This new project brings together the singer-songwriter and Grammy winner Gaby Moreno and the renowned chef Mirciny Moliviatis, “Misha”, to embark on a dynamic book that wants to awaken all the senses.
Through technology the pages of Cooking & Music They become a guide that, in addition to uniting Guatemalan and world ingredients, In practical recipes to prepare, it has a guide to listen to the voice of Gaby Moreno in a selection of songs and stories on Spotify and a link to videos to see the preparation of the recipes with Moliviatis.
The project was created in secret, say the authors, and not even their family expected this culinary surprise, which was presented on Wednesday, June 26, in an exclusive location in Zone 9, where their closest circle and some media outlets were invited.
The book will be available worldwide through Amazon, as well as for home delivery in Guatemala and in various bookstores in the country. The official launch will be in July and the English edition is expected to be released in a few weeks.
Gaby Moreno and Mirciny Moliviatis, prominent Guatemalans
This is not the first time that Gaby Moreno and Mirciny Moliviatis have come together to highlight their talents. They have been friends for some years and have created different projects together, the first Music and cookingfor example, was one of the chapters of the program The taste of my land that Moliviatis promoted on television.
“There we learned that music and cooking are connections that evoke memories and the food is impressive, but you smell a recipe and remember someone special,” says the chef.
For her part, Gaby Moreno expresses: “it is beautiful to be part of this book that will surely fill with emotions those who cook the recipes inspired by the lyrics and melodies of my songs.”
Over the years, the authors have held music and cooking events where Gaby sings and Mirciny cooks, and this was transformed into collecting recipes until they created the book. Typically, for almost 13 years, these activities have been to raise funds for different charitable projects; in 2023 alone, they had seven dates with this project.
Moliviatis grew up in a family of restaurateurs and runs different restaurants in Guatemala. His culinary history took off when he returned from working at the elBulli restaurant in Spain and studying with chefs like Ferran Adriá.
In recent years she has worked on cooking shows internationally and was the creator of Culinary Challenge which presented in different seasons the discovery of new Guatemalan talents.
In 2005 Moliviatis presented the book Living the Guatemala recipe for which he won the Gourmad award and during the pandemic created a free digital book called 60 practical and easy recipes to accompany Guatemalans during the quarantine.
When talking about Gaby Moreno, her career must be highlighted, which has had an international impact with multiple awards and recognitions. In 2024, Gaby Moreno was awarded a Grammy in the category “Best Latin Pop Album”, for the production X Me (Vol. 1).
The Guatemalan also won a Latin Grammy in 2013 in the category Best New Artist and in 2023 she was awarded the second recognition of these awards, in the category Best Traditional Tropical Album because, the album Life by Omara Portuondo was the winner.
Currently Gaby Moreno will present for the first time in Guatemala Darling, the musical which has a completely original script inspired by a true story that happened between Guatemala and Oregon, USA. It will be presented at the “Hugo Carrillo” Chamber Theater, of the Miguel Ángel Asturias Cultural Center, on Saturday, June 29, at 7 p.m.
What recipes do you find in the book by Gaby Moreno and Mirciny Moliviatis?
This edition has seven chapters and in some of the recipes, in addition to having the preparation, there is a proposal to become vegan/vegetarian, this because it is Gaby Moreno’s eating dynamic.
In the book you will find the basic recipes for rice, sauces, pesto and others. In Cooking & Music presents a section for breakfast lovers so they can have proposals for chocolate and banana pancakes, creamy blueberry and pistachio oatmeal, to name a few.
Soups and salads are the stars of this culinary proposal and there is a chapter called Gaby and Misha’s Favorites that focuses on pasta, ceviche, as well as a combination of ingredients and spices in different dishes.
“Anyone who knows me knows that dessert is non-negotiable,” says Moliviatis. This selection includes desserts with chocolate and caramel, as well as special preparations with sweet potato, strawberries, coconut and other ingredients.
Among the important points that stand out are recipes with only seven ingredients and a chapter dedicated to the memory of the authors’ grandmothers, who left a mark on their lives with these flavors that include hilachas, beef stew, chilacayote sweet, among other recipes that have an emotional meaning for them.
At the book presentation they have as a guest Andoni Luis Aduriz, Internationally considered one of the most influential chefs today, “This work by two extraordinary women, Mirciny Moliviatis and Gaby Moreno, is the living connection between these two universal languages that they champion. Thanks to a song or a dish, they allow us to travel to the past, go to the future and feel the pulse of life at our side,” writes the Basque chef of the Mugaritz restaurant.
