1 00:00:13,681 --> 00:00:15,916 - Oh, wow. 2 00:00:15,949 --> 00:00:17,918 Steep. 3 00:00:17,951 --> 00:00:19,320 Oh. 4 00:00:22,990 --> 00:00:24,592 Ugh. 5 00:00:26,727 --> 00:00:28,962 This is-- 6 00:00:28,996 --> 00:00:30,698 OK, here we go. 7 00:00:30,731 --> 00:00:32,966 Finally. God. 8 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,403 I had no idea it was that far. 9 00:00:35,436 --> 00:00:37,738 [soft playful music] 10 00:00:37,771 --> 00:00:42,210 So I've just made my way up... [panting] 11 00:00:42,243 --> 00:00:44,978 Thousands of steps to this place, 12 00:00:45,012 --> 00:00:48,116 Castle Brown, 13 00:00:48,149 --> 00:00:51,051 which is in Portofino, 14 00:00:51,085 --> 00:00:54,388 which is in Liguria. 15 00:00:54,422 --> 00:00:57,825 And Liguria is a crescent 16 00:00:57,858 --> 00:01:01,028 right on the coast of Italy 17 00:01:01,061 --> 00:01:06,267 bordering Tuscany and France. 18 00:01:06,300 --> 00:01:10,304 They'll carry me out of here on a stretcher, 19 00:01:10,338 --> 00:01:14,675 but I don't mind because the food is amazing. 20 00:01:14,708 --> 00:01:16,710 [bright music] 21 00:01:16,744 --> 00:01:18,146 I'm Stanley Tucci. 22 00:01:18,179 --> 00:01:20,614 I'm fascinated by my Italian heritage, 23 00:01:20,648 --> 00:01:22,983 so I'm traveling across Italy to discover how 24 00:01:23,016 --> 00:01:26,454 the food in each of this country's 20 regions 25 00:01:26,487 --> 00:01:31,325 is as unique as the people and their past. 26 00:01:31,359 --> 00:01:33,394 Their rugged environment has made 27 00:01:33,427 --> 00:01:36,230 the Ligurians tough and unafraid of a challenge. 28 00:01:36,264 --> 00:01:37,831 So you call this-- 29 00:01:41,369 --> 00:01:43,504 Centuries of wrestling their food out 30 00:01:43,537 --> 00:01:46,374 of a small amount of land have given these people 31 00:01:46,407 --> 00:01:48,942 a wisdom that's right for our times. 32 00:01:48,976 --> 00:01:52,313 - [speaking Italian] 33 00:01:52,346 --> 00:01:53,981 - The harshness of their region 34 00:01:54,014 --> 00:01:55,316 has made them inventive. 35 00:01:55,349 --> 00:01:56,250 Oh, my God. [coughs] Whoa. 36 00:01:56,284 --> 00:01:57,285 - [laughs] 37 00:01:57,318 --> 00:01:59,653 - Liguria gave us pesto. 38 00:01:59,687 --> 00:02:01,222 It's really good. 39 00:02:01,255 --> 00:02:03,557 Their land drove Ligurians to the sea 40 00:02:03,591 --> 00:02:07,328 and made them great traders with spectacular wealth-- 41 00:02:07,361 --> 00:02:09,096 Wow, wow, wow. 42 00:02:09,129 --> 00:02:11,965 And sophisticated tastes. 43 00:02:11,999 --> 00:02:13,967 Incredibile. 44 00:02:14,001 --> 00:02:16,937 [upbeat jazzy music] 45 00:02:16,970 --> 00:02:20,874 * 46 00:02:23,844 --> 00:02:26,847 [big band music] 47 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,284 The name Portofino is a compound of two Italian words, 48 00:02:30,318 --> 00:02:32,520 one meaning a harbor, 49 00:02:32,553 --> 00:02:34,822 the other meaning an impossibly gorgeous, 50 00:02:34,855 --> 00:02:39,527 pastel-colored place full of boats and sports cars. 51 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:44,232 Liguria is long and thin and has its feet in the sea. 52 00:02:44,265 --> 00:02:46,900 This is the fabled Italian Riviera, 53 00:02:46,934 --> 00:02:49,870 and Portofino, once a small fishing village, 54 00:02:49,903 --> 00:02:52,105 is a jewel in its crown. 55 00:02:52,139 --> 00:02:55,843 In the 1950s, it was popular with the rich and famous, 56 00:02:55,876 --> 00:03:00,481 but Portofino was the place to be seen, not really to eat. 57 00:03:00,514 --> 00:03:02,316 These days, there are plenty of restaurants 58 00:03:02,350 --> 00:03:04,318 serving classic Italian food, 59 00:03:04,352 --> 00:03:06,654 but what you don't find so much 60 00:03:06,687 --> 00:03:09,323 are traditional Ligurian dishes. 61 00:03:09,357 --> 00:03:14,828 * 62 00:03:14,862 --> 00:03:17,030 The angularity of their landscape 63 00:03:17,064 --> 00:03:20,133 determines what the people of this region eat. 64 00:03:20,167 --> 00:03:22,870 Their narrow, terraced fields forced them 65 00:03:22,903 --> 00:03:25,606 to be creative with what they grow. 66 00:03:26,540 --> 00:03:28,442 - Yeah? - [speaking Italian] 67 00:03:28,476 --> 00:03:31,579 - [speaking Italian] 68 00:03:33,481 --> 00:03:35,449 - Carlo Cracco is one of Italy's 69 00:03:35,483 --> 00:03:39,287 most famous Michelin-starred chefs. 70 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:43,457 He came from Milan to serve Ligurian dishes in Portofino. 71 00:03:43,491 --> 00:03:47,828 His menu depends on farmer Iva Labanino. 72 00:03:48,896 --> 00:03:53,467 She cultivates crops and also forages for wild food. 73 00:04:04,177 --> 00:04:06,314 - Hi. Ciao. - [speaking Italian] 74 00:04:06,347 --> 00:04:08,882 - Ligurians seem to be indestructible. 75 00:04:08,916 --> 00:04:12,586 Iva and her husband Alberto are both in their 80s. 76 00:04:12,620 --> 00:04:15,556 - [speaking Italian] 77 00:04:15,589 --> 00:04:17,591 - 83. - 83? 78 00:04:26,934 --> 00:04:28,802 [laughter] 79 00:04:30,838 --> 00:04:34,808 - 25-year-old Mattia Pecis is Carlo's head chef. 80 00:04:38,278 --> 00:04:39,513 - OK, let's go. 81 00:04:51,425 --> 00:04:54,161 This is the arugula, the wild arugula. 82 00:04:54,728 --> 00:04:56,397 - The real-- - That's my favorite actually. 83 00:04:56,430 --> 00:04:58,399 Yeah. Yeah. 84 00:04:58,432 --> 00:05:00,601 - That's delicious. Yeah. 85 00:05:04,204 --> 00:05:05,639 Biological? 86 00:05:07,341 --> 00:05:10,444 - [speaking Italian] 87 00:05:13,847 --> 00:05:15,082 [laughter] 88 00:05:17,451 --> 00:05:18,852 - Mm-hmm. 89 00:05:18,886 --> 00:05:21,021 Iva's vertiginous land isn't suitable 90 00:05:21,054 --> 00:05:22,490 for grazing livestock. 91 00:05:22,523 --> 00:05:24,091 Like so many Ligurians, 92 00:05:24,124 --> 00:05:27,027 she thrives on vegetables and leafy greens. 93 00:05:35,769 --> 00:05:37,705 - Iva is not only a great cultivator. 94 00:05:37,738 --> 00:05:39,507 She's also a great gatherer. 95 00:05:39,540 --> 00:05:41,842 In the fall, she harvests walnuts 96 00:05:41,875 --> 00:05:43,644 provided she can get the right staff. 