Swedish Photographer Ilva Beretta favours paper over digital for her inspirational recipes.

After a year spent almost entirely online, between Zoom calls and Skype meetings, you might feel the need to switch everything off and focus on something practical and material, that involves both your body and your mind. Wouldn’t cooking be a perfect example of all that?

Food photographer Ilva Beretta says there is a cultural aspect around cookbooks. Keeping them close to you when you cook may get them stained, wet or ruined, and that, to Ilva, is the sign that a recipe has been tested. Coming back to those imperfect pages after some time brings up memories of the cooking experience, the occasion, and the people who made it special.

Being the food lover she is, Ilva recently decided to write and photograph her own cookbook, mixing  the Italian obsession for food with her Swedish obsession for lights. “Verdure prêt à manger, insolite ricette dall’orto” is a book about simple yet original recipes with vegetables, one you should really gets your hands on. And if you spill some sauce on it, don’t worry too much! Ilva will be happy you’re making her book live.

We would love to know your favourite dish. Why don’t you share your favourite recipe with us? Post it on Instagram and tag us @herdrepresented & @IlvaBeretta.