Slow Food, Fast Cars, Dreamy Breakfasts
South Florida will get a taste of Italy’s globally celebrated chef and culinary visionary ,Massimo Bottura, when Torno Subito, his Italian Riviera-inspired restaurant, opens on the rooftop of Julia & Henry’s in downtown Miami later this year. He's also being honored at a tribute dinner at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival.
And they can get a peek into what Italian hospitality looks – and tastes like – in Slow Food, Fast Cars: Casa Maria Luigia – Stories and Recipes, a new book by Bottura and his wife and partner, Lara Gilmore, about their luxury inn in the Emilia-Romagna countryside.
“We want to open new doors for hospitality,” says Bottura. “We know how to say ‘welcome’ in a real way. It’s a home away from home.”
Part cookbook, travel book, home decor guide, art book with essays and photos revealing the tranquil beauty of Emilia-Romagna, Slow Food, Fast Cars does contain recipes for dishes served at the inn. It’s also a magical glimpse into their thoughtful renovation of an old farmhouse that incorporates the couple’s own tastes in music, contemporary art, the ancient trees on the property, and the car culture of nearby Modena, the home of Ferrari and Maserati. Emilia-Romagna is also the birthplace of balsamic vinegar, Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma ham and mortadella.
Traditional Italian breakfast is coffee and maybe a sweet cookie. This breakfast experience is not that. Bottura and Gilmore have modeled the Casa Maria Luigia breakfast after his family’s Christmas Day morning menu, serving regional specialties like gnocco fritto; erbazzone, mini pies stuffed with spinach, chard, herbs and Robiola cheese; focaccia and sweet onion frittata, served with a drizzle of local extra-aged balsamic vinegar.
And then there’s “From Modena to Mirandola,” roasted cotechino sausage served with zabaglione and crumbly almond cookies called sbrisolona. The flavors are a combination of savory and sweet that’s been a regional tradition for 500 years; Bottura’s maternal grandmother served that combination, making the menu “inspired by that specific memory, turned into something contemporary,” says Bottura.
Local honey, fresh ricotta, housemade liqueurs and preserved fruits and vegetables are also in the pantry at Casa Maria Luigia. The book contains recipes for Lemon Saffron Liqueur, Marigold Vinegar, Confit Garlic and Garlic Oil, Lemon, Lemongrass and Mint Water, among other pantry items; roasted fruits and vegetables in season; and dishes that reflect an Italian obsession with using top-quality ingredients at the height of ripe perfection.
At Casa Maria Luigia, guests can have the experience of dishes like those served at Osteria Francescana, Bottura’s three-Michelin-star restaurant in Modena, and savor the slower pace of living, says Gilmore. “Casa Maria Luigia is a home and a hotel, It is a place for reflection, for books, for music and art, for gardens and good food. A place to rest without feeling like a stranger; a place to come and go as you please. There’s Parmigiano and Lambrusco for all.”
And there is ample opportunity here to revel in the leisurely passage of time, like the kegs of balsamic vinegar, aging over 25 years in barrels of oak, chestnut, black locust, cherry, mulberry and juniper after their beginnings as juice from local Trebbiano di Spagna grapes. “Who among the grape pickers from Acetaia Maria Luigia’s first harvest will return to taste the fruits of their labor, to taste their youth?” writes Bottura. “I might not be here to witness it, but the balsamic will.”South Florida will get a taste of Italy’s globally celebrated chef and culinary visionary Massimo Bottura when Torno Subito, his Italian Riviera-inspired restaurant, opens on the rooftop of Julia & Henry’s in downtown Miami later this year. He’ll also be honored at a tribute dinner at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival in February.
In the meantime, they can get a taste of what Italian hospitality looks – and tastes like – in Slow Food, Fast Cars: Casa Maria Luigia – Stories and Recipes, a new book by Bottura and his wife and partner, Lara Gilmore, about their luxury inn in the Emilia-Romagna countryside.
“We want to open new doors for hospitality,” says Bottura. “We know how to say ‘welcome’ in a real way. It’s a home away from home.”
Get to Know Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore
Slow Food, Fast Cars: Casa Maria Luigia – Stories and Recipes
Massino Bottura and Lara Gilmore
Available at Books & Books and other stores
Tribute Dinner honoring Massimo Bottura and Luca Garavoglia
South Beach Food and Wine Festival
Sat., Feb. 22 • sobewff.org/tribute
Torno Subito • Julia & Henry’s, Miami
tornosubitomia.com
Bottura’s restaurant, a playful homage to the Italian Riviera, opens in 2024 on the rooftop.
