Radio Times: Review by:; Jane Rackham

Unlike the Hairy Bikers and the Two Fat Ladies, Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo bicker even more than they eat. Which is a lot, because they scarf down phenomenal amounts of hearty grub as they make a pilgrimage around religious sites in Puglia, southern Italy.

Carluccio gushes and salivates over every dish but unlike the devout Contaldo he’s dismissive about Catholicism: “It’s a mass-marketed belief served with mass-marketed food. Both have lost touch with their roots,” he wheezes after stuffing himself with a mountain of pasta.

But he treats food – whether slow-cooked lamb, bread salad or panettone with ricotta – with true reverence. You just need to take the odd sexist comment and outdated views with a pinch of salt… and maybe a little olive oil, some nice basil and lots of garlic.

About this programme

4/4. Chefs Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo tour the Puglia region, where they examine the connection between religion and food. They begin with a pilgrim's picnic and a visit to a monastery, before heading to the shrine of Padre Pio, joining an olive harvest and enjoying the celebrations for the Day of the Dead.