Food in the Alps event Genesis to return this September in Italy’s Cortina d’Ampezzo

After the success of the zero edition of Genesis in 2021, from 9^th to 12^th September 2022, internationally renowned chefs including Simon Lerche, Juri Chiotti, Marco Ambrosino, Andrea Ribaldone, Fatamata Tarazid Tarawali, Oliver Piras, Alessandra Del Favero and Giorgia Eugenia Goggi – as well as artists, musicians and food and wine enthusiasts – will meet again in the heart of the Dolomites to celebrate good food and earth, savouring authentic flavours and experiencing unique sensations and emotions. This is a one-of-a-kind initiative that stands for a fundamental mission: getting more and more people to actively take part in the sustainability debate.

From the concept of regenerative cuisine to human regeneration, Genesis keeps on pursuing an idea of sustainability that focuses on humankind as if it were the fifth element of nature. The event is conceived by chef Riccardo Gaspari and Ludovica Rubbini – owners of the Michelin-starred restaurant SanBrite in Cortina d’Ampezzo – and dedicated to the rediscovery of the primordial origins of cuisine: from the dish to the ingredients.

“‘We need to hear the voices of human souls’. This is what Ludovica and I said to each other during one of our walks, immersed in the place we love most, the mountains with their forests,” says Gaspari. “We had the urge to turn around, to look into someone’s eyes and to share the pleasure of nature’s unique and unrepeatable beauty. This is Genesis: the place and time to learn to care for beauty.”

“If we want to look after this planet, we must restore our self-care by building spaces where people can let their minds and bodies rest”, adds Rubbini. “The first edition of Genesis came after a difficult period of strong doubts and fears that overwhelmed, changed and forced us to redesign the geographies of our cities, our homes and our needs. We demanded space, and those who participated in the event were able to enjoy the immensity of sunrises and sunsets and the lightness of cattle coming down from pastures, enjoying drinking from streams, while realigning their senses. It was pure magic, but at the centre of it all were the four elements of nature: fire, water, earth and air. This year, just as hard, we want to share our very personal idea of sustainability, which focuses on Man as if he were the fifth element”.

Once again, Genesis will benefit from the support of private bank Fideuram (bringing the “fire” component), which, together with Pastificio Felicetti (representing “water”), Parmigiano Reggiano (“air”) and Torre Rosazza (“earth”), has contributed to making the programme of activities planned for the September event even more appealing.

During the four days, guests will be invited to leave behind their hectic daily routines and disconnect from technology by switching off their mobile phones. This will enable them to indulge in the rhythm of nature and enjoy immersive experiences in contact with the Dolomites: from e-bike excursions to a high-altitude concert featuring the award-winning composer, cellist and pianist Piero Salvatori (a leading protagonist of the international modern classical scene), accompanied by a wine tasting by Torre Rosazza. In addition, there’s a workshop with a honey producer paired with a tasting of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and a night spent in the tented camp at the foot of Monte Cristallo.

“After last year’s success, we are delighted to join Genesis for the 2022 edition, embracing the event’s core values of human regeneration and environmental and territorial sustainability. For us, the human factor is fundamental both internally, in the relationship with our team – essential for achieving our goals – and externally, in the management of customer relations. Moreover, we strongly wish to pass on to future generations the sensitivity to the issues of economic and social development in a sustainable way, which has always distinguished us,” declare Edoardo Bobba and Stefano Danieli from Fideuram.

However, the core principle of Genesis remains the exclusive four and six-handed gastronomic appointments, accompanied by Friulian wines of Torre Rosazza, which will see Italian and international chefs take turns in the kitchen, working in line with the event philosophy.

Simon Lerche (owner of the Den Røde Cottage, which is known for its seasonal cuisine) together with Juri Chiotti (owner and chef of Reis) will kick off the event on the evening of Friday 9^th September at the Angelo Dibona Refuge. Restaurant Reis is located in a mountain hut and contributed to the chef’s ambitious project for a zero-impact society based on total self-sufficiency, where people eat only what is self-produced.

On Saturday 10^th, the “landlord”, Riccardo Gaspari (SanBrite, Cortina d’Ampezzo), along with Riccardo Felicetti and his son, Mattia, will engage in a six-handed lunch in a Casòn to reflect on the importance of the generational transition, pivotal for successful entrepreneurial activities. The event will be followed by an aperitif at the Hotel de Len by chef Ribaldone, founder of Arco Srl (the name derived from an acronym for Andrea Ribaldone and co), a collaboration born with the aim of improving the knowledge of quality Italian food abroad. The evening will continue with dinner at SanBrite, always curated by Gaspari, characterised by paired cocktails prepared by Domenico Carella, food and beverages expert and former chef. Ceralla is responsible for the successful case history of Carico, a brand that has quickly established itself on the Milanese mixology scene for its casual cocktail bar proposal intended as a true “liquid kitchen” laboratory.

On Sunday 11^th September, lunch at the Brite De Larieto will star the young Procidan chef Marco Ambrosino, who, although will soon leave Milan, will continue to supervise the cuisine of the 28 Posti bistro. The venue is oriented towards ethical values, paying attention to food quality, respect for the environment and fair production processes. Finally, the peak of Genesis will be the “fire” dinner in the tented camp curated by Riccardo Gaspari and Fatmata Tarazid Tarawali – the Sierra Leonean chef and champion of the fulani culinary tradition, who triumphed with his nomadic cuisine restaurant Dine on a Mat at the seventh edition of the Basque Culinary World Prize (a prestigious annual award given to those who make a difference in sustainable catering). They will be joined at the helm by business and life partners Alessandra Del Favero and Oliver Piras. After closing Aga, their restaurant in the Dolomites of San Vito di Cadore in 2019, the couple took the reins of the kitchen of Il Carpaccio in Paris, translating their experience into a tribute to traditional and seasonal Italian products, and earning a Michelin star.

Finally on Monday 12^th Giorgia Eugenia Goggi will prepare breakfast after a night spent in a tent. The chef, originally from Lombardy and a naturalised Apulian, has chosen Masseria Moroseta in the hinterland of Val d’Itria, a few kilometers from Ostuni, to develop her cuisine with a vegetable soul.

The food desk

Genesis is on in Cortina d’Ampezzo from 9^th until 12^th September 2022, for further information visit the festival’s website here.