D.O.M.: Rediscovering Brazilian Ingredients

Atala, named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2013 and owner and chef of Brazil's renowned restaurant D.O.M, has written a meditation on Brazilian ingredients. With more than 165 photos and 65 recipes, this beautifully presented and packaged book would almost be more comfortable on a coffee table than in the kitchen. Throughout his career, Atala has devoted himself to the history of unique Brazilian ingredients and the path that foods take from grower to restaurant plate. His enthusiasm for Brazil's biodiversity and the creation of a national cuisine is evident in his choice of ingredients and the tone of his essays. In each chapter, Atala covers an ingredient and includes an essay on its history and lore, incorporating relevant personal stories. Addressing foods that range from the familiar (lamb, pumpkin, okra, and squid) to the more obscure (mangarito, cariru, and tucupi), he has painted a portrait of Brazilian cuisine—where it has been and where he would like to see it go.