'I believe that cuisine is the most important link between nature and culture.' Alex Atala
'A cuisine unlike anything I’ve ever had in my life.' Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park
'Whenever I see that Dos Equis commercial – the most interesting man in the world – I always think, no, that’s not true. The most interesting man in the world is Alex Atala.' David Chang, Momofuku
At D.O.M. in São Paulo, widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in the world, you won’t find traditional staple ingredients of fine dining. Caviar, foie gras, and truffles are all absent from the menus. For the past 15 years, acclaimed Chef Alex Atala, a native of Brazil and the only chef named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2013, has refused to import any ingredients traditionally found in the European kitchens in which he trained. Instead, he has scoured the lush bounty of the Amazon for indigenous produce and proteins, and crafted a cuisine steeped in classical techniques but distinctly and uniquely Brazilian.
D.O.M: Rediscovering Brazilian Ingredients is the first major cookbook by Alex Atala, offering an in-depth look at the products and creative process that make up his innovative cuisine. The book features 65 recipes such as Fresh Heart of Palm With Scallops and Coral Sauce; Lightly Toasted Black Rice with Green Vegetables and Brazil Nut Milk, Lamb Hind Shanks with Yam Puree and Pitanga, and Priprioca, Lime and Banana Ravioli. 150 stunning colour photographs bring each dish to life while revealing the vibrant, landscapes of Atala’s Brazil. The result is an immersive experience that transports readers into the streets of São Paulo and the rainforests of the Amazon, while getting inside the mind of one of the world’s best chefs as he captures flavours that can be found nowhere else in the world.
The book features an introduction by chef Alain Ducasse.
A creative chef, Alex Atala is known in Brazil and throughout the world for exploring, through classical techniques, the gastronomical possibilities of Brazilian ingredients. Atala began his career when he was 19 in Belgium, at the École Hôtelière de Namur. In France he worked at Jean Pierre Bruneau’s Michelin 3-star restaurant, and staged at Hotel de la Cote D’Or with Chef Bernard Loiseau. In 1994 he returned to São Paulo, where his performance in several establishments around the city attracted the attention of journalists and gourmands. He opened D.O.M. restaurant in 1999. In 2009 Atala opened his second restaurant, Dalva e Dito, to critical acclaim.
