Cookbooks :No1- Natura

I am an avid collector of cookbooks, especially dessert cookbooks of which I have countless, a couple of months ago I recieved my copy of 'Natura' by Albert Adria and can say that the work in this book is by far the most amazing I have seen in a cookbook. The book itself is different from the start with a padded feel to it, Along with the book which acts as a photo album you recieve a cd-rom with pictures and the recipes for all the dishes.

I wont deny that I am a keen follower of El Bulli and similar types of cuisine and as much as what people call molecular gastronomy or the more laughable phrase techno emotional cuisine(???wtf) what strikes me most in Adrias new piece of work is that there is hardly any use of the Methly Cellulose, Gums, Emulsifiers and more use of freeze dried products from the texturas Lyo range as well as sharing the techniques for 30 second microwave cake Albert Adria has gone back in time and reinvented mimicing fresh fruits but using a sorbet, a jelly and a mould of the fruits, he takes a strawberry gel made of Agar and puree'd, coats a strawberry mould with this freezes it then fills it with a strawberry puree, the results are amazing, and to be honest It wasnt until i read the book I realised it was not really the fresh succulent fruit that I percieved but a sorbet, this method is repeated with a few other fruits. 

I would recommend this book as a must for any serious pastry chefs out there, the photography is amazing, The story from Adria is captivating and the recipes are there to be tested, so far i have tried and adapted a few and they are all great

All in all I think this is his definitive work, now it seems from online articles that Albert is stepping away from El Bulli and he has produced this fantastic book he will be a big miss for the El Bulli Restaurant, For me he was the one pastry chef I would have given my right arm to have the opportunity to work under but sadly that chance  never arrived. yet.