Ready, steady…local chef cooks on Rai today

Restaurateur and chef Michael Diacono will be literally putting his culinary skills on show today during the popular Italian programme La prova del cuoco, screened on RaiUno.

Mr Diacono, who will be aided by his assistant chef Mark Cauchi, will be participating in a 20-minute "cookathon" featuring chefs from the Mediterranean basin.

The show, now in its ninth edition, is broadcast Monday to Saturday between 12.30 and 2 p.m. and is hosted by popular TV presenter Antonella Clerici.

In this seemingly short span of time, Mr Diacono and Mr Cauchi have an ambitiously succulent menu in store for their audience. They will be preparing four typically-Maltese dishes: soppa ta’ l-armla, stuffed artichokes, a lampuki dish and imqaret for dessert.

They took the fresh lampuki with them along with a bagful of Maltese delicacies. A detailed shopping list was mailed to Italy in advance.

This is the first time Mr Diacono is travelling abroad to feature on a foreign TV station but his food has been showcased overseas before. He said he was contacted by Rai and representatives came to Malta to conduct interviews and screening tests with a number of chefs, which led to Mr Diacono’s selection.

Mr Diacono is patron chef and owner of Ġużeppi’s in Mellieħa and has, since last June, taken over Rubino’s in Valletta.