Due italiani golosi

Hello England, I’m not here to blog a recipe but to chat. About the Two Greedy Italians (= Due italiani golosi), to be precise. I’m curious to hear people’s opinions. And Candi, to enlighten you: this is a programme broadcast by the BBC (the second series is under way now. It’s on BBC on a Thursday at 8 o’clock.There has already been one series) about these two Italian chefs, called Antonio Carluccio (he is very famous. He has opened a chain of restaurants in London) and Gennaro Contaldo, who have both lived and worked in England for donkey’s years (there’s a nice idiom for you to learn). For the programme they went on a tour of Italy to see whether things have changed since they were there all those years ago (the simple answer: oh yes!). They also show you some regional recipes while on their travels. For the first two episodes in series 2 they were down in Calabria and in Liguria. In truth it is also a bit of (a lot of) a comedy: these two chefs are larger than life. They joke and tease each other the whole way through, Gennaro being Antonio’s sidekick. They have a broad Italian accent, they wildly gesticulate, they are loud (and at times disorderly) and they are GREEDY (hence the title, I guess). You should see the relish with which they eat. Really, it’s a bit of a pantomime/comedy show. When I first saw the programme my initial impression was: WHO on earth are these two buffoons? Come on, one of the stock phrases of Gennaro Contaldo is (while raising his hands to the sky): “Why I cook so good?”. Hasn’t he learnt that you need the auxiliary “to do” in English when you ask a question (once a teacher, always a teacher! This is deformazione professionale at its best)? After all these years? I suspect it is for the benefit of the cameras…. Anyway, after the first impact (I confess I was going to switch the telly off) I  kind of warmed to these two guys. Now I watch the programme, enjoy it for what it is and laugh a lot with them, so to speak. Some of their recipes sound appealing and I will be trying one of theirs next and blog it. Have a look here in the meantime. Enjoy another rainy Sunday folks! And DO let me have your views on the programme.

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7 Responses to “Due italiani golosi”


  • Be’, mi hai proprio incuriosito. Adesso me ne guardo una puntata su youtube… Certo non per migliorare la mia già orribile pronuncia!!!

  • Antonio trained Gennaro and in turn Gennaro trained Jamie Oliver years later. I love the way they pinch food from roadside gardens/ verges and the way they both think they cut a bella figura .nice tv without voting, a panel to judge and some tasty recipes. jill

  • I didn’t know that Gennaro had trained Jamie Oliver!! Well, you live and learn! Anyway, it is a highly amusing programme, but let’s not believe that all Italians are like these two! :-)

  • Uhm… interessante, guarda guarda, chi c’era dietro il bel Jamie!
    Lucina, anche noi saremmo in fin dei conti two greedy Italians, no?

  • Mi as proprio di sì! :-( Ma almeno non siamo così grasse! Non ancora, perlomeno….eh eh

  • Hi Lucina, I am a Canadian who lives in London and I absolutely adore the Two Greedy Italians. I know sometimes they are a bit over the top and almost become caricatures of themselves on the show, but you have to applaud their love of good food. They cook everything from scratch but make it look so simple. They have such a love of Italy and really get at the heart of the people, the culture and most importantly the food. They are wonderful ambassadors of Italy and I love how they travel to the less touristy areas (and scoff anything that is too showy or ostentatious, as Carluccio puts it). Fantastico – I hope there is a season 3!

    • Hello Mare, I agree with you! I really love the programme and the banter between the two. I also think their recipes are very good (simple and straightforward) and in fact I’ve just ordered one of their cookery books. I already have HUNDREDS but one more won’t hurt. I’ve just come back from London (I LOVE it). I went to eat at SAF KEnsington, a really good vegetarian place near Kensington High street tube station. Worth the visit!

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