A gastronomy has always been in fashion. This is an undeniable fact! However, with social media, the countless recipe videos, lectures and reality shows made the passion – or at least the desire – to enter this universe gain more strength.
Check out books that marked the careers of renowned chefs and that they recommend to those passionate about the gastronomic universe.
Tássia Magalhães, chef at Nelita and Mag Market
“I recommend the Eating: Need, desire and obsession of Paolo Rossi which masterfully addresses this act that is so fundamental to our survival and at the same time so full of meanings. Other important titles on my shelf are Heat of Bill Buford , which is not about recipes, but about Bill’s experience in a kitchen, a tasty and revealing narrative of haute cuisine, which brings a little of chef Batali’s story; O Professional Chef of Senac which is a technical book, full of recipes, and because I’ve used it so much, mine is already “broken up”; The Third Course of Dan Barber , which makes us stop to think about the future and the revolution in how we produce and consume food; O Delicious! of John Dickie which tells the story of Italians and their food in a fun way; It is Letters to a Young Chef of Laurent Suaudeau, which was a gift from my father when I said I wanted to study gastronomy, it was the first book I read about the sector and I have enormous affection for it.”
Rubens Salter “Catarina”, chef, consultant and teacher in the sector
“O Brazilian scoffianas from the master Alex Atala with Carolina Chagas , provides a real kitchen base, tells Alex’s journey, provides an immersion in the day-to-day life of a chef and the reality of what it means to manage a restaurant, in addition to recipes. I also indicate the Food and Kitchen – Science and culture of cooking in Harold McGee , which is one of those reference books that you always need to have on hand; O Creativity SA: Overcoming the invisible forces that stand in the way of true inspiration of Ed Catmull , which tells the story of the success of today’s most important and profitable animation studio, Pixar, which he helped found, alongside Steve Jobs and John Lassete; and the Great leaders know how to listen: How the right questions increase your team’s communication, performance and engagement to achieve business objectives from the Jussara Nunes Dalvit.”
Click here and learn more about Rubens Salter, affectionately called Rubens Catarina.
Luana Sabino, chef at Metzi and Atzi Taqueria
“My bedside book is Work Clean: The Life-Changing Power of Mise-En-Place to Organize Your Life, Work, and Mind, of Dan Charnas which shows that the method we use so much in the kitchen, called mise en place (arranging and preparing the kitchen to start preparing dishes), can also be applied outside of it, at home, in the office and in our daily lives. Dan explains the 10 principles of mise en place: 1) Preparation is paramount; 2) Organization of spaces; 3) Clean as you go; 4) Make the first movements; 5) Finalization actions; 6) Slow down to speed up; 7) Call and callback; 8) Open ears and eyes; 9) Inspect and edit; 10) Full utilization.”
Click here and learn more about chef Luana Sabino.
Fabrício Lemos, chef at Origem, Ori, Segreto Ristorantino and Omí
“If you want to become a cook I recommend buying and devouring the book Le Cordon Bleu: Cooking techniques essential which shows everything from what each utensil is to general preparation techniques, a true guide for amateurs and professionals. O The French Laundry of Thomas Keller It was my first investment in the profession and it opened my mind, as I began to understand what the aesthetics of the dish, combined with the flavor, was the way to go.
A book that made me understand that changes are fundamental and will always happen is Who Moved My Cheese of Spencer Johnson and understanding this is fundamental in our profession, as well as the Slavery of Laurentino Gomes made me understand why Brazil is “the” Brazil and I was able to realize that my role as a chef goes far beyond the kitchen, and from there I also indicate the A Ark of Taste a global catalog that identifies, locates, describes and publicizes special foods that are threatened with extinction and that is where I look for the ingredients that cannot be missing in my kitchens.”
Click here and learn more about chef Fabrício Lemos.
Bianca Mirabili, pastry chef at Evvai
“The chemistry of cakes: Recipes and secrets for sweeter days from the Joyce Galvão That is a confectionery exponent, brings in addition to recipes that marked his life, technical and scientifically based explanations of the best ingredients to use for each type of cake, from which sugar or flour to choose, and teaches tricks he has hidden up his sleeve.”
Click here and learn more about chef Bianca Mirabili.
Luiz Filipe, chef at Evvai
“I recommend the 10 Lezioni di Cucina by the Italian chef Niko Romito. It is not a recipe book, but a book where he aborts his “culinary philosophy” – divided into 10 chapters: simplicity, stratification, evolution, balance, archetype, greeting, vegetables, sweets, breads and tasting – he writes how important each of these 10 items are in a kitchen.”
Click here and learn more about chef Luiz Filipe.
Onildo Rocha, chef at Notiê
“The book outside the obvious circuit of gastronomy and recipes that I think everyone should read to understand the evolution of man, with food as one of the pillars. Sapiens – A brief history of humanity in Yuval Noah Harari , which questions everything we know about the human trajectory on the planet by exploring who we are, how we got here and which paths we can still follow. Another important book for anyone who wants to pursue a career as a cook is Letters to a young chef of Laurent Suaudeau which, among other topics covered, also reflects on the cultural importance of food and what really distinguishes a great chef de cuisine. The book is the result of what the author lived and learned from his experience of almost 30 years in kitchens.”
André Mifano, chef at Donna
“I have two books that always inspire me, even after spending so much time in the kitchen. The first of them is the Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well in Pellegrino Artusi . It is the bible of Italian cuisine and Artusi is to Italian cuisine, as Escoffier is to French gastronomy. It’s a great book, very well done and detailed. The other book that I really like is The Whole Fish CookBook from Australian Josh Niland where there are a multitude of techniques. It’s a book aimed at fishermen chefs, exactly my case. I am fascinated by this book and the author.”
Click here and learn more about chef André Mifano and his Italian-São Paulo restaurant Donna.
Paulo Barros, chef at Modern Mamma Osteria and Ella Fitz
“The color of flavor: affective cuisine in Shin Koike it gets emotional. It talks about gender and cultural diversity, breaks down Japanese culture in all areas, including cuisine, and talks a lot about the perfectionism of the Japanese. It’s a dynamic book that teaches you a lot about flavors.”
Click here and learn more about chef Paulo Barros.
Fellipe Zanuto, chef at Hospedaria, A Pizza da Mooca and Da Mooca Pizza Shop
“The first book is the Ripailles, in Stephane Reynaud , which was the first super expensive book I ever bought. When I worked in Australia, during breaks the kitchen staff used to read the different books that were in the break room. And that was the one I liked most – it talks a lot about French technique. And my boss at the time told many of his experiences based on the book and I was fascinated. The second, the Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business in Danny Meyer It gave me insight that a restaurant goes far beyond the kitchen. It opened my mind to the general functioning of restaurants. And it’s a book that I recommend to almost anyone thinking about owning a restaurant. It’s a must-read.”
Click here and learn more about chef Fellipe Zanuto, owner of A Pizza da Mooca, a Brazilian restaurant on the list of the best in the world.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
