Chef Massimo Bottura, whose Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, is regarded as one of the world’s best restaurants, will take part in a panel discussion at 7 p.m. on May 2 at UCLA’s fifth annual Science and Food lecture.
Following the event, Bottura will sign copies of his book, “Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef,” which will be available for sale. The influential World’s 50 Best Restaurants survey has named Osteria Francescana among its top three eateries for each of the past five years, including a No. 1 ranking in 2016.
Joining Bottura on the panel will be Jennifer Jay, a UCLA professor of environmental engineering, and Amy Hammes, a recycling specialist at the Burbank Recycle Center, and the discussion will be moderated by Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW-FM’s “Good Food.”
Credit: Todd Cheney/UCLA
The event is sponsored by the UCLA department of integrative biology and physiology, the division of life sciences and the UCLA Healthy Campus Initiative. It is hosted by Amy Rowat, a UCLA assistant professor of integrative biology and physiology, as part of her popular course on the physical and molecular origins of what we eat. Rowat also researches the physical properties of cells and tissues, which can indicate health or disease. In 2015, she and colleagues developed a new method for screening cancer cells.
The discussion, “Food Waste: Solutions Informed by Science (and What to Do with Your Leftovers),” will focus on measuring the environmental effects of food waste, the role of science and technology and how policy influences food waste and its relationship to hunger and the environment. The lecture will be held in the Freud Playhouse at UCLA’s Magowan Hall (map). Ticket information and other details are available at the Science and Food blog.
Science and Food programs are supported by the National Science Foundation, Food Bowl, Imperfect Produce, the UC Global Food Initiative and Whole Foods Market.
