Books Worth to Invest On

I looooove books, I'm not a bookworm but I'm a good researcher. One of the skills I learned from joining competitions is how to research on flavors, components, textures etc. Great books contributed to the ''stuffs''(personal techniques, knowledge and experiences) I share to my friends and contributed a lot to my winnings. Internet is so wide, but books have this ''ka-pow'' that makes you sit awhile and say ''U-HUH''. Though I don't have a copy of all of these because these are expensive hard bounds..Kuya Ferds, the school library assistant proclaimed me as the Library Princess, Chef Annali is the Library Queen. Claiming he never met anyone else stayed between the shelves for straight 8 hours.

These are all my favorites, they are so worth the money, the time, and tells a lot of new, creative, some modern, some classic ideas. Perfect!

If Mims is for RN's and MD's,The Flavor Bible is the bible for chefs and chefs-to-be. This winner book shows arrays of different ingredients, their flavors, seasonality, tips and flavor affiliations. Really perfect for researching.

Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen and Advance Baking & Pastry by Michel Suas are great reference for beginners, includes classic recipes and methods, high definition photos and classic techniques.

Alinea by Chef Grant Achatz, shows distinctly modern recipes and molecular gastronomy. The photos and platings are so beautiful that it leaves every reader with the question, ''How did that happen?''

I love Chef Johnny Iuzzini, from his hair, fierce eyes and killer smile up to this book. I bought his book Dessert Fourplay over a year ago, this is a rare find so I bought it instantly. What else can I say, this book created lots of gold medalist, I was once. Thanks Johnny!

The Grand Finale has three editions, more of modernist-architectural desserts, not really elaborate but classic in methods. These books are my ABAKADA.

Frozen Desserts from the Culinary Institute of America and Desserts from Le Cordon Bleu are great reference for cold desserts from Ice creams, Sorbets, Granite, Mousses, Bavarois, Parfait and Bombes, name it!

Chocolates & Confections by Chef Peter Greweling, those pretty bon bons and confections are so inspiring that upon scanning this book, I fell in love with it and borrowed so many ideas from this hard bound. It's so fascinating that I also want to become a Chocolatier before I turn 30.

I love Pierre Herme as much as I love Johnny, he is my dessert patron. I just want to work with him, meet him and learn from him. I also borrowed so many ideas from him, somehow he is the Paul Bocuse of my inner Julia Child.

Couture Wedding Cakes is a compilation of aesthetically wonderful cakes, the designs are intricate and the photos shows how clean and neat the pieces are, a finesse a.k.a skill needed for every Cake makers.

The Knives At Dawn, is a must read for every competition chefs, frustrated chefs, aspiring chefs, and chefs who want to learn more. Tells the journey of Team USA to that elusive Bocuse d'Or  2009 championship. The sayings are so overwhelming, reading the pages as if you are a witness to that competition. Being a competition person myself, I recommend this book for all my fellow cheflings.


The list is endless, as years go by for sure I will add more on my list. But let me remind you that ''Copying is different from borrowing ideas,Copying is done by a person without integrity, the latter is by a learner'' -Chef David Pardo de Ayala