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Ferran Adria on the internet in the press room.

This dish used a variety of Scandinavian vegetables, including some Scandinavian truffle. Roasted Chestnuts and Virgin Rapeseed Oil. Raw Chestnuts and Milk Skin. Scandinavian pancakes Smoked fresh cheese with Apple Blini and Vegetable Cream I found Redzepi's presentation to be the most fascinating of the entire conference as it was all completely new to me. I reveled in Adria and Arzak, gloried in Aduriz and Subijana, admired Piege and Susur and devoured Bhatia and Dahlgren amongst others, but Redzepi's presentation more than any other for a restaurant that I have not yet been, made me truly yearn to try his cooking as it is so unique. Noma is now at the top of my list along with Mugaritz and Etxebarri as the restaurants at which i have not yet experienced that I most desire to.

While conducting a demonstration of elBulli techniques in front of a small audience at the Culinary Institute's Spain and the World Table Conference at Greystone in November 2006, Ferran Adria lamented that students coming out of culinary school know next to nothing about culinary history and that in fact as of then there had not been a good and reliable account of recent culinary history anywhere. He suggested that it would make a good graduate thesis or perhaps a number of them. Adria's interest in culinary history is profound. In fact he may very well be the world's expert on the history of western culinary development since Escoffier. Now, however, he has help. Pau Arenós, a Catalan journalist and friend of Adria's has taken up the mantel and produced a chart showing the relative location and association of many of the most influential western chefs of the 20th and 21st centuries and their relationships to cuisine and the historical development of western cuisine over that time period. The chart is similar in format to that developed by Alfred H. Barr of the Museum of Modern Art in New York to outline the relationships and evolution of modern art. As might be expected, it is not exactly a neat and tidy list given the various paths cuisine has taken over that time. Nevertheless, Arenós has identified the major areas of western culinary approach and separated people accordingly. Of the chefs included, the classifications are by and large reasonable inviting little debate. What may invite greater debate are the chefs, influences and movements that have been omitted or perhaps afforded less weight than some might think. For Arenós, the project arose from a need to answer the question, "After nouvelle cuisine, which in France demolished and cleaned up the legacy of Auguste Escoffier and his mustachioed friends, did there exist a group of cooks born in Spain and led by Ferran Adria, with new and different approaches and with followers disseminated across various countries?" The answer, clearly, was yes, but where did this group came from? To answer the question, Arenós felt he needed to first look at history and then at the group involved. By analyzing the history of modern western cooking, Arenós determined that this group of cooks sprang from Nouvelle Cuisine and an associated group of "isms." He then asked the question as to what made these cooks different from what and who came before them. Arenós has provided a definition of the major modern movement that he calls "technoemotional cuisine" with 10 points covering the various aspects of that movement. One thing that has been agreed upon by most is that heretofore an adequate and universally accepted name to describe this contemporary cuisine embodied by Ferran Adria and his peers and followers has not been coined. Perhaps the most well known moniker has been "Molecular Gastronomy" with others like "hypermodern" or "Vanguard Cuisine" also having been bandied about. Arenós' name for the movement comes directly from his 10 points. Combined, these tend to capture the essence of that style of cooking and provide a descriptive name that fits to t. The styles of chefs like Adria, Achatz, Dufresne and Aduriz, for example all fall under his description though not every chef will necessarily fit all 10 points to the same degree and some of these points may be shared by other schools of cuisine. THE 10 FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF TECHNOEMOTIONAL COOKING according to Pau Arenós: 1.Cooking is a language that allows cooks to express themselves. Cooks create for themselves, although they wish to share their creations with others and hope they will be appreciated. 2.Cooks take risks; they know their suggestions may not be understood. The risks in technoemotional cooking are greater than in other culinary movements. 3.Cooks do not create dish by dish. Their aim is to open up new paths using techniques and concepts. 4.Their creations set out to stimulate all the senses. The sense of touch becomes important as the cook works with textures and temperatures. 5.The culinary action surpasses what is physical and sensory, and focuses on emotional and intellectual aspects. Intellectual pleasure is sought through humor, provocation, reflection, etc. 6.The creator relates with other disciplines to achieve the above, also with new technologies. 7.Diners are not passive but active. The act of eating requires concentration and a specific disposition. 8.All products have the same gastronomic value. 9.The frontiers disappear between sweet and savory, between the main ingredients and the complementary ones. The ideal means of expression is a degustation menu. 10.Cooking is a way of life. The restaurant is not just a business. * These principles represent an ideal, an aspiration, a radical approach. Pau Arenós siting between and speaking with Toni Massanés (Director of Alicia) and Ferran Adria at Madrid Fusión 2008 To Arenós, technoemotional cuisine is a direct descendant of nouvelle cuisine and not a break from it the way Nouvelle cuisine was a break from the regimentation of Escoffier. Arenós' ten points add to the ten points that Gault and Millau made to define the Nouvelle Cuisine of Bocuse, the brothers Troisgros et al, which are essentially: 1. A movement towards simplicity and a rejection of excess. 2. An attempt to preserve the essential flavors of a product by shortening cooking times. 3. The importance of the quality of the primary product emphasizing freshness. 4. A predilection for shorter rather than larger menus. 5. Abandonment of strong marinades for meat and game. 6. A change from classic heavy roux-based sauces to lighter ones emphasizing acids, quality butter and herbs. 7. An emphasis on regional traditions for inspiration. 8. an interest in new techniques and equipment. 9. Acknowledgment of and interest in dietary and nutritional concerns. 10. A new emphasis on creativity. These points of Gault and Millau are in no way rejected by the adherents of Technoemotional Cooking. They are, instead the base upon which Arenós' ten points and the cuisine are constructed. As with most everything throughout history, as original and revolutionary as it is, Technoemotional Cooking is really a just a continuum of what has come before. While new approaches such as Adria's are necessary for continuing an evolution, they tend to be most effective and indeed novel when based on an understanding and knowledge of what came before. It is this history that provides context for innovation. This labor of Arenós is clearly still a work in progress as evidenced by a round-table discussion of it held at the 2008 Madrid Fusion conference this past January. As a result of his work, Arenós recently received a Diploma of Gastronomic Excellence from the International Academy of Gastronomy, which in turn recognized Arenós term of Technoemotional Cuisine as the best descriptor yet of the style of cooking it defines. Much of his graphic representation is subject to debate as are the specifics of the ten points of Technoemotional cuisine. This is why the eGullet Society Forums are the perfect place for further discussion. Please share your thoughts. A pdf of Arenós chart will be available for download shortly. Please refer to that and add your thoughts here.

