I have to say I nearly broke out in uncontrollable laughter in a bookstore in Turin the other day when I noticed a copy of Jamie’s Italy on the shelf (translated as “Il mio giro d’Italia“). Don’t get me wrong–this is a great cookbook and I quite like Jamie Oliver. It just seems ironic that an Englishmen is telling Italians how to cook Italian cuisine. Well, I guess Jamie has been to the other side and truly understands the importance of good ingredients. Don’t bother cooking Italian food if you don’t have fresh seasonal produce because that is what it is all about, keeping it fresh and simple. If you don’t get that, you don’t get Italian food. I know this sounds really harsh but, hey, this is the key to success.

As Italians increasingly head to the frozen food aisle rather than the farmers’ market, they need to be reminded by Jamie what that leads to–nothing good!