Every year, over 5 billion bananas are lost or wasted – often for ripening too quickly or for harmless spots on the peel. Yet what we call imperfection can be a possibility: food that still carries sweetness, energy, and endless potential.
At Refettorio Ambrosiano during Expo Milan, Venezuelan chef Carlos García brought this truth to life. That evening, the Refettorio had turned into a restaurant for a special charity dinner: four Latin American chefs — including Matías Perdomo, Enrique Olvera, and Rodolfo Guzmán — joined forces to raise awareness and support the fight against food waste. What could have been a gala became a family table, where cooking together felt like an act of solidarity.
Each chef improvised with what was available, drawing on their roots and traditions. Matías Perdomo, who has called Milan home for over a decade, prepared a chilled tomato salad with watermelon sorbet, passion fruit, crescenza cheese, fried capers, and almond crumble. In the same creative spirit, Carlos García chose the banana — an ingredient often overlooked, yet full of life — and transformed it into a dessert of caramelized bananas with balsamic vinegar and crescenza cheese.
A fruit rooted in everyday Venezuelan kitchens met the heritage of Modena through its balsamic — the spirit of Food for Soul woven into a dish that turned distance into dialogue.
That evening, the Refettorio became a meeting point: between Latin America and Italy, between home flavors and new discoveries. A reminder that creativity often comes when we improvise, when we dare to bring distant elements together.
What do you see?
Improvisation can bring light where we least expect it. Food opens up a world of possibilities.
Warm regards,
Food for Soul
