Mauro Colagreco – AKA the brains behind previous Best Restaurant in the World winner, Mirazur – is once again offering unique insight into his revered culinary world with the release of his third cookbook: Under the Sign of the Moon.
Set for launch on May 9, the title delves into Colagreco’s pioneering culinary philosophy which is primarily guided by biodynamic farming – a concept put into practice at Mirazur’s twelve-acre onsite kitchen gardens.
“Mirazur’s different gardens bear witness to a fertile commitment that has been sustained since the restaurant opened in 2006 … Mirazur poetically inhabits a region whose beauty and rich produce provide the necessary ingredients to create the ultimate dining experience,” reads Under the Sign of the Moon’s introduction, penned by Colagreco’s wife, Laura Colagreco.
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A step above just organic and non-invasive growing methods, Colagreco and his team look to the guidance of the lunar calendar to plant and harvest produce. The result is a restaurant that is actively working in hand with nature instead of against.
Under the Sign of the Moon eloquently documents this special relationship between chef and planet via more than 60 signature recipes taken from Mirazur’s Mirazur Universe menu. Revolving around four core themes – Roots, Leaves, Flowers and Fruits – a different version of this vegetable-forward menu will be served on any given day, depending on the moon’s point in cycle.
So iconic in the world of gastronomic lore is this cyclical style of menu that devout diners have been known to visit the restaurant several days in a row in order to sample more than one variation.
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While the menu was previously exclusive to Colagreco’s South of France flagship, to mark the release of his second book, the Argentinian chef and his team traveled north to London to host a pop-up in Raffles at The OWO – the home of his only UK restaurant. For two nights only, a selection of signature Mirazur dishes were served, each carefully adapted to celebrate the best of organic British produce.
More work of art than actual culinary guidance, with striking images by photographer and long-term friend of the Colagrecos Matteo Carassale, Under the Sign of the Moon’s recipe are, admittedly, not the easiest to follow and would require a lot of patience and even more equipment. Instead, it acts as a window into the workings of the world’s best restaurants and smartest chefs – not to mention being a very impressive title to have on the bookshelf.
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