My parents, Rocco and Solidea moved to the UK from Puglia and Molise Italia (with their families) when they were young playful children, due to limited work for my grandparents and virtually no or very little money. They set up camp in Bedford and my Nonno’s and Nonna’s raised their large families whilst working full time, ensuring that every evening their families would sit down around the family table a tuck into a simple bowl of ‘pasta e patate’ or ‘pasta e fagiole’. Stevenage brickworks and the Meltis chocolate factory were their workplaces for many years until they all retired. Most Italian Nonna’s would work at the mouth-watering Meltis (and bring home delicious sugared jelly sweets and mint chocolates wrapped in gold paper) whilst the Nonno’s would embrace the hard graft of the dusty brickworks daily.

My parents have the same work ethic and incredible passion for food too. Thankfully this has been passed on with open arms to my sister Daniela and I.  We were both born some years later in ( little Italy) Bedford.

Now a mother of four children and a wonderful husband, food and family are the important elements in my everyday life, however that last comment should read family and food really, must prioritise!!. Every evening my family sit around the table and enjoy our family meal, yes its quick, we are not sat supping vino and chatting for hours. Sometimes a meal will last ten minutes and be a simple spaghetti dish whilst at weekends we can entertain the children at the table for up to an hour, if we are lucky.

Over Christmas all we have done in our home is eat, drink and entertain family and friends, along with playing games and copious amounts of laughter.
I was bought up with my sister to have an evening meal every night at the family table with my parents, to simply share the days news, good or bad. The same happens every evening in our family home, even though my children still say they have done (nothing) at school. So for 2014, make this a New Years Resolution, to enjoy the simplest of cucina povera cooking at the table with your family.

Here is a recipe to get you started.
Spaghetti Carbonara

Preparation time: 5 minutes                               Cooking time: 12 minutes
Serves:4
4 tbsp olive oil
400g pancetta, cubed
2 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
70g parmesan, grated (plus a little extra for topping)
3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks
Salt and pepper
Basil, chopped
500g  packet spaghetti
  1. Cook the spaghetti as per packet instructions in salted boiling water.
  2. Fry off the pancetta in a little olive oil with the crushed garlic until coloured.
  3. In a bowl mix the cheese, whole eggs and yolks together and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the pancetta and garlic, stir well.  Stir the egg sauce into the spaghetti and generously add grated parmesan and chopped basil.
  5. The heat of the pancetta and spaghetti will cook the egg mixture as you stir. 
Serve in large warmed bowls with additional grated parmesan if required.

Buon anno Carmela x