For Christmas my old (and still to come) business partner gave me the trifecta gift that I had wanted, Ferran Adria’s book “A Day at El Bulli.” And I could not have been more thrilled. In fact I jumped up and gave her a huge hug after tearing just enough of the paper to reveal what it was. I was and am ecstatic.
What does it take to be referred to as the best Chef in the world? This book gives you an inkling into what it takes. Chef Adria receives 2,000,000 requests for only 8,000 seats a year. He is an originator who does for food the same thing that NASA does for space. He is a true pioneer who is shaping and reshaping the way that food is tasted and experienced. He is a master of his craft and it is very clear through the pages of this book that his primary drive is to create an “experience” for his patrons that will stay with them a lifetime.
Apparently his drive for excellence came out of the definition of creativity that he heard from French Chef (and vanguard in his own right) Jacques Maximin; “Creativity means not copying.”
While flipping the gorgeous pages of the book I was left pondering exactly how to incorporate that statement into my own food philosophy. Into my own drive for excellence and the very real mission that I believe I am on. That being to change the culture of food in North America.
Much of the book focuses on creative inspiration and method. Some of the salient points he has regarding creativity are as follows;
“New, creative and unique are not the same thing.”
“With creativity it is not what you look for that matters, but what you find.”
“Wanting to be creative is not enough.”
“A creative spirit does not necessarily lead to a creative result.”
“Ideas are easy – you just need to have some.”
Think about these past five quotes for a minute. They all are the result of Chef Adria’s contemplation of Jacques Maximin’s definition of creativity. I believe that he is correct in his assertion that creative means not copying. Especially as it relates to food. The question begs though, in an ever increasing globalized world, where true originality is harder to come by, where can this creativity lead us next?
I found this book extremely inspirational. I know that I will turn its pages when I find myself needing an inspirational kick in the ass. Another thing he wrote which has stuck in my mind since reading it is; “Let what you like to eat tell you how you should cook.” This is akin to the great advice for writers, write about what you know.
What happens at El Bulli is a true convergence of the creative spirit and the practical application of knowledge. In order to achieve this (in my mind) perfect symbiosis El Bulli employs 30 to 40 full time chefs. 13 of which are full time. Stages are chosen from among 5000 applicants who are chosen from different countries so that El Bulli can benefit from their knowledge and experience.
I have not fully internalized the way that Chef Adria’s creative method works and as such I don’t feel that I can have an informed discussion of it here now, but in the coming months, as I become more comfortable with it I will express my feelings about it.
What I can say is that he and his team complete 4000 hours of creative work a year. That is not a small number and when I consider that a top lawyer bills approximately 1800 hours a year I am taken aback at his drive for creative excellence.
Many questions came out of my reading of this book. And several answers too. The one thing I can say is that I am inspired and find myself reaching for ways to improve upon the legacy that he has created. Not necessarily for the world at large, but for myself.
One thing is certain. While in the last year I have gotten a great base from which to build and expand. That foundation needs to be expanded to include a wider knowledge of ingredients and complimentary pairings before I can fully utilize my creative method.
I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the future of food service. Ferran Adria is on the cutting edge of food and I am grateful for his example and willingness to share his method.
James Beard once said; “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
One which I hope to improve as I continue my journey.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Showing posts with label James Beard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Beard. Show all posts
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Monday, December 29, 2008
Another word on the F Word (file under Christmas Dinner)
Guilty pleasure. Perhaps. Entertaining. Mildly. Informative – well I am still writing about it so there must be something to it.
Gordon Ramsay’s “The F Word” this past week was his Christmas special. I bring this up because while enjoying my guilty pleasure over the past couple of months I have watched as he educated his children as to the life cycle of Turkey in a very real and pragmatic way. He brought turkeys; four of them I believe, from almost birth, and allowed the children to establish a relationship with them. Of course there was the precocious announcement of names which were rather pedantic, but after all, it was children naming them.
I watched with great interest as he and his children played with the birds. Fattened them. Admired their personalities and basically reared them for their inevitable life cycle – Christmas dinner.
Say what you will about Gordon Ramsay, but you do have to admire the fact that he is teaching his children that food is not just something that we buy in markets. That it doesn’t come from some magical place in a land far away. That in fact we all have a part to play in the life cycle of our food. Whether it be vegetables or proteins. I am a big proponent of instilling in children the knowledge that food comes from places that can and should be understood. That yes, shock of horrors, vegetables do come from the ground and are covered with dirt. Shock of horrors, that proteins are raised to become our eventual meal and that in their final days, like inmates on death row, are treated to special diets which both fatten and nourish them, so that they can be even MORE delicious on our plate.
