Zuppe

Zuppe is a logical second volume in the series of Rome Sustainable Food Project cookbooks-soups are a centerpiece at almost every Academy meal, a great favorite of chef Mona Talbott, and the preparation that perhaps more than any other showcases the produce provided by farmer Giovanni Baernabei, the “patron saint” of the RSFP. A disciple of Carlo Linneaus, the father of modern botany, Baernabei’s farm provides the Academy’s kitchen with an endless source of fresh, organic vegetables-both cultivated and wild-that inspire the inventive seasonal menus. The fifty recipes draw from the four traditional categories of Italian soups: those made with water (aqua cotta), those made with stock (brodo), those made with cream (veloute), and soups for the evening meal. The recipes are arranged by seasons. The Rome Sustainable Food Project, a program devoted to providing organic, local and sustainable meals for the community of the American Academy in Rome, has launched a delicious revolution to rethink institutional dining.
Headed by chef Mona Talbott, a Chez Panisse alum, and guided by Alice Waters, the menus have given rise to a new, authentic cuisine, inspired by la cucina romana, Chez Panisse, and the collective experience of those working in the AAR kitchen.

Author Biography

Mona Talbott’s first food-related job was working in large reforestation camps in Canada. After culinary school she was hired by celebrated chef Alice Waters to work at Chez Panisse. Since 2007, Talbott has been executive chef at the Rome Sustainable Food Project at the American Academy in Rome. She has published articles and recipes in Saveur, Organic Style, and The New York Times. Annie Schlechter has been working as a photographer since 1998. Her clients include The World of Interiors, Wallpaper, House Beautiful, Real Simple, W magazine, Travel & Leisure, and many more.