic Vespa scooter. What better way to explore the city than on two wheels, before hopping on the train towards the medieval city of Lucca, the birthplace of opera composer Puccini. Gino meets master craftsman Fabio and learns about the art of violin making before rustling up a simple vegetarian dish of ‘asparagus two ways’. Gino’s final stop on this journey is Tuscany’s capital city, beautiful Florence. Gino’s in for a treat as he gets a personal tour with local Cecilia. Not only does she know Florence like the back of her hand, she’s also part of a network of homecooks keeping cooking traditions and family recipes alive by opening up her kitchen to guests from all over the world. Gino prepares chicken cooked in beer with pancetta, ready for their guests.
Gino’s journey begins in the Italian capital of fashion - Milano. Here he visits a local institution, an elegant cocktail bar who were the first to introduce the idea of the aperitivo in Milan. Milan Central is one of the busiest train stations in Europe and it is the epitome of Fascist grandeur - an impressive starting point for Gino’s train journey to the town of Treviglio. Treviglio is the home of Bianchi bikes, the first mass manufactured bicycle in the world. Inspired by his visit to Milan Gino cooks traditional Milanese Veal for the cyclists before getting back on the train to the medieval town of Bergamo. Here he meets local ice cream maker Niccolo who’s family created one of Italy’s most loved ice cream flavours, Stracciatella! It’s the perfect accompaniment to Gino’s dessert of lemon biscuits, which he prepares in the kitchen of one of Bergamo’s hidden gems.
The last episode of the series sees Gino taking a railway adventure to picturesque Lake Iseo. Often overshadowed by its big sisters, Garda and Como, Lake Iseo is a real hidden gem. After getting the train from Bergamo Gino starts his day out on the lake fishing for sardines, surrounded by the beautiful mountains. He takes his catch and prepares a dish of grilled fish for passengers on a very special train - Treno dei Sapore. This is a tourist train, taking guests along the lake side and into the Franciacorta region and whilst they enjoy the views they also get a 7 course meal - with today’s starter cooked by Gino. Next Gino swaps the train for a handcrafted boat, made by Master Craftsman Andrea, who takes him across the lake to Monte Isola, the biggest lake island in Europe. Here Gino meets the island’s Mayor and finds out what life is like on Monte Isola, before making poached pears in red wine and vanilla.
