Alberto Capatti talks about his first culinary experiences as an Italian in France, not knowing how to choose wine, etc. Gualtiero Marchesi talks about how he sought to take the elements he admired in French cuisine and apply them to his own style of cooking in Italy.

Gualtiero Marchesi had the opportunity to witness the beginnings of "nouvelle cuisine" in France before it arrived in Italy. The Troisgros family, with whom he worked, were famed for their innovative cooking. Their restaurant was in an area with no gastronomic legacy, and they had to rely on their skill, rather than on characteristic local ingredients.

What Gualtiero Marchesi learned from the Troisgros brothers in Roanne, was, above all, the importance of simplicity.

The beginnings of La Nouvelle Cuisine (French: the new cuisine) are likened to the Impressionists, abandoning mythical themes, and painting directly from nature. La Nouvelle Cuisine focused on the quality of the food itself. Marchesi was in tune with this idea, and at the same time, knew he'd found true artistry in the Troisgros brothers in Dijon, when he went to work with them in the late sixties.

From la nouvelle cuisine, which at its beginnings was reserved for fancy restaurants and connoisseurs and was looked upon with some scepticism, important lessons could be learned about cooking methods and the quality of the food itself.

Italians are very attached to tradition. In fact, although eating habits have changed, many traditional dishes, rather than being discarded, have been transformed. This means more variety and smaller portions, so that a diner will eat more than just a plateful of pasta.

This is a great chance to practice bone and muscle vocabulary, since that's what the pairing is about in this episode. The first contestant is named Santo. "Santo" means "saint," so there's some joking about it being just his name, not a description. Carlo, contestant number two is a musician and works in music therapy. He sings a few phrases of an aria from the Puccini opera Tosca.

Claudio is given a list of Italian places and has to say whether they're in the north or the south of Italy.

Agnese, the contestant from Rome, is quizzed on a list of soccer players and she has to respond whether they're ex-players or current players. A new contestant, Antonella, responds to a list of words, saying if they're adverbs or adjectives.

In this segment, there are "true or false" questions. Aside from the answers themselves, there are explanations of some true statements that are quite fascinating.

Carlo quizzes all the contestants on such varied topics as the existence of a Renaissance-era ostrich egg globe and the healthiness of ricin (it's deadly).

We're down to two contestants: Agnese and Francescopaolo. Carlo's seven questions are pretty tough and involve international material.

Francescopaolo is back in the game. He makes an usual request to Carlo. His new challenger is Ilaria, who Carlo introduces to the audience.

Ilaria and Matteo are the new contestants. Ilaria is quizzed on a list of Italian male celebrities and has to decide whether they're actors or singers.

Carlo presents Matteo with a list of countries and asks him whether they're situated in the Atlantic or the Pacific.