Milk Street Television Season 4 Episode 16 Secret Italian Recipes

In this episode of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street, Season 2 season 4 episode 16, titled "Secret Italian Recipes," Christopher and his team travel to Italy to uncover some of the most hidden and forgotten recipes of Italian cuisine. The episode focuses on the lesser-known dishes that have been passed down through generations, not found on regular restaurant menus.

Christopher and his team begin their journey in Piedmont, where they meet a small group of Italian grandmothers who share their secret recipe for agnolotti pasta. The grandmothers teach the team how to make their special pasta dough recipe from scratch, as well as the filling made with roasted meat, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and vegetables. Christopher and his team are amazed by the depth of flavors the dish embodies and showcase the dish by pairing it with a light tomato sauce.

Next, Christopher and his team head to Emilia-Romagna in search of piadina, a traditional Italian flatbread from the region. They come across a small stall in the market where they meet a woman named Maria. Maria shared her secret recipe for piadina, featuring simple ingredients such as flour, lard, and salt. The team learns how to properly cook the piadina on a flat skillet and their finished product is served with prosciutto, Parmesan cheese, and arugula.

The team then heads to Sicily to learn about a traditional dish called polpette di melanzane or eggplant meatballs. They meet an Italian grandmother named Anna who shares her recipe for the meatballs that has been in her family for generations. The team learns how to make the meatballs from scratch with ingredients such as eggplant, breadcrumbs, and cheese, and how to properly fry them to achieve the perfect crispy exterior.

Finally, the team heads north to Trentino-Alto Adige to learn about a meat dish called speck. Speck is a smoked ham made from the hind leg of a pig and is a staple in the region. The team meets with a farmer who shows them how the pigs are raised and then takes them to a local smokehouse where they discover the process behind creating the smoked ham. The team then showcases the speck by serving it with a side of roasted apples and potatoes.

Throughout the episode, Christopher and his team discover the beauty of traditional Italian cuisine and the importance of preserving timeless recipes. They also emphasize the simplicity of ingredients and techniques used to create these dishes. The episode ends with Christopher and his team reflecting on their journey and the amazing food they experienced throughout Italy.