97 00:05:51,485 --> 00:05:54,855 [laughter] 98 00:05:56,990 --> 00:05:59,159 - Back at Carlo's restaurant, he reveals 99 00:05:59,192 --> 00:06:02,930 why Iva's greens are central to his Ligurian menu. 100 00:06:04,765 --> 00:06:06,634 - This is a preboggion. 101 00:06:06,667 --> 00:06:11,271 Preboggion is the mix of herbs that we catch before-- 102 00:06:11,304 --> 00:06:13,040 - What does it mean, preboggion? 103 00:06:13,073 --> 00:06:15,042 That's the dialect? 104 00:06:15,075 --> 00:06:17,377 - Yeah, it's the dialect. 105 00:06:17,411 --> 00:06:19,046 When you boil-- 106 00:06:19,079 --> 00:06:20,180 - Yeah. 107 00:06:20,213 --> 00:06:22,315 - You mix the-- 108 00:06:22,349 --> 00:06:23,917 - The blender? Yeah. - The blender. 109 00:06:23,951 --> 00:06:27,455 And then you have the d'hôte. 110 00:06:27,488 --> 00:06:28,889 - That's what you end up with? 111 00:06:28,922 --> 00:06:29,857 - Yeah. 112 00:06:31,124 --> 00:06:32,392 - Yes. We don't-- 113 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:34,895 - Only a bit. - Just-- 114 00:06:34,928 --> 00:06:36,530 - A little bit. - Yeah. 115 00:06:39,366 --> 00:06:41,835 [device whirring] 116 00:06:41,869 --> 00:06:44,371 In Italian, we call ravioli. 117 00:06:44,404 --> 00:06:46,874 In Liguria, is pansotti. 118 00:06:46,907 --> 00:06:48,976 - Pansotti. - Pansotti. 119 00:06:49,009 --> 00:06:53,013 It's the real typical ravioli in Liguria. 120 00:06:53,046 --> 00:06:56,149 Very simple because we have only herbs-- 121 00:06:56,183 --> 00:06:57,417 - Yeah. - And pasta. 122 00:06:57,451 --> 00:06:59,953 [plucky music] 123 00:06:59,987 --> 00:07:02,189 - Mm-hmm. 124 00:07:02,222 --> 00:07:05,358 - And then move the ravioli. 125 00:07:05,392 --> 00:07:07,127 - [chuckles] 126 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:08,829 - Don't laugh at me. 127 00:07:08,862 --> 00:07:11,799 [laughter] 128 00:07:11,832 --> 00:07:15,402 In the local dialect, pansotti means belly, 129 00:07:15,435 --> 00:07:17,404 because loaded with preboggion, 130 00:07:17,437 --> 00:07:19,473 they look a little portly. 131 00:07:19,507 --> 00:07:20,941 That's sad. 132 00:07:20,974 --> 00:07:24,344 Meanwhile, Mattia is making a walnut sauce. 133 00:07:24,377 --> 00:07:26,013 - Taste. 134 00:07:26,046 --> 00:07:29,483 * 135 00:07:29,517 --> 00:07:31,451 - Mm. Oh, wow. - Walnut. 136 00:07:31,485 --> 00:07:33,120 - Walnut. - Margarine. 137 00:07:33,153 --> 00:07:34,087 - Mm-hmm. 138 00:07:34,121 --> 00:07:38,258 - Olive oil, and salt, rock salt. 139 00:07:38,291 --> 00:07:39,893 - And that's it? - That's it. 140 00:07:43,096 --> 00:07:44,865 - Beautiful. 141 00:07:45,699 --> 00:07:47,134 At a table on the terrace, 142 00:07:47,167 --> 00:07:49,837 it's time to ask one of Italy's greatest chefs 143 00:07:49,870 --> 00:07:53,173 why Ligurian food is appropriate for our times. 144 00:08:03,016 --> 00:08:03,951 - Mm-hmm. 145 00:08:05,452 --> 00:08:06,620 - Si. 146 00:08:08,956 --> 00:08:09,923 - Si. 147 00:08:11,224 --> 00:08:13,460 Oh, wow. 148 00:08:13,493 --> 00:08:15,228 Grazie. 149 00:08:21,635 --> 00:08:22,970 - Wow. 150 00:08:27,841 --> 00:08:30,043 I've never tasted a pasta-- 151 00:08:30,077 --> 00:08:31,044 - Yeah? 152 00:08:31,078 --> 00:08:32,512 - No, never, no. 153 00:08:32,546 --> 00:08:35,616 That's very different than anything I've ever tasted. 154 00:08:35,649 --> 00:08:37,517 It's so delicate. 155 00:08:45,959 --> 00:08:46,894 - Ah. 156 00:08:53,934 --> 00:08:54,868 - Si. 157 00:08:56,904 --> 00:08:58,739 - That's very well put. Cheers. 158 00:09:00,473 --> 00:09:01,809 - Thank you, Chef. Thank you. 159 00:09:01,842 --> 00:09:03,543 - Thank you too. - Thank you. 160 00:09:07,180 --> 00:09:09,416 [piano music] 161 00:09:09,449 --> 00:09:11,585 [bassy music] 162 00:09:11,619 --> 00:09:15,188 - This is Genoa, Liguria's capital city. 163 00:09:15,222 --> 00:09:17,891 It's a swelegant, elegant place 164 00:09:17,925 --> 00:09:21,762 that's a strong contrast to the rugged interior. 165 00:09:21,795 --> 00:09:23,797 Plum in the middle of the coastline, 166 00:09:23,831 --> 00:09:26,033 for eight centuries, this port was the center 167 00:09:26,066 --> 00:09:29,169 of a great Mediterranean trading empire. 168 00:09:29,202 --> 00:09:31,972 Today, we're not far from the docks, 169 00:09:32,005 --> 00:09:34,942 which is also Genoa's pesto district. 170 00:09:34,975 --> 00:09:36,610 Take a look at this. 171 00:09:36,644 --> 00:09:37,945 Can you see it out the window? 172 00:09:37,978 --> 00:09:41,348 That says La Terra del Basilico. 173 00:09:41,381 --> 00:09:44,752 That's the land of basil. 174 00:09:44,785 --> 00:09:47,487 And basil, of course, makes pesto. 175 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,391 Pesto is so beloved here 176 00:09:51,424 --> 00:09:57,197 that they have a pesto competition every two years. 177 00:09:59,232 --> 00:10:01,935 Chefs come from all over Italy to wrestle with 178 00:10:01,969 --> 00:10:04,371 mortar and pestle and pay homage 179 00:10:04,404 --> 00:10:07,708 to the great green sauce invented here in Liguria. 180 00:10:07,741 --> 00:10:10,410 Their judge is Roberto Panizza, 181 00:10:10,443 --> 00:10:13,446 known as the King of Pesto. 182 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:15,883 - [speaking Italian] 183 00:10:15,916 --> 00:10:19,352 - We're meeting his majesty at a basil farm 184 00:10:19,386 --> 00:10:22,089 high above the town. 185 00:10:22,122 --> 00:10:26,359 They made it sound like a bucolic farm thing, 186 00:10:26,393 --> 00:10:27,661 didn't they? 187 00:10:29,830 --> 00:10:32,599 [chuckles] 188 00:10:32,632 --> 00:10:34,501 Oh, my God. 189 00:10:34,534 --> 00:10:36,003 This is it. 190 00:10:36,036 --> 00:10:38,906 OK, I was expecting something more pastoral, 191 00:10:38,939 --> 00:10:40,974 but these greenhouses are in fact 192 00:10:41,008 --> 00:10:43,576 a modern take on ancient Ligurian terracing. 193 00:10:43,610 --> 00:10:46,046 Do you think this car will stay in this position, 194 00:10:46,079 --> 00:10:48,081 or is it just gonna roll back? 195 00:10:49,049 --> 00:10:51,752 Roberto treks up here because the microclimate 196 00:10:51,785 --> 00:10:54,421 is perfect for basil cultivation. 