Chef Diego Ghidetti's modern Italian cuisine at Francesca's Italian Kitchen is largely inspired by tradition.

“I started working in the kitchen in my grandfather’s restaurant, who had by then been a restaurant owner and chef for more than 50 years. My other grandfather also opened a restaurant a few years before that. I grew up in kitchens and collected many memories. After five years I moved to Australia where I worked in several places as I was travelling. Then after three years’ experience owning a restaurant with my mother in Italy, I came back to New Zealand where I started working at Francesca's in Christchurch, not long after the restaurant opened.”

Three key ingredients to a tasty dish? It has to be garlic, olive oil and tomato, the key ingredients of many Italian dishes.

What is your favourite guilty pleasure? In Italy we have a habit: after finishing our pasta, we scrape the leftover sauce, and sometimes the pan, with some fresh bread. We call it the ‘scarpetta’ and it's a must-do for me.

What is an interesting trend you’re seeing in food? As in many fields, there is now a look to the past and the old ways. In the kitchen, chefs work hard to have zero waste while cooking, using everything possible to make different dishes. It’s a really good habit for the environment and food cost.

Who are your culinary heroes? I'm not a big fan of the Michelin restaurants – small portions and high prices – so it won't be a celebrity chef. My heroes are all mothers and grandmothers who, in Italy as anywhere else, spend their mornings and days in the kitchen preparing food for the family and preserving the treasures of family and regional recipes. 

Is there a particular book that has inspired you in your life or career? La Scienza in Cucina e l'Arte di Mangiar Bene (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well) by Pellegrino Artusi, published in 1981. A real masterpiece, it’s a collection of Italian traditional recipes and a look at how chefs and home cooks used to work without much technology, needing to make everything from scratch.

What’s one thing people probably don’t know about you? Before I started working in a restaurant I was studying for a degree in philosophy. Then some things happened at my grandfather’s restaurant – he was 75 years old then – and there was a good chance for me to learn this job and pursue my passion for cooking. So I dropped university and started working full-time. 

RECIPE: Learn to cook Chef Diego's Risotto Ai Funghi

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