In one of our windows today is one of the most awaited cookbooks for the year - Mugaritz: a natural science of cooking by Andoni Luis Aduriz.  We were so excited that we airfreighted it in, 4 weeks ahead of its local release.

Published by Phaidon Press, and designed ‘loosely’ as a ‘companion’ to Rene Redzepi’s Noma (hopefully part of a series to come…) Mugaritz is a beautiful, striking cookbook with strong contemporary photography that documents the unique creative process behind Aduriz’s innovative dishes, with 70 recipes and over 150 photographs.

Six thematic chapters explain Aduriz’s key philosophies, including his interactions with nature and technology, a new language of cooking, the experience of the diner and his wide-ranging sources of inspiration.

Aduriz is currently one of the brightest stars in the culinary firmament - holding 3 MIchelin Stars for his restaurant Mugaritz, and recently being confirmed for the second year as the No 3 restaurant in the world in the San Pellegrino Restaurant Top 50 List.  Aduriz has in fact been in the top 50 for 7 years.

It’s impossible to keep the attention of diners for two-and-a-half hours if you focus exclusively on their palates’, [Andoni] says. “You also have to tickle their intellect, imagination and sense of humour and memory, and test their capacity for surprise.” This is exactly why people flock to this out-of-the-way 50-cover restaurant’ … after 14 years of running one of the world’s most feted kitchens, Aduriz is finally shedding light on what makes him tick with the publication [...] of his restaurant’s first book
Restaurant

Andoni Luis Aduriz, who trained with most of the highly regarded Michelin 3 Star chefs in Northern Spain and is regarded as the lead protege of Ferran Adria,  is at the forefront of Spain’s culinary innovation.

Mugaritz: a natural science of cooking, is equally at the cutting edge in introducing and communicating Aduriz’s philosophy and creativity.  This cookbook is already running out the door.  It  will appeal to all lovers of creativity, as well as restaurant-goers and aspiring or professional chefs.

Mugaritz is available as a beautiful 250pp hardcover for $69.95

…to buy…

To our eye (and palate), Matt Wilkinson’s Mr Wilkinson’s Favourite Vegetables is one of the cookbooks of 2012.

Matt is a Yorkshire born, British trained, and now Melbourne based Chef and gardener who cooks at his restaurant Pope Joan in inner Melbourne.

Matt’s strong views on the importance of eating locally produced and seasonally grown vegetables are deftly and amusingly put. Scattered amongst the 24 or so chapters on common and less common vegetables (Nettles anyone?) are Matt’s childhood, family (most infamously with his Nan) and professional encounters with what are now his favourite vegetables (or at least 23 of them!). Matt is an ambassador for the Victorian Farmer’s Market Association and his committment to local producers and regional cuisine shines through. Each chapter begins with useful and practical information about cooking and growing or sourcing each vegetable. Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower and even Zucchini are redeemed by simple beautiful dishes. We particularly liked the ‘Salad of Brussels Sprout Leaves, Mozzarella, White Anchovies’, Salad of Cauliflower, Smoked Salmon & Strawberry’ the ‘Frozen Vanilla Syrup-coated Fennel’ and the ‘Salad of Radish, Figs, Walnuts & Blue Cheese’.

Reflected in his Yorkshire upbringing and classical training, Matt’s dishes are mostly British/European or Mediterranean in style and perfectly suited to casual eating, shared plates or even informal restuarants. Despite Matt’s highly regarded fine dining background, this is not a restaurant book. Both beginner and competent cooks will be rewarded as the dishes are never complicated, but there is enough innovation to suit almost anyone. Matt’s plating is elegant but casual and his dishes light but driven by flavour. Lovers of recipes by Yotam Ottolenghi, Karen Martini or Anna Hansen will find this a perfect addition to their kitchen library. Although Matt also champions locally and carefuly raised meat, vegetarians will also be rewarded with innovative and interesting dishes throughout.

Mention must also be made of the beautiful matt photography by Jacqui Melville, and the striking personal design by Studio Racket; we particularly like the uncommon coptic binding and the graphic vignettes

Highly Recommended

Lady Victoria Buxton, wife of the Governor of South Australia (1895 - 1899), described Adelaide in 1896 as a “Land of Cakes”.   Coming from a family focused on evangelical and community works she began the Lady Victoria Buxton Girls’ Club in 1898  under the guidance of the Anglican church, as an alternative for young working women of Adelaide instead of the beach or street; namely a club to provide rooms where girls might ‘meet for amusement and instruction’.  It then developed into a hostel for 25 girls until 1955.  Lady Buxton had undertaken similar projects in London and involving the YWCA before moving to Australia.

One of the primary means of fundraising for the Girls’ Club was the sale of The Kookaburra Cookery Book, the proceeds of which were used to purchase buildings for the Club’s use.  First published in 1911,  The Kookaburra Cookery Book was reprinted a number of times both in Adelaide and by E W Cole in Melbourne and was continuously in print until 1930.  Later editions had additional recipes,  and were occasionally bound in green cloth, but these additions didn’t change the focus of the book which was, despite 70 categories of recipt (over 1200 in all), predominantly baking and sweets (almost 1/3 of the book).

Most of the recipes are attributed to their contributor, some coming from far afield including NSW, Victora, Western Australia and the United Kingdom - even America.  Mrs P Stow (actually the whole Stow family) seems to have contributed a lot!  And we can thank Mrs Robertson of Melbourne for her dish of Savoury Oysters -

Season some oysters with lemon juice and cayenne.  Roll each in thin pieces of fat bacon, have ready some beaten egg into which dip each oyster and bacon, then put into pan of boiling fat and fry till brown, drain on paper and serve very hot on pieces of fried bread.

Predominantly English or French recipes, there is a smattering of recipes from the Indian Raj including kabobs, chutneys, curries etc with the odd helpful hint such as”never serve a curry as an entree, always after the piece or the joint”

Sadly, despite its name, there is almost no reference to native produce apart froma Kangaroo Tail soup and a Parrot Pie (which includes the useful advice to substitute quail!); definitely no Kookaburra dishes!

Not rare, but rarely not well used, we usually have one or two in store.  For anyone interested in early Federation cookery in Australia, this is a useful source.