Tastings, more limited à la carte menus, stop speculation and more candlelit dinners and more barbecues. It is the ‘recipe’ of Cristina Bowerman, one of the most renowned chefs of Italian cuisine, to cope with the increase in energy costs and inflation in the shopping cart. “Everything has increased and the suppliers are sending an update of the price lists, putting their hands forward for the next deliveries, we are talking about a third more, also due to transport costs. But there are absolutely unexpected increases in raw materials. for example that of cherry tomatoes, speculations on which the government must intervene. This is what Bowerman said when interviewed on the subject by Adnkronos. The strategy to implement savings on ‘paper’ and avoid waste, however, implies a spirit of adaptation on the part of consumers. ” other countries, from the United States to France, from Great Britain to Denmark, there has already been a trend for over 15 years, which will be consolidated more and more with us, to have a ‘very low’ card and tasting menus even if this does not meet the favor the Italians “according to Bowerman” who are too used to choosing among so many dishes that, these days, do not help to save. “Bowerman herself, in her starred restaurant in Trastevere in Rome, she reveals that she has already adopted this ‘policy’ and that she has put on the menu 6 dishes from the 25 that she had in pre covid era, ‘only’ two tasting menus compared to the previous three. “In total I will have 25 dishes compared to the previous 45, a wide but more limited choice and thus I save hours and hours of work for the preparation not only for the purchase of raw materials, avoiding waste”. “It is urgent to put a ‘cap’ on the price of energy, “he says, stressing that restaurant prices, due to increases in energy costs and other items of expenditure, have been adjusted,” is inevitable, “he says. As for possible savings with candlelit dinners. “Why not?” she replies. “But not only that, you can also save money with alternative cooking systems such as barbecues and blast chillers, which have already entered our kitchens”. (By Cristina Armeni)