Pasta Grannies (Vicky Bennison)

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Eleanor Wilkinson is a 28-year-old content creator who's just released her debut cookbook One Pot One Portion. On today's episode, Eleanor has chosen to recreate Maria's delicious raschiatelli pasta with a tomato and vegetable pepper sauce. While they cook, Eleanor talks to Vicky about leaving her job to pursue a career in food and how it led to her hugely popular instagram, and now a bestselling cookbook!

Watch the video of Maria from Basilicata make her raschiatelli: https://youtu.be/YnX-x9sVLU0

And don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content, head to our website pastagrannies.com

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Judy Joo is an American-Korean chef, cookbook author, restauranteur and TV host. She grew up in New Jersey in The States, and now lives in London, UK. On today's episode, Judy has chosen to recreate Peppa's pici pasta with a tasty garlic and tomato sauce. As they cook, Judy chats to Vicky about growing up in a home filled with her mum's pots and jars of fermenting foods, and shares why she left finance to pursue a career in food, that has gone from strength to strength.

Watch the video of 93-year-old Peppa from Tuscany making pici pasta: https://youtu.be/_zvt5KRwtx4

And don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content, head to our website pastagrannies.com

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie Wyburd is a cook, recipe writer and presenter from South London. She has just released her debut cookbook, Tucking In, which Sophie describes as an ode to comfort food, and it features plenty of pasta! In this episode, Sophie tells Vicky about her lifelong obsession with food, and they get into the all-important debate, are garlic peelers good or bad?

Watch the video of Marica from Tuscany making her strapponi pasta served with porcini mushroom and fresh mint: https://youtu.be/E5RLVCNbVtg

And don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content, head to our website pastagrannies.com

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jordon Ezra King is a chef who has worked in kitchens in London, Paris and Italy. He now concentrates on food writing and content creation. In this episode, Jordon shares with Vicky how years ago, he ditched a career in marketing after walking past a pizza restaurant - he bravely decided to go in and ask for a chef job despite having no kitchen experience, kicking off his career in food! He also chats about his passion for pasta making while they both get to grips making maccheroni using a busa (a thin grass stalk traditionally used to make the fine, tubular hole in pasta shapes like maccheroni and fusilli) which turns out to be much harder than they'd both first thought!

Watch the video of 94-year-old Angela, a poet from San Marco d'Alunzio in Sicily, make her maccheroni with a lamb ragu: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh-JbtHBhAE

And don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content, head to our website pastagrannies.com

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meliz Berg is a self-taught cook, recipe developer, TV presenter and content creator. She grew up in London, England and is of Turkish-Cypriot decent which is reflected in her delicious food. Meliz has just released her second cookbook, called Dinner Tonight. On today's episode, Meliz has chosen to make Rina's orecchioni, a ravioli stuffed with a 3 cheese and chard filling, although Meliz and Vicky have swapped the chard for spinach which was what was available at the time. The stuffed pasta is dressed with melted butter and sage. As they cook, Meliz tells Vicky all about her mum's influence on her cooking, and together they discuss the many comparisons between Italian food and the Turkish-Cypriot cuisine Meliz grew up with.

Watch Rina make her stuffed orecchioni served with butter and sage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjJ1fEJYFyg

And don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content, head to our website pastagrannies.com

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chetna Makan is a wonderful cook and baker who takes inspiration from her upbringing in Central India. Having started out in fashion, she found a love for food after moving to the UK and appearing on the BBC's television series The Great British Bake Off. Her career has since gone from strength to strength and she has 8 cookbooks to her name, with a 9th one being released in 2025.

In this episode, Chetna recreates 90-year-old Caterina’s ‘lasagne’ - which is not lasagna as you know it! The word lasagne in this case refers flat, wide tagliatelle ribbons. Chetna tells Vicky all about her favourite sweet treats she makes for Diwali, the Hindi festival of light, which is celebrated during the week the podcast airs, on the 31st October 2024. The team at Pasta Grannies wishes everyone a happy Diwali, full of food, friends and family.

Watch the video of 90-year-old Caterina from Sicily make 'lasagne' with eggplant and tomato sauce: https://youtu.be/RnhlpQlYBwo?si=Vr4o-g9VRlpr-T2r

And don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content, head to our website pastagrannies.com

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Angelo Coassin grew up in North East Italy but has lived in America and now lives in the UK. Angelo is a professional dancer and an actor, but he is best known as the creator of the successful Instagram channel @cookingwithbello where he shows off his passion for Italian cooking. He's just brought out his first cookbook ‘Cook Like A Real Italian’ which is full to the brim with Italian recipes passed down from generations in his family. In this episode, as well as discussing a lot about delicious Italian food, Angelo tells Vicky about the origins of his internet-famous catch phrase 'super sexy' and even teaches Vicky how to say it, Bello style!

Watch the video of 96-year-old Isolina make her delicious gnocchi with pesto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlhq1kIPpPc

And don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content, head to our website pastagrannies.com

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luca Dusi is from Verona, and is a wine expert. He has his own wine bar called Passione Vino in Shoreditch in London, UK, and imports Italian wines. As well as being a loving dad and food lover, his own mum is one of our Pasta Grannies! You can watch Luca's mum, Angelina, in action here making papparelle: https://youtu.be/lRhOixYnMZw?si=ZxyUUF43gRpEwqzm which we actually chose not to recreate this episode, as chicken livers aren't for everyone!