So I say congrats to Ramsay, but more so, to his children, for now having the knowledge that can only be learned from experience. A lasting experience which undoubtedly will leave an indelible mark on his children and countless others lives.
The venerable James Beard once said; “A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Gordon Ramsay’s “The F Word” this past week was his Christmas special. I bring this up because while enjoying my guilty pleasure over the past couple of months I have watched as he educated his children as to the life cycle of Turkey in a very real and pragmatic way. He brought turkeys; four of them I believe, from almost birth, and allowed the children to establish a relationship with them. Of course there was the precocious announcement of names which were rather pedantic, but after all, it was children naming them.
I watched with great interest as he and his children played with the birds. Fattened them. Admired their personalities and basically reared them for their inevitable life cycle – Christmas dinner.
Say what you will about Gordon Ramsay, but you do have to admire the fact that he is teaching his children that food is not just something that we buy in markets. That it doesn’t come from some magical place in a land far away. That in fact we all have a part to play in the life cycle of our food. Whether it be vegetables or proteins. I am a big proponent of instilling in children the knowledge that food comes from places that can and should be understood. That yes, shock of horrors, vegetables do come from the ground and are covered with dirt. Shock of horrors, that proteins are raised to become our eventual meal and that in their final days, like inmates on death row, are treated to special diets which both fatten and nourish them, so that they can be even MORE delicious on our plate.
So I say congrats to Ramsay, but more so, to his children, for now having the knowledge that can only be learned from experience. A lasting experience which undoubtedly will leave an indelible mark on his children and countless others lives.
The venerable James Beard once said; “A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Staff Meal (file under Wa Wa Wee Wa)
Staff meals are a treat at work. If you can call what I do work. Due to the varied experience, both personal and professional of the people that I work with staff meals can be very interesting. If you read any anecdotal books about the kitchen staff meals will sometimes be referred to as “family meals.” Which is rather appropriate seeing as depending on the restaurant (perhaps not Wendy’s or the like) the people you work with are the people that you spend the most of your time. You have issues, problems, conflicts and resolutions and most importantly tomorrow is another day. (I will touch on this in another post shortly)
Staff meals are a rare treat when someone has the time or inclination to make one. Sometimes it will be curry. Sometimes some type of protein put into a pasta or a Poutine. Whatever it is staff meals usually rock.
This past week I made my second staff meal, both of which I am going to detail now. The first staff meal I did was a marinated and grilled chicken breast club sandwich with crispy pancetta, double smoked bacon, avocado spread, four year old cheddar and roasted onions. It wasn’t the best sandwich I have ever made but it was pretty damn tasty if I don’t say so myself.
The staff meal I made on October 3 was a fusilli. I did a cream sauce with sun dried tomatoes, pesto, garlic, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan and butter. Of course I used 35% cream. It was quite decadent and took about ten minutes to put together. If I don’t say so myself it was the best pasta that I have had in quite a while. In fact since J.W. made me one at the beginning of the summer.
I also have made a decision that in the new year I want to take the time once a week to make staff meal. I think it is important for a multitude of reasons. One of the reasons is to put into practice some of the things that I am learning and to get instant feedback on it. Most of the time silence is not a good thing. But if someone is eating your food and they are not speaking that in and of itself speaks volumes.
The venerable James Beard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Beard ) once said; “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” This in and of itself is very true. But just as the universe has a chaotic sense of rules so too does food. But we all have to eat.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Staff meals are a rare treat when someone has the time or inclination to make one. Sometimes it will be curry. Sometimes some type of protein put into a pasta or a Poutine. Whatever it is staff meals usually rock.
This past week I made my second staff meal, both of which I am going to detail now. The first staff meal I did was a marinated and grilled chicken breast club sandwich with crispy pancetta, double smoked bacon, avocado spread, four year old cheddar and roasted onions. It wasn’t the best sandwich I have ever made but it was pretty damn tasty if I don’t say so myself.
The staff meal I made on October 3 was a fusilli. I did a cream sauce with sun dried tomatoes, pesto, garlic, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan and butter. Of course I used 35% cream. It was quite decadent and took about ten minutes to put together. If I don’t say so myself it was the best pasta that I have had in quite a while. In fact since J.W. made me one at the beginning of the summer.
I also have made a decision that in the new year I want to take the time once a week to make staff meal. I think it is important for a multitude of reasons. One of the reasons is to put into practice some of the things that I am learning and to get instant feedback on it. Most of the time silence is not a good thing. But if someone is eating your food and they are not speaking that in and of itself speaks volumes.
The venerable James Beard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Beard ) once said; “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” This in and of itself is very true. But just as the universe has a chaotic sense of rules so too does food. But we all have to eat.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
