Quote Of The Day By Gino D'Acampo: 'There Is A Huge Misconception That You Need To Spend Hours In The Kitchen To...'

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First he makes you laugh, and then he teaches you how to cook a quintessential Italian dish — that's the type of chef Gino D'Acampo is. Through his long TV career, he has charmed audiences worldwide with unmatched humorous remarks and simple Italian recipes, giving everyone a healthy dose of the classic Italian no-nonsense attitude.

Born in Naples, Italy, D'Acampo shares a birthplace with the unique Neapolitan pizza. Having studied at an Italian catering college, he decided to bring his knowledge to England at just 18 years old and went on to build a massively successful TV career, primarily on the British ITV network. That broad recognition gave him a platform to write many cookbooks and open several restaurants.

D'Acampo's love and dedication to Italian cuisine is obvious, but so is his mission to make this style of cooking accessible to everyone. In the early 2000s, he started a company with a sole focus of providing quality Italian ingredients to the U.K. market. He also penned a children's book that teaches little ones how to make pancakes. As such, D'Acampo's cooking isn't limited to any particular demographic, and that's exactly the essence of his quote that we're highlighting today.

"There is a huge misconception that you need to spend hours in the kitchen to produce something special."

D'Acampo's quote comes from the introduction of his book "Gino's Italian Express," which takes the reader on a culinary journey across Northern and Central Italy, from Turin to Tuscany. D'Acampo made the trip by train while shooting his TV show "Gino's Italian Escape," and the book is a compilation of recipes that he encountered or created along this very specific path.

The quote reflects the philosophy behind the recipes in the book, as they were all curated with speed and ease in mind. He defines the selection as "meals that I would serve at a dinner party, but that would not take long to prepare and cook." In the natural pace of our lives, we rarely have time to spend hours in the kitchen. To D'Acampo, that doesn't mean we should miss out on delicious, homemade, Italian meals. Above all, he wants to inspire people to start cooking, and leading with simplicity in both method and ingredients is definitely a great way to do that.

D'Acampo's quote is rooted in the very principles of Italian cuisine. At its core, Italian food is simple; most of the classic Italian dishes you should try at least once are uncomplicated, and built with just a few flavorful ingredients. Pizza margherita is made only of dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil, yet it still offers a delicious experience that people can't get enough of. And while the American version of Alfredo sauce is big on heavy cream, the authentic Italian recipe calls only for butter and parmesan.

It's important, however, that the few ingredients you are working with are of high quality. D'Acampo argues that it's worth splurging on, say, Italian extra virgin olive oil, authentic Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh herbs. The Italian cooking philosophy that can help you save money on food also calls for ingredients to be seasonal, which D'Acampo implements in his restaurants; menus change seasonally depending on what is available, and are kept surprisingly minimalistic. Think spinach ravioli, risotto with prawns, or pizza with arugula.

"My favourite region in Italy is Campania, where I come from. Naples. Because the food is very colourful, very fresh, and the ingredients are excellent. The buffalo mozzarella, the tomatoes, the pasta, the pizza. It's the best region in Italy as far as food is concerned." — 2016 interview with Confidentials

"I love the job that I do on television mainly because if I can inspire even one person to go home, buy a few ingredients and cook Italian food, I've done my job." — 2016 interview with Confidentials

"Italian people eat pasta every day. So we accept the fact that Italian people have the healthiest diet in the world, but then we don't want to accept the fact that pasta is not bad for you. Pasta is not bad." — 2018 segment on "This Morning"

"This is how I get new ideas. I sometimes try two things at the same time, a mouthful of this and a mouthful of that and the two things taste amazing together." — 2022 interview with Living North