Alisa Barry has food for thought.

Inspiration comes in the form of ingredients for Alisa, the owner and creator of Bella Cucina Artful Food. "I love going to market in different cities and countries," says the winner of 2007's Gallo Gold Medal Award for her pesto. "I've been known to carry bundles of produce home on a plane." Intrigued by texture and flavor, Alisa can remember when she discovered her first zebra tomato in a San Francisco market. "It had striations of green and yellow, and I was so intrigued," she says. "I love discovering new provisions and figuring out how to use them." After moving to Buckhead from Illinois in high school, Alisa took off after graduation and has travelled all over the world. Consequently, she brought a very European feel back home to her Virginia-Highlands shop. "I don't do weird flavors," she says. Her classic, clean recipes are characteristic of her time spent across the pond and only involve a few ingredients. "The idea of restraint and quality were reinforced at culinary school," says Alisa. "But for me, there is as much joy in the eating of the food as well as creating it."

Look for a recipe from Alisa's Bella Cucina as our Taste of the Month, page.