Russian Food Writer Anya von Bremzen Reflects on the Transportive Nature of Food

Here's an auspiciously timed video from this year's MAD Symposium featuring Russian food writer Anya von Bremzen, who Eater restaurant critic Bill Addison name-dropped in his published review earlier today. In the talk, von Bremzen reflects on her experiences growing up in the Soviet Union, how her mother elevated humble food, and how both contributed to a "romantic longing" for a life abroad. The touching anecdote leads into a spirited speech about the transportive nature of cooking — from having a fantasy burst during a terrible experience at a French three-star restaurant to the idea of "chef as auteur" as best exemplified by elBulli. Go, watch.