FOOD & DRINK / Daily Bread: Antonio Carluccio: What the chef ate one day last week

I HAVE one rule, which is never to have breakfast; in Italy people rarely do. So although I adore things like bacon and kippers, I started the day with just a milky coffee, a caffe lette. I went straight to the restaurant and at 12 o'clock had a light lunch. I ate what the rest of the staff had, something prepared in the restaurant. Today it was freshly grilled sardines with salad, which was very very good. At weekends I try to create new recipes for lunch; today, as every day, I tested everything I created, but in minimal quantities. I felt hungry so I also had a good piece of bread, baked on the premises, and a slice of salami. I had dinner at 7.30 - a nice steak, which was very juicy and tender, eaten with a great deal of vegetables. Steak has to be of extremely good quality, and grilled; there is nothing more annoying than chewing and chewing at a steak. Afterwards I had fresh fruit, which is what I always have unless I'm creating a new dessert. I drank water with the meal, though I love a glass of wine from time to time - as long as it's of exceptionally high quality. I finished with what is for me an occasional treat - a very good whisky. Life is made of things like that; when you reach a certain status you can fill your stomach with good things - but not too much] I adore chocolate, but I don't keep it in the house because if it were there I would eat it. I don't want to do that, because I try my recipes all day and I am starting to get too heavy. Because of this, I had nothing at all to eat later in the evening.

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