Gino's Italy: Like Mamma Used to Make

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Coca-Cola Christmas advert 2022 was created by the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, and it is part of Coca-Cola‘s ongoing ‘Real Magic’ global brand platform. Coca-Cola will launch a Christmas anthology series, “Christmas Always Finds Its Way,” the three short films telling unique stories of human connection and triumph over adversity to show that the festive season always brings people together. So this is what I do: First I remove the outer leaves which will pull away nicely from the core. Discard the top one or two if they don’t look pristine. Keep removing, going around the core as long as the leaves pull gently away. As we get further in, the leaves will be attached more firmly, so a little help from a sharp knife right against the core where the leaf attaches is all you need. Keep going till all the leaves are removed. Towards the very end, the core will just pull away with a gentle tug.

While there are so many opinions of what should go into the filling, I will just say, my mum always had meat and rice. As to the seasonings, I was too little or disinterested to pay attention, but I do know that her filling was NEVER bland. I like to add paprika, white pepper and nutmeg beyond the basic salt and pepper. And along with parsley, I will always add a bit of dill, it is just so evocative of my mum’s cooking. I sauté the onions and garlic first, just to remove their harsh edge. But my most important tip for you: Never start filling the cabbage leaves until you have taken a small amount of the filling and sautéed it up in a skillet first. This way you can taste what the filling will be like. No sense going through all the work of rolling and baking these, only to find out that you would have liked more paprika! Once you are happy you can move on with filling the cabbage. Because it’s one of the only places where my family is all together [Gino and his wife, Jessica, share three children together, sons Luciano and Rocco and daughter Mia]. In the UK, one [of my children] is at school, one’s at work, one is away, and it’s difficult to spend uninterrupted quality time together. In Sardinia, without any distractions, it’s much easier and I get to relax. It’s such a calm place. And then there’s the food…" It’s authentic and fresh and most of it comes from someone’s farm or the ocean, which I love. My favourite things are Sardinian Pecorino cheese or Sardinian Panadas, which is pastry stuffed with mince or vegetables. I grow fruit and veg in my Villa and they’re the first things I eat whenever I arrive – that and spaghetti with fresh clams."There are many theories of why they live so long, or how they do it. For me, there’s one answer: Simplicity. They wake up, eat healthily, work, and go for long walks. That’s what life is all about, they don’t diet in fancy ways.I met one man who’s 105 — he was fantastic! It made me realise that what we think is important is maybe not. The secret to life is to enjoy it, eat well and not work too hard. That’s why I try to have a good work-life balance and work for six months and then take six months off and go on holiday. I think that’s a pretty good way of living." It’s definitely one to keep forever and ever, keto or not. You’ll find it useful for many dishes, like my Authentic Italian Lasagna. Oh yeah, say, you’re eating soup. An innocent bowl of soup. You’d plunge the spoon in there, and come up with a spoonful of hair!”

As for the type of minced meat, it is best not to use high fat content mince. It will make the ragù way too oily and unpalatable. We have a few options. The good ole green cabbage will work just fine. So will Napa cabbage, even Swiss chard will work great. But for me, there is no choice. It must be Savoy Cabbage. This is the one with the lacy, wrinkly, ruffled leaves. They are usually darker green on the outside, and lighten up as you start pulling them away. Savoy cabbage is also known as Winter cabbage. The leaves are softer and a bit more pliable, so in the end, they wrap around the filling most beautifully. And this is key, the leaves must be softened before any filling can happen. So this takes us to the next question: How to soften the cabbage for cabbage rolls? About a year ago, I bought a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy special edition and I love it – especially when I take Rocco for a ride in the morning by the sea and get fresh croissants and an espresso. You can’t beat the feeling of freedom. It will always be the most special dish in the world to me because it’s the last dish that my mother cooked for me before she passed away. It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had and I’ll never forget it. Mia loves the recipe – she’s the one I aim to please now!" Gino also visits the pizza place he adored as a boy and buys juicy mussels from the harbour before rustling up his Mamma’s Sunday night signature dish, mussels with linguine. "It’s the best,’ smiles Gino. ‘I have so much fun with my Italian family. I can’t wait for you guys to see it!"Gino gets cooking Italian-style! (Image credit: ITV) Interview: Gino D'Acampo reveals the secrets behind Gino’s Italy: Like Mamma Used To Make Furthermore, the phrase’s nostalgic nature carries with it a darker undercurrent. “Used to make” means that the Mama in question probably no longer makes it, whatever “it” is. Is she deceased, or did she simply figure that you are now old enough to cook for yourself and stop exploiting her, and papa can make himself a sandwich, thankyouverymuch? In either case, something happened – the line of goodness, of sustenance, of unrestrained gluttony has been irrevocably interrupted. Things will never be the same again. Good thing this plate of frozen, microwaveable slop is here to set the world right for you. Absolutely – in Italy, women are the boss of the kitchen! Italian matriarchs have shaped the country’s food trends and mastered the dishes. And I love cooking with them – they keep me on my toes!" My final tip: Make a double batch! If you are going to go through all the work of making 12 or so cabbage rolls, you might as well make extra to freeze.