Food writer and passionate home cook Silvia Colloca will shine a light on food rituals that many Italian Australians still do today to eat well and teach younger generations about the sanctity of food and its deep connection to family life.
In this series, Silvia Colloca shows homemade customs for what they truly are: sensible alternatives to processed food, which place Italian families firmly in control of what they eat.
Episode 1 | Passata Day
For Italians, the tomato is a national treasure. And once every year, passionate Italian families all over Australia answer the call of the tomato. They come together to make their yearly supply of la passata, the base for all Italian tomato sauces. In this premiere episode, Silvia and her children have been invited to join her good friend, Paola, and her parents, Enzo and Franca, for their favourite family food ritual, Passata Day.
Episode 2 | Ferragosto
Ferragosto is a summer feast that Italians have celebrated at the peak of summer for over 2,000 years. It's a family food ritual that sits all of Italy down at the table to eat and drink as one.
In this episode, Silvia hosts her Italian friends and prepares a three-course feast of incredible seafood, a traditional Neapolitan ragu and an irresistible homemade affogato.
Source: SBS Food
Episode 3 | No waste
Italian home cooks learn from a young age that resourcefulness in the kitchen can save the day and the bank. The art of breathing fresh new life into leftovers is one of the most valuable things Silvia's mother ever taught her in the kitchen. To prove it, after she cooks beautiful zucchini pasta, Silvia and her mother (via Facetime) take the leftovers and completely reinvent them as delicious homemade spaghetti frittata.
Episode 4 | Salami Making Day
Once a year Silvia's friend, Michael, and his whole family come together for one of their most cherished family food rituals, Salami Day. In this episode, Silvia has been invited to the family gathering to lend a hand and learn how true homemade Italian sausages and salamis are crafted. She also learns about how important the tradition is to Michael's whole family. Wait until you see the pasta they make.
Episode 5 | Sunday lunch
The Sunday lunch in Italy is a truly special family food ritual. It's respected and celebrated across the whole country, and when friends are invited it creates a very special sense of belonging. With Silvia's family all back in Italy, she loves nothing more than spending Sundays in the kitchen with Italian friends she has made here in Australia. Today her friend, Alfia, shows her some of her favourite Sunday lunch recipes.
Source: SBS Food
Episode 6 | For the love of eggs
In Italy, the culinary tradition of the egg is inextricably linked to pasta and pastries. In this episode, Silvia explores three very different kinds of dishes all born of Italy's love of eggs. These include one of the most famous pasta recipes ever, spaghetti carbonara. It's a dish known the world over but seldom done right. Spoiler, it's all about the eggs and never, ever involves cream.
Episode 7 | Arrivederci, gluten!
Let's face it – when it comes to Italian food, carbs are king. Pizza, pasta, panini – it can feel impossible to enjoy Italian cuisine with a gluten-free lifestyle. But modern Italian home cooks have embraced gluten-free culture, and in this episode, Silvia explores three very different ways of cooking Italian 'senza gluten'!
Episode 8 | Meal planning
For Italians, if the pantry is stocked with classic and versatile ingredients, they will never go hungry again or spend a fortune ordering in. In this episode, Silvia helps her friend, Claudio, prepare two delicious healthy pasta salads. They also cook a mouth-watering chicken cacciatore for her teenage son and his best mate.
Episode 9 | Signature dishes
Italian home cooks always have a signature dish that families just can't get enough of, and in this episode, Silvia's friend, Silvania, shows her how to make an arancini recipe that has been in her family for generations.
Episode 10 | Italy, top to bottom
If renting a red Vespa and embarking on a road trip from the top of Italy, all the way down to the bottom of the "boot," isn't fitting your schedule any time soon, Silvia has three recipes that will take you on that journey. These include an incredible zucchini-filled strudel with all the flavours of Calabria and a pesto linguine from Genoa that's not to be missed.
