Gino's Italian Escape

Chef Gino D'Acampo begins his second Italian Escape in beautiful Florence. He's on a mission to examine the food that has shaped this Renaissance city. His journey begins as he tackles the famous ‘bistecca alla Fiorentina' - the finest, thickest, juiciest steak in Tuscany. He is excited to grill the colossal cut of beef at a local restaurant and - naturally - has to savour its delicious flavour. Enthused by the mouth-watering steak, Gino shows off his take on this dish - tagliata - sliced T-bone steak with a colourful courgette ribbon and goat's cheese salad. Before leaving the city, Gino encounters a historic speciality - ‘lampredotto'. This popular Florentine street food is made from cow's stomach - but is Gino is game for eating it? Satisfied with Florence's best savoury food, Gino heads to the town of Prato for something sweeter. Here, he meets a pastry chef who thrills Gino with his speciality ‘peaches' - brioche buns with an aromatic, creamy filling. Inspired by his delightful discovery, Gino conjures up his own dessert of apple poached in red wine with amaretti biscuit cream.

Chef Gino D'Acampo continues his Italian Escape in breathtaking Venice. His adventure begins when he is summoned for an appointment with a Venetian Countess. Gino has never met a ‘Contessa' before and although the two of them share a love of food, he remains slightly nervous about the encounter. He is keen to ask the Contessa about a kind of Venetian tapas called ‘cicchetti' – so together they take an enchanting gondola ride to discover the best finger-food in the city. Motivated by the experience, Gino creates his own platter of three different cicchetti on ciabatta, namely courgette fennel and caper, prawns on chilli mayonnaise and breaded cod on lemon mayonnaise. His succulent prawns and cod are bought fresh from the vibrant Rialto market. Eager to explore on his own, Gino then heads out of the city to the nearby island of Burano. Its eye-catching multi-coloured houses make Burano a popular tourist spot, but our chef's not here to see the beautiful sights, he's after one thing - the risotto. In local trattoria, Gino is astounded to witness, and take part in, a highly unusual method of cooking this special rice dish. Back on the rooftops of Venice, Gino rustles up his own creamy risotto with red radicchio, vibrant peas and Italian sausage

Italian chef Gino D'Acampo explores the intriguing region of Puglia - where centuries old tradition meets modern day Italy. The region is world-famous for its olive oil and Gino takes a close look at the gnarled olive trees, which have dominated the landscape for thousands of years. In the shade of an old masseria - or farmhouse - Gino dishes up a carpaccio of tender beef fillet, served with a refreshing Italian gremolata dressing and rocket salad. Gino's culinary quest continues in Puglia's capital - Bari - where he samples an innovative olive oil ice cream, however he soon finds something even more fascinating. Tucked away in one of Bari's medieval side streets, Gino discovers a group of local ladies, who spend their day skillfully and rapidly handcrafting orecchiette - or ‘little ears' - pasta. Gino is keen to learn the ancient technique, but is better at cooking the pasta than shaping it. He creates a colourful plate of orecchiette with broccoli, cherry tomatoes and chilli - simple yet exceedingly tasty. As he finishes his time in Bari, Gino heads out to the town's harbour at sunset, to see how the locals spend their evening.

Gino D'Acampo's Italian Escape continues in the country's capital. As a chef, Gino has always been inspired by Rome and its cuisine. His first stop is at one of the city's finest delis, where he is on the hunt for succulent pancetta to make a traditional pasta carbonara. Armed with not only the deli's pancetta, but with the luscious cured meat ‘guanciale', he decides to cook his pasta in front of Rome's iconic Colosseum. Keen to explore the outskirts of the city, Gino travels to Ariccia - a town that is passionate about porchetta - slow roasted, moist, boneless pork stuffed with seasoning and rosemary. Naturally, he has to sample this succulent treat, which must traditionally be enjoyed in rustic bread. Gino's final port of call outside the city is a restaurant belonging to Anna Dente, a chef who has been keeping authentic Roman recipes alive for 40 years. In Anna's garden, Gino shows off his Roman-inspired dish of pan-fried lamb in rosemary and honey sauce, with fennel salad.

Gino travels through the spectacular landscape of Tuscany. He is eager to experience the glorious, timeless city of Siena. Gino is drawn to this unique place, especially its famous sloping Piazza del Campo and its magnificent gothic cathedral, whose beauty leaves Gino mesmerised. Siena is renowned for its ‘panforte' - a rich, spiced fruit and nut cake that originated in the area during the 13th century. He is invited to taste this ancient Christmas cake and although initially apprehensive, Gino is inspired by its exciting flavour combinations. He decides to create his own chocolate version of panforte, on a terrace overlooking the striking cathedral. Next, Gino travels through the areas rolling hills to visit a group of Benedictine monks. He arrives at their abbey to the sound of beautiful Gregorian chanting and is blown away by the beautiful, haunting sound. Following the service, Gino is keen to find out more about the monks' way of life. The monks invite Gino on a tour of their vast vineyard and allow him to sample their locally produced Tuscan red wine. Gino is so impressed that he uses the wine to makes his final dish - juicy, marinated beef skewers and a delectable three-bean salad.

Gino D'Acampo's final leg of his Italian escape takes place in the fascinating city of Bologna - the city seen as Italy's gastronomic capital. Gino is always on the lookout for incredible dishes, so he can't come to the city of Bologna without investigating its world-famous sauce - Bolognese.He makes his way to an unassuming trattoria to find a formidable Italian chef, who has been honing her Bolognese sauce recipe for almost thirty years. After Gino devours her stunning sauce mixed with hand-made tagliatelle, he heads up to the rooftops of Bologna to get cooking. With the splendid towers of the city as a backdrop, Gino makes his grandfather's recipe of tagliatelle alla Bolognese, and lets us into some of the D'Acampo family's secret sauce tips.