Slow Food, Fast Cars Kitchen Arts & Letters

October 01,2024

The stories and recipes of Casa Maria Luigia, Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore's idyllic, Italian countryside guesthouse..
Chef Massimo Bottura is known for the skillful exuberance which has placed his restaurant Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, atop many lists of the world’s best restaurants and earned him 3 Michelin Stars. At Casa Maria Luigia, an inn located in the countryside near Modena, Bottura, his wife and collaborator Lara Gilmore, and chef Jessica Roval, temper that exuberance to a more tranquil level that suits the location and the grand farmhouse they renovated. Taking advantage of a dramatic outdoor wood-oven, as well as the produce of nearby fields, the food at Casa Maria Luigia is more rustic than at Osteria Francescana, though still beautifully and creatively presented. Among the dishes included in the book are: Charred green beans, cucumber, and chive flowers Hummus made from cedar-smoked chickpeas Cod and porcini glazed with saba, a concentrated grape juice Smoked peaches As for the fast cars: Modena and the nearby region is home to the factories for many the great Italian car manufacturers (Ferrari, Pagani, Lamborghini, Maserati); the inn showcases models from many of these, as well as some Ducati racing motorcycles, all of which are featured in the many photographs which reveal the beautiful design of the inn. Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.