Book Talk: “Slow Food, Fast Cars” with Massimo Bottura & Lara Gilmore

March 4th, 2024 - 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Hartley Conference Center 397 Panama Mall
Stanford, CA 94305

The Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS) presents a Book Talk featuring world-famous Italian chef, Massimo Bottura and his accomplished wife, business partner, and restaurateur, Lara Gilmore, as they share insights from their latest book, Slow Food, Fast Cars.

Massimo Bottura, known for his innovative approach to Italian cuisine, is the celebrated chef patron of Osteria Francescana—an iconic three-Michelin-star restaurant based in Modena, Italy, which has twice been ranked No. 1 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Over the past three decades, Massimo and Lara have passionately intertwined their love for food, art, and the Modena, Italy community. Their overarching goal is to build a culture of value that will strengthen community resilience, open opportunities for social and economic mobility, and build healthier, more equitable food systems. Their collaborative efforts have led to the development of several initiatives, including Food for Soul, a non-profit that provides nutritious meals to individuals facing situations of social and economic vulnerability with surplus ingredients that would have otherwise gone to waste.

Facilitating the discussion is Rob Reich, Professor of Political Science and Faculty Co-Director at Stanford PACS. This event is open to the public and free of charge.

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Slow Food, Fast Cars captures the extraordinary sensory and culinary experience of staying at Casa Maria Luigia, their one-of-a-kind guest house that boasts not only exquisite food, but gorgeous interiors filled with contemporary art, unique design objects, and an impressive collection of Italian cars and motorcycles. Created in close collaboration with Lara and Massimo, the book collects 85 authentic, accessible recipes for breakfasts, brunches, and all-day snacks, including frittatas and focaccias, salads, cakes and pastries, jams and preserves and more.

At Casa Maria Luigia the past collides with the contemporary, and home cooks will discover seasonal variations for each recipe, as well as information about the dish’s origins and ingredients. Evocative photography and personal essays tell the fascinating stories behind every element of this magical guest house, from the incredible food to the interior design, cars, vinyl collection, garden, and country landscape.

Other books by Massimo include Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef, a tribute to three-michelin star restaurant, Osteria Francescana, and Bread is Gold, a cookbook that focuses on extraordinary meals from ordinary and sometimes ‘wasted’ ingredients inspiring home chefs to eat well while living well.

Please note: RSVP is required but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is limited and is first come, first serve.

We are committed to making this a zero-waste event. Attendees are encouraged to take public transportation and bring their own to-go boxes for any leftover food. The Stanford Marguerite Shuttle, specifically Line X and Line Y, have stops conveniently located near the Hartley Conference Center.