_{Photo: Gabriele pictured second from left with his Inner West Local Business Awards trophy.}

Gabriele Moretti is the owner of Amoretti’s Restaurant in Chiswick, which recently took home the Inner West Local Business Award for Best Pizza Restaurant. Here Gabriele chats to Ciao about his greatest passion in life – food!

What is the secret to making the perfect pizza?
The key to a great pizza is using fine ingredients, but the main ingredient to it all is passion and love.

Who taught you how to cook? And do you remember the first thing you ever cooked?
Growing up in a Italian family, from a very young age one learns to use their three main senses right away! See, smell and taste! One of my earliest memories, as far back as I can remember is hanging around near the wood fire oven watching mum knead the dough by hand. Shorty after I could smell the bread cooking, then I knew it was time to bring her the butter and eat hot bread with butter. My mother has been a major influence on my cooking habits, but I must say I also taught myself a lot. I’ve always been up for a challenge. Unfortunately I don’t remember what the first dish I ever made was, but I’d guess it was pasta of some sort.

What kitchen utensil can’t you live without and why?
Gas! Ok, it’s not a utensil exactly but I really dislike cooking without it and good quality knives. They help you create those perfect dishes making sure every ingredient is precise.

Which international cuisines influence your cooking style?
Apart from Italian, Thai cuisine inspires me to use fresh earthy ingredients to bring the flavours out during and after cooking.

Name four ingredients that you always have on hand in your kitchen?
Nothing beats the taste of fine olive oil, enhanced with fresh herbs such as basil, and added with the taste of fresh garlic and the most important thing – my seasoning spice.

If you could invite anyone over for dinner at your place, who would it be and why?
This is a tough one, but it would be between Megan Fox and Miranda Kerr… Probably Megan so I could transform my food into seducing her! I wish!

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Gabriele’s Tiramisu

Ingredients:

2 cups expresso coffee
1/2 cup marsala
3 eggs, separated
1/3 cup caster sugar
250g mascarpone
300ml thickened cream, lightly whipped
1 large packet of sponge fingers (Savoiardi biscuits) Cocoa powder

Method:

1. Pour coffee and marsala into a shallow dish. Set aside.
2. Beat egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl with electric beaters until pale and thick. Add the mascarpone and whipped cream, mixing gently until just combined.
3. Beat egg whites in a medium-sized bowl with electric beaters until soft peaks form. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.