Plus the restaurants, cafes and pub she counts as favourites in Sydney, Melbourne and Milan.
Italian-Australian TV personality and cookbook author Silvia Colloca makes fresh pasta four days a week at the northern beaches Sydney home she shares with her husband, actor Richard Roxburgh, and their three children. But when she’s eating out, it’s almost the last thing she’d order – unless it meets her strict standards.
“It’s imperative the pasta is not overcooked,” says Colloca, who will share a heaped helping of her cooking knowledge in the third series of Silvia’s Italian Masterclass when it airs on Network Ten later this year.
“The concept of al dente [resistance to the tooth] matters to Italians and it matters to me. It’s more important than you think and not as snobby as it might sound.
“It mostly applies to dry pasta,” she says. “As a rule of thumb, if the packet says 11 minutes, take it out after 9 or 10 minutes because it continues to cook with the residual heat.”
Colloca’s eventful career began with acting and opera singing (she once shared a stage with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli), but these days she is best known for bringing everyday Italian cuisine and her food culture to the table through her cooking shows and cookbooks (seven and counting). She’s also an ambassador for the pasta company San Remo, a partnership she was drawn to because it’s a family-run business where al dente is of the essence.
Eating in
Signature dish
Pizza night is once a week – it’s a family highlight. I make classic pizzas with anchovies, baby artichokes and buffalo mozzarella – there are leftovers for lunchboxes and snacks the next day. Reheating pizza in the sandwich press is next level. I also make a pizza bianca − I like the combination of thinly sliced potato and thin slices of mortadella on top.
Guilty pleasure
If I have a bag of Haribo Gummy Bears, I’ll eat them all in one sitting. I really like lollies, and those in particular have been a favourite since childhood.
Kitchen wisdom
Don’t waste ingredients; buy what you know you will use. If you need to buy a bunch of parsley for a recipe, make sure you freeze the rest. It’s economical and efficient.
Eating out
Favourite places to eat in Sydney
I appreciate the simplicity of North Bondi Fish. Their dish of baked scallops with XO butter dressing is delicious.
I love Mimi’s, Coogee, for a special occasion. I recommend the kingfish crudo or the coral trout. The grilled eggplant comes with a mixture of sweet and sour dressing – it’s also amazing. I’ve only been here twice, but it was worth it.
Downstairs from Mimi’s is Coogee Pavilion, which is excellent. It has lots of different food stations, from Neapolitan pizza and fish and chips to home-made gelato.
Favourite cafe and pub in Sydney
Flour and Stone in Woolloomooloo is where I go for a latte and freshly baked croissants. Then I pop into their lab next door and take away the lamingtons.
I am not one for bars, but if we go to a local pub, it’s The Newport, which is close to home. It’s the best pub in Sydney. [Last time] I ordered an Asian salad with prawns and crunchy noodles. I don’t go in for cocktails, but if I am out for a social night, I will have a tequila shot.
Sydney family takeaway
We do a burger night once a fortnight. We get them from Charcoal Charlie’s Mona Vale – a solid choice. U2’s Bono loves it too!
Memorable meals in Australia
Cargo Fish and Chips on the jetty in Kiama is a great memory with family. It’s always windy and you fight off seagulls and pelicans, but it’s a beautiful place. We also love to eat fish and chips at Woy Woy Fisherman’s Wharf on the NSW Central Coast. My husband took me to Icebergs Dining Room and Bar when we got engaged at the end of 2003 – it was my first time at that iconic spot.
My favourite places to eat in Melbourne
It’s always Caffe e Cucina on Chapel Street. I love the vibe, and the fact it’s been there so long and the quality and service are excellent. I ordered a cotoletta [crumbed veal cutlet] with potatoes and spinach. I will eat pasta here – they often have seafood pasta cooked in a bag, which is beautiful.
Mark Roper
The other place I love in Melbourne is Cumulus Inc. in Flinders Lane. It’s innovative, and they have interesting food: great pairings and fabulous cooking techniques I would never try at home. I go here for the flavours. Last time, I ate the rum baba cake, a yeasted brioche dough cooked in rum and served with pastry cream or whipped cream. It’s a classic Neapolitan dessert that feels like it’s just been discovered in Australia; I’m starting to see it on menus more often.
On the road
Favourite food city
It would have to be my birthplace, Milan in Italy. I spent 28 years of my life there, and it’s nostalgic for me. I recommend a hole-in-the-wall bakery called Luini near the Duomo that sells panzerotti – deep-fried folded pizza. If you blink, you’ll miss it, although there’s always a queue. It’s worth the wait. You won’t find a seat, so enjoy it standing. I love the classic tomato and mozzarella, and have never eaten any other filling.
My favourite seafood restaurant in Milan is Langosteria. I always order the potato gnocchi with a yellow cherry tomato sauce and red prawns. Richard and I go every time we visit. You also cannot miss trying the classic Milanese risotto and ossobuco served with polenta if you are in Milan during autumn or winter. Another bakery I love for artisan breads is Princi.
The best recipes from Australia’s leading chefs straight to your inbox.
Jane Rocca is a regular contributor to Sunday Life Magazine, Executive Style, The Age EG, columnist and features writer at Domain Review, Domain Living’s Personal Space page. She is a published author of four books.Connect via Twitter or email.
