Slow Food, Fast Cars: Casa Maria Luigia takes readers on a journey into the heart of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, which many would consider to be the country’s culinary centre.
There, Massimo Bottura, the globally celebrated chef behind three- Michelin-star Osteria Francescana, and his wife and co-author, restaurateur Lara Gilmore, invite us into their world, at Casa Maria Luigia — an 18th-century luxury guest house nestled in the leafy countryside of Modena, the birthplace of Bottura and two of his signal extra-culinary passions, Ferrari and Maserati.
The book, which divulges 85 delectable dishes from Bottura, Gilmore, and Casa’s head chef, ex-Montrealer Jessica Rosval, is the next best thing to an all-inclusive North Italian food tour. From frittatas to pastries and drinks to seasoned meat, and even a sneak peek at the hotel’s brunch menu — Tóla Dólza (“Take It Easy”) — the pages convey the authors’ passion for honest, home-cooked food, with nods to their other muses. A searcher of recipes will not only enjoy a taste of Bottura’s culinary expertise, but also catch a glimpse into his extensive vinyl collection, his love of iconic Italian supercars, and the wisdom he acquired from none other than Enzo Ferrari (Bottura’s most recent restaurant project is a Ferrari co-production at their Maranello HQ, where he has reopened Enzo’s legendary trattoria and one-time staff cafeteria, Ristorante Cavallino).
Slow Food, Fast Cars is a celebration of culinary artistry, hospitality, and the art of living — an invitation to savour life’s pleasures in the embrace of Italy’s timeless charm.
—ALEX CYR
Photos by Michael Gardenia and Phaidon.
