Chef Mario Marini presents “Le mani della Montagna" book

Mario Marini, chef and owner of the ‘Cielo di Strela’ restaurant and the director of the Gazzetta di Parma, Claudio Rinaldi, presented the book “Le mani della Montagna. Recipes, ingredients and stories from the Upper Val di Taro” - at the recent Valentine’s Dinner & Dance fundraiser held at the Kensington Hilton by the Associazione Parmense.

Co-written with Luca Pardini, the gastronomic culture book “Le mani della Montagna” is a beautiful journey through the memories of traditional Valtaro cuisine.

The book shares emotional stories born from deep and respectful research, developed over many years across the local area, carried out with patience, attentive listening and heartfelt dedication.

Marini (pictured left) described the discovery of a cuisine that is solid and simple out of necessity, yet never poor, strictly seasonal and based on locally sourced ingredients. A cuisine that, though simple, has been influenced and enriched by neighbouring valleys of Liguria, Tuscany and the Po Valley. Recipes that have meaning and real soul, especially when prepared in their places of origin, with details that technology and cold technique cannot reproduce.