197 00:10:54,454 --> 00:10:56,023 Roberto? 198 00:10:57,090 --> 00:10:58,759 - [speaking Italian] - OK? 199 00:10:58,792 --> 00:11:02,896 The crop is bathed in salt air from the Mediterranean below. 200 00:11:05,065 --> 00:11:06,233 - Wow. 201 00:11:06,266 --> 00:11:07,434 - Wow. 202 00:11:07,467 --> 00:11:10,170 Inside, there's another kind of ocean. 203 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,215 - It's a system of growing. 204 00:11:22,249 --> 00:11:26,720 It increase the flavor, increase the sweetness. 205 00:11:30,791 --> 00:11:31,959 - Si. 206 00:11:56,616 --> 00:11:57,584 - Oh, my God. [coughs] 207 00:11:57,617 --> 00:11:59,086 Whoa, whoa. - [laughs] 208 00:11:59,119 --> 00:12:01,054 - I'd like to have a shirt made out of that. 209 00:12:07,494 --> 00:12:08,796 - Ah, DOP? 210 00:12:15,869 --> 00:12:17,037 - Yeah. 211 00:12:19,306 --> 00:12:22,109 - The unusual harvesting method lets the staff 212 00:12:22,142 --> 00:12:24,812 hover over the crop, judging by eye 213 00:12:24,845 --> 00:12:27,080 which stalks have grown six inches, 214 00:12:27,114 --> 00:12:29,282 the moment of peak flavor. 215 00:12:29,316 --> 00:12:33,053 * 216 00:12:33,086 --> 00:12:35,255 Down at sea level in Genoa, 217 00:12:35,288 --> 00:12:38,091 Roberto runs a restaurant where the fragrant smell 218 00:12:38,125 --> 00:12:41,628 of crushed basil brings in the crowds. 219 00:12:41,661 --> 00:12:44,865 [indistinct chatter] 220 00:12:46,399 --> 00:12:50,770 The king is going to give me a lesson in Genovese pesto. 221 00:12:50,804 --> 00:12:52,405 Basil, obviously. 222 00:12:52,439 --> 00:12:55,876 Parmigiano and lightly smoked pecorino. 223 00:12:55,909 --> 00:12:57,845 Extra virgin olive oil. 224 00:12:57,878 --> 00:13:00,380 Garlic. Cloves, three of. 225 00:13:00,413 --> 00:13:02,249 Salt. Pepper. 226 00:13:02,282 --> 00:13:05,285 Pine nuts. All crushed by this. 227 00:13:07,220 --> 00:13:10,190 Well, I've got pestle envy. 228 00:13:10,223 --> 00:13:13,760 Then you need a mortar, 229 00:13:13,793 --> 00:13:15,495 or a marble kiddie pool. 230 00:13:15,528 --> 00:13:16,796 It's beautiful. 231 00:13:16,830 --> 00:13:20,367 It's bigger than the first apartment I had in New York. 232 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:26,373 - Now we go to crush the garlic. 233 00:13:28,876 --> 00:13:31,644 [scraping] - You always make it by hand? 234 00:13:31,678 --> 00:13:33,280 - Yes. - Yeah. 235 00:13:33,313 --> 00:13:36,716 After the garlic, the pine nuts. 236 00:13:36,749 --> 00:13:38,518 Then comes the basil. 237 00:13:41,621 --> 00:13:42,956 The smell of it-- - Yes. 238 00:13:42,990 --> 00:13:45,125 - Oh, it's incredible. 239 00:13:45,158 --> 00:13:47,260 - We need a lot of oil. 240 00:13:47,294 --> 00:13:50,697 We need a Ligurian oil because it's sweet. 241 00:13:50,730 --> 00:13:52,232 - See, I think that's a problem. 242 00:13:52,265 --> 00:13:54,868 My mortar and pestle are too small. 243 00:13:56,769 --> 00:13:59,472 It's like you want to paint with it. 244 00:14:01,108 --> 00:14:04,044 - This is a pecorino made with raw milk. 245 00:14:04,077 --> 00:14:05,812 - How long has that aged? 246 00:14:05,845 --> 00:14:08,615 - Well, one year. 247 00:14:08,648 --> 00:14:09,782 Parmigiano-reggiano. 248 00:14:09,816 --> 00:14:11,684 - Uh-huh. 249 00:14:11,718 --> 00:14:13,453 - And now we crush. 250 00:14:13,486 --> 00:14:14,888 - [laughs] 251 00:14:17,024 --> 00:14:18,258 Try. - [speaking Italian] 252 00:14:18,291 --> 00:14:19,226 - Yes. 253 00:14:25,298 --> 00:14:28,035 - Wow. 254 00:14:28,068 --> 00:14:29,469 [laughs] Sorry. I'm just-- 255 00:14:29,502 --> 00:14:31,604 - It is good? - It's really good. 256 00:14:31,638 --> 00:14:33,040 Yeah, it's the smoked-- 257 00:14:33,073 --> 00:14:34,607 - Yes. - Slightly. 258 00:14:34,641 --> 00:14:35,775 Not really. - No much. 259 00:14:35,808 --> 00:14:36,776 - No. - No much. 260 00:14:36,809 --> 00:14:38,111 - But it's different. 261 00:14:38,145 --> 00:14:39,579 - But it's a memory of the cheese. 262 00:14:39,612 --> 00:14:40,780 - That's very interesting. 263 00:14:40,813 --> 00:14:41,949 OK, let's go make the thing. 264 00:14:41,982 --> 00:14:43,216 - It's heavy. 265 00:14:43,250 --> 00:14:44,884 - Yeah, I mean, you get a hernia. 266 00:14:44,918 --> 00:14:46,419 Jesus. - [speaking Italian] 267 00:14:46,453 --> 00:14:48,821 - Wow, who knew it could be so dangerous making pesto? 268 00:14:48,855 --> 00:14:50,357 * 269 00:14:50,390 --> 00:14:53,826 Dish of the day, pesto with trenette, 270 00:14:53,860 --> 00:14:55,662 a typical Genovese pasta. 271 00:15:02,970 --> 00:15:04,171 - No. 272 00:15:07,107 --> 00:15:08,308 - [speaking Italian] Si. 273 00:15:13,746 --> 00:15:15,082 - Right. 274 00:15:26,026 --> 00:15:27,160 - Mm-hmm. 275 00:15:29,496 --> 00:15:30,463 - Si, Si. 276 00:15:36,636 --> 00:15:40,073 Two types of starch, tons of protein and vitamins. 277 00:15:40,107 --> 00:15:42,209 Low cost, high value. 278 00:15:42,242 --> 00:15:43,576 Very Ligurian. 279 00:15:43,610 --> 00:15:44,677 Beautiful. 280 00:15:47,047 --> 00:15:50,083 So humble, this dish. 281 00:15:50,117 --> 00:15:52,552 So humble. 282 00:15:52,585 --> 00:15:54,121 Just like me. 283 00:15:57,024 --> 00:15:58,325 OK. 284 00:15:59,959 --> 00:16:02,695 Well... 285 00:16:02,729 --> 00:16:05,365 This is, I told you, one of my favorite things-- 286 00:16:05,398 --> 00:16:07,900 - [laughs] - In the whole world. 287 00:16:07,934 --> 00:16:11,938 At home, I cook the simple but gorgeous dish all the time, 288 00:16:11,971 --> 00:16:14,107 but not as well as this. 289 00:16:15,608 --> 00:16:16,409 It's amazing. 290 00:16:16,443 --> 00:16:17,910 It's creamy. - Mm-hmm. 291 00:16:17,944 --> 00:16:20,947 - The two different cheeses, I really love that. 292 00:16:20,980 --> 00:16:22,082 It's just beautiful. 293 00:16:22,115 --> 00:16:25,685 [chatter and laughter] 294 00:16:25,718 --> 00:16:27,587 My kids, like all kids, 295 00:16:27,620 --> 00:16:29,256 just love pesto, 296 00:16:29,289 --> 00:16:31,391 Luguria's gift to the world 297 00:16:31,424 --> 00:16:34,827 and Italy's great green ambassador. 