Piemonte e Valle d’Aosta

Situated in the very far, landlocked north of Italy, these two regions share many geographical, historical and culinary characteristics. They are mountainous, with the Alps forming a formidable border with France and Switzerland, and the cooking is substantial - rich in carbohydrates with a good variety of sustaining dishes to help survive the cold winters. It was here that I grew up, and so I have a particular affection for the area.

I have come to appreciate how privileged I was to live here during my early formative years. When I was seven months old, my father decided that the future for our large family would be more secure in the industrial north rather than in the sunny south, so we moved to Castelnuovo Belbo in Monferrato, with its acres of vineyards, vegetable and fruit fields, and its famous hills. Later we settled in Borgofranco d’Ivrea on the border between Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta, and it was here that I stayed until I flew the nest. Those happy years helped shape the Antonio of today.