Francisco Migoya

Head Chef at The Cooking Lab

https://www.modernistcuisine.com

Biography

Francisco is the Head Chef at The Cooking Lab (Modernist Cuisine), in Bellevue Washington. Before joining the MC team, Francisco was the owner and chocolatier at Hudson Chocolates in the Hudson Valley of New York as well as a Professor at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where he taught from April of 2005 to December of 2013. Previous to working at the CIA, Francisco was the Executive Pastry Chef for The French Laundry, Bouchon Bakery and Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, CA. Francisco has also worked at a number of restaurants in New York City such as Veritas (pastry chef, now closed), Ilo (sous pastry-chef; now closed) and The River Café (pastry chef; Brooklyn). Francisco is the author of “The Elements of Dessert” (John Wiley and Sons, 2012), winner of the 2014 IACP Award in the Professional Category, “The Modern Café” (John Wiley and Sons, 2010), and “Frozen Desserts” (John Wiley and Sons, 2008).

Essential Cuisine

Michel Bras

Few chefs have had as strong of an influence on cooking as chef Bras. Much of his style and technique is still used in many kitchens to this day.

Los Postres de El Bulli

Albert Adria

One of the first influences on my view of pastry. Everything seemed completely new to me, because in a way it was. Very few chefs and for this matter, books, have that effect.

Dessert Cuisine

Oriol Balaguer

On the same page, so to speak, as the Adria book. Incredible innovation that still looks current to this day.

Nose to Tail Eating

Fergus Henderson

Such a humble book, with mostly recipes and few photos. His writing is engaging and filled with clever / witty / funny remarks peppered throughout.

Chocolate

Ramon Morató

Very valuable technical information and amazing ideas that deeply inspired me.

The Taste of Bread

Raymond Calvel

Once of the few books on bread that explains it on a deeper level than most bread books.

The Patisserie of Pierre Hermé

Pierre Hermé

A veritable jewel (and as costly to a young pastry cook) of a book.

Au Coeur des Saveurs

Frédéric Bau

On the same level as Pierre Hermé's "La Patisserie de Pierre Herme", a large compendium of pastry techniques and ideas that still hold true to this day.