Summer must have something that makes us light the fire, heat the iron or pay homage to the quintessential Spanish paella. If you are one of those who like to host the banquet in your holiday home, here are the books to take with you in your suitcase.
“The secret of grilling is matching the product to the heat of the embers.” Entre Brasas and Entre Brasas Veggie (Planeta Gastro) is the perfect guide for anyone who wants to be encouraged to fire up their grill and get perfect results. In the introductory texts you will learn how the ignition technology works, what we need to be able to withstand this kitchen outdoors and what we should consider when lighting our kitchen with fire. The author is the chef Juan Manuel Benayas (he also wrote “Entre humo”), with texts by the journalists Eva Celada and Alicia Hernández. The photographs by Matías Pérez Llera stand out. They are pure art. For those who don’t want to eat meat, a new edition of Entre Brasas Veggie has appeared. From the garden to the barbecue. Very insightful and enticing.
Cover of “Entre brasas” by Juan Manuel Benayas (Editorial Planeta Gastro).
Among this series of essential guides for those who want to master fire is the book La Barbacoa by Oscar Manresa and Toni García, published by Debate. “A book about fire. Concretely, it’s about what to do with it”, in which Manresa and García enter into a personal dialogue with the reader, one on one, “encourage yourself to cook freely with fire, but understand why you do it a certain way”.
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Perhaps one of the most important novelties of this year is the latest publication by Col&Col publishing house on the cuisine of Florencia Abella, Asado. Argentine grill. Abella, born in Argentina but living in Stockholm, runs the grill at Restaurant Ekstedt (one Michelin star). With the publication of this book, we receive the good methods of working with fire from one of the few Argentinian women who are leading this technique in the world. The book is aimed at anyone who wants to deepen or learn how to deal with fire. More than 60 elaborations and a lot of technology.
At some point in the summer someone dares to prepare a paella, but… there is a certain complexity in what seems extremely simple. A few years ago, the restaurateur, thinker and, we could call him a food philosopher, Arturo Pardos wrote the book El Ocaso de Las Paellas (R&B Ediciones), a very profound and very personal reflection on paella, paelleros and what surrounds this act of eating. In all honesty, the book is hard to find, but well worth the search, especially for those who aren’t content with the primitive stage of putting things in a round frying pan, but want to have a dialogue in front of the fire. “Why a work on paella that does not tell anything about its historical origins, nor reveal the authentic recipes, nor explain how the various Levantine rice dishes are prepared, nor show the magnificent photographic documents used in gastronomic and culinary publications?” writes Arturo. “Why a book about paella when everything should already be said about this dish? Well, precisely because of the latter: because we believe that the “secret” of paella has not yet been revealed.”
Roasted cauliflower, interior image from “Entre brasas veggie”, by Juan Manuel Benayas, courtesy of Planeta Gastro Publishers. Matias Perez Llera
For some strange reason, the best paella books are out of print, such as Alberto Herrainz’s Paella (Phaidon). The first edition appeared in an original binding lined with a rice sack, and subsequent copies appeared in hardcover. The content is exceptional: more than 100 recipes and several introductory chapters on ingredients, technique and tips. The book deserves a reprint because if you find a copy, bookstores will search for old books.
One of the last to arrive at our bookshop was Arroces y mucho más. Culture, History and Recipes, by Ximo Carrión, edited by Drassana. The title says it all: in front of us is a comprehensive recipe book, lots of theory, history and curiosities from the world of rice. Something similar to David Montero, Paella Lovers (Alianza Editorial), who is not content with revealing his secrets as a master paellero, but also provides us with tips on how to get the best rice or even what sauce to serve it with.
Cover of “Cook a Fish” by Josh Niland (Planeta Gastro editorial).
On the grill, on the grill, in the oven, in the frying pan… we find the art of handling fish in the two re-editions that Planeta Gastro has made of the books Todo el Pescado and Cocina un pescado. The new way to cook and enjoy fish from head to tail by Josh Niland. The books are a gem in which the author shows us step by step how to clean a fish and from this comes ideas on how to get the most out of each piece. “The aim of this book is to inspire and stimulate you by showing you the incredible culinary possibilities that fish offers, while encouraging you to strive for the very best standards of quality, starting with a better understanding of what you can achieve in your kitchen.”
Sara Cucala is a writer, filmmaker and journalist specializing in gastronomy. She is the founder of one of the first food and travel blogs, has written numerous books, coordinated the culinary content of TVE’s afternoon magazine and directed several films and documentaries. She is the founder and co-owner of the gastronomic bookstore and cooking school A Punto.