10 trips, 10 plates: Part 2

And here we are in the long-awaited Part 2 of 10 trips, 10 meals: a short culinary world tour in which we don’t give professional rating and tips, but reflect on the essence of some memorable meals from our journeys. In Part 1, we explored space, encounters, colours, contrasts, stars, i through picnics in Kenya, pizza in Russia, a Japanese temple, chips in Dubai, engera in Ethiopia. So, where are we travelling to today? Important elements of these five dishes: rocks, chickpeas, mountains, hope.

1. Alpine taste – 10 trips, 10 plates

No journey too far, but who can open us up to the sky more than the Dolomites? During the filming of COMPLEXion, Madonna di Campiglio, Malga Montagnoli filled us with the mountains with a wonderful sampling of alpine products with a creative touch, from an unforgettable starter of polenta with gorgonzola and anchovies, to cheese with honey and walnuts, sliced meats..

2. Hummus in Emmaus

In Abu Gosh, just outside Jerusalem and associated with Emmaus in Crusader times, you can find heavenly hummus on every corner, be it a large restaurant or a small foodtruck. We went to Naji several times: hummus alone is enough to make one realise that food, and the meal, is pure art. And for those with religious sensibilities, breaking bread at Emmaus is not bad at all.

3. Picnic on the red rocks

On our way back from filming at the Sainte Baume in Provence, the light of an early French June called us towards the red rocks of the Côte d’Azur. But why stop at a restaurant when all you need is a tablecloth, a baguette and good cheese? We stocked up in a good supermarket, found some beautiful rocks and admired the afternoon sea, with a few clouds that made it a crisp afternoon. How to make a good Provencal picnic? We talked about it in The Art of the Picnic, and we’ll talk about it again soon…

4. A burger and Neil Young

After presenting COMPLEXion at the ITTV Festival in Los Angeles, we had a quick Californian stroll, all four of us as a family. After a day in Yosemite, we found ourselves in the small town of Bishop, a real discovery: climbers leaving, climbers arriving, couples visiting the railway museum, all with a real, almost timeless atmosphere. It was Lia and Alberto’s wedding anniversary, which we celebrated with a good American hamburger. But the real surprise was the local musician who first sang Neil Young, the soundtrack of the couple, and then Bob Dylan, the soundtrack of my dad and me. All four of us were together, tired after a long day but happy. A little bit of family is enough, whatever form that has for you.

5. Our first meal on the road – 10 trips, 10 plates: Part 2

There are so many other meals we’ve had on our travels that are worth mentioning. The golden ice cream in Kanazawa, the egg and coriander soup in Fusagasuga, Colombia, turkey in the Aberdares with Steve. But the tenth memorable meal does not exist quite yet. It will be the first picnic, or the first meal on our first post-pandemic trip. Maybe there won’t be excellent food, maybe it will be small and insignificant. It could be in a few months, in a year, who knows. But, believe us, we are already savouring it.