Two friends discover alpine cuisine and warm minimalism by Gillian Richards Photos by Samantha Mickelsen and Gillian Richards Whoooooshh! EEEEEK! Ahhhh! We jumped shoulder-deep into icy water. After the initial terrifying jolt, there was an unfamiliar tranquility. Maybe those polar plunge people are on to something? What could have been the opening scene of a horror movie, complete with axes and below zero temps, turned out to be an immersion in mountain culture.