Luca eventually settled on making bigoli con salsa, a simple but delicious pasta using anchovies for the sauce. Luca brought a delicious white wine with him to perfectly paired with the pasta dish, called Maso Furli - sunshine in a bottle! Luca discusses with Vicky how to pair wine with food, and they chat about how to know when your wine is corked. Listen to become a wine expert yourself!

Watch Osanna from Venice make bigoli con salsa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utx2eeEKv30

And don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content, head to our website pastagrannies.com

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Lippett is a chef, food writer, recipe developer and content creator. In case he wasn't busy enough, he also has his own hot honey called Dr Sting's Hot Honey and a Viennese-style beer called Weiner Dog. His Instagram account, @dinnerbyben, is full to the brim of delicious looking recipes using seasonal produce, and his Substack, 'How I Cook', has recipes, chef tips and even music playlists to cook to! Ben has chosen to recreate Vanda’s cappellacci di zucca, or pumpkin ravioli, perfect for autumn season. Ben and Vicky decide to put a creative, albeit untraditional, twist on Vanda's recipe, and try it with Ben's hot honey on top... Listen to find out if it works well or not!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Pasta Grannies team!

Watch the video of Vanda from Emilia-Romagna make her pumpkin ravioli, Cappellacci di Zucca, with a sage and butter sauce: https://youtu.be/gXpAasKXcpY?si=ROxLkDZraAXv8Rh

And don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content head to our website pastagrannies.com

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anissa Helou is a chef and food writer with so many highly renowned cookbooks under her belt, it's hard to keep count! She was born in Beirut to a Syrian father and a Lebanese mother. At 21-years-old, she moved to London and became an expert in antiques, working for Sotheby's and spending decades adding to her own weird and wonderful personal collection. She eventually sold it ALL and moved into a minimalist loft apartment to use as her test kitchen. She now spends much of her time in Sicily, enjoying the Italian cuisine, running food-based tours and working on her next cookbook.

In this episode, Vicky and Anissa compare notes on the effect of going school run by scary nuns, not wanting to be domesticated for any man, and meeting Julia Child (the late American chef and TV personality who is famous from bringing French cuisine to the US masses.)

Watch the video of Maria & Rosaria making their delicious ciceri e tria or chickpeas and pasta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zbg137tXHE

And don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content head to our website pastagrannies.com

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Alberti Twins aka Double Trouble, John and Tony, are TV chefs, ex-dating show reality TV contestants, food content creators and have just released their second cookbook ‘Irresistibly Italian: Cooking Through the Seasons’. They grew up in Manchester in the North of England, but they have stayed close to their Italian roots through food! John and Tony have chosen to make Neda and Renata’s lunghetti pasta with a mushroom and sausage sauce as a nod to their Tuscan heritage. Whilst they cook, the twins try convince Vicky to like espresso coffee and explain what it was like being on the hit British reality TV dating show 'Love Island' as the 'Italian Stallions'.

Watch the video of Neda and Renata making their Tuscan lunghetti pasta with mushroom and sausage: https://youtu.be/Cnn_-vEcuvQ?si=nNZBsYLnfRqXSFfj

Follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for the exclusive video version of the podcast, head to our website pastagrannies.com

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Holidays from the Pasta Grannies team! This is the last podcast episode of Season 1. Thank you for listening and we will return with a brand new Season 2 of the podcast in 2025.

In this special Holiday episode, we went to visit Canadian-born concert pianist, Hershey Felder at his Tuscan home in Florence, Italy. We visited Hershey in the height of summer so hopefully this episode brings you some warmth and sunshine this Winter season! Hershey has been a guest on the Pasta Grannies YouTube channel before, cooking a lasagna for us. He loves cooking pasta in his spare time, and confesses he wishes he was a pasta granny himself! For this episode, Hershey chose to make a basil flavoured pasta called Scialatielli by a granny called Felice that she prepared with a local smoked mozzarella. Felice was one of the first grannies Vicky ever filmed for Pasta Grannies, so it is fitting for this special Christmas episode.

Watch the video of Felice from Amalfi making her delicious basil flavoured pasta called Scialatielli, prepared with smoked mozzarella and eggplant or aubergine: https://youtu.be/NEFxfv2oE_Y?si=Hy_SOQPh3Wp-4nqM

Follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for the exclusive video version of the podcast, head to our website pastagrannies.com where you can join the Pasta Grannies Club.

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the penultimate episode of Season 1 of the Pasta Grannies podcast, we have the lovely Rosie Mackean (aka RosieMackeanPastaQueen on Instagram!) as our guest. She is a trained chef, food stylist, home economist and recipe developer. After spending two years working in professional kitchens in London, UK, Rosie left that behind to turn her lifelong obsession for cookery books and TV shows into a career as a food stylist and home economist/ She has just released her very own debut book, 'Good Time Cooking'. In this episode, Rosie tells Vicky all about the massive lasagne she had at her wedding, a pasta fan's preferred option to the traditional wedding cake! Rosie also confesses to pretending to be on her own cookery TV show when she was younger, narrating her own recipes out loud.

Watch the video of Leondina making her meat filled cappelletti with a cream and speck sauce: https://youtu.be/_oSQzuqUMrA?si=B21nc4f_6BEUc8H4

Happy Holidays everyone! We will be back with our last episode of Season 1 of the Pasta Grannies Podcast on Christmas Day - a holiday special recorded in Florence in Italy.

Follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for the exclusive video version of the podcast, head to our website pastagrannies.com where you can join the Pasta Grannies Club and buy the exclusive Pasta Grannies t-shirt design.

Produced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.