• Profile photo of Beatriz Torija

      Beatriz Torija posted an update

      a year ago

      Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

      I was preparing a post with some elaborations and processes of one of the dishes of the last challenge… but as today is the Book Day… I thought it would be a good idea to share with the community my five must-haves:

      -‘Entre brasas’: Rafael Benayas is a crack and as lately I’m in full swing with fire and embers, I love it.

      – Modernist cuisine at home: it’s amazing. I’d love to have the encyclopedia, but I’ll settle for the amateur edition 😅

      – Flavors of India. Manjula Balakrishnan: my weakness for India makes me have many Indian cookbooks… and of all, my favorite is this one. Small, simple, without photos… but his recipes are the best, the most authentic.

      -Morocco, Mediterranean cuisine. It’s a bit the same… I have other Moroccan cookbooks, in theory better and more expensive. But none of them I have used as much as this one. It is fabulous.

      -1080 recipes. Simone Ortega: I have to admit that I don’t consult it much, but it is a book that cannot be missing in any Spanish home… a bit like the silver spoon in Italy.

      The truth is that there are many other books that I consider essential, recipe books, books by great chefs, books on the theory and science of gastronomy, but today I will stick to these five. And for you, what are your must-haves?

      Translated from Spanish
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      Lana Mihajlović, Mercedes Delgado de Miguel and 7 others
      23 Comments
      • Level: favicon spaced Scoolinary Team

        bea, this post makes a great book day giveaway! 📚✨ Thanks for sharing your must-haves! What a treat to see how you combine cooking with reading, that’s how you really learn tasty and seasoned!

        Your selection is a total delight: fire, science, tradition, culture… you have a recipe book of life in the form of a library!!!!

        I tell you that one of the books I am most fond of is The Great Book of Chocolate by Schuhmacher Karl… it was one of the first I had when I was studying gastronomy, and it still makes me smile every time I leaf through it. And if we are talking about classics with heart, in my house the famous What will I cook today, whose first edition was in 1959, is still passed down from generation to generation. This book is by Teresa Ocampo, Peruvian gourmet and writer, and was a pioneer in spreading Peruvian cuisine in the 60s. It is a simple little book but full of homemade recipes. It was my grandmother’s, and it is so beloved that, I swear, in Peru many homes have it as a treasure.
        And of course, I also have a special corner in my bookshelf for my grandmother’s infinite notebooks, she was a pastry chef and I think her recipes, tips and everything that is written there is the most precious book I have at home. ❤️

        And now what we all want to know… of all these books, which one has most influenced your dishes or the way you cook every day? 🍛
        thanks for adding so much spark to this community! And yes, you leave us intrigued… will there be post of the challenge dish soon? Here we will be ready with spoon in hand! ⏳✍️🥄💛

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        Translated from Spanish
        a year ago
        • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

          ah! I know the chocolate book, I’ve flipped through it a few times. I didn’t know Teresa Ocampo, (I think I’m a bit of a fish in Peruvian cuisine), but I’ve already done some research. I think her book is like the 1080 in Spain: the book that we all take with us when we become independent 😅

          One doubt, the Nicolini recipe book, is it yours?

          About your question… I wouldn’t be able to tell you just one as the one that has influenced me the most. In fact, with time this also changes… because our interests change, trends emerge, our level of cooking evolves….

          By the way… those notebooks of your grandmother’s are a jewel💎

          Translated from Spanish
          a year ago
          • Level: favicon spaced Scoolinary Team

            @beatriztorijagmail-com How nice what you say, Beatriz! I love that comparison with 1080, because indeed Teresa Ocampo’s book has that same spirit: an endearing basic that has accompanied many generations. And yes, the Nicolini cookbook is also hers, it was one of the first massive cookbooks in Peru, and it has that nostalgic charm that connects with so many family kitchens.

            You are absolutely right about the changing influences, that’s the beauty of cooking! It’s a constantly evolving journey, and each stage takes us through different flavors and inspirations.

            And thank you so much for my grandmother’s notebooks… they really are a treasure that I try to take care of. ❤️

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            Translated from Spanish
            a year ago
          • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

            @sussan_scoolinaryteam I forgot… yes there will be post, yesterday I already had the pictures ready when I thought it was better to take care of the letters on 📖 day.

            I will upload it today 😉

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            Translated from Spanish
            a year ago
          • 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Thanks for sharing! Having some good little reference cookbooks is very necessary and helpful. 😍

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            Translated from Spanish
            a year ago
          • Sol Damiani (edited)
            Level: favicon spaced Scoolinary Team

            i loved this post! 📚💥 What a pleasure to see such diverse and personal culinary libraries-and what a selection yours is!

