Bread is Gold by the brilliant Massimo Bottura. Osteria Francescana is certainly a bucket list destination for me. We spent a night in Modena a few years back and, by sheer coincidence, found ourselves just around the corner from the establishment. The children were quite young at the time, and I doubt we’d have managed to secure a table at such short notice in any event. Modena was delightful, and we embarked on a couple of excellent visits to the Ferrari museum, as well as to an authentic balsamic vinegar producer. Authentic balsamic vinegar takes decades to produce; with each passing year, the vinegar evaporates and becomes more concentrated. Bread is Gold focuses on creating gourmet meals from leftover food or food waste. Each section of the book features a different world-renowned chef preparing a three-course menu. One of the recipes even utilises banana peels!

Firstly, we tried Curry, Herb, and Red Pepper Dips with Pizza Chips as prepared by Andreas Caminada. The pizza chips were an ingenious way of crafting crispbreads for the dips using some pizza dough I had made and frozen. The dips and breads were superb. Curry with cream cheese, Herb with ricotta, and then roasted red pepper with cream cheese. The dips were straightforward to prepare and utterly delicious. They provided a delightful starter for our Sunday dinner.

Next, we prepared Chicken on Sticks with Soy Sauce and Popcorn. The combination of the popcorn’s crunch with a sort of Yakitori was splendid. It involved a simple marinade that was then reduced to a dipping sauce to accompany the skewers. Absolutely gorgeous. Lastly, we made Teriyaki Hamburgers. Although these were not the finest burgers we’ve attempted over the years the blog has been running, the accompanying red peppers, mushrooms, and teriyaki sauce were superb with the burgers. Definitely one to try again. Next week, we’re heading to NZ for a cookbook with soul.