D.O.M Redicovering Brazilian Ingredients with Alex Atala

Acclaimed Brazilian Chef Alex Atala will launch his first book in the English language in September 2013. D.O.M. – Rediscovering Brazilian Ingredients/Alex Atala will be published by Phaidon and will be a journey into the true flavours of Brazil, including Alex’s research deep into the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

This concisely photographed hard backed volume will tell the story of 150 of Brazil’s ingredients throughout its 320 pages and will be as much a pictorial story about the peoples and lifestyle of Brazil as the food that finds its way onto the nation’s plates.

When Alex Atala opened his restaurant D.O.M. (from the Latin, Deo Optimo Maximo – God is Great and Exceeding – good in his wisdom and exceeding in his kindness) in Sao Paulo in 1999, he made a decision that was to change the history of modern Brazilian cuisine.

Classically trained in Europe he wanted to change the way his nation was considered on a plate and believed ingredients like acai, pupunha or cupuacu to be the very essence of Brazil and their uniqueness should be celebrated. He wanted to create a fine dining restaurant that captured the flavours, colours, textures and even smells of what it was to eat in Brazil.

However, developing menus with a strong presence of native ingredients required time and research. Some of that research became far-reaching into the Amazon rainforest.

With issues of deforestation and the impact of habitat loss at the fore of his mind, Atala was acutely aware of the fragility of the rainforests eco-system and the tribal lifestyles it supported. He enlisted the help of the Social Environmental Institute and has worked meticulously with scientists and anthropologists to discover and classify foods and document new products from the Amazon region, with minimum impact on both forest and people.

In D.O.M. – Rediscovering Brazilian Ingredients/Alex Atala, Alex recounts those personal journeys from city and village, to rainforest and beach of his vibrant and culturally diverse country. Through his recipes and a photographic compendium the reader is taken on a culinary odyssey that highlights world renowned ingredients like brazil nuts and cocoa to the uses of more enigmatic produce like ants and priprioca.

With the impending FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympics almost upon them, the world’s eyes will be fixed on Brazil. With D.O.M. – Rediscovering Brazilian Ingredients/Alex Atala, the chef will show that the nation is as rich in gastronomy as it is in athletic prowess.

D.O.M. – Rediscovering Brazilian Ingredients/Alex Atala will be published by Phaidon, the world-leading publisher on the visual arts, culture and creativity, and will cost £35. With the launch due to September, Atala will begin an international tour in October and November 2013 to Europe, USA and Australia. The book will be available in English, German and Portuguese. Pre-order it online: http://uk.phaidon.com/store/food-cook/alex-atala-9780714865744/