A book to sin. The table of sin

I can say with joy that many of my best friends in the food blogosphere already have their book on the market, some of these books have become the best sellers last year. The phenomenon of the digital leap from a blog to the publishing world has only just begun, I predict a few more in 2014 and many more in 2015.

The work of giving birth to a book, as I have already told you on some occasions, is difficult , especially when you are only in adventure. The months of work are much lighter if you are supported by a good editorial and especially when you have your people behind you supporting you, not only family, friends and your followers are just as important. As the saying goes ” union makes strength “, this team has put all the meat on the grill to make us sin with some of their recipes.

The table of sin is a suggestive combination of cuisine and photography with a common thread, the seven deadly sins:  anger, lust, envy, gluttony, pride, laziness and avarice ,  without forgetting the counterpoint of the seven virtues : generosity, charity, temperance, patience, chastity, diligence and humility .  Each of them presents recipes, some simple, all succulent. An appeal to sin without remorse, although a space is also reserved at the end so that the virtues compensate so much frenzy.

Recipes like a baked sea bream, a stuffed chicken, some spicy potato bombs or a raspberry tiramisu is part of this book that will undoubtedly be part of the libraries of many of you. In addition, each recipe is accompanied by a pairing suggestion, which details the technical specifications of the proposed wine and its tasting notes. The perfect complement to these dishes.

Gastrobloggers from Salamanca, Malaga, Madrid, Córdoba, Barcelona, ​​Coruña, Vizcaya … lovers of good food and photography at the same time, their proposals shine both for flavor and aesthetics. I am his number 1 fan and of course I can only help in this new adventure. Do not stop giving or giving yourself this book, they are also my complies from Larousse, as my mother says, you  have to sweep home .

“The Table of Sin”

• Publisher: Larousse- Edition: 1 (May 2, 2014) – (ISBN: 978-8415785859)
• Price: Printed book € 18.95 and in ebook format € 10.92
• Features: 256-page hardcover book. Size: 21.5 x 23 cm. Category: Children and Cooking

Where does the idea for this book come from? A little bird told me that Patricia has something to do …

Q- We start strong! Well yes, in reality this idea was one of those that you have on the agenda and that accompanies you everywhere until you find the best way out.
The initial idea was like a challenge, an adventure that many of us like to have blogs, and consisted of making a digital book. Something that we would do among a few and then launch freely.
I think the topic is very playful and the truth is that as soon as I started asking some of my colleagues if they wanted to participate, they immediately turned to her. It is appreciated that they are always ready for new challenges and enjoy cooking from another point of view. They are a brutal outfit, now that I know them up close I admire them even more. I assure you that the work they have done has been very professional.

MA- The little bird has told you the truth! It all started with a message from Patricia Sánchez in which she said that if she wanted to participate in an ebook, because that was the original idea of ​​the project. As soon as I spoke to her, the idea captivated me and my head immediately started to choose the recipes. It is such a tempting and suggestive project that as soon as you know it you fall in love with it.

PG- Our dear and restless Patricia, (my namesake Patrix for friends) had this great idea! I imagine that it was not easy to give it shape and after giving it infinite turns and having it very clear, he launched without a parachute and invited us one by one to participate in this wonderful and original project that at that time was nothing more than that, a project of what could be something big. We, who think that, would have proposed this or even something more insane, we did not think twice and said the most fun “if I want” in the world, because we really did not know very well what was going to come out of there! And look!

How were the dishes chosen for each sin, and for the virtues?

L – Well, each one made a list of each recipe and we identified it as a sin, the truth was difficult to think about it but then I think I remember that none coincided with another. Margot took care of the virtues, I did have to think more about it, but it was all hers.

PR- Each one of us has had to think about his work part individually and decide which recipe would represent each sin. The part of the virtues corresponded to Margot only.

A- The beginning was very simple, she proposed the idea and we all had to think of a dish that evoked each of the seven sins. At first it is a bit confusing because you start to machine and the brainstorming you have is incredible, then you focus and the thing falls under its own weight, in some sins it has cost me more than in others but in the end it works out. It has been super fun, I have had a great time linking sins with dishes, all an experience that is out of the ordinary, I like challenges.

Then there was a sharing and although it seems incredible no one agreed on any dish, each one had thought very different things, that is the wonderful thing about this a book seen from the perspective of 8 different people.

Curious, some have had a specific sin or virtue, with how good you all are … Was it a lottery or were they handpicked? Requests from the authors of a particular sin or virtue?

MG- No, all bloggers have the seven sins, except Margot, who was assigned seven virtues as opposed to all the others. So here the only good one is Margot. I’m sorry for her.

PG- This is not completely so. Each of us, the 7 sinners, had to come up with a recipe for each of the 7 deadly sins. And in the same way, Margot, who is our “guardian angel”, would also prepare a dish for each virtue. There are no mixtures, sinners only sins and the virtuous only virtues. And really, as I said in the previous answer, there was no draw, only consensus regarding the recipes to not coincide and that there was a balance between them.

A- We all had to do the seven deadly sins, the only thing that differentiated us was that Margot would be responsible for elaborating the virtues, and you will wonder why? Well, the choice was not difficult, I think we all know Margot and her wonderful photos full of light with a predominance of white, that was the determining factor, it is like being in heaven. She is our saving angel.

Do you take the pairing of each recipe as a sin or as a virtue?

M- Of course as a virtue. I don’t understand much about wines and I know that you have to be a virtuoso to know how to recognize if a wine has a sweet tooth, has a smooth texture, is broad, or is elegant. It’s funny, I’ve only done two wine tastings in my life, and a few years apart from each other, one in the middle of some vineyards by the wineries Guzmán Aldazabal and the other by the sommelier, Esteve Esteve , that both have collaborated in the book.