298 00:16:34,861 --> 00:16:37,130 * 299 00:16:39,632 --> 00:16:42,669 [piano music] 300 00:16:42,702 --> 00:16:45,238 - I'm in Genoa, and I'm on Via Garibaldi. 301 00:16:45,272 --> 00:16:46,639 But one of the things that's really cool 302 00:16:46,673 --> 00:16:48,941 is that we have a real façade here 303 00:16:48,975 --> 00:16:50,310 made out of stone and all that. 304 00:16:50,343 --> 00:16:53,313 But then throughout the entire city, 305 00:16:53,346 --> 00:16:55,248 there are these painted facades. 306 00:16:55,282 --> 00:16:57,250 They're so well done that from a distance, 307 00:16:57,284 --> 00:16:59,286 you often--you can't tell. 308 00:16:59,319 --> 00:17:00,520 And supposedly it was done 309 00:17:00,553 --> 00:17:01,988 because if you didn't have money, 310 00:17:02,021 --> 00:17:05,425 you did this instead of building the actual edifice. 311 00:17:05,458 --> 00:17:07,427 But anyway, I thought it was a really cool thing. 312 00:17:07,460 --> 00:17:09,229 Has nothing to do with food at all. 313 00:17:09,262 --> 00:17:10,497 [bell tolls] 314 00:17:10,530 --> 00:17:11,898 But there is a connection. 315 00:17:11,931 --> 00:17:15,502 In Genoa, the taste for art and thriftiness 316 00:17:15,535 --> 00:17:18,438 extends to the kitchen because this great port 317 00:17:18,471 --> 00:17:21,708 has to feed both the workers and the wealthy. 318 00:17:24,043 --> 00:17:26,045 The docks made Genoa rich. 319 00:17:26,079 --> 00:17:28,648 It became known as La Superba. 320 00:17:28,681 --> 00:17:31,584 But not everybody lived the high life. 321 00:17:32,952 --> 00:17:36,289 These are the carugi, back alleys where 322 00:17:36,323 --> 00:17:39,126 dockworkers and sailors have for centuries 323 00:17:39,159 --> 00:17:41,928 come to eat good, simple fare. 324 00:17:41,961 --> 00:17:44,897 [bassy music] 325 00:17:44,931 --> 00:17:46,566 * 326 00:17:46,599 --> 00:17:50,803 I'm meeting Laurel Evans, a relocated Texan food writer. 327 00:17:50,837 --> 00:17:52,004 Hello. How are you? 328 00:17:52,038 --> 00:17:53,606 - I'm good. How are you? 329 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:54,807 - Good, good. 330 00:17:54,841 --> 00:17:56,709 When she married a Genovese gentleman, 331 00:17:56,743 --> 00:17:59,612 she became a devotee of focaccia, 332 00:17:59,646 --> 00:18:03,450 a great working-class staple that originated here. 333 00:18:03,483 --> 00:18:05,285 Wow. Wow. 334 00:18:05,318 --> 00:18:06,919 - Yeah, so this is some of the best focaccia. 335 00:18:06,953 --> 00:18:08,955 - Gorgeous. Buongiorno. 336 00:18:08,988 --> 00:18:10,323 Buongiorno. - Buongiorno. 337 00:18:10,357 --> 00:18:13,493 The real local thing has large dimples in it 338 00:18:13,526 --> 00:18:16,229 and is brushed with olive oil and sea salt 339 00:18:16,263 --> 00:18:19,866 before its final rise. 340 00:18:19,899 --> 00:18:22,001 - First, you must try the simple focaccia. 341 00:18:22,034 --> 00:18:23,603 That is where everything begins. 342 00:18:23,636 --> 00:18:26,739 - OK, so let's try the most simple focaccia, 343 00:18:26,773 --> 00:18:28,141 which would be that one. 344 00:18:28,175 --> 00:18:29,576 - That guy right there. 345 00:18:29,609 --> 00:18:30,743 - Are you gonna eat some too? 346 00:18:30,777 --> 00:18:32,245 - I will absolutely try some. - Yeah? 347 00:18:32,279 --> 00:18:33,646 - And let me tell you a little bit of a trick 348 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,115 about eating focaccia that a local told me. 349 00:18:36,149 --> 00:18:37,484 You want to tear off a corner, 350 00:18:37,517 --> 00:18:38,851 and then you eat it upside down. 351 00:18:38,885 --> 00:18:41,454 That way, the salt hits your tongue first, 352 00:18:41,488 --> 00:18:42,989 and then the rest of the flavors follow. 353 00:18:43,022 --> 00:18:44,791 - Ooh, I just started salivating when you said that. 354 00:18:44,824 --> 00:18:45,892 - OK, see? 355 00:18:47,327 --> 00:18:50,297 - Mm. I always want more salt though. 356 00:18:50,330 --> 00:18:51,798 - You could have more salt than this? 357 00:18:51,831 --> 00:18:53,200 [laughter] 358 00:18:53,233 --> 00:18:54,434 - Wow. 359 00:18:54,467 --> 00:18:56,035 Yeah, that's hitting me. Ciao. 360 00:18:56,068 --> 00:18:57,470 - Ciao. 361 00:18:57,504 --> 00:18:59,506 - A step away from working-class Genoa, 362 00:18:59,539 --> 00:19:02,175 it's all marble and gold. 363 00:19:02,209 --> 00:19:04,277 - So it looks like we're in a completely different city. 364 00:19:04,311 --> 00:19:05,612 - Yeah, it does. Yeah. 365 00:19:05,645 --> 00:19:07,079 - This is where you really feel the wealth 366 00:19:07,113 --> 00:19:08,515 of the upper classes. 367 00:19:08,548 --> 00:19:11,651 - So this is the banking center but also, like, 368 00:19:11,684 --> 00:19:13,119 shopping and all that sort of stuff? 369 00:19:13,152 --> 00:19:16,656 - Yeah. You have some of the first banks that were founded 370 00:19:16,689 --> 00:19:20,026 in Europe in Geneva because all of these merchants 371 00:19:20,059 --> 00:19:22,929 and wealthy ship captains needed somewhere 372 00:19:22,962 --> 00:19:23,996 to put their money. 373 00:19:24,030 --> 00:19:28,167 So Genova has a nickname, which is La Superba. 374 00:19:28,201 --> 00:19:31,471 Superba means grandiose, 375 00:19:31,504 --> 00:19:34,407 splendid, beautiful, ornate, 376 00:19:34,441 --> 00:19:36,276 but it also means a little bit haughty, 377 00:19:36,309 --> 00:19:38,945 a little bit snobbish. 378 00:19:38,978 --> 00:19:41,381 - The place to eat like a merchant prince 379 00:19:41,414 --> 00:19:45,084 is The Cook, a popular new restaurant 380 00:19:45,117 --> 00:19:48,321 of Chef Ivano Ricchebono, 381 00:19:48,355 --> 00:19:50,923 in a startling 14th century setting. 382 00:19:50,957 --> 00:19:53,226 Wow, wow, wow. 383 00:19:54,661 --> 00:19:56,896 Oh, my God, it's gorgeous. 384 00:19:56,929 --> 00:19:58,498 We've come to see Ivano make 385 00:19:58,531 --> 00:20:02,769 a Renaissance-era Genovese pasta. 386 00:20:02,802 --> 00:20:04,504 - [speaking Italian] 387 00:20:22,555 --> 00:20:25,224 - The name corsetti refers to an ancient coin 388 00:20:25,258 --> 00:20:26,959 with a cross design. 389 00:20:26,993 --> 00:20:29,829 This pasta definitely displayed your wealth 390 00:20:29,862 --> 00:20:32,832 and family crest to your guests. 