'Larousse' with a Spanish accent, at last...{oh -- foodies...calling all foodies...}

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/Larousse/with/Spanish/accent/at/last/elpepueng/20111110elpeng_2/Ten

"This is a cult book for me. I keep the 1938 edition, as if it were a treasure," says Andoni Luis Aduriz, the head chef at the world's third-ranked restaurant, the two-Michelin-starred Mugaritz.

Aduriz, one of the leading figures of Basque nouvelle cuisine, says he was surprised to get a call to inquire whether he would help update the classic French reference book for all things food-related, the Larousse Gastronomique. The fact that a Spanish chef has been asked to add new entries to this definitive encyclopedia is a sign of the times.

The original work by Prosper Montagné, first published in 1938, came out in Spanish in 2004, thanks to support from the now-deceased Spanish chef Santi Santamaría. But this time, Spanish and Latin American content will be more relevant. It is no coincidence that Joël Robuchon, a lover of Spanish cuisine (and whose workshops draw inspiration from tapas bars), is the chairman of the Larousse gastronomy committee, a group that also includes leading names such as Pierre Hermé, Pascal Barbot, Anne-Sophie Pic and Pierre Troisgros.

"I was asked to make any contributions I considered relevant, and to suggest a number of new entries," says Aduriz. "A large part of my mission was to bring in a greater Latin American presence through people and dishes. The list I first proposed is long enough for several future editions."



*** awesome!

I pull it out from time to time and just browse entries, but I have actually read it from cover to cover a couple of times. Lots to be learned in there.

But he lost me when one of the recipies called for a kilo of Caviar.

:rofl:

What was he making, snacks for a coronation?

I never liked caviar much, but I ate it every now and again in Iran, because it was supposed to be "the best" and it is important to try new things so one doesn't stagnate. I also had a friend who used to bring it home from Russia every so often, and it would make appearances at dinner parties. It was the real "good stuff," too, so I choked it down with the rest of the schmucks, trying hard not to scowl.

I really did try to develop a taste for it. I gave it lots of chances to grow on me. I listened to everyone rave about it and thought to myself, "For what?"

Despite my best efforts, I could go the rest of my life without having it again. It just doesn't do that much for me.

Soup? Yecch! Oh well, all the more for someone who likes the stuff!