CityLife

Our man to Carluccio's rescue

Neil and the great man share a kitchen

WHEN Italian food guru Antonio Carluccio was left without a lovely assistant, M.E.N. food critic Neil Sowerby was drafted in.
 

Larger-than-life Antonio had enlisted the services of Terry Christian to help promote his 14th and latest cookbook, Antonio Carlucio's Simple Cooking (Quadrille, £20hb), a fabulous primer in using quality Italian ingredients (as it says on the packet!) simply.
 

But Manchester's wannabe mayor and Celebrity Big Brother legend couldn't make the launch at Carluccio's restaurant in Spinningfields at the last minute.
 

That's how our boy came to be rolling spinach balls and playing straight man to Antonio, who was back to his jovial self after a well-publicised admission to The Priory last year.
 

Maybe Terry will ask him to cook the inaugural banquet if he ever dons that mayoral chain...