391 00:20:32,865 --> 00:20:34,701 - And they're also delicious. - [laughs] 392 00:20:34,734 --> 00:20:36,102 Well, that's always helpful, yeah. 393 00:20:36,135 --> 00:20:39,372 After all the carbs, the all-important protein. 394 00:20:54,253 --> 00:20:57,390 [pan sizzling] 395 00:21:03,930 --> 00:21:06,733 In humbler households, the meat would go into the sauce 396 00:21:06,766 --> 00:21:09,035 to add flavor and then come out again 397 00:21:09,068 --> 00:21:12,839 to make a second meaty meal, which is very Ligurian. 398 00:21:25,785 --> 00:21:28,855 - While the meat sauce reduces before the pasta is added, 399 00:21:28,888 --> 00:21:31,791 Laurel and I position ourselves under the frescoes, 400 00:21:31,824 --> 00:21:34,126 ready for conspicuous consumption. 401 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:35,828 - To La Superba. 402 00:21:35,862 --> 00:21:39,265 - La Superba, and having this restaurant all to ourselves. 403 00:21:39,298 --> 00:21:40,600 - Oh, man. 404 00:21:40,633 --> 00:21:42,268 Couldn't get much better than this. 405 00:21:42,301 --> 00:21:45,171 * 406 00:21:45,204 --> 00:21:47,474 - Hi, chef. [gasps] 407 00:21:47,507 --> 00:21:49,241 - Oh, look at this. - Oh. 408 00:21:49,275 --> 00:21:51,444 OK, corsetti. 409 00:21:54,146 --> 00:21:55,214 - Mmm. 410 00:21:55,247 --> 00:21:56,816 - That sauce is gorgeous. 411 00:21:56,849 --> 00:21:58,317 - Mmm. 412 00:21:58,351 --> 00:21:59,519 Have you tried the meat yet? 413 00:21:59,552 --> 00:22:01,754 - No, not yet. 414 00:22:01,788 --> 00:22:03,322 Ah, beautiful. Delicate. 415 00:22:03,356 --> 00:22:04,624 - Rich but delicate. 416 00:22:04,657 --> 00:22:06,192 That should be the new nickname for Geneva. 417 00:22:06,225 --> 00:22:07,827 [laughter] 418 00:22:07,860 --> 00:22:10,463 - Turns out the pasta is just the opening scene 419 00:22:10,497 --> 00:22:12,732 of an epic drama. 420 00:22:12,765 --> 00:22:15,802 Cappon magro was once a snack for sailors, 421 00:22:15,835 --> 00:22:18,971 just fish and sea biscuits. 422 00:22:19,005 --> 00:22:21,774 Then the wealthy got hold of it. 423 00:22:21,808 --> 00:22:24,310 When the church announced that nobody could eat meat 424 00:22:24,343 --> 00:22:26,579 on so-called magro days, 425 00:22:26,613 --> 00:22:28,548 magro meaning lean, 426 00:22:28,581 --> 00:22:30,116 the rich adapted this dish 427 00:22:30,149 --> 00:22:32,385 to keep themselves from fading away. 428 00:22:32,419 --> 00:22:34,421 Oh, my God. [laughs] 429 00:22:34,454 --> 00:22:35,655 No. 430 00:22:35,688 --> 00:22:38,024 - Speaking of elaborate and ornate. 431 00:22:38,057 --> 00:22:40,727 - Come on. 432 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:42,328 - Chef. 433 00:22:42,361 --> 00:22:45,097 - So we have lobster, 434 00:22:45,131 --> 00:22:48,367 shrimp, mussels. 435 00:22:52,939 --> 00:22:53,873 - Si. 436 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:04,951 * 437 00:23:04,984 --> 00:23:06,819 - Wow. 438 00:23:08,220 --> 00:23:09,422 Fantastic. 439 00:23:10,322 --> 00:23:11,458 - Si. 440 00:23:21,801 --> 00:23:22,735 - Si. 441 00:23:23,870 --> 00:23:25,538 Bello. 442 00:23:25,572 --> 00:23:27,474 Our Genovese fare has embodied 443 00:23:27,507 --> 00:23:29,709 this tale of two cities in one, 444 00:23:29,742 --> 00:23:32,211 the focaccia, food of the backstreets, 445 00:23:32,244 --> 00:23:34,514 and Ivano's haute cuisine. 446 00:23:34,547 --> 00:23:37,249 But to me, they're both superb. 447 00:23:37,283 --> 00:23:39,686 * 448 00:23:42,054 --> 00:23:44,290 [piano music] 449 00:23:44,323 --> 00:23:48,461 [bright music] 450 00:23:48,495 --> 00:23:50,362 - The Ligurians have green thumbs, 451 00:23:50,396 --> 00:23:53,299 their gardening skills honed on some of Italy's 452 00:23:53,332 --> 00:23:55,668 most challenging terrain. 453 00:23:55,702 --> 00:23:58,270 * 454 00:23:58,304 --> 00:24:01,608 Head 80 miles down the coast from Genoa, turn left, 455 00:24:01,641 --> 00:24:03,375 and you'll find Taggia, 456 00:24:03,409 --> 00:24:05,678 home of Italy's greatest olive, 457 00:24:05,712 --> 00:24:08,915 the taggiasche. 458 00:24:08,948 --> 00:24:12,151 The Valle Argentina, or Silver Valley, 459 00:24:12,184 --> 00:24:15,855 reaches inland from the sea, funneling salty breezes 460 00:24:15,888 --> 00:24:18,224 into these bone-dry heights. 461 00:24:18,257 --> 00:24:21,661 The microclimate is perfect for growing olives. 462 00:24:21,694 --> 00:24:25,565 * 463 00:24:27,266 --> 00:24:30,202 Paolo Boeri's family have worked these groves 464 00:24:30,236 --> 00:24:32,004 for five generations. 465 00:24:32,038 --> 00:24:33,105 Wow. 466 00:24:33,139 --> 00:24:35,975 - So welcome to Gacci. 467 00:24:36,008 --> 00:24:37,009 - Gacci. 468 00:24:37,043 --> 00:24:37,944 - Gacci, yeah. 469 00:24:37,977 --> 00:24:40,312 That's our oldest olive grove. 470 00:24:40,346 --> 00:24:44,216 And that's the first land my family bought 100 years ago. 471 00:24:44,250 --> 00:24:46,853 - Really? - So we started from here. 472 00:24:51,891 --> 00:24:52,959 - Really? - For olive grove. 473 00:24:52,992 --> 00:24:54,360 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - Whoa. 474 00:24:54,393 --> 00:24:56,428 - And we are lucky because we are in this land. 475 00:24:56,462 --> 00:24:58,731 This land is the valley where this olive, 476 00:24:58,765 --> 00:25:00,132 the taggiascha olive-- - Yeah. 477 00:25:00,166 --> 00:25:04,604 - Were created in 1600. 478 00:25:04,637 --> 00:25:07,273 The Benedictine monks, they start, like, 479 00:25:07,306 --> 00:25:08,575 matching different species. 480 00:25:08,608 --> 00:25:10,543 - Yeah. - And they invented-- 481 00:25:10,577 --> 00:25:12,645 they created the taggiascha. 482 00:25:12,679 --> 00:25:14,581 Forest on the top. 483 00:25:14,614 --> 00:25:15,882 - Yeah. - That make everything fresh 484 00:25:15,915 --> 00:25:18,184 and give a lot of flavor to the ground. 485 00:25:18,217 --> 00:25:19,752 - Right. - And plus the sea wind 486 00:25:19,786 --> 00:25:22,254 that always coming up. 487 00:25:22,288 --> 00:25:27,459 - Even working with nature, the human effort is Herculean. 