Famed for exquisite gelato, Giapo Grazioli also proves a dab hand with pesto.
I have long been a fan of culinary genius Giapo Grazioli's gelato creations coming out of his tiny Queen St store. Open now for eight years, the store has been been pushing the boundaries on ingredients and wacky creations to the point of a cult following and nightly queues out the door. The tiramisu is my absolute favourite, although I have also recently tried and loved the organic Kumeu strawberries and cream. Giapo is a champion of local ingredients and comes from a chef background. He and his wife Annarosa hail from Italy. Curious to know about their culinary history, and how they eat when they're not selling out of organic ice cream, I invited myself over for lunch.
I was welcomed to their beautiful Mission Bay home with an aperitivo Aperol spritz and smoked prosciutto on an antipasti platter. Originally from near Sorrento, Naples, Giapo informs me immediately that it is very important to drink on the job: "You can't cook without drinking," he tells me, and I don't need to be told twice.
Today he and Annarosa are teaching me how to make spaghetti maria grazia, a zucchini and basil spaghetti dish they often make when friends come for dinner. We start by picking basil in the garden, and then I keep sipping Aperol and pick their brains.
"Music is very important too," Giapo tells me, as he sings loudly along to Creedence Clearwater Revival's Have you Ever Seen the Rain.
They've lived in New Zealand for about 13 years, and have two children aged 4 and 6. Giapo tells me they both cook at home. I stand to the side as they dancing around each other in the kitchen, frying zucchini, weighing cheese, testing pasta. I take in the sights and smells. "It's always a collaboration," he says, but admits Annarosa does most of the cooking for the children.
