A Day at elBulli [Paperback]

Ferran Adriŕ (Author), Albert Adriŕ (Author), Juli Soler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 16, 2010

For the first time, A Day at elBulli: An Insight into the Ideas, Methods and Creativity of Ferran Adria allows unprecedented access to one of the world's most famous, sought-after and mysterious restaurants. Having held three Michelin stars since 1997, and regularly voted 'Best Restaurant in the World' by a panel of 500 industry professionals, elBulli has been at the very forefront of the restaurant scene since Ferran Adria became sole head chef in 1987.

Aimed at food enthusiasts as well as industry professionals, the book documents all the activities and processes that make up just one day of service with stunning colour photography of the kitchens, staff, creative workshop, dishes, the restaurant itself and its striking surroundings near the town of Roses, north east of Barcelona. The book starts with daybreak at 6.15 am, then shows visits to the local markets to source ingredients from 7.00 am, Ferran's arrival at the workshop, his morning creative experimentation session, the arrival of the rest of the brigade at 2.3 0 pm to begin the mise-en-place for the evening, the preparations of each guest's menu, the daily tasks of the front of house team, and the arrival of the first guests for dinner from 7.45 pm until the last guests' departure by 2.00 am.

The menu is fully explained with detailed and technical recipes that reveal the full extent of the chefs' artistry. Innovative text inserts open the lid on the history of elBulli and Ferran Adria, the creative methods, the secret workshops, the technical processes behind the creation of a dish, the network of sensations and interactions that take place between a restaurant and its guests and the sensory experiences of eating, as well as the formidable reservations procedure and the structure of a meal into four theatrical 'acts'.

A Day at elBulli: An Insight into the Ideas, Methods and Creativity of Ferran Adria allows all lovers of good food to experience this spectacular restaurant to the full.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Book Description
A Day at elBulli: An Insight into the Ideas, Methods and Creativity of Ferran Adria reveals for the first time the creative process, innovative philosophy and extraordinary techniques of the multi-award-winning restaurant, elBulli, and its legendary head chef, Ferran Adria. Situated on a remote beach on the northeast coast of Spain, elBulli is famous for being the ultimate pilgrimage site for foodies, and a reservation that is nearly impossible to obtain. Each year elBulli is open for just six months, and receives more than 2 million requests for only 8,000 seats. Renowned for his spectacular ever-changing 30-course tasting menu, Adria's pioneering culinary techniques have been applauded - and imitated - by top chefs around the globe for the past decade, and he was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people of our time.

If you weren't one of the lucky few to get in this year (2008 reservations were booked a year in advance), you can now experience the restaurant like never before. This generously-illustrated 600-page ''day in the life'' features over 800 photographs, menus, recipes and diagrams, and presents a guided tour through a full working day at elBulli. The book documents the activities of each hour of the day, from dawn at 6.15 am to switching off the lights at 2.00 am.

The book highlights 30 dishes which represent a full elBulli menu, and Adria shows you how he creates the restaurant's innovative cuisines. Sample recipes include Samphire Tempura with Saffron and Oyster Cream, Steamed Brioche with Rose-Scented Mozzarella, and Coulant/Souffle of Granadilla with Cardamom Toffee.

In April 2008, elBulli won the #1 Best Restaurant in the World, for the third year in a row at the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards.

A Look Inside A Day at elBulli
(Click on Images to Enlarge)

08:30 elBulli Restaurant Terrace	14:35 The rest of the kitchen team arrives.
16:45 Making an olive oil cylinder from a special caramel made with olive oil and Isomalt	20:00 Chefs make cocktails: a tray of Margarita frappé with a salt air served in a cube of ice
Cigala con quinoa (Langoustine with quinoa)	23:15 The pace slows down as act three approaches

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Amazon Exclusive: A Recipe Excerpt from A Day at elBulli

Marshmallow de piñones (Pine nut marshmallows)