488 00:25:27,493 --> 00:25:30,162 No harvesting machine can cope up here. 489 00:25:30,196 --> 00:25:34,834 Miles of nets are laid to catch the falling fruit. 490 00:25:34,867 --> 00:25:36,803 - And here you can see they're preparing 491 00:25:36,836 --> 00:25:37,970 the net for the picking. 492 00:25:38,004 --> 00:25:39,138 - Yeah. 493 00:25:39,171 --> 00:25:40,740 - Because all these hectare of olive grove 494 00:25:40,773 --> 00:25:42,308 are going to be covered by this net. 495 00:25:42,341 --> 00:25:44,944 In this way we can always keep the fresh fruit, 496 00:25:44,977 --> 00:25:47,413 pick it at its best, and without touching the ground. 497 00:25:47,446 --> 00:25:50,717 Long work, but it work because the olive oil at the end 498 00:25:50,750 --> 00:25:52,251 will be really, really high quality. 499 00:25:52,284 --> 00:25:53,920 - Yeah, I bet. I bet. 500 00:25:53,953 --> 00:25:56,589 It's quite a job keeping something horizontal 501 00:25:56,623 --> 00:25:58,457 in all this vertical. 502 00:25:58,490 --> 00:26:02,028 The hills are alive with the sound of pickaxes. 503 00:26:02,061 --> 00:26:05,164 These walls are basically keeping everything in place. 504 00:26:05,197 --> 00:26:08,167 - They keep the entire mountains up. 505 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:11,403 So all those were built 1,000 years ago. 506 00:26:11,437 --> 00:26:14,073 They need a lot of care because they're pretty old. 507 00:26:14,106 --> 00:26:16,709 With the water and everything, imagine the pressure 508 00:26:16,743 --> 00:26:17,777 they have on that. 509 00:26:17,810 --> 00:26:20,079 - So you call this-- 510 00:26:20,112 --> 00:26:22,548 - Heroic agriculture because-- - Heroic agriculture. 511 00:26:22,581 --> 00:26:25,685 - Yeah, because everything here must be done by hand. 512 00:26:25,718 --> 00:26:29,188 So as you can see, it's so narrow and small, 513 00:26:29,221 --> 00:26:33,425 but everything should be done as once, so with hands. 514 00:26:33,459 --> 00:26:36,028 - There's something about hard physical labor 515 00:26:36,062 --> 00:26:37,997 that always gives me an appetite, 516 00:26:38,030 --> 00:26:40,399 especially when someone else is doing it. 517 00:26:40,432 --> 00:26:43,569 Luckily at Paolo's family home in the town of Badalucco, 518 00:26:43,602 --> 00:26:44,737 lunch is underway. 519 00:26:44,771 --> 00:26:46,673 - Rossella, how are you? 520 00:26:46,706 --> 00:26:47,840 - Fine. - Nice to meet you. 521 00:26:47,874 --> 00:26:49,241 Stanley. A pleasure. 522 00:26:49,275 --> 00:26:52,278 Everything olive is famously good for you. 523 00:26:52,311 --> 00:26:55,447 Paolo's father Franco is 1,000 years old. 524 00:26:55,481 --> 00:26:56,816 Kidding. 525 00:26:56,849 --> 00:26:58,885 Rossella is making a local classic, 526 00:26:58,918 --> 00:27:01,387 cornelio a la ligure. 527 00:27:01,420 --> 00:27:04,190 That's rabbit, funnily enough, with the olives. 528 00:27:04,223 --> 00:27:06,926 - I add some extra virgin olive oil. 529 00:27:06,959 --> 00:27:08,661 - Yes. Is it yours? 530 00:27:08,695 --> 00:27:10,196 - Yes. Absolutely. 531 00:27:10,229 --> 00:27:11,798 - I was just checking. - [laughs] 532 00:27:11,831 --> 00:27:12,899 - It's not from Spain. 533 00:27:12,932 --> 00:27:15,367 - No, absolutely not. - No. 534 00:27:15,401 --> 00:27:18,604 - Then I add some garlic. 535 00:27:18,637 --> 00:27:20,539 [upbeat jazzy music] 536 00:27:20,572 --> 00:27:21,874 - Oh, you put everything in. 537 00:27:21,908 --> 00:27:23,175 - Yes, everything. 538 00:27:23,209 --> 00:27:24,176 - That's a liver. 539 00:27:24,210 --> 00:27:25,411 - The liver, yes. 540 00:27:25,444 --> 00:27:28,781 We wait for half an hour. 541 00:27:28,815 --> 00:27:29,749 - Do it for a half an hour? 542 00:27:29,782 --> 00:27:31,150 - And it gives the water. 543 00:27:31,183 --> 00:27:33,385 - It releases the water? - Yes. Yes. 544 00:27:33,419 --> 00:27:36,322 [speaking Italian] 545 00:27:47,700 --> 00:27:48,768 - Oh, hi, boys. 546 00:27:48,801 --> 00:27:50,602 - Hi. - Hi. 547 00:27:51,170 --> 00:27:53,439 - Si, all right, let's do it. 548 00:27:53,472 --> 00:27:56,308 - [speaking Italian] 549 00:28:03,649 --> 00:28:05,051 - I can't drink that much oil. 550 00:28:10,656 --> 00:28:12,158 Mm, it's nice. 551 00:28:12,191 --> 00:28:13,926 - That's beautiful. That's nice. Yeah. 552 00:28:19,531 --> 00:28:20,767 - [clears throat] 553 00:28:27,406 --> 00:28:28,875 - Yes, very creamy. 554 00:28:29,876 --> 00:28:31,477 As the rabbit starts cooking, 555 00:28:31,510 --> 00:28:34,280 time to take some palate-cleansing beer 556 00:28:34,313 --> 00:28:37,383 down to the place where the Boeri oil story began. 557 00:28:37,416 --> 00:28:38,384 Wow. 558 00:28:46,292 --> 00:28:47,259 both: Si. 559 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:02,474 - Si, si. 560 00:29:07,713 --> 00:29:09,081 [lever creaks] 561 00:29:11,617 --> 00:29:12,785 - Si. 562 00:29:17,323 --> 00:29:18,257 - Oh, I see. 563 00:29:19,425 --> 00:29:21,794 In the 1900s, Paolo's grandfather 564 00:29:21,828 --> 00:29:25,497 could have gone to America and made his fortune. 565 00:29:25,531 --> 00:29:28,067 But as the oil rush began in California, 566 00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:30,069 he stayed home and struck green 567 00:29:30,102 --> 00:29:32,839 in the hills above Badalucco. 568 00:29:32,872 --> 00:29:34,874 OK. 569 00:29:34,907 --> 00:29:36,876 Oh, my God, beautiful. - You like some more? 570 00:29:36,909 --> 00:29:37,944 - Sure. Yes, yes. 571 00:29:37,977 --> 00:29:40,079 I mean, yeah, I like olives. 572 00:29:40,112 --> 00:29:41,313 - Voila. 573 00:29:41,347 --> 00:29:42,681 - I guess I'm in the right place then, aren't I? 574 00:29:42,714 --> 00:29:44,450 [laughter] - Yes. 575 00:29:44,483 --> 00:29:47,453 [soft music] 576 00:29:47,486 --> 00:29:49,555 * 577 00:29:49,588 --> 00:29:51,257 You like? - I do like it. 578 00:29:51,290 --> 00:29:52,624 - [laughs] 579 00:29:52,658 --> 00:29:54,026 - Wow. 580 00:29:54,060 --> 00:29:56,295 This is really delicate. 581 00:29:56,328 --> 00:29:59,431 I'm glad Papa Boeri didn't go to California. 