Reading Francis Mallmann’s new book Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way (written with Peter Kaminsky), I’m reminded that for all the things that cooking is about, at heart it’s about fire — cooking’s “mother tongue” as Mallmann calls it. This beautifully written cookbook and fire-guide shows Mallmann and Kaminsky’s fluency in that language.

In the beginning of the book, Mallmann describes seven types of wood-cooking apparatus: the parilla (a grill grate set over hot coals), chapa (flat cast iron griddle set over fire), infernillo (two-story fire with a cooking surface in between), horno de barro (wood-fired oven), rescoldo (covering food with embers), asado (vertical spit for cooking whole animals) and caldero (iron kettle).

For the rest of the book he harnesses those fires to make dozens of beautiful dishes from salads to desserts, with plenty of meat, seafood and vegetable dishes in between. Savory Corn Pudding, Empanadas, Mussels With Garlic and White Wine, Beef and Potato Pie, Peached Pork . . . the alluring list goes on and on, each accompanied by a little history, clear instructions and beautiful photography.

In a world replete with books about barbecue Mallman manages a completely original take on the subject, a primal exploration of grilling’s “new frontier.” It will have you dying to cook with wood and fire.

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