How ‘Top Chef’ Star Fatima Ali’s Family Is Honoring Her After Her Death

Fatima Ali’s family is continuing her legacy through — what else — food, including her adventurous palate. The family of the late Top Chef star is honoring her by embarking on the culinary tour she wanted to take before she died at age 29 in January after a battle with cancer.

A post on Ali’s Instagram account explains that Ali’s loved ones, including her mother, Farezeh Durrani, set out on a worldly cuisine sampling, with chef Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant Casa Maria Luigia in Modena, Italy first on the list.

Bottura and wife Lara Gilmore pose with the group in the post that said Ali “talked passionately about wanting to see Italy, and of course, eat her way through it.”

“We wrote a long list of all of the different food adventures she would have from each country she could get to – Denmark, Peru, France, her beloved Spain, and countless others,” the family wrote. “To remember Fatima and honour her is to remember to share love and joy with the world, and to soak up all of the incredible experiences you can, while you can.”

Other photos shared in the post showed the family trying a variety of gourmet dishes, as well as the beautiful grounds of Francescana at Maria Luigia, described on the eatery’s website as “a turn of the century Carriage House transforms into a stunning dining room with open kitchen, contemporary artwork and views of the surrounding countryside.”

“The evening will never be forgotten by any who were there, Lara and Chef Massimo both paid special tribute to our Chef Fati, who was no doubt gleefully watching over her mom as she tried to decipher all five of the ages of parmigiano reggiano,” the caption read. “It was a precious opportunity, to go on a journey Fatima was looking forward to against the intensely challenging odds she was facing, and in some way represent and share a part of her with Chef Massimo. He talked about how deeply moved he was by her story, her writing, and the gesture he could see our mother making.”

“We can be very proud today, of Fatima, and how she continues to inspire people, and of her heartbroken mother who is honouring her daughter’s memory the best way she can — by making an effort to ‘indulge in the experiences of living,’” the post continued.

“The entire experience was truly food for the soul, connecting two beautiful memories in a place which was made to honour and pay tribute to the love for a mother, and a journey taken there for the love of a daughter.”

Ali was first diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in 2017. She underwent surgery to remove a tumor in her shoulder bone and told PEOPLE magazine in July 2018 that she was “technically cancer-free.” But in October, she revealed in an emotional essay for Bon Appetit that her cancer was back “with a vengeance” and that doctors told her she had about a year left to live.

Sadly, Ali died at the age of 29 in January. “We are deeply saddened to share the news that Fatima Ali has lost her courageous battle with cancer,” Bravo said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this time. People not only fell in love with her cooking, but fell in love with her personality and heart. We hope that the beautiful memories shared with her will provide comfort to everyone who knew and loved her.”