582 00:29:59,465 --> 00:30:02,001 Thank you so much for-- yeah, thank you. 583 00:30:02,034 --> 00:30:05,872 We and Liguria are the richer for it. 584 00:30:05,905 --> 00:30:09,441 * 585 00:30:12,444 --> 00:30:14,646 [piano music] 586 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:18,217 [birds squawking] 587 00:30:18,250 --> 00:30:21,453 - The further east you travel down the Ligurian coast, 588 00:30:21,487 --> 00:30:24,190 the wilder and rockier it becomes. 589 00:30:24,223 --> 00:30:26,525 [mellow jazzy music] 590 00:30:26,558 --> 00:30:29,295 The locals are people of the sea, 591 00:30:29,328 --> 00:30:33,432 which is their workplace and their pantry. 592 00:30:33,465 --> 00:30:36,869 This is the beautiful Cinque Terre region. 593 00:30:36,903 --> 00:30:38,770 Corniglia, one of five villages 594 00:30:38,804 --> 00:30:43,209 built into the cliffs, is home to Guido Galetti. 595 00:30:43,242 --> 00:30:45,211 Ciao, Guido. - Ciao, Stanley. 596 00:30:45,244 --> 00:30:47,846 - Guido's family have worked the sea for centuries, 597 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,782 their lives revolving around the daily task 598 00:30:50,816 --> 00:30:52,118 of catching food. 599 00:30:52,151 --> 00:30:54,887 - [speaking Italian] 600 00:31:00,492 --> 00:31:01,961 - [grunts] 601 00:31:13,672 --> 00:31:15,574 - Mm. Yes. 602 00:31:16,375 --> 00:31:18,410 - Beautiful. Yeah, it's a beautiful fish. 603 00:31:18,444 --> 00:31:19,378 Beautiful. 604 00:31:23,715 --> 00:31:30,622 * 605 00:31:38,564 --> 00:31:39,498 - Oh. 606 00:31:47,739 --> 00:31:51,277 - The villages of Cinque Terre feature five castles 607 00:31:51,310 --> 00:31:55,314 designed to repel Saracen pirates. 608 00:31:55,347 --> 00:31:57,749 Today, visitors are welcome. 609 00:31:57,783 --> 00:32:01,020 They come to experience life in harmony with the elements, 610 00:32:01,053 --> 00:32:05,457 the only way of being the Ligurians have ever known. 611 00:32:06,258 --> 00:32:08,494 The Galetti home on the outskirts of town 612 00:32:08,527 --> 00:32:12,031 is also a restaurant, catering for visitors who eat 613 00:32:12,064 --> 00:32:13,599 what's been foraged from the sea 614 00:32:13,632 --> 00:32:17,169 surrounded by objects foraged from the land. 615 00:32:17,203 --> 00:32:19,305 * 616 00:32:19,338 --> 00:32:22,508 This is Pietro, Guido's son and head chef. 617 00:32:26,912 --> 00:32:29,881 - On the terrace, the heart of this forward-thinking family, 618 00:32:29,915 --> 00:32:32,351 Guido's wife Monica Comonello. 619 00:32:34,886 --> 00:32:36,022 - OK. 620 00:32:42,094 --> 00:32:43,262 - Si. 621 00:32:48,134 --> 00:32:50,236 - [speaking Italian] - OK. 622 00:32:51,537 --> 00:32:53,772 First though, Pietro makes a starter 623 00:32:53,805 --> 00:32:57,076 that's typically Ligurian, stuffed to make it go further. 624 00:32:57,109 --> 00:33:00,346 In this case, anchovies. 625 00:33:01,413 --> 00:33:04,750 Without a microscope, Pietro fills each tiny fish 626 00:33:04,783 --> 00:33:06,818 with cheese and herbs, 627 00:33:06,852 --> 00:33:09,721 and then they're rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. 628 00:33:09,755 --> 00:33:11,490 [oil sizzling] 629 00:33:13,959 --> 00:33:15,127 - OK. 630 00:33:18,364 --> 00:33:21,267 - Guido catches fish, finds furniture, 631 00:33:21,300 --> 00:33:25,437 and makes his own vino del marinaro, sailor's wine. 632 00:33:31,177 --> 00:33:32,511 - [laughs] 633 00:33:38,984 --> 00:33:40,452 - Ciao, ciao. 634 00:33:40,486 --> 00:33:43,089 We're cooking outside to enjoy the sea air, 635 00:33:43,122 --> 00:33:44,490 but also because the kitchen 636 00:33:44,523 --> 00:33:46,492 was just too small to film in. 637 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:50,229 - Ah. 638 00:33:50,262 --> 00:33:51,797 Oh, those are the little ones, yeah. 639 00:34:18,324 --> 00:34:19,825 - That smells so good. 640 00:34:19,858 --> 00:34:22,060 [all speaking Italian] 641 00:34:23,129 --> 00:34:24,630 The base is a fish stock. 642 00:34:24,663 --> 00:34:27,399 Pietro is adding parsley and marjoram. 643 00:34:27,433 --> 00:34:29,368 Yeah, that's beautiful. That's beautiful. 644 00:34:29,401 --> 00:34:31,737 Delicate, not overpowering. 645 00:34:32,204 --> 00:34:34,106 - Oh, my God, yeah. 646 00:34:37,509 --> 00:34:38,477 - Si. 647 00:34:39,911 --> 00:34:40,846 - Si. 648 00:34:45,217 --> 00:34:46,385 - Beautiful. 649 00:34:55,093 --> 00:34:56,262 [laughter] 650 00:35:02,668 --> 00:35:03,635 - Si. 651 00:35:06,738 --> 00:35:08,707 - The fish is gilt-head bream, 652 00:35:08,740 --> 00:35:10,809 the star of the morning's catch. 653 00:35:10,842 --> 00:35:13,679 - [speaking Italian] 654 00:35:18,184 --> 00:35:19,818 - Grazie. 655 00:35:22,388 --> 00:35:24,122 - Si. - [laughs] 656 00:35:24,956 --> 00:35:26,358 - Grazie. 657 00:35:31,997 --> 00:35:34,966 [soft music] 658 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:42,140 * 659 00:35:44,610 --> 00:35:45,411 Grazie. 660 00:35:45,444 --> 00:35:47,846 Oh, how beautiful is that? 661 00:35:52,083 --> 00:35:53,219 - Si. 662 00:35:55,987 --> 00:35:57,889 [laughter] 663 00:36:02,994 --> 00:36:04,230 * 664 00:36:04,263 --> 00:36:05,631 Oh, I have to try one of these. 665 00:36:05,664 --> 00:36:07,132 I forgot. [speaking Italian] 666 00:36:07,165 --> 00:36:09,235 Excuse my reach. 667 00:36:09,268 --> 00:36:13,038 Pietro's stuffed anchovies are a meal in themselves, 668 00:36:13,071 --> 00:36:14,506 and they're delicious. 669 00:36:14,540 --> 00:36:16,308 Bravo. - Grazie. 670 00:36:16,342 --> 00:36:17,843 - Bravo. - Delicious. 671 00:36:22,781 --> 00:36:23,749 - Si. 672 00:36:36,762 --> 00:36:37,729 - No. 673 00:36:43,369 --> 00:36:46,238 - All I can say is thanks. 674 00:36:46,272 --> 00:36:47,906 [all speaking Italian] 675 00:36:47,939 --> 00:36:49,441 - Grazie. - Grazie. 676 00:36:49,475 --> 00:36:51,943 * 677 00:36:51,977 --> 00:36:53,779 Thrift isn't stinginess. 678 00:36:53,812 --> 00:36:56,882 It's a cure for overconsumption. 679 00:36:56,915 --> 00:37:00,185 Their hardscrabble inheritance means Ligurians can show us 680 00:37:00,218 --> 00:37:04,323 the real luxury, how to live happily off the land and sea, 681 00:37:04,356 --> 00:37:07,759 satisfied that enough is plenty. 