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Gino's Italian Escape Season 2 Episodes
Season 2 Episode Guide
6 Episodes 2014 - 2014
Episode 1
A Taste of the Sun: Florence
23 mins
While enjoying the grandeur and artistic riches of Tuscan capital Firenze (Florence), Gino concentrates on a culinary jewel: Florentine steak, which he learns preparing rare in a local restaurant, and visits a farm of the special bovine breed the world's largest, then makes his own, easy version. Next, the lampredotto, a popular offal specialty from a cart, and pastry for dessert, notably the famous 'peach'. Inspired by this, Gino prepares delicious apples poached in red wine with amaretti biscuit cream.
Episode 2
A Taste of the Sun: Venice
22 mins
In the company of a real 'contessa' (countess), Gino arrives by gondola in the dogal city of Venice, a magical place of splendor and iconic canals once ruled by dodges. For starters, he visits one of the best local, rather than tourist-aimed, cafes famous for the local equivalent of tapas, which inspires Gino to create his own version - cicchetti with courgettes and veggies, fresh prawns, and succulent cod for toppings. On the nearby Burano island, Gino is shown a unique 'airy' way to prepare the Po valley's famous risotto rice - by tossing it. Inspired, Gino makes his own variation - risotto with red radicchio and Italian sausage.
Episode 3
A Taste of the Sun: Parma and Modena
23 mins
Gino starts his visit to Emilia-Romagna region in Parma, a city famous for best cured meats in Italy. A local chef shows him his famous meat-curing basement where celebrities and even royalty have their own labeled piece of 'culatello' ham, the pig's best hindquarter cut. Gino also learns about the exquisite Parmesan cheese in one of the city's delis. He then prepares fried aubergine and tomato with mozzarella, all covered in a basil olive oil dressing. In Modena, Gino visits traditional balsamic vinegar producers, whose famous customers include actor Michael Douglas and the British monarch. He then uses it to cook delicious chicken and pancetta.
Episode 4
A Taste of the Sun: Liguria
23 mins
Gino visits Liguria, the northwestern coastal region of Italy famous for sea food and horticulture with Genoa as its capital. In the fishing town of Camogli, once an important port known as the City of a 1000 White Sailing Boats that now relies on pescaturismo (fishing tourism) to survive, a local pescaturismo family takes Gino fishing and prepare the catch of the day for him. He then makes sea bass in caper and butter sauce with grilled marinated carrots. Next, a local baker teaches him how to bake the local answer to pizza (versatile former poor man's dish) - light Focaccia with cheese. Finally, Gino visits a local basil farm, and with basil being the star ingredient in Italy's favorite sauce - pesto, he prepares pasta with pesto with green beans and potatoes for his new friends.
Episode 5
A Taste of the Sun: Siena
22 mins
Gino is in Tuscany, the land of glowing hills and beautiful towns that's best known as Italy's wine country, where famous wines like Chianti are produced. He visits the picturesque Siena, where the key culinary treat is a dessert, the spices-rich comfit fruit pastry 'panforte' (literally 'strong bread'). After learning about the main types of panforte, Gino makes his own variation featuring dark chocolate and orange zest. He presents it to the monks of a self-sufficient monastery, who let him taste the wines they make. He uses their favorite, full-bodied Tuscan red, for his final recipe - beef skewers marinated in the monks' wine with the three bean salad.
Episode 6
A Taste of the Sun: Bologna
23 mins
Gino is back in Emilia-Romagna, and visits its rich capital, Bologna, characterized by arched porticoes and for being red, learned and fat, which is Italians' playful way of saying that it has red bricks, left-wing politics, oldest university and great food. He learns all about the famous mincemeat-based pasta sauce Bolognese, served best with egg-rich tagliatelle, but proves while making it that the advice he got not to use red wine isn't necessarily correct. Then, Gino learns more about the city's iconic world-famous 'mortadella' sausage, which also happens to be his favorite. Finally, two sister chefs teach Gino about local pasta types - 'tortelloni' and smaller 'tortellini', which he then combines in his own recipe - sweet pasta stuffed with ricotta cheese, nuts and delicious chocolate chips.