René Redzepi opened his talk with a little history of the restaurant Noma that he started along with Claus Meyer (check out his site for much more background on the philosophy behind and the approach of Noma and Nordic cuisine - it is fascinating.) Redzepi brought a number of items to show the audience. He described them and in some cases offered tastes and smells. One can get a sense of the style of the restaurant from its Redzepi showed a number of smoke items, especially a variety of fish from Scandinavian waters. If I remember correctly, this is a smoked roe sack. If anyone knows otherwise, I will appreciate the correction. Samples of fresh smoked cheese were passed around the audience. Pedro Subijana tasted his. These are a special kind of Scandinavian pancake made on the stovetop by periodically turning the batter until it is cooked all around. Redzepi had Subijana try a Scandinavian fruit wine. Since grapes don't grow in Scandinavia, Redzepi is utilizing the produce that does come from those lands in new ways and expanding the pantry of local products - thus the antiglobalization aspect of his presentation. This is a very interesting product that Redzepi collects from wild birds in the arctic who have eaten these berries. More to come...

Rene Redzepi Redzepi, from the Copenhagen, Denmark restaurant Noma, has been the most well known chef fronting the Scandinavian Culinary revolution. If his presentation is any indication, for good reason. His presentation was titled: "Nordic Cuisine: Antiglobalization tidbits," which was an apt description as Redzepi spent the better part of it showing and describing unique Nordic ingredients and techniques that have been incorporated into their kitchen. It used to be in Scandinavia that for quality cuisine, the people looked outward, especially towards France. Much of the quality product available in the Nordic lands was either overlooked or felt to be subservient to that from the south. In addition, until relatively recently, the economics of the area were such as to extol foreign quality, while underestimating local possibilities. That has begun to change in a big way with the arrival of these young chefs who are pushing the boundaries and developing a new Nordic tradition of haute cuisine based around native or near native ingredients. More to come...

Andoni Luis Aduriz introduces the Scandinavian chefs being paid homage to, while José Carlos Capel looks on. This group of chefs including Magnus Ek and Mathias Dahlgren from Sweden, Bo Bech, Rasmus Kofoed, and René Redzepi from Denmark, and Terje Ness and Arne Sörving from Norway were given tribute by Madrid Fusion for their contributions to elevating a new Scandinavian cuisine. Many of these chefs as well as others have spent time working in Spain and as a result there is a close association between the two geographic areas. In fact, Dahlgren's previous restaurant had a Catalan name, Bon Llock. From L to R: Rene Redzepi (brown apron), Rasmus Kofoed, Bo Bech, Mathias Dahlgren and Magnus Ek. Aduriz greets and congratulates Redzepi. Chefs with their plaques. This presentation was the perfect segue into the next chef demonstration...

