Sweet Cuisine

El Bulli Closing 2012

So Ferran Adria announces at Madrid Fusion that El Bulli will shut its doors for two years from 2012, Its been rumoured around that this will happen and now we know, since Albert Adria left the scene to concentrate on his own work its been suggested el Bulli would be changing.

But this will not be the end I think, Ferran says they will spend two years figuring out what comes next, if there is advancement to th already hyper modern cuisine that they are famous for. But that doesnt mean that I will be nervous when the lottery for the reservations come out, I have emailed for a table and hope to get one, like I have for the last , well ive forgotten how many years.

With this news there will be the usual angels of death reporters whom will tell us molecular Gastronomy is dead, and the fact they still use this term will show the understanding they have of the way that el Bulli has revolutionised cuisine around the world. They will tell us, No more foams, jellies, banish the Liquid Nitro and dry Ice, stop trying to be a scientist in the kitchen. But what they dont realise is that all that el Bulli has done is give us more tools and more options to create with. For me its sad because much of the New Zealand press is like this. If they try something new they will hark back to the food of they're past. If they have something different more often than not they will ask why the chef did not just make something like Lemon Tart for example instead of something a little more worked, dare i say creative.

No one can deny the influence that el Bulli has had, from Chicago to New York to London, through to the top chefs in Spain, right down to restaurants in Australia, all over the world the influence has been wide spread and ensure that el Bulli lives on with us through there willingness to share the info that they have gathered, lets hope it wont be closed to long so I can finally get a seat there.

Blogs

The internet is a wonderful thing, with so many chefs now blogging and sharing ideas, information, recipes and concepts there is so much to learn so here is a list of my favourite blogs to check out.

Burch and Purchese. Couple of English lads cooking up a Pastry storm in OZ

Ryan Zimmer Ryans take on Modern Pastry in Hong Kong

Ideas in Food Been around forever and still leading the way

Michael Laiskonis                       One of his two blogs, truckloads of info for the Pastry Chef

Chadzilla Lots of Info, real chefs blog.

Quique DaCosta  New Blog from one of spains top chefs, google helps translate:)

Canelle et Vanille  Awesome food photography here

Aidan Brooks Young English Chef on the right path in Spain

Madridlab Adam Melonas informative blog on progressive cuisine

Strictly Fine Dining Craig Dryhurst is an American Chef in the UK, sharing his new dishes

Power Of Passion  Just found this one.

There are more blogs in my links but these are some of my favourites, If you know any more feel free to add them on my comments and if you have one that you do yourself add it too,  because as the saying goes Sharing is Caring 

World's first Gastronomic University to Open in San Sabastian

Check this out reported in the Telegraph a couple of days ago. I wish it came 5 years ago, would be interesting to see the course's outlines

Spain to open gastronomic university

The world's first "gastronomic university" is to open in Spain, complete with a research laboratory to explore the mysterious chemistry of taste.

 

By Fiona Govan in Madrid 
Published: 6:40PM GMT 17 Jan 2010

Ferran Adria: Owner of El Bulli restaurant in Spain Photo: GETTY

Student chefs will be encouraged to master the craft of “molecular gastronomy” under the tuition of Spain’s most celebrated restaurateur Ferran Adria, who owns El Bulli, and encouraged to use scientific innovation to design the recipes of the future. Britain’s own Heston Blumenthal, the self-taught chef at the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, has also been tipped for a guest lectureship.

Construction began last month on the Basque Culinary Centre in San Sebastian and it will be ready to accept its first intake of students in September 2011 in a building designed to resemble a pile of stacked plates.

Authorities in Spain’s northern Basque country hope the university will establish the region as the new “mecca of the world haute cuisine”, said Joxe Mari Aizega, the project director.The university will be the first of its kind to offer a four-year undergraduate degree course in culinary arts taught in both English and Spanish and one year masters degrees as well as shorter courses for cooking enthusiasts.

