Movida Cocina by Frank Comorra and Richard Cornish
Spanish flavours from five kitchens
Laura Cullen
Movida Cocina by Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish [©Murdoch Books]
Movida Cocina is a very modern looking and vibrantly set out cook book. It oozes style and just like the dishes within it, it is enthusiastically dynamic.
'In 1975 Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died. After decades of his regime, there suddenly erupted a spontaneous Spanish movement of art, film, music and fun, energetic youthful exuberance. This movement was called "La Movida".' And so the cookbook begins, setting the scene for the food to follow.
This book is the brainchild of chefs that work out of Movida's Spanish inspired restaurants in Melbourne. Within it they are trying to capture the essence of what the restaurant is: collaboration and creativeness. In their own words ‘There’s no room for mediocrity. Everything has to be delicious.’
Movida Cocina delivers what it promises. Vibrant food that is sure to get taste buds tingling. The sections covered are breakfast, rolls and sandwiches, salads, bar food, grill, hotplate, rice, shared plates, and desserts. Covered are simple recipes like freshly squeezed orange juice through to (and on the opposing page even) more challenging recipes like brioche (but absolutely worth the effort). Of course churros make an appearance, but with hot chocolate! This one will undoubtedly be popular with the kids, if there are any left after the adults have had their share.
Other particular highlights are the chorizo swirls, fried calamari bocadillos, potato salad with alioli, pickled garlic and palitos de pad, potato crisps with lemon salt, blue cheese sandwiches, scotch eggs and chorizo-filled fried potato bombs with spicy sauce to name a few. And let’s not forget the coffee and rum granita with crème catalan foam for dessert, or the pineapple gazpacho with ponche soto granita, or even the trifle.
Movida Cocina is set out in a different and unique way. It is like an extremely fancy menu – a menu that includes the recipe for each meal and an introduction and overview of the chefs responsible for each dish. This has the effect of making one want to visit the restaurant as not only are you made to want to try the dishes, but you also feel the need to see if the chefs match the descriptions in the book. The image of chef Michael watching the weather like a hawk because he knows a low-pressure system coming in from the west will affect how his bread rises is worthy of special mention. Surely such an attitude to bread making is worth a taste.
Overall this cookbook is an extremely worthy addition to any cook’s collection. It is particularly attractive and would make a lovely gift, if nothing else making a colourful and interestingly modern addition to the coffee table. However if the book is utilised as intended it will yield amazing food and big grins from those feasting on it. It has appealing and well photographed images of most recipes and makes every effort to stand out from the crowd, and may I say it does so admirably.
Movida Cocina written by Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish is published in Australia by Murdoch Books (Sydney, 2011; hc, 288 pp) RRP A$49.95.
Subscribers of VisitVineyards.com and Winepros Archive can purchase Movida Cocina at 12.5% discount via our book partners Seekbooks (postage extra).
Movida Cocina is also available via Booko here »
Regions
- Melbourne (VIC)
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