DINE &WINE
What did he manage to discover about himself? “He realised how important that sense of belonging and tradition actual- ly is to him. He recounted to me how his grandmother had prepared cer- tain dishes that always aroused feel- ings of nostalgia in him, but that he’d never thought about how that food be- came part of his identity. This journey inspired him to return to his old fam- ily recipes and rediscover them, while he also vowed to start cooking more at home.” Still, it wasn’t all only emotional. There are also hilarious moments, like when you tried to spin out the pizza dough and failed spectacularly... “Oh, yes [laughs]. We tried to make the perfect Neapolitan pizza in Naples, but the dough didn’t turn out right. The lo- cal craftsman teased us, but he ended up teaching us how to make the per- fect crust. We embarrassed ourselves a little. But, hey, at least we tried!” What would you consider as being the essence of Italian cuisine? “Simplicity and ingredient quality. Ital- ian cuisine doesn’t depend on complex techniques, but rather on using the best possible ingredients. All you need is a little extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, tomatoes and good pasta – and you already have the perfect dish.” That’s not the most important thing... - No, it really isn’t. Food is always part of a gathering of family or friends. It’s an experience to share. This show con- firmed something I’d always known - that food is more than a meal. It is a way of expressing oneself, culture, emotion, and a way to return to who we are. Travelling has opened my eyes to so many new tastes, but also to the stories that stand behind those dishes. What did you learn in Italy? - I learned to enjoy food just like they do in Italy - a meal is a time to enjoy, to talk and connect with people. Italian food is a story of love, and there that love is shared selflessly...
not only recipes, but also emotional mo- ments, family secrets and those invisi- ble threads that connect the past and the present, all through the humble plate. And all with what’s officially the most beautiful food styling on television today. Porowski leads us on an adventure with stars who reveal how their childhood tastes shaped their lives. Some will dis- cover distant ancestors from the 19th century, others will revive their mother’s recipe for seaweed soup, while one of the most beautiful episodes will allow us to hang out with actor Justin Theroux, who will reveal to us the gastronomy of Ita- ly. But not only that. For Antoni, the goal of this series is actually to connect peo- ple with their roots through food because food is not just a taste – it’s an emotion, a story, part of the heritage we carry. No episode better illustrates this idea than the one recorded in Italy. And you feel it in every scene: the smell of fresh basil in Tuscany, the sound of clinking spoons on the family table, the silence that comes when the first bite brings back memories from past lives. Porowski and Theroux explore a culinary philos- ophy in which the top ingredients are time, patience and love. “As the son of immigrants, I know that food can re- veal more about who you are and where
you come from than you can imagine,” he says at the beginning of the conver- sation, adding: “Italy is a country where every meal has a deeper meaning. This cuisine has simple ingredients, but is prepared with love and precision. What fascinated me in particular was the way tradition is preserved and passed down through the generations. We saw when visiting small family restaurants how the recipes remain unchanged for decades, though each generation adds something of its own. Meeting families enjoying lunch at a large table, with fresh pasta that’s prepared on the spot, was an in- credible experience for me.” Why did you pick Justin Theroux specifically as your guest in Italy? “He is a passionate lover of cooking and is also a great connoisseur of Ital- ian cuisine. His family has strong roots in this country. That’s precisely why he showed an interest in embarking on this journey to connect with his per- sonal memories and discover more about the heritage of the food that was an integral part of his childhood. He is also an amazing travel companion – curious, witty and open to new experi- ences, which made this episode espe- cially fun and emotional.”
90 | Italija » Italy
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