“American, particularly New York, cooking is summarised by this iconic combination. My version of the meatball can be adapted to make meatloaf, sausage rolls and everything in between.” - Shannon Bennett.

“There are so many theories and stories surrounding this dish. Some of them are part-truths, some just fantasy. The only verified story that seems to prove its worth is that towards the end of the war, in and around Rome, food shortages were at their worst ever. American and Allied troops distributed rations consisting of powdered egg and tinned Spam. The locals used these to season water and then cooked it out with dried pasta. This method was then brought back to America and fast became a popular and easy recipe. Over time, Spam was replaced with bacon, and dried egg was swapped for fresh, grated cheese, which was always a desirable garnish. Sometime over the years, cream was added, which I am not a fan of. My version is a tasty and easy version that may surprise some” – Shannon Bennett

“I challenge anyone to fly to any major Italian city, avoid the tourist hotspots and, instead, walk into a traditional trattoria and try to order a chicken or veal schnitzel smothered in tomato sauce, layered with a slice of ham and finished with cheese. The Italians simply never get drunk enough to invent something so calorific” - Shannon Bennett.

“Combine this with fresh tagliatelle and you have a version close to the original ragù from the city of Bologna. This recipe travelled across the Atlantic with the Italian migrants, and the classic American dish was born. Some recipes call for the use of milk in the ragù. I am not a fan. But, that said, butter and cheese added at the end of cooking is, I suppose, a substitute for this thinking. My other pet hate is plonking the sauce on top of plain pasta – terrible. You need to have the pasta emulsified with the sauce” - Shannon Bennett.

“The best Italian salad I have ever eaten had small florets of broccoli mixed with golden crispy shavings of garlic and fried chilli in brown butter, lemon and olive oil. Simplicity done to perfection. This salad was, in fact, in Tokyo! The best-ever pizza I’ve eaten also came from the same eatery, called Seirinkan. The tiny multilevel place serves just two types of pizza: marinara or margherita. Take it or leave it, but it’ll be the best you have ever had!” - Shannon Bennett.

“This seafood dish has become a classic, thanks to San Francisco restaurant Alioto’s on Fisherman’s Wharf. The popular establishment claims to have been the first to turn the frugal seafood stew of the Bay area’s Italian immigrant fishermen into a restaurant-quality version.”