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Francis Mallman's 'Seven Fires' Wins 'Piglet' Tournament of Cookbooks

If you've been following along with Food 52's Tournament of Cookbooks (aka "The Piglet"), you'll be pleased to know that the grand champion has been chosen. Final-round judge Nora Ephron calls it for Francis Mallman and Peter Kaminsky's Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way. Sure the book has some problems: Many of the fires in Seven Fires can be set in the wilds of Argentina or, presumably, on a finca, but they cannot be set on driveways, patios or the back lawn. So where is one to set them? I have no idea. And many of the recipes that are meant to be cooked over fire don't contain alternative cooking suggestions. There's a wildly exciting lamb recipe that's cooked in...

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Post a Comment | Posted by Adam Kuban, November 10, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Tagged: contests, cookbooks, Food 52, Francis Mallman, Peter Kaminsky, Seven Fires, The Piglet

Cook the Book: 'Seven Fires'

Francis Mallmann is South America's most famous chef. He's a TV star and owner of several restaurants in Argentina and Uruguay. Mallmann was classically trained in French cuisine and opened his first restaurant, at 19, in the upscale beach resort of Punta del Este, Uruguay. Mallmann was so successful that he could afford to shut down the restaurant in the off season and travel to Europe to train with Michelin-starred chefs. After 20 years of South American–inspired nouvelle cuisine, Mallmann "tired of making French food for wealthy Argentines." He ditched the stocks and sauces and returned to his roots. Mallmann embraced the cooking techniques that he grew up with, wood fires and cast iron pots. These basic tools paired with...

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310 Comments | Posted by The Serious Eats Team, June 15, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Tagged: Argentine, contests, Cook the Book, Francis Mallmann, grilling, Seven Fires