The Pasta Grannies Podcast

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-4nqMFollow 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.

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_6BEUc8H4Happy 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.

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=nNZBsYLnfRqXSFfjFollow 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.

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=6Zbg137tXHEAnd don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content head to our website pastagrannies.comProduced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

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=ROxLkDZraAXv8RhAnd don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content head to our website pastagrannies.comProduced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

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=utx2eeEKv30And don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content, head to our website pastagrannies.comProduced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

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=LjJ1fEJYFygAnd don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content, head to our website pastagrannies.comProduced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

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=rlhq1kIPpPcAnd don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content, head to our website pastagrannies.comProduced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.

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-T2rAnd don't forget to follow us on Instagram @pastagrannies and for exclusive content, head to our website pastagrannies.comProduced by Megan Macqueen. Edited by Dave Depares.