““A passionate exploration of all things Alpine . . . this one is a must-have for every ski bum foodie.”
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In our first NERANO Q&A, we spoke to a fellow mountain lover, the food writer Meredith Erickson. She is author of Alpine Cooking, a beautifully produced part-cookbook / part-travelogue. It was named by The New York Times as one of the cookbooks of the year and is one of our favourite books to delve into for alpine inspiration.
A total passion project, Meredith travelled across the Alps by car, on foot, and via funicular over six years, collecting recipes and stories along the way. Alpine Cooking is organised by country and packed with regional recipes, illustrated maps and essential information such as which local producers to look out for on the wine list and how to assemble a knockout alpine cheeseboard. Alongside the recipes, Meredith includes interesting insights into everything from alpine art, the Tour de France, high-altitude railways and the grand European hotels.
It is the definitive guide to the best places to eat in the Alps and is foremost an ode to the local characters, chefs and hoteliers who run the restaurants, hotels, chalets and refugios. They often have to create delicious dishes in challenging conditions. Restaurants can be cut off by snow for days or are so remote deliveries only get through sporadically so they have refined processes such as curing and pickling to make ingredients last. Alpine chefs have been leading the way in seasonal, hyper-local, slow-cooking long before this way of cooking became fashionable.
From Montreal, Meredith kindly took some time out to share with us her favourite places to eat, her recommended recipes for lockdown as well as an update on the exciting projects she has coming up…
To kick off, what drew you to travelling through the Alps and dedicating six years to this amazing project to cover alpine cuisine?
Upon my first couple trips skiing in the Alps, I was blown away by the quality of food in such remote locations. I wanted to buy souvenirs, specifically a food-based travel guide to share with family and friends back home in Montreal. But it didn’t exist. So I decided I had to be the one to write it. And my publisher at Ten Speed Press agreed!
You’ve said how much you now love Nordic skiing as well as alpine skiing. I’ve always thought Nordic skiing must be an incredible mindful experience as well as an active one. Have you found that to be the case?
Yes! Nordic skiing is a physical and mental exercise. I’m a swimmer, which draws upon the same sort of focus and movement so nordic comes more naturally to me than downhill. But obviously downhill is more exciting :)
We try to encourage others to slow down and take some time out from looking at screens. Which recipes or ways of cooking do you find the most relaxing to do yourself at home?
Well I used to think cooking was the most relaxing but I have to admit that at close to 10 months of lockdown and cooking three meals a day at home—I have recipe fatigue! I find making the huckleberry dumplings for my family for breakfast to be the most rewarding and fun these days.
We read that the most interesting revelation you’d learnt from your time in the Alps is that isolation fosters creativity and clarity. How did you come to that conclusion and has it helped you over the last year during lockdown?
I came to that conclusion simply by observing the food, wine and art created in the Alps daily. I think for sure it helped me in lockdown, but if you’re a writer this is usually the sort of demeanour you harness regardless of social life/accessibility.
A tricky one for a food writer but which ski area would you choose to hunker down for the winter and work your way through the restaurants / menu?
Alta Badia in the Dolomites!
We feel we have a similar approach at NERANO in that we’ve designed our jigsaw puzzles to offer some escapism and for the puzzles not to be banished to the back of the cupboard but to be out on display. ‘Alpine Cooking’ is the most beautifully designed book. What feelings did you want to evoke in the reader through the design and very evocative alpine imagery in the book?
With the cover I was inspired by early Stephen King novels with a bit of Stanley Kubrick imagery inspo. The cover of my book is the Matterhorn with a blood red font which I hope evokes joy and terroir simultaneously. To me, that’s the sublime and that’s a feeling of being at high elevation in the mountains. The rest of the book I wanted to establish my own style and design, which will continue onto my other solo projects. I think the look and feel of my book is very feminine and new but also has a throwback feel. I wanted it to feel very bright like a fresh alpine morning. I also wanted it to explode with intel.
Here in the UK, it’s the coldest time of the year and we have just gone into another strict lockdown so we are all looking for delicious comfort food to keep our spirits up and keep us warm. Alpine cuisine is the perfect choice for right now – which recipes would you recommend trying at home for a beginner and for a more confident cook?
For a beginner, I suggest the dumplings I mentioned above, and also the the Bread Soup with chicory and egg. For everyone I suggest my schnitzel recipe as I think it’s the best there is! For the advanced cook…I suggest the Mont-Blanc tart!
Where are you most excited to visit once we can travel again?
I’m craving Wengen in the Bernese Oberland for the pure drama and excellent downhill skiing. I wouldn’t mind St. Moritz for the socialising and parties though! Oh, to be in a full bar again!
Are you working on any exciting new projects we should look out for in the future?
Yes, I have “The Field Guide to Eating in Canada” podcast releasing in the following months with Audible. I’ve been working on that for the past year and a half. I love travelling throughout the wilds of Canada and I think people will really enjoy listening. I also am working on my next book ALTA ITALIA, a book dedicated to MY favourite bits of Northern Italy.
Finally, are you a fan of jigsaw puzzles and if you could transport yourself to a cosy alpine bolthole, where would you choose to enjoy doing a puzzle in front of a roaring fire with a glass of local wine?
I would choose to work on a puzzle at the Almhof Schneider Hotel in Lech, Austria. With great glass of red in hand and maybe a little piece of strudel.
To find out more about Meredith’s other cookbooks (including The Art of Living According to Joe Beef, the Le Pigeon Cookbook, Olympia Provisions, the Claridge’s Cookbook and The Frasca Cookbook), merchandise and to buy the brilliant ‘Alpine Cooking’ check out: www.mereditherickson.com / @ericksonmeredith
All imagery by Christina Holmes.