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

An enormous undertaking, this monumental tome, complete with more than 1,000 photographs, chronicles one day at revolutionary eatery elBulli in northern Spain, arguably one of today's most influential restaurants. Adria, the culinary genius behind this success, along with restaurant manager Soler and brother and fellow chef Albert give the reader a firsthand look at day-to-day activities and the innovation for which elBulli is known. Lavish photographs are the main attraction in this work; text is sparse and offers only glimpses into activities. While there is an examination of the team's creative methods, most topics are only touched upon briefly, such as creative sessions, testing and utilizing a mental palate. Given the highly technical nature of the dishes served at elBulli, recipes (Pine Nut Marshmallows; Steamed Brioche with Rose-scented Mozzarella) are rare. A glance behind the scenes at a pivotal time and place in culinary evolution, this book will delight serious foodies, and its stunning package guarantees it will grace many a coffee table. (Oct.) --Publishers Weekly --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press; Reprint edition (June 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714856746
• ISBN-13: 978-0714856742
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 1.4 x 11.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #33 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Spanish

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a book about the creative process rather than a cookbook November 16, 2010

By Jackal

Format:Paperback

I would not consider this a cookbook. The bulk of the book consists of pictures and some text. I would say this is an interesting book about creativity. It shows how the creative process works in one world-class, very innovative restaurant. This is an interesting read/reflection if you are interested in creativity in general.

You do get a sample of recipes. Given the price of the other El Bulli books, it might not even be a bad deal if you just want some of Adria's recipes. Still the recipes are mainly included to show the outcome of the creative process.

This book does not really cover the different methods/machines used in molecular gastronomy. If you want to understand the methods used, I would recommend starting with Blumenthal's The Fat Duck Cookbook and reading a few blogs. Two good things with the Blumenthal book is that it has a section on methods/machines. Then you can get Adria's chronological description of his creations over the years, for instance start with El Bulli 2003-2004. I'm sure there will be more practical books geared towards a lay audience in the coming few years. Let's revisit the issue in 2011.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a photo album... October 28, 2008

By B. J. Barnett

Format:Hardcover

My Wife and I were Lucky enough to eat at El Bulli in September of 2007. Actually, I was the lucky one and she was gracious enough to let me drag her to the other side of the planet for a very strange, (but spectacular) dinner.

I just found out that this book existed. Firstly, it does not even pretend to be a "cook book". If that's what was expected then one should have bought the actual cook books, (published chronologically), from El Bulli directly. This book is a pictorial love letter. To me, even though I had absolutely nothing to do with the books production, it feels personal.

My own photo album mimics much of what is seen here. It's simply the real deal. A lot is made of Ferran and his restaurant. I understand why but what gets lost in all of the global hype is the simple fact that you are eating dinner at someone's house. It's small. There is no menu. No Pretense, and Ferran is actually there. Also,everybody else is just plain friendly.

It's food, not Worship. Fun...not analysis. Frankly, I've had better food in my life. However, I've never had a "Greater" dining experience. Once I received the reservation, we had to wait a full year. Here it is more than a year after and I still think about the experience all the time. What other Restaurant can give you that?

Ferran could charge 5 times what he does and still be full every night but he doesn't. That says something to me. He is laser focused on his own personal vision and when you go there you are merely a participant along for the ride...and what a crazy ride it is. Anyway, back to the book.

There is no way that this book is relevant to most casual observers. If I hadn't eaten there, i doubt even I would be interested to own it. Like I said, to me, this is one spectacular memory of the night we spent there. The table we sat at is photographed many times over and I have vivid memories of many other photos as well.

To this day, I'm still not sure if what I ate at El Bulli should be considered "dining". I doubt I ever will figure that out with any precision. That's why I loved it. It's the same with this book. You'll page through it and ponder it's ideas for years but you'll probably never arrive at any real resolution. I haven't. What other "cookbook" can do that? Talk about getting your monies worth...

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure genius at elBulli October 7, 2008

By Thomas Myers

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Amazing insight into the world of Ferran Adria at elBulli. This new book covers a single day in chronological order and spanning 600 pages. Readers should not expect an extensive narrative or cookbook format from this volume; however, for those interested in gleaning a window into an exotic world, this new work is hard to beat, especially at this price. Beautiful photographs fill nearly every page and feature the esoteric (sand on the Spanish sea shore), operational details (menu and plating preparation worksheets), and of course, the amazing food. A Day at elBulli clearly illustrates the genius and passion of Mr. Adria and offers a small glimpse at this world renowned restaurant for those of us not fortunate enough to dine there in person. Simply amazing!