Quotes from Gino D'Acampo

I had wanted to be a dentist, but ended up being a chef. I think I've always had a fascination for jobs that have white jackets.

Rome is the capital of Europe; it's as simple as that. You need to see what the Romans did 2,000 years ago. They were so advanced compared to the rest of the world. They showed us how to make roads, toilet seats, how to do irrigation, and more. When you see the Colosseum you won't believe it was built so long ago.

It was totally insane doing goat yoga in San Francisco.

When I was eight years old, my mum and dad took me skiing in Valle d'Aosta in northern Italy. I'm not usually a huge fan of snow or cold places, but I loved the fact that we were together as a family.

Everybody in Italy cooks. They have a better knowledge of the kitchen - that's the place around which the whole of Italian society revolves.

But my wife doesn't often allow me to cook in our kitchen at home. She says that I'm messy and I don't clean up after myself!

I can cook in front of millions of people on TV, I don't care. But cooking for my own family really freaked me out. If they don't like it, they tell you.

I'd love everyone to try authentic Italian food.

Generally, Italians just eat better. They're not doing that thing where they're eating two or three hundred grams of pasta. They're never eating a carbonara sauce with a tub of cream in it.

I'm a great believer in telling my children about turning my life around and I work a lot with younger teenagers when they are in trouble.

There is a huge misconception that you need to spend hours in the kitchen to produce something special.

I spent a week of my honeymoon on a cruise ship and it was a nightmare. Never again.

There's no point spending every day with the kids and not talking to each other. I'd rather spend one very intense day together.

I had never seen an avocado until I came to London in 1994. They just weren't a feature of southern Italian cuisine.

I think it's a good thing that I eat well. Don't get me wrong, I go for fish and chips sometimes or the odd kebab, but you need more healthy food than bad.

I have a nap every afternoon like a little boy. Or an old man. Depending on how you look at it.

If you want to go for a romantic break, or a quick break in Italy, it has to be Venice.

I understood food from a very early age. I understood the combination of ingredients very early.