The Most Succulent Gastronomic Books

Just as there are those who claim that one knows a person by what their fridge contains, it can be asserted that this knowledge of a person's likes and dislikes is obtained by observing the books that make up the library in their home or office. Personally, I will always trust someone who has gastronomic books about cooking or its creators overflowing; they are not only a guarantee of thought approaches where curiosity is valued, but they will probably serve good food at their table.

As in every family, work, or friendship group there are home cooks and gastronomy lovers, giving gastronomic books is always a safe bet. Here is a selection of various titles to find that gem that, in addition to expanding a library, brings happy moments to those who receive them.

Gastronomic books to learn

We begin this selection with an essential book for those who consume knowledge voraciously. Jordi Luque, the author of Vinos Libres, is a heavyweight: this journalist, cook, communicator, and other adjectives (as long as they define this lover of gastronomy and its most delicate and relevant aspects), has chosen to portray with words protagonists of the wine world and their projects. Published by Planeta Gastro, it is a declaration of principles: with ten stories, Luque shows 50 wines as a reflection of different, personal, and often risky wine projects.

Unique wines that shy away from labels because each of them is a reflection of those who make them, so artisanal that sometimes they do not contain preservatives and reflect the terroir and its arduous management for the purposes of the winery. These artisans adopt their profession and passion as a lifestyle, and in nearly 7,000 km traveled, Luque has met them, weaving stories that transparently and honestly reflect the wine landscape of small producers. Perhaps, also, the future of the market. A must-have to drink with a glass of Esmeralda García or a Pinot Noir by Raúl Moreno, as recommended by the author himself.

Coffee has been, for about ten years, an object of desire and worship. Because it was unknown. Now, coffee culture is widespread and concepts like "specialty coffee," "single-origin coffee," or "French press" no longer seem like gibberish. The Art of Coffee, written by Sébastien Racineux and Chung-Leng Tran and edited by Lunwerg, approaches the world of coffee in a didactic, fun, explanatory, and very graphic way. From specialized lexicon to how to prepare a good coffee at home and deeper knowledge such as roasting or the cultivation and drying of green coffee. A marvel to enjoy, of course, sipping a cup of good coffee.

Fermentation, despite being part of the history of Humanity since its dawn, is a perfect unknown for those of us who live in the 21st century. Robert Ruiz, from Lov Ferments (and from Barcelona) has encapsulated knowledge, technique, and learning in a book that should be treasured like gold. In Fermentar. Fundamentos y técnicas de un arte milenario (Ferment. Fundamentals and techniques of an ancient art), neophytes and experienced alike will find what they always wanted to know, because in the end, fermenting is the art of spoiling food with knowledge. It is published by Cinco Tintas in a carefully crafted edition and covers the entire liquid and solid universe associated with fermentation with more than 60 useful recipes.

Books for cooking

Without leaving Barcelona, the flavors of Sweden are within our reach. It is in our city, precisely, where chef Nina Olsson's Pappa Sven restaurant has been located for more than twelve years. It is thanks to her and her arduous task of disseminating her country's gastronomic tradition that we know cinnamon rolls, leek and potato cream, or salmon pudding. This 2022, Olsson has fulfilled another dream: compiling her grandmother's and her own recipes in Cocina Nórdica (Nordic Cuisine), edited by Planeta Gastro. Simple recipes that can be reproduced and enjoyed at home, emulating that love for detail, flavor, and plating that so well defines Nordic culture.

Looking towards the Cantabrian Sea, the book about chef Jesús Sánchez and his three-starred Cenador de Amós is a jewel with many carats. Throughout 250 pages and 63 recipes, the reader who enjoys Espíritu Cantábrico - Cenador de Amós, published by Montagud, gets closer and can experiment with the complex work of memory, depth, and form that Sánchez has carried out in his extensive professional career. Between the sea and the mountains, like the Cantabrian coast, Sánchez's cuisine develops with delicacy and transparency, with authentic creative effervescence.

And since the Atlantic is near, we will cross it to head to Mexico, one of the richest and most varied gastronomic cultures, known particularly for being one of the cradles of street food and its main champion: tacos. In ¡Taco Loco!, published by Planeta Gastro and written by Jonas Cramby, an interesting monograph on popular Mexican cuisine is offered, allowing one to learn about its history, peculiarities, and above all, how to prepare tacos, quesadillas, tlayudas, or elotes. A Mexican-style street food feast.

Gastronomic books: biographies to savor

A book signed by Oscar Caballero is a guarantee of knowledge and an inexhaustible source of gastronomic wisdom, as well as originality. In Juli Soler que estás en la sala, the opportunity is offered to travel through his prose to the dining room of elBulli: for some, it will be a return to memories, but for others who never set foot there, they will understand with Caballero why elBulli was a revolution in every imaginable aspect. The so-called Bullinian spirit would not have existed without Juli Soler, and it is thanks to this authorized biography, published by Planeta Gastro, that we can understand this phenomenon like never before.

Continuing with references, David Chang is an American chef with a Renaissance spirit, who writes and produces television content and has been awarded six James Beard awards for his role as a chef, in addition to being listed among the most influential people of the 21st century by Esquire magazine. In Eat a Peach, Chang offers a sincere and intelligent autobiography that helps to understand this multifaceted and irreverent personality who rose to fame with Momofuku, his New York restaurant. In a fun play on words (Momofuku means "lucky peach" in Japanese), this book published by Planeta Gastro allows us to get to know the person beyond the creator of famous recipes and renowned series like Ugly Delicious (for Netflix).

And finally, the last biography that should be given as a gift and devoured does not correspond to a media personality. In Collado, la maldición de una casa de comidas, its author, Carles Armengol, has managed to portray the essence of the last 30 years of a bar in the Collblanc neighborhood, intertwining its history with that of its picturesque diners.

He mixes memories, anecdotes, and hilarious stories in a well-paced book, showing the rawness of a life dedicated to feeding neighbors and fortuitous visitors. From a bar or from a kitchen: three generations of the same family, starting with Armengol's great-grandparents in 1928, continuing with his grandparents and parents, and until he turned 30, by the author himself. There is rawness, there is tenderness, but above all, the power of getting to know firsthand the pulse of a popular eating house, without frills or concessions, is captivating. A world beyond recipes, opinions, and showmanship. Collado, edited by Colectivo Bruxista is a read that bittersweetly brightens the mood and will make us drool with juicy anecdotes that every lover of eating out will appreciate.