Now the story of all these culinary journeys is available...with cook-at-home recipes...in his new book, "The Latin Road Home". Garces published his first book, "Latin Evolution", four years ago this month.
It's pretty much the story of his maturing as a chef. The new volume follows him through the cuisines of five countries - Spain, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru and Cuba.
There's a chapter on the culture and agriculture of each. Then there are recipes that take you from appetizer to dessert. Most are weeknight-friendly one-pot dishes you can prepare in an hour or less. But there are also menus for a weekend event that will keep you happy and busy in the kitchen all day.
The surging popularity of Latin foods means you should be able to find most of what you need in a good supermarket. If not, there's probably a Latin grocery near you.
The chef also includes a list in the book of other resources for getting specialty ingredients. He has precise ideas on which varieties of a given ingredient taste best, and you'll come to appreciate his fastidious insistence on quality.
"The Latin Road Home" is available from the usual online retailers, in bookstores, and at Garces restaurants locally. Chef Garces is hosting a rollout party for the new book tonight at JG Domestic, 2929 Arch Street, in the Cira Center.
For $125, guests receive a signed copy of the book and will be able to move from station to station tasting food prepared from its recipes.
The chef and his wife recently launched the Garces Family Foundation, dedicated to improving the health and education of underserved immigrant communities.
Chefs from Garces restaurants and many others will be at the Kimmel Center Wednesday night, October 10 for a fundraising event. It starts at 7:00pm and tickets are required.
For tickets and more information, or to make a donation, visit their website, Garces Family Foundation.