            Just recently, Scoolinary suggested to those of us in the Brigade to read Anthony Bourdain’s Confessions of a Chef and…I couldn’t put it down! What blew my mind the most was discovering how the culture within a kitchen is a direct reflection of who is leading that team. A brutal and beautiful lesson.
            Thanks for opening up your world to us book by book-now I want to see that post with the challenge dish too! 😄👩‍🍳📖

            I invite my dear colleagues @abigailscoolinary-com & @emilyscoolinarycom to share their literary gems from the world of gastronomy.

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            Translated from Spanish
            a year ago
            • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

              @soldamiani ahhh!!!! Bourdain’s book is fabulous. At the time, when it came out there was a lot of hype 😅.

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              Translated from Spanish
              a year ago
              • Level: favicon spaced Scoolinary Team

                @beatriztorijagmail-com Oh, really? Please tell me more

                Wow
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                Translated from Spanish
                a year ago
                • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

                  @soldamiani yes, there was controversy in the industry when he claimed that drugs ran through the kitchens regularly; that sex was also common inside the kitchens…and in general all kinds of excesses. Some chefs were very offended😅

                  Translated from Spanish
                  a year ago
                • Level: favicon spaced Scoolinary Team

                  @beatriztorijagmail-com Sure, I understand. It looked totally out of control. That’s why I liked that by the end, it clarified that each kitchen was a reflection of each Executive Chef and opened up the range of possibilities for more respectful and healthy environments.

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                  Translated from Spanish
                  a year ago
                  • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

                    @undefined ya pero todo el mundo se quedó con la parte anecdótica. Si, recuerdo que cuando se publicó salieron chefs enfadadísimos diciendo que estaba desprestigiando a la profesión 🤷‍♀️

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              • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

                How wonderful to see your books Beatriz. A good culinary library is essential in our kitchen. Thank you for sharing🙌

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                Translated from Spanish
                a year ago
                • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

                  @loles-mhotmail-com even though we all walk around the kitchen with smartphone or tablet now… books are irreplaceable. Call me an old lady, but I love paper 😂.

                  Translated from Spanish
                  a year ago
                • Level: favicon spaced Scoolinary Team

                  Wow! every book provokes emotions in me 🤩 here my selection:

                  – Cupcakes by Paloma Casanave: Pretty amateurish but I couldn’t help but mention it first because it was big reason why I started leaning into baking when I was a teenager. If you are looking for a book that conveys joy and a desire to live experiences, this one is for you!

                  – Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Techniques. For my colleagues it is the bible! There are also several editions focused on pastry or bakery, but there is no doubt that they are super didactic and illustrated.

                  – Bravazo by Gastón Acurio. Popular Peruvian cuisine, written in prose, with much affection, close language. The truth is that I have seen very few books written in this way.

                  – The Art of Peruvian Cuisine. Tony Custer and other emblematic chefs share classic recipes from my country ❤️ That book is years old and takes me back to my childhood 🤭 It is very curious to see it now, and realize how these chefs have grown.

                  – Slowfood’ s Ark of Taste. I love love love love that book! It’s illustrated and shows us hundreds of pages of local ingredients and recipes we probably didn’t know about, local application and importance. It’s a starting point to value what’s ours and defend that traditions are not lost. PS: You can download it for free 💪.

                  – If you want to be surprised, Central by Nicholas Gill and Virgilio Martinez. It showcases their travels and research around the dishes they create. There are many recipes that you can both replicate or just take them as inspiration.

                  From there there are many more that are not so well known but that I am very fond of. I have on my bookshelf a Chinese-Cantonese cookbook, inherited from my mom; books about potatoes, anchovies… the Riquisisisimos collection is very tender and encourages us to eat healthy and diverse 🌿.

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                  Translated from Spanish
                  a year ago
                  • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

                    @emilyscoolinarycom what a great selection Emily! I agree with the culinary techniques book, it was left out but I could have perfectly included it in my 🔝. Acurio is quite an authority, I don’t know that one, his I know Peru, edited by Phaidon. And Virgilio’s I don’t know, but it has to be fabulous because he is an amazing chef.

                    I’m going to look into the slowfood movement one right now 🤩.

                    A thousand thanks for your recommendations 😍

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                    Translated from Spanish
                    a year ago
                    • Level: favicon spaced Scoolinary Team

                      @emilyscoolinarycom How lovely to read the passion for gastronomy in your comment, sis!

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                      Translated from Spanish
                      a year ago
                    • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

                      I have a few, from the Roca brothers, the truth is that there are many low temperature a couple of them, Basque pintxos etc etc

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                      Translated from Spanish
                      a year ago
                    • Level: level 3 sous 3 Sous Chef

                      What a perfect way to celebrate Book Day — through the pages that feed both mind and soul! 📚🍽️ Love how your list blends fire, science, tradition, and global flavors. Entre brasas sounds like a total gem, and I couldn’t agree more about Modernist Cuisine at Home — it’s a game-changer. Now you’ve got me curious to revisit my own shelf… time to pull out a few favorites and get inspired again! 🔥📖✨

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