682 00:37:07,793 --> 00:37:11,530 * 683 00:37:13,865 --> 00:37:16,101 [piano music] 684 00:37:16,134 --> 00:37:17,903 [bright music] 685 00:37:17,936 --> 00:37:20,572 - The Ligurian landscape might be ungiving, 686 00:37:20,606 --> 00:37:24,310 but their sea is very generous. 687 00:37:24,343 --> 00:37:26,278 Since ancient times, the waters near 688 00:37:26,312 --> 00:37:30,749 the city of La Spezia have been a shellfish goldmine. 689 00:37:32,584 --> 00:37:35,921 I've come to the picturesque harbor of La Grazia 690 00:37:35,954 --> 00:37:39,124 to meet undersea farmer Paolo Varela. 691 00:37:39,157 --> 00:37:40,759 - Buongiorno. Welcome on board. 692 00:37:40,792 --> 00:37:43,629 - Thank you so much. Thank you so much. 693 00:37:43,662 --> 00:37:46,898 Paolo is a farmer of bivalves. 694 00:37:46,932 --> 00:37:51,236 The oyster is his world, as is the mussel. 695 00:37:51,269 --> 00:37:56,375 * 696 00:37:56,408 --> 00:38:00,379 This is the fabled Gulf of Poets. 697 00:38:00,412 --> 00:38:02,614 It's a bay in a notch of the cliffs 698 00:38:02,648 --> 00:38:05,884 at the far eastern end of the Ligurian coast. 699 00:38:05,917 --> 00:38:08,987 In the 19th century, oysters from these waters 700 00:38:09,020 --> 00:38:12,090 were cheap and plentiful, food for the masses. 701 00:38:12,123 --> 00:38:16,428 Last century, the industry went into decline. 702 00:38:16,462 --> 00:38:18,930 [soft piano music] 703 00:38:19,998 --> 00:38:21,600 - Yeah. Yeah. 704 00:38:23,769 --> 00:38:25,671 - To bring it back. - Yeah. 705 00:38:25,704 --> 00:38:27,639 - We're headed for the undersea ranch 706 00:38:27,673 --> 00:38:29,575 where Paolo and his fellow fishermen 707 00:38:29,608 --> 00:38:32,110 farm oysters and mussels. 708 00:38:32,143 --> 00:38:33,779 * 709 00:38:40,819 --> 00:38:43,622 Across 30 square acres of sea, 710 00:38:43,655 --> 00:38:46,224 thousands of mussels hang on strings, 711 00:38:46,257 --> 00:38:48,827 maturing in the tide. 712 00:38:48,860 --> 00:38:51,530 While growing, the mussels also filter 713 00:38:51,563 --> 00:38:53,699 out of the water any impurities 714 00:38:53,732 --> 00:38:56,067 their oyster cousins don't like. 715 00:38:56,101 --> 00:38:59,671 As a result, the oysters grow fat and juicy, 716 00:38:59,705 --> 00:39:02,508 something Paolo is happy to show off. 717 00:39:02,541 --> 00:39:06,077 - And we insert between the shells, 718 00:39:06,111 --> 00:39:08,213 and then voila. 719 00:39:08,246 --> 00:39:10,616 - When I do it, it's a disaster. 720 00:39:10,649 --> 00:39:12,618 - And so green. 721 00:39:12,651 --> 00:39:14,886 - Oh, my God, they're-- why are they so green? 722 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:16,588 - Our sea. 723 00:39:16,622 --> 00:39:18,457 Phytoplankton. 724 00:39:18,490 --> 00:39:20,726 - That's all from the phytoplankton? 725 00:39:20,759 --> 00:39:21,827 - Yeah. 726 00:39:21,860 --> 00:39:24,563 - I've never seen an oyster that color. 727 00:39:24,596 --> 00:39:26,865 That's amazing. 728 00:39:26,898 --> 00:39:28,900 Like so many Ligurian producers, 729 00:39:28,934 --> 00:39:32,438 Paolo rides the wave of sustainable food production. 730 00:39:38,043 --> 00:39:38,977 - Right. 731 00:39:42,648 --> 00:39:43,782 - Carbon, yeah. 732 00:39:47,753 --> 00:39:50,622 - For every 100 kilos of oysters grown, 733 00:39:50,656 --> 00:39:54,693 50 kilos of CO2 leave the atmosphere. 734 00:39:55,894 --> 00:39:57,429 At the cooperative's plant, 735 00:39:57,463 --> 00:40:01,733 mussels are processed by machine, oysters by hand. 736 00:40:01,767 --> 00:40:05,003 Some, though, are processed by mouth by Paolo 737 00:40:05,036 --> 00:40:08,273 because he likes to breakfast on green oysters 738 00:40:08,306 --> 00:40:11,276 and a glass of vermentino, the local wine. 739 00:40:11,309 --> 00:40:13,479 [cork pops] 740 00:40:13,512 --> 00:40:15,013 - Cheers. - Cheers. 741 00:40:15,046 --> 00:40:17,516 - The industrial setting seems fitting 742 00:40:17,549 --> 00:40:20,619 for just-processed oysters. 743 00:40:20,652 --> 00:40:24,089 - I'll hold it. 744 00:40:24,122 --> 00:40:26,057 - OK. - Ready? 745 00:40:26,091 --> 00:40:28,026 I'm ready. 746 00:40:28,059 --> 00:40:31,129 - No lemon or anything else is required. 747 00:40:39,605 --> 00:40:41,907 That's a really good oyster. 748 00:40:41,940 --> 00:40:43,274 That's delicious. 749 00:40:43,308 --> 00:40:46,411 Really salty, briny, 750 00:40:46,444 --> 00:40:48,514 but sweet, like, a sweetness. 751 00:40:48,547 --> 00:40:53,251 - As you talk, you smell the power from the nose and ears. 752 00:40:53,284 --> 00:40:55,086 - Whoa. 753 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:56,054 Wow. 754 00:40:56,855 --> 00:40:58,890 - Si. - That's really-- 755 00:41:02,594 --> 00:41:05,664 [plucky music] 756 00:41:05,697 --> 00:41:08,299 * 757 00:41:08,333 --> 00:41:09,868 - [laughs] 758 00:41:09,901 --> 00:41:12,270 - Inspired by Liguria's fresh seafood, 759 00:41:12,303 --> 00:41:15,073 I've decided to cook a meal for those who have labored 760 00:41:15,106 --> 00:41:18,677 so hard to help me make this series. 761 00:41:18,710 --> 00:41:20,378 As we prepare the meal together, 762 00:41:20,411 --> 00:41:23,114 I cannot help but think of the meals I've shared 763 00:41:23,148 --> 00:41:26,184 over the last three years with Italians 764 00:41:26,217 --> 00:41:29,187 from so many different regions and walks of life. 765 00:41:29,220 --> 00:41:31,422 I've traveled through this peninsula 766 00:41:31,456 --> 00:41:33,692 searching for a definition of a country 767 00:41:33,725 --> 00:41:37,095 that is at once welcoming and resistant, 768 00:41:37,128 --> 00:41:40,599 beautiful and dark, ancient and young. 769 00:41:40,632 --> 00:41:42,100 [laughter] 770 00:41:42,133 --> 00:41:45,036 Yes, pieces of the country we all know as Italy 771 00:41:45,070 --> 00:41:47,038 are to be found in the hills, 772 00:41:47,072 --> 00:41:51,476 fields, homes, mountains, castles, 773 00:41:51,509 --> 00:41:54,746 ruins, and medieval streets. 774 00:41:54,780 --> 00:41:57,816 But my search has led me to realize 775 00:41:57,849 --> 00:42:01,553 that Italy as a single pure entity 776 00:42:01,587 --> 00:42:05,256 is to be found only at the table.