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There are books that you read or leaf through, and then move on to another. And then there are those that you keep and treasure the rest of your life. The following 6 books have become the latter to some of Manila’s finest pastry chefs, inspiring and influencing their flourshing careers.
1. Let’s Cook with Nora Daza
“I started with Let’s Cook with Nora Daza. Her recipes are no fail. And up to now I still use it. It’s a mix of cooking and baking. Believe me, every household has one, especially the newlyweds.” – Penk Ching, Pastry Bin
2. Dessert Fourplay by Johnny Iuzzini
“That’s a super hard question to answer. I read a lot of books but not to the point that I really let them influence me. But I guess Dessert Fourplay by Johnny Iuzzini because that was the book that I read during my first professional competition.” – Miko Aspiras, Scout’s Honor
3. The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg
“I love books and I’m stunned because I don’t have one answer. But if I must, The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg was the book I used in school alongside my textbook. It’s one thing to bake at home, but it’s a totally different thing to be a professional chef. That book taught me how to elevate my love for baking into making it a profession.” – Jackie Ang Po, Fleur de Lys Patisserie
4. The Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg
“The Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg. I trained under him during the inaugural opening of The Culinary Institute of America, St. Helena Campus. The book is like my bible. It contains the fundamentals of baking and pastry. It’s an encyclopedic book giving guidance on the preparation of various pastries and desserts. Chef Bo explains the steps thoroughly, not only on how to perform the procedures but also the principles behind the recipes. It has yields for home and restaurant service as well.” – Heny Sison, Heny Sison’s Desserterie and Heny Sison Culinary School
“The books of Bo Friberg. He was my chef when I was in school and he influenced me a lot with baking techniques and combination of flavors when creating something. I love the way his book was made. The recipes are very precise and detailed. And all of them have been tried and tested more than three times before publishing.” – Aileen Anastacio, Marmalade Kitchen and Goodies N’ Sweets
5. Mrs. Fields’ Cookie Book
“The most influential cookbook to me is Mrs. Fields’ Cookie Book. With it, I learned how to bake for the first time when I was 7 years old and fell in love with it.” – Carmela Villegas, Casa San Luis
6. Pierre Herme PH 10 book
“Pierre Herme PH 10 book. I’m a big Pierre Herme fan. The book encapsulates all his work in the last two decades. He has taught me how to think outside the box, and try to combine ideas and flavor profiles to recreate classics. And they always taste good in the end. For me, that’s inspiring!” – Sonja Ocampo, Sonja’s Cupcakes
RELATED: 5 cookbooks that have inspired Metro Manila’s best chefs
(Header photo: davidlebovitz.com)
