Latin Evolution, by Jose Garces – A taste of the Future

I was looking for Latin American cookbooks in Barnes & Noble the other day, and this book caught my eye. The photographs were wonderful and the recipes incredibly original. As seems to be the case with lots of Spanish chefs nowadays though (the Catalans in particular!) the food looked pretty, but almost unreal. A kind of Latin inspired Ferran Adria. Definitely too molecular cuisine-ish for the average cook like you and I (my mother disagrees, but of course, she’s a trained chef).

But whether you shy away from complicated techniques and recipes that won’t be ready in this lifetime, or you love a challenge, new experiences, or actually know how to cook very well, this book is a visual treat and creative beyond measure, so we recommend you take a look at it. Garces covers some of the foods of Spain, Central and South America, and the Caribbean in his unique, classy and sophisticated way. I was excited to see some of the best Peruvian dishes turned into out of this world culinary sculptures.

These are some of the author’s interpretations of the original Peruvian dishes, with the addition of his huge creativity and talent:  Duck confit with orange jus, duck chicharrones and foie gras (Cebiche de Pato); Hamachi with pineapple aji Amarillo sauce; Sea scallops with truffle lemon vinaigrette and Meyer lemon air (Tiradito); Tacu tacu with sous vide lamb loin and huacatay puree; Mix seafood chowder with purple Peruvian potatoes and sous vide eggs (Chupe de Camarones); Terrine of Dungeness crab and saffron potatoes with carrot escabeche (Causa); Sous vide squab with aji de gallina sauce (Aji de Gallina); Kobe beef tenderloin with papas al ajillo, caramelized cipollini onions and roasted red pepper puree (Lomo Saltado); Roasted duck breast and duck confit with green rice, sweet pea sauce and tomatillo jalapeño marmalade (Arroz con Pato).

Jose Garces has built a successful career mastering every technique imaginable, working with love and discipline in many of the most prestigious kitchens in the world. He is a chef and a restaurateur, an Iron Chef, and a cookbook
author.

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