The private university is located in the seaside resort of San Sebastian, which already holds a reputation for some of the best gastronomical expertise in Spain. The town is home to nine restaurants who together boast a total of 16 Michelin stars.

Many of the local chefs have pledged their support to the new university and will participate in the tuition on degree courses.

But it is perhaps the promise of guest lecturers such as the top chef Ferran Adria that will have aspiring chefs applying in droves.

Mr Adria who owns the famed El Bulli restaurant on Spain’s Costa Brava is considered the father of molecular gastronomy and has treated those few diners lucky enough to secure a reservation at one of his tables to such rare delights as Parmesan snow and pine cone mouse.

Despite hostility from Spain’s more traditional chefs and accusations that he is “poisoning” diners with his persistent use of emulsifiers and foams, his restaurant has been voted the best in the world for the fourth consecutive year.

Blumenthal, who famously followed in his footsteps, has won three Michelin stars and is consistently voted the best restaurant in Britain, even kicking El Bulli off the top spot in 2005.

Hailed as a culinary alchemist for his innovative style of cooking, it is Blumenthal who came up with such deliciously whimsical inventions as egg and bacon ice-cream and chocolate wine.

Spain’s minister of Science and Innovation said the time had come for gastronomy to be treated with the same seriousness as other academic subjects and given its own university degree.

”Not only is gastronomy an art, culture and an industry,” said Cristina Garmendia at the ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the new university. “It is also a technology and a science.”

Michelin stars UK

Michelin at last have handed the Uk another 3 star restaurant in the way of Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, and following him Brett Graham at the Ledbury gained his second star which many predicted.

The guide released slightly early this year also awarded new stars to Galvin at Windows in the Hilton on Park Lane, Tamarind(Indian Restaurant), Apsleys in the Lanesborough hotel and Texture in Mayfair. Brett Graham also won a star for his Pub the Harwood Arms in Fulham showing that he is going from strength to strength.

The Capital lost there 2 stars due to change of head chef, and Aubergine, Foliage, Ramsays at Claridges and Richard Corrigan all losing there status as 1 star restaurants also due to changes in the kitchen.

Outside of London 5 restaurants in England gained one star recognition including the Samling in Cumbria. In Wales The Walnut tree, Tyddyn Llan and Ynyshir Hall all gained 1 star, 21212 by Paul Kitchin in Edinburgh , The Peat Inn in Fife  and Kinloch Lodge in Sky all won 1 stars for Scotland.

Outside of London losing there stars The Vineyard lost there two stars after John Campbell has moved on and replaced by Daniel Galmiche, All the Bath Priory , Le Poussin at Whitley Ridge, Christophe, Seaham Hall and Nathan Outlaw all lost their stars again due to changes in the kitchen or closure.

So all in all great news for Brett Graham and Alain Ducasse.

Bubo, Carles Mampel

While in Barcelona I got to visit the many pastry shops, Oriol Balaguer, Escriba, and one of my favourites was Bubo by Carles Mampel. It took me a while to find after getting lost in the back streets of Barcelona, where once people would not have walked at night, now its an up and coming area much like every other city in europe, the dodgy areas are getting done up and become popular.

Bubo is a beautiful looking pastry shop, again much like an up class jewelery shop, and the staff so friendly and helpful, and I was surprised to find an Irish girl working in there, good to have someone to speak English to as my spanish is a little lacking after Mucho Gusto. 

 I enjoyed the famous Carles Mampel Chocolate Cake that won The best chocolate cake award which I can confirm is bloody good,  here it is with a beautiful shine, super tasty, which I enjoyed with a coffee at one of the few seats they have in the shop 
 

There were many inspiring ideas in the shop from the macaron presentation to the lollipops and cool packaging for everything, This is a must visit if you are in Barcelona, enjoy a coffee in store and chat with the helpful staff who will give you some tastings and look after you so well.
 


