Two Greedy Italians — Season 1, Episode 1: Bologna: The Family
Documentary • 60 min • 2 seasons, 8 episodes • ★ 8.4/10
Episode synopsis
In the first of the series, the greedy cooks eat their way around Emilia Romagna, home of parma ham and parmesan cheese, to find out if food and family are still at the heart of Italian life. To begin, they spend an enjoyable Sunday lunch with a traditional Italian family whose fortunes ferment with the balsamic vinegar in their vaults. For the daughters, weekends are dominated by the loving preparation of traditional tortellini, a symbol of their love and ties with their family. In Bologna, they meet a feisty female crime journalist whose life does not revolve around cooking and a fast food tortellini millionaire whose livelihood depends upon these changing lifestyles. They check in at a dating agency to see how Italian women find husbands now and Antonio is cajoled into going on a blind date. Finally, they are surprised to uncover the essence of family when Gennaro is moved to tears by an unusual group of cheese makers. Homely recipes in this episode are Mamma Contaldo's ricotta dumplings and slow cooked family stew with polenta. Gennaro also creates a seductive warm chocolate and amaretto pudding.
About Two Greedy Italians
Two Greedy Italians is a BBC television series that first aired on BBC Two in the UK on May 4, 2011. The series sees the chefs Gennaro Contaldo and Antonio Carluccio travelling around Italy to see how society and food has evolved over the years. It was produced by Nicola Gooch. An accompanying cookery book was produced for the series. A second series was broadcast in April and May 2012. The series has also been sold and broadcast internationally, including on the Australian channels ABC and SBS, and the Swedish broadcaster SVT.