The Culinary Philosophy of Chef Martha Ortiz
Martha Ortiz, the renowned chef behind Filigrana and Tuch de Luna, shares how reading has been both an aesthetic and critical guide in her life. On International Book Day, she opens her literary universe as an integral part of her culinary approach.
A Humanist Education and Love for Literature
“I am a great reader and a great admirer of literature,” affirms Chef Martha Ortiz. Her relationship with books is not recent or fleeting but part of a solid foundation, deeply guided by humanism. “I had the privilege of receiving a very humanist and open education from my parents. My father is a great reader and a highly cultured man.”
Reading as a Bridge to the Intimate
In her life, reading has also been a bridge to the intimate. “Generally, with the partners I’ve had, my friends and acquaintances, who have been artists and cultured people, this has opened the world to me. It’s broadened my perspective, opened my appetite for beauty, intelligence, and critique,” she says.
Influential Books
- Nadie me verá llorar, by Cristina Rivera Garza, whose narrative has taught her about pain, dignity, and beauty even in the margins of history. She is currently fascinated by this author.
- Hay un monstruo en el lago, by Laura Fernández, a book where the fantastic coexists with the everyday, nourishing the chef’s imagination to build atmospheres and stories both in and out of the kitchen.
- From a young age, she approached the works of Mario Vargas Llosa. She confesses that one of the books that most marked her was Travesuras de la niña mala, which she almost read out of rebellion: “They told me it was forbidden at school, so I rushed to read it,” she recalls.
Reading as the First Act of Cooking
For Chef Martha Ortiz, reading is the first act of cooking. It allows her to observe differently, think differently, and name things differently. “Language, like fire, transforms,” she says. “And books are the utensils with which she shapes her way of seeing and being in the world.”
The Power of Words in Culinary Art
“Language matters,” she asserts. “How you name a flower, a technique, or a dish changes its entire meaning.” In every plate, she says, there’s a hidden phrase, a carefully crafted metaphor, a way of saying without directly stating.
Writing as Part of Her Culinary Journey
Besides being a great reader, Chef Martha Ortiz also writes. One of her recent editorial projects is Recetas de vida para mujeres con grandeza, co-authored with journalist Laura Manzo. In its pages, both reveal the life stories and flavors that have marked 40 notable women, recovering not only their trajectories but also the recipes that symbolize their strength, origin, and affective memory.
Reading Women: An Act of Justice and Revelation
For Chef Martha Ortiz, reading women is an act of justice and revelation. “I believe it’s time for women,” she affirms forcefully. Reading female authors, in her view, is a way to reclaim historically silenced voices, name what hasn’t been said, and embrace an aesthetic distinctly charged with intuition, critique, and beauty. Just as she reclaims the feminine in her culinary art through symbolism and narrative, she seeks the same power in her readings: women who name the world from their own roots, wounds, and metaphors.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: How has reading influenced Chef Martha Ortiz’s culinary approach?
A: Reading has been an aesthetic and critical guide for Chef Martha Ortiz, shaping her unique culinary philosophy that integrates language and symbolism.
- Q: What role do books play in her cooking process?
A: Books are the utensils with which Chef Martha Ortiz gives shape to her way of seeing and being in the world, transforming language like fire.
- Q: How does she incorporate literature into her culinary creations?
A: In her dishes, Chef Martha Ortiz hides phrases, crafts metaphors, and finds ways to communicate without direct statements, emphasizing the power of words in her culinary art.
- Q: Why is reading women important to her?
A: Reading women, according to Chef Martha Ortiz, is an act of justice and revelation, reclaiming historically silenced voices and embracing a distinctly intuitive, critical, and beautiful aesthetic.
