VALTER OF SALT LAKE CITY

A coffee table book traces a chef’s personal and culinary journey.

Nassi, owner of Valter’s Osteria in Salt Lake City, has had a love of food since he was a child growing up in Monte San Savino in Tuscany, Italy. In this work, he shares his life story as it relates to his culinary passion, from beginning his career in Sardinia to learning some hard professional lessons in Nairobi (namely, talk less and hear more) and rejecting the idea of writing a recipe book (“I wanted my message to be about food’s synergy and its position in human life”). Color photographs—of food, markets, restaurants, and Nassi himself—appear on almost every page, alongside the author’s whimsical, hand-drawn sketches and old images from his life. While he touches on the personal, such as the birth of his first child in New Mexico, the author’s focus remains firmly on food and its relationship to people, cultures, and the world. He reminisces about the experiences that led to the opening of his restaurant, which proved to be the pinnacle of his professional career. While there are no actual recipes in Nassi’s luxurious book—written with Bapis—the volume offers plenty of culinary suggestions. Some may prove a bit too abstract for the average home cook (as when Nassi reassures readers that the recipe for a meat sauce “is already there, in your soul”). But most of the advice is not just helpful, it’s downright inspiring: “When you create the right balance, you will eat something astonishing. That is the design. That is what we do with the chef. The same is in front of you, in the soul of your home.” Bates’ photos of such items as simmering mushrooms and freshly sliced ruby red tomatoes are beautifully and artistically shot. Nassi’s passion and love for food come through in every warmly written word, each page bubbling with both intimacy and excitement.

This joyous celebration of food and life mixes a captivating story with gorgeous photos.