On Weds (7 May) we're welcoming Antonio Carluccio to Mumsnet HQ at midday for a webchat. The undisputed godfather of Italian food, Carluccio has just published his latest and 18th cookery book, Antonio Carluccio's Pasta.
Antonio has lived in London since 1975 where he moved to set up and run the Neal Street restaurant and later his successful chain of Carluccio's restaurants. In 1998 he was awarded the title of Commendatore by decree of the President of italy for his knowledge and enthusiasm and lifetime's service to the Italian food industry and in 2007 was awarded an OBE.
Carluccio says of his latest book ?The most important thing that I would like to give you all is a taste of the experience, love and passion I possess, which will help to make it easy for you to reproduce some of these pasta dishes for yourself. I won?t be upset if, in some cases, you may use more or less of my suggested ingredients. I would, however, be a little ?hurt? if you added garlic and oregano to a Bolognese sauce.?
Come and join Antonio and find out why he's upset by the thought of garlic in bolognese sauce on Wednesday at midday or if you're unable to join us then, post a question in advance on this thread. Everyone who joins will be entered into a draw to win a signed copy of his latest book. You can also try a couple of Carluccio's pasta recipes from the new book here.
WEBCHAT GUIDELINES: 1. One question per member plus one follow-up. 2. Keep your question brief. 3. Don't moan if your question doesn't get answered. 4. Do be civil/polite. 5. If one topic or question threatens to overwhelm the webchat, MNHQ will usually ask for people to stop repeating the same question or point.
MNHQ have commented on this thread
Mumsnet webchats
Antonio Carluccio webchat, Weds 7 May, midday to 1pm.
RachelMumsnet · 01/05/2014 13:57
@EduCated
Also the vege anti pasti is awesome.
The best is to have a tomato plant in your garden - let them ripen to optimum and then make the sauce with that! However, even Italians use a great deal of tinned tomatoes, the reason being that those tomatoes have been collected when they were ripe so less acidity. And, never put sugar in your tomatoes! You can add garlic (and oregano if you are making a pizzaiola sauce.) Pizzaiola is named after the wife of the inventor of the pizza.
You can also add a sauce like this to steak - a la pizzaiola.
A little trick is to add a little bit of tomato purée if you are making a thin sauce. In Sicily you can get 6x concentrated tomato - spread on toast with garlic and olive oil it is wonderful.
Thank you. I'm sure he can manage that. He's told me to tell you that he loves your restaurant 
@DrankSangriaInThePark
) wants to know why, generally speaking, Italian restaurants in the UK (present company excepted of course!) just aren't. For example, he always orders a carbonara when in the UK, as an acid test of whether it's a "real" Italian or not. (it invariably isn't)
Is there some reason do you think, why Italian chefs/restaurateurs think the British palate can't cope with a "real" Italian? Have we become too "internationalised" and need our carbonara to have cream and mushrooms in it?
And a sneaky invite, when you are next in Puglia, pop in and I'll whip you up some orecchiette con le cime di rape!
The big handicap of the British is that for a long time (during the industrial revolution etc) they were concentrating on sandwiches and things like that. But in the last 30 years, something is changing through books and TV. However, the choice of ethnic cuisine (80 different types in London) causes confusion about how to cook it.
I suggest that when you eat Italian you cook pure Italian food, and the same for Chinese or any other cuisine. Fusion food creates confusion - mozzarella with lemongrass is not good.
Oh I agree.
Fusion food is rank. Very Emperor's New Clothes/Mastercheffy.
Antonio's had to leave us but says ciao and that he had a lovely time answering your questions. He was impressed with our array of 
and even more so with the new Mumsnet cookbook, Top Bananas.
Don't forget to try out two of the recipes from Antonio's new book
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Thank you! 
I'm going to have to get a pasta machine now (yipee!)
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