MA- I see it as a little sin to be a little bit more naughty, hehe. In my case, wine is always a very important part of all the parties that I organize at home. A good wine is a pleasure for the senses and there is nothing better than getting the pairing right to please your guests and yourself, of course.

For this reason we found it convenient to propose a wine with each recipe, since many times we do not know whether to choose a crianza or a young wine or even a cava to accompany our dishes. In addition, there are great treasures hidden in the cellars of Spain that deserve to be discovered.

To tell you one of my favorites, the white wine Oxígen de Can Pasqual, made in the DO Penedés, is a young, fruity, fresh and excellent wine that is worth only € 6 !! Everyone deserves to discover these wines to sin and enjoy.

Each of you has a particular style when it comes to taking photos. I almost recognize from whom each photo as I see it, in some case in the book I have seen changes to what you have accustomed me in your blogs. Have you where to shoot or have the style of each one been respected?

L- Within the style of each of us, we all came to the conclusion that they would be still life-style photos with a rustic air to leave the photos clear and bright for Margot on the subject of virtues. In addition, sins inspired you to prepare dark scenarios, less me, for example the envy that I have compared with the envy of everything Spanish evoked joy in me for that reason it is the most luminous but without being excessive. By the way I hope you like it.

Q- It is true, each one had a different and personal style and that can be seen in the images. They are an amazing team and they all take spectacular photos.
We established some guidelines for the photographs, to have a certain order, such as for example that the dark backgrounds predominate, a more baroque aesthetic was sought and thinking of sins as inspiration.
Except of course Margot had to do everything heavenly and minimalist white.
From there, each one with his own free style elaborated the photographs.

Almost all the recipes are made for the book, I even see the evolution of some of them, for example Pam’s chocolate coulant. In all these years as cookers, tell me a curious story about preparing a recipe?

L- Well, pancakes is a recipe that I have pending because they don’t work for me, however my daughter, who is 18 years old, works perfectly, so I go after her to see if we can make them. Ah, the famous macaroons resist me, they do not come out as I would like, you know that they also have to be photogenic. I have not had many problems with the recipes, also the first thing I think is if I can photograph it, that may overwhelm me more.

MG- I don’t know if it’s curious, but I remember once I prepared a menu for my in-laws with traditional crumbs and a stew with paprika. I was wrong and I put all the hot paprika on both plates. You will imagine that we had a good time in the food. Of course, I very much doubt that I will be wrong again in life with paprika cans. I have it engraved on fire!

PG- Only one? Hahaha, I could count you a thousand! The typical homemade custard that you do not understand why it does not curdle when you have done it a thousand times, the time I put salt instead of sugar, the time you have the empty fridge (rare in me with large family) the gang of friends sneaks up on you to eat and with a tomato here some eggs over there improvise a delicious dinner…. And so a thousand and one anecdotes. As I also have them for each of the recipes in the book… .but that will be in another interview!

This is for you, Miguel Ángel, what is it like to work with 7 women?

MA- A joy! Working with 7 such creative women is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. With Raquel, Luisa and the two Patricia I share a project in Cuquin Magazine and it is so easy to deal with them that it is a real luxury to share more experiences. Margot, Miriam and Pam have also been a discovery for me, since I have been able to get to know bloggers I admired better.

Notice that when I started my blog, three years ago, I had some references. Pam was one of them and sharing “La Mesa del Pecado” with her is like a dream come true.

And do you know the best of all? Now the good thing begins since we have several programmed events in which many of us are going to coincide and I am sure that we are going to have a great time. That thanks to the blog I have made true friends, is priceless.

To say goodbye, surely in these long months preparing the book some nice story has happened, “the record off”, tell me some please.

A- Preparing the styling for the envy stage, I needed a chair and a green background, so I painted a wood and the chair, as it had one at home that was very old, I decided to paint it the same color. I was still in the process of DIY when I was in the car to run some errands and suddenly I couldn’t believe it … next to a container there waiting for me, looking at me there was a wonderful wooden chair that was a little old, but painted a green that the My heart was leaking, it seemed that someone had placed it there. I got out of the car I looked everywhere and inside, I’m going to be honest, I would have taken her even if the street had been crowded, I assure you. That day I was laughing alone because anyone who saw me would think I was crazy. I confess to you that my radar finds wonders in the containers, it is activated 24 hours and no, I do not have Diogenes syndrome.

PR- For me the biggest challenge was undoubtedly taking the photos of the sausages to hell. I think I have never shot so many photos for a recipe. We wanted the flame in addition to a good tone, to have a beautiful shape, so the result was about 200 new photographs and curtains.

PG- Nice stories in these months there have been many and it is sure that Patrix has the most of them to tell, since she has been the one who has coordinated the entire project on a day to day basis, but for me the most Sympathetic, wonderful and amazing has been the time when we confirmed that Editorial Larousse, welcomed us as their “chicks” and published our project in book format! The jumps of joy of everyone were the most fun of the entire project!

Q- Surely there are many, and each one will get a different one… I’m going to tell one of mine. Bloggers are often attacked for being too far-fetched in our photos. We complicate our existence, we even take photos doing the handstand, but there are times when taking a photo is really difficult.

For example, a funny story is how to take a picture of a flambé chicken. The recipe can be simple, in fact it is, and the flambé is not complex either, but when you have to take a photo at the right moment when the flambé is splendid … there come the problems. I had to ask my holy husband for help, who was totally hallucinating, but it had entered my head that this was the ideal photo for anger and I had to get it anyway. As a small “off the record” I will tell you that the chicken ended up drunk on the account …