The bond between man and nature has always been a fundamental element of the farming world. After the abandonment of the land and the collective loss of knowledge related to this culture, a part of the present society is now going back to it in the attempt to recover a connection indispensable for diet self-determination.

Our friend Caterina, after many years, spent searching and providing locals and restaurants with amazing wild herbs foraging, decided to invest her energy, opening Osteria Delle Erbe at La Buca Vecchia a Must if you are in the area.

We need to use this time wisely and dedicate part of it to refresh the knowledge that our grandparents used, or it will be lost forever. What better than a walk outside breathing fresh air and discovering flavors that sometimes take as back to memories of our childhood.

We spend lots of money eating out in fine dining restaurants without realizing that the best ones are moving towards sustainability and preservation, giving value to ingredients that we have in reach of our hands.

Often we tell our children “do not play with food”. My parents used to tell me this with every meal when I was a kid. But now that I have grown up, I see things differently.

I remember myself telling my kids to stop playing with food – probably a survival from my childhood – but over time I realized that playing with food is good for kids. It helps them to develop their senses, such as smell, touch, taste and they become more creative. Instead what we have to teach our kids is to respect food!

I learn a lot from them – my son Milo is very adventurous. He likes to mix very unusual flavors and textures, sometimes too adventurous for my taste. I am sure one day he will discover new flavors!

Playing with food is a discovery, we learn where it comes from, when is the best time to eat it, and how we can use it in different ways also to cure ourselves.

So today I think that “playing with food” is one of the best games we can do.