Coming back from holiday and finishing a good book. Two of the most depressing things you can do, only made worse when you manage to do them both at the same time. Our week in the UK was wonderful, hectic, busy and bittersweet (only because I really hate saying goodbye), and was only as good as it was thanks to all of our wonderful family and friends who made us feel so welcome and had such good times with us. I managed to complete all but one of my list from ‘Gastronomic Anticipation’ (I never got to eat any of Roger’s Pavlova, but he did make millfoile which was delicious), and managed to sneak in a few items that were totally unexpected (Sandall’s prawns parcels, dinner at The Chadwick’s Inn in Maltby, and BBQ Paddock farm spare ribs to name but a few).
Whilst in Waterstones in Harrogate on a mission to purchase ‘Bocca’ by Jacob Kennedy (the mastermind behind the absolutely amazing restaurant ‘Bocca di Lupo’ in London’s Soho. Yes I’ve been. Yes it was awesome), a book caught my eye called ‘The Sorcerer's Apprentices: A Season at El Bulli’ which is an account of the 2009 season at El Bulli. Bocca was full price, and this book was on offer, so I did the sensible thing and purchased ‘The Sorcerers Apprentices’ and put ‘Bocca’ back on the shelf (whilst resolving to buy it online on my return to Guernsey in secret – I’m running out of book shelf space and it’s a bit of a bone of contention with Diesel). I’ve just finished reading it, and I LOVED this book from start to finish. One of the reasons that I enjoyed it so much is because it tells the more human story behind one of the best restaurants in the world. If you don’t know about ‘El Bulli’ and you are interested in food, it really is about time that you found out about it. I have been obsessed with this restaurant since I heard about it about five years ago. I remember having a conversation with someone who told me about this mystical restaurant tucked away in Roses, Catalonia, Spain, that has plates designed and made for each new dish; has courses that consist of a waiter spraying an atomiser into your face while you ate some tiny unrecognisable morsel with the intention of confusing your senses and perceptions; and shuts for six months of the year so it can design a totally new menu for the next season. The more I found out about it the more I wanted to know, and the more I have read, the more disappointed that I am that I will never get to eat there.
Even if I had been lucky enough to be one of the 8,000 lucky diners out of the 2,000,000 who tried to get a table each year, my name would already have had to be on the list to guarantee me a spot because 2011 is the last season before the restaurant shuts down for good (they will open again at some point in the future as a culinary institute/research centre of such like but the details have not been released yet). Honestly, I am not lying when I say that if I could eat here before it closes I would probably sacrifice a few of my own fingers. I’d probably even do it myself. With a smile. I’m not a religious person (despite completing a degree in Theology), but for me, this is as close as it gets. El Bulli has a permanent staff, but takes on each year a number (in 2009 it was just over 30) of staff (many of whom are already very experienced running their own kitchens or working in Michelin star kitchens) who work for the full six months totally unpaid. No holidays, one ‘family meal’ a day, sharing rooms, leaving loved ones behind, and in many cases spending hours and hours and days and weeks and months focussed on one, or a very small number of repetitive tasks that require full concentration and absolute dedication. For example, one girl who was working in the kitchen had to spend hours each day blanching rose petals and then bathing them in ice water, then repeating the process a number of times, in order to have enough rose petals to build a rose on a plate (one for every diner, every night) for one dish. Another job they all had to learn to do at the start of the season was to remove the brains from rabbits whilst ensuring that the brain itself remains perfectly intact with no membranes pierced - trays of them. The first day was spent learning how to cut carrots exactly how the chef de cuisine wanted them, and scrubbing rocks in the car park. This wouldn’t be such a surprising list of tasks for most apprentices (mundane tasks are generally an apprentices lot), but few apprentices have already reached the stage in their career where they have Michelin stars and run their own kitchens. And even fewer chef’s who have reached this level would do all of this for free. I know this sounds like a bit of a self indulgent rant, but I just think it is amazing, and a testament to just how strongly some people in this industry feel about what they do. For all of these reasons, I can absolutely recommend it. I’ve even got Diesel reading it, and it’s less than a tenner on Amazon.
If you’ve never seen any photos of the dishes from El Bulli, I’m so happy to be the first one to share one with you (I’ve obviously just taken this photo from someone else's website, so there’s plenty more out there if you’re interested). Just don’t blame me if you suddenly develop a very expensive book habit.
(yes, that IS a plate of food)
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