Modern Latin Cooking References

[raybeezbabee]

I'm in consideration for a position at a Latin small plates restaurant and need to bone up on examples of "modernizing" traditional Central & South American food.

Can anyone more experienced in this area recommend books or blogs on latin cuisine using contemporary platings and variations on the traditional stuff?

[EatNopales]

Editorial Larousse de Mexico is the best resource of Modern Mexican cookbooks. Larousse de la Cocina Mexicana is an impressive first resource for professional cooks & serious home cooks. All the stuff published by Larousse is money, though.

http://www.compraslarousse.com/larousse.html

If you want to browse some restaurant menus, see photos etc., here you go (BTW booking a flight to Mexico City eating at Pujol etc., is the best exposure of course)

http://pujol.com.mx/english/

http://www.azulcondesa.com/

http://www.bistroestoril.com/

http://www.guadiana.com.mx/

http://www.paxia.com.mx/

http://cafeazulyoro.com/

http://www.biko.com.mx/

http://www.contramar.com.mx/

http://www.hoteldistritocapital.com/restaurante.html

http://www.lajamexico.com/es/cocina.php

http://www.amarantarestaurante.com/

http://www.losdanzantes.com/web/

[EatNopales]

http://cesarts.blogspot.com/

http://www.culinariamexicana.com.mx/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X36shnnGb0&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLDD36F91A07E7527B

[EatNopales]

Pictures of Food at Pujol

Go to Google Images, click on Advanced Search... under Region select Mexico & then search for the restaurants & their chefs you will find plenty of examples of Modern Mexican cuisine.

[raybeezbabee]

Thanks, EatNopales! That does help quite a bit! Can you recommend any english language books on modern latin food? I found it impossible to navigate the Larousse site but even specific books in Spanish will help a little.

Anyone else want to chime in and recommend some print material in English?

[KatieLoeb]

Not to be a shill for my ex-boss or anything, but Jose Garces' book

Latin Evolution is an excellent reference source. He's a fantastic chef and all his food is vibrant and delicious. Will give you an idea of what sorts of recipes are being presented at his successful restaurants in Philadelphia, Chicago, etc...All the notes on culinary cultural traditions are spot on. Jose is nothing if not rigorous in learning his subjects before presenting anything to the public, whether on a plate, or in print.

Edited November 2, 2011 by KatieLoeb (log)

[EatNopales]

Thanks, EatNopales! That does help quite a bit! Can you recommend any english language books on modern latin food? I found it impossible to navigate the Larousse site but even specific books in Spanish will help a little.

Anyone else want to chime in and recommend some print material in English?

Yeah... I don't know what has happened to the Larousse site.. I bought from them not more than 6 months ago.

With regards to other English language resources... Salpicon by Priscilla Satkoff is decent, as well as the Fiona Dunlap book (both available on Amazon)... they both lack depth & breadth in my opinion. Priscilla is from Mexico City and has experience with actual Latin American cooking but she has spent her adult life in the U.S., and the Modern side of the cooking at Salpicon is heavily influenced by Homaro Cantu's cooking at Moto and Grant Aschatz / Alinea.. and in general pulled by the gravitational forces of U.S. trends

Latin America has its own Modern cuisine that comes from a very different place (U.S. Modern Cuisine plays lots of deference to the European cutting edge plus some whimsical takes on U.S. post industrial populist cuisine, street cuisine, fast food etc.,)... wheras in Mexico... Modern cuisine, born with comes from rescuing very Ancient traditions through Post Modern aesthetics etc., While the composition may be similar the subject matter & very ingredients are very different.

In my opinion the U.S. based exponents of Modern Latin cuisine are espousing a shallow, faddish, disposable Latin-esque Modern... wheras when you analyze the dishes that have evolved from the restaurants of Monica Patino, Ricardo Munoz Zurita, Patricia Quintana, Enrique Olvera, Benito Molina & Gaston Acuario of Peru, etc., you see a cohesive repertoire growing like a Snowball with dishes that are quickly becoming part of something lasting.

Here are some links where you can purchase Larousse books

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=larousse+de+la+cocina+mexicana&cid=3822006904663706917&ei=Zwq0TrzTGYqMjQTk_7H0DA&ved=0CAkQrRI

http://www.gandhi.com.mx/index.cfm/id/Producto/dept/libros/pid/356263

http://www.gandhi.com.mx/index.cfm/id/Producto/dept/libros/pid/351106

http://www.gandhi.com.mx/index.cfm/id/Producto/dept/libros/pid/417184

http://www.gandhi.com.mx/index.cfm/id/Producto/dept/libros/pid/415737

http://www.gandhi.com.mx/index.cfm/id/Producto/dept/libros/pid/382835

http://www.gandhi.com.mx/index.cfm/id/Producto/dept/libros/pid/387538

http://www.gandhi.com.mx/index.cfm/id/Producto/dept/libros/pid/356261

[EatNopales]

I should note... Gandhi is one of Mexico's most reputable book stores you can buy from them with confidence... they ship via UPS... but its $20 for the 1st book + $2 for each additional resource.

If you have to prioritize, I would say

1) Los Tops Chefs de Mexico

2) La Nueva Cocina Mexicana (Enrique Olvera)

3) Larousse de la Cocina Mexicana & Larousse de la Cocina Peruana

[raybeezbabee]

I owe a big debt of gratitude to EatNopales and Katie. The Jose Garces book is a major help and working with another chef who grew up eating latin food doesn't hurt.

Because I'm still in the "starving artist" stage of my career, it will be about a week or two until I feel comfortable enough to buy all those Spanish language books but I am thrilled to know what's up in that field. For now, I am a chef in a Latin fine dining kitchen and feeling my way through the cuisine. It makes me very happy that eGullet is around.

Thanks guys! And keep the recommendations coming if something strikes you!

[kalypso]

Da*n you EN, you just cost me a bunch of $$$ on cookbooks that I didn't have and, of course, must add to the collection....