Camper Food & Stories - Italy

Els Sirejacob and Bram Debaenst love camper life: they enjoy the simplicity, the freedom, the nature, and living in the moment. And, the good food, of course: being a food stylist and recipe writer (Els) and a food photographer (Bram) means they both like to follow their noses and gut feeling – literally – where possible.

In the summer of 2022, they took their respective families on a camper road trip through Italy, the country that always sets their hearts aflutter. Els made her way from the Dolomites through the Veneto and Lombardy to Emilia-Romagna, pushing on to Le Marche, Umbria and gorgeous Abruzzo. She also spent some time in Piemonte. Bram, meanwhile, explored Liguria and the Amalfi coast.

This book is a personal record of their trips. At the same time, it’s also an ode to the culinary traditions and the local specialities of the regions where Els and Bram went camping. Because Italy is a never-ending source of inspiration for anyone who loves to cook and eat. In this book, Els and Bram gathered the tastiest recipes from Italian cuisine that you can prepare in or near your camper van. The dishes they selected are uncomplicated and simply bursting with flavour. They are also all made from fresh, local ingredients – like risotto with hazelnut pesto, authentic ragù or pasta al limone. Or how about a crisp insalata di polpo or a perfect coffee zabaglione? Obviously, all these recipes can also be cooked at home, with the added bonus of feeling like you’re on vacation in the land of la dolce vita.