The photographs bring into dialogue two culinary books: Grandes Recettes de la Cuisine Algérienne (Youcef Ferhi, 1957) and Le Ricette Regionali Italiane (Anna Gosetti della Salda, 1967). These old volumes, drawn from our family histories and countries of origin, are opened to the recipes for H’Mis and Pappa al Pomodoro, respectively. Both dishes resonate with the concept of the Tomato Soup recipe found in Blanche Vas’s notebook, thereby establishing a culinary and symbolic exchange between the works. The physical object of the book, as it appears in Cooking in Minutes, Grandes Recettes de la Cuisine Algérienne, and Le Ricette Regionali Italiane, becomes a vehicle for storytelling: stories of families, movement, and cultures that meet and transform within the space of the kitchen. Across time and territory, these three objects have generated moments of encounter, conviviality, and exchange for dozens of people on three different continents. We cherish their memory and their history—geographically distant, yet intimately close through gestures, flavors, and shared ingredients.
