Libro de cocina Relatos Argentinos, by Eloise Alemany

Images: Courtesy Eloise Alemany

It so happened that a few days after Eloise Alemany contact me to introduce his new editorial, I saw another of his books, Argentine-design it, in Fundación Proa. And just saw a kind of parallel between that and this new work, something that I value journalistic work, which is an innate curiosity and interest by showing something that one is interested.

I love to read or see things done by someone who feels deep interest in something. You can see when a journalist too, creative writer or any creative work done by order and without any link, and yet is very obvious when someone does something with love and passion.

While I have a copy of Argentine Cookbook in my hands Tales, I feel it belongs to the latter group. And Eloise answers some of my questions about his work confirms what I think.

BA INSPIRATION (BAI): What is your relationship with the kitchen? How do you think of this book?
Eloise ALEMANY (EA): The kitchen has always had an important place in my life. I grew up with a mother who teaches French cuisine in a country where food is both central and exquisite (Japan). There began my love for good food. I remember the 13 I started experimenting with cooking out books from the library of my school and trying different things, as an avocado soup that ended in my mother's recipe! Of course, she learned a lot from.

The act of cooking and eating in the company of family and friends is something that I value. The food creates an opportunity to meet and that's nice, and like so many people share that pleasure.

Working in fashion for many years and know many designers and artists, I realized that cooking is, for many, another way of expressing their creativity. So I got the idea of writing a book to show a personal and creative side of the kitchen in this world. I began to set it up in London, where he lived before moving to Buenos Aires, when my situation changed and I adapted the concept to do here. I started again, and slowly my project was transformed into a celebration of the culture of Argentina and its people, plus the kitchen.

“Working in fashion for many years, I realized that for many designers and artists, the kitchen is another way of expressing their creativity”.

BAI: How did you choose to persons who are included? What was the slogan to contact?
EA: The book was arming itself in a very organic. I started with a list of ‘occasions’ and profiles of people who wanted to include (for example: a picnic, tea, a roast, a meal at the Tiger, males dinner, a Jewish grandmother, a decorated cake specialist, a fruit dealer). In the end it was impossible to include them all in this book, but I shall keep for the next. I also began to talk with friends who cook very well and know others that seemed interesting for the project. This was compiling a list of chefs: word of mouth and recommendations from both.

My intention was to put together a cookbook and a rather different emphasis in photography. And, in fact, I see the final product more like a picture book than a cookbook. The central concept was to include people who cook very well but do not engage in that, mixing with professionals working in a different way to the hotel and restaurant chefs. I wanted to achieve a mix of profiles, age, Food and situations. I have to thank all participants who trusted me, I opened the doors of their homes and shared their knowledge and time for me to make this book.

With every chef we met once to discuss your relationship with food and type of food they like to prepare. Based on that we define what would be your menu or recipe. I also tried shooting the shots were the most ‘real’ possible, not to stay with a series of fictitious times. So I took part in the life of each one in a much more natural, and that was very nice.

I chose to work with art photographers (Andrew Lehmann, Alina Schwarcz, Guillermo Ueno Ana Armendariz) and photographers who are dedicated to gastronomy. I was interested in capturing the atmosphere of the occasion and random details of the ritual more than the finished dishes themselves. I'm having more fun watching (and show) things this way (insinuándolas) and make room for the imagination.

“My intention was to make a cookbook quite different, with an emphasis in photography. I wanted to achieve a mix of profiles, age, Food and situations. Capture the atmosphere of the occasion and details of the ritual trials only finished dishes. I'm having more fun watching (and show) things this way (insinuándolas) and make room for the imagination”.

BAI: What did you learn by the book?
EA: The whole process of research and production stage of my book was like a ‘rite of passage’ that allowed me to approach the world of gastronomy in a much more immediate.

I met many people who inspired me the way they relate to the kitchen, and others with whom I ended up sharing a dream of mine: to organize events ‘pop-up’ Gastronomy: in the middle of the production started with one of the cooks I met my book, Mariana Ciarlotti, Travelling to assemble dinners we call Grimod Nights. It was an incredible experience.

Somehow I think the book served as a platform to get closer to the kitchen. Elsa Manelphe, another cook in the book, participated in one of our events. I also began to take cooking classes with Marcia Krygier, I met also in the production. I still can not believe have come to finish a book that started as a dream for many years. It is true that everything has its time and that all leads to the next dream.

Argentinos participate Stories Book: Marcello Mortarotti, Martin Sabater, Laura Palacios and Lola Goldstein, Dani Vega, Marcia Krygier, Marcelo Federico, Martin Churba, Elsa Manelphe, Jorge Miño, Susana Herrera, Pilar Cortés, Valeria Pesqueira, Soledad Erdocia, Elisa Dallas, Florence Dome Melotto, Juliana Iriarte, Fabian Bercic, Octavio Garabello, Rita Hampton and Silvina Romero, Aili Chen, Mariana Ciarlotti, Sara Siberstein, Nicholas Constantine, Sergio Vidra, Pascale Alemany, Silvia Ibarra, Gonzalo Barbadillo, Romina San Martin, Soledad Sueiro, Guillermo Ueno.

The scenes take place in kitchens, canteens, workshops, gardens, patios and terraces, cottages and recreate weekend. In and around Buenos Aires, in Tigre, Cologne. There is a Sunday roast, almuerzo a gnocchi, dinner with friends and family, un picnic arty, afternoon tea, closure sample, great-grandmothers recipes, Syrian recipes, Mexico, French, Italy and Taiwan. To complete, a cast of apron for girls, designed especially for the book by Valeria Pesqueira.

The book has graphic design artist Andres Sobrino and texts from the prestigious journalists and Victoria Lescano Ines Acevedo, and sold $170 from mid-December 2009 by request through the blog DosDocenas.blogspot.com and a number of local bookstores and are available on the same blog.

In addition to this book and other publications on Argentine art and design, Eloise serves as creative consultant. He lives in Buenos Aires 2006, where he arrived after working six years as executive editor of the prestigious magazine iD with his famous creative director Terry Jones.

Contact:
DosDocenas.blogspot.com