   

Mercat de la Boqueria, Barcelona

On my trip to spain I had the pleasure of visiting one of the most famous food markets in the world, The Boqueria, of las Ramblas in Barcelona has such an amazing abundance of quality food from nuts to bread, seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, to sweets, spices and fresh juice vendors.

This is just outside the market on the entrance from Las Ramblas early in the morning and the market is getting busy, The vendors have held there stalls for many years, going back generations of families and being passed on when the time comes, and when you look at how beautiful they set out the stalls you can see a clear pride in what they do and the produce that they sell.
 

I loved seeing all the fresh mushrooms and vegetables looking like they just came from the forest or field, the seafood looking lively and such an large choice, 

Here are some razor clams which I haven't seen in many years, since I was living on the Isle of Lewis back home, we used to be able to walk to the beach at low tide and dig for them, the market definately evokes memories that have been locked away. The smells and colours are captivating, everything so vibrant, how I would love to have access to this on a daily basis in Auckland, for sure the standard of food would rise in the cit

 
 Here are some of the pictures I took at the market, My camera skills dont do the colours justice but from the pictures you can see the quality and the freshness in the products, and be warned some of the pictures may be a little x rated for some vegetarians out there, or bunny rabbit lovers, check these out

   

 


    

A New Year

So here we are, a new year and new decade and typically everyone including me starts to think what this year has in store for them, Its amazing how the turn of a date can have such an effect on peoples thinking, one minute we are all celebrating the previous year, then its like we turn a new page and move on to hopefully for all of us a better year than the one previous.

Last year I had some great tims, especially my time spent in Spain at restaurants such as el celler can Roca whom recieved there 3rd star a month after I ate there, Martin Berasategui, ate at Arzak and had a wonderful night being looked after by the generous Elena Arzak, being looked after  by the team of hotel Ferrerro, and the highlight after looking back is my time spent at El Poblet ( now renamed Quique DaCosta Restaurante). This is a must visit for anyone seriously interested in food and gastronomy. Quique DaCosta and chefs are pushing the bounderies and for me he is the most exciting chef in the industry right now, check his new website with updated photos. I hope they are a prelude to a new book. Its truely stunning, he seems to be coming into the spotlight more and more now. check this new video out.

On a personal work level things have settled down nicely in the kitchen, we seem to be working more and more as a team now we have rearranged the pastry kitchen. The product has improved and one year from reopening the monster size  premise of Kermadec I would like to think that all past failings in the restaurant have been put to bed and with the new team, kitchen and hopefully we get a restaurant refurb in winter I am very happy of where I am right now. That is not to say I am content, I dont think I ever will be. Its in my nature to want to push on and learn something that can improve my cuisine. 

This year I want also to get out to other chefs kitchens more and see how other operations work, hopefully get a bit of travel in and see other food cultures. And as for most chefs the ambition of owning your own business gets stronger every year, every day infact its on your mind. 

Here's to a year of progression, success and good times.

Cherry 'Atelier' dish

On our current menu we reserve a space for an Atelier dish, which is pretty much a special, and since in New Zealand alot of fruits such as figs have a short season I use this dish to showcase the versatility of one ingredient and elaborate on it. 

We have a short cherry season in NZ so I decided to celebrate this with a dish concentrating on cherry with only a few other flavours in there to balance it out, I cant make enough to keep up with demand its been such a good seller.

Cherry Balloon, with Cherry espuma, Cherries poached in Chamomile tea, Cherry Paper, Cherry Meringue an d Chamomile Custard, We caramelize some white chocolate and use it as a sauce, and then a cherry sphere is added to the plate. Some corn flowers, blue borage and fennel fronds from our chef's Peter Thornleys Farm finishes the plate. along with a cherry stone Ice cream.
 

Rooibos Tasting menu version

Here is the rooibos custard from the tasting menu. bit smaller and presented a bit differently.

The Dessert tasting menu is become more popular the last month.

 

Back up and running, will be posting soon and upgrading my blog as i go, hope you enjoy

Cooliris Photo Wall