If he isn't ebullient about the product, it doesn't make it to his newsletter. It does make it seem smarmy, but he is emphasizing the things he is positive about rather than the negative. While it has the tone of an infomercial, he really does recommend good stuff. he is also able to occasionally get truly good deals for his subscribers. His newsletter is unique so far as I know. I have no idea whether he gets a cut from sales of things he recommends that are not his own products, however, it doesn't really matter to me so long as the stuff really is good...and it is.

Jean-Francois Piege Piege, the celebrated young chef of Les Ambassadeurs in Paris and a protege of Ducasse, likes to use a palette of what he considers "flavors of memory." What is clear is his artistry and classical brilliance, all while still bringing a creative approach to his food. He has stated, "There are no such things as nouvelle or classic cuisine, for me there is just good and bad cooking, and I consider myself, above all else a chef of my time." In the photo above, Piege is wrapping a cylinder of bread to be lightly toasted. Preparing lobster for his dish Piege fills his toast cylinder with the lobster then siphons in cream mixed with Parmesan and smoked bacon. He adorns it with leaves to arrive at... ...this. Note the small swirls of sauce on either side of the plate. That is Piege's signature with a variation on each plate that he serves. The other plate that Piege prepared was a deconstructed Spaghetti carbonara. Piege actually made a tube from indiviual strands of spaghetti to elevate the pasta in form. The signature on the plate. Spaghetti Carbonara Within the tube of pasta is a block of cream and Parmesan that has been gelled with agar-agar. Located on the side is pork belly. Of interest are his nontraditional uses of mustard with this dish s well asthe herbal sauce atop the pasta. I was sitting next to Alfredo Russo as this was presented. he watched with interest and a small smile at the corner of his mouth. Both dishes I had company.

It sounds like you have been a member of the club for some time, but welcome to the eGullet Society, created for people such as yourself!

There are previous threads on this. While Rosengarten's style is over the top and he can come across as a shill, the products he touts are genuinely excellent, at least in my experience. That includes the products he sells. While they might be a tad expensive, the quality is there. I bought some incredible smoked salmon and a great ham through him this past holiday season. The money was well spent. Is it cheesey? Yes, somewhat. Pathetic? Not in the least. BTW, I used to subscribe to it, but no longer do as I found I was spending way too much money! I never did regret buying any of his recommendations, though.

Just one more photo of Arzak for good measure.

Arzak finished with a short dissertation on the evolution of cooking with directions into either a more traditional style or a creative one. Within the latter, he essentially plugged the term coined by Catalan journalist, Pau Arenós, called "Technoemotional Cuisine." Per a private communication, I found out that Restaurant magazine considers the term a significant improvement over anything that preceded it to describe the cooking of the Vanguardia. In their words:

I "think" that they probably passed the mixture through a Tammis to fluff it up. I only know this thanks to Chad from http://www.chadzilla.typepad.com ← That certainly makes sense, though the recipe in the program (Each chef provides two recipes) does not give this level of detail. Thanks for the insight.

Floating Stones These edible "stones" and soup are an example of Arzak's fascination of late with "Earth" and earth products like "sands", distilled earth and clay. Unfortunately, I do not recall the details of the preparation, though it is visually exciting with the black light background. Edited to add: I found some notes. The "stones" of this dish were made of white and dark chocolate and they were swimming in an orange flavored liquid. The light made the liquid fluoresce.

Arzak demonstrated through a video a machine and technique that they use for precision, decorative cutting using a laser jigsaw. I doubt that we will be seeing too many of these nifty devices in too many restaurant kitchens any time soon!

Alfredo Russo enjoying Arzak's presentation after just having given his own. It's nice to be able to relax.

Olive oil and Lobster The white element under the lobster is a solid preparation of olive oil made with maltodextrin and virgin olive oil. The recipe called for 50gr. of maltodextrin and 30ml of olive oil to be combined and held at room temperature. I don't know how they get its ultimate effect as the recipe is not detailed enough for that. If anyone knows, I would be grateful. The dish is finished with a red safflower sauce, a lobster sauce and citrus and tapioca salad.

Arzak moved on to food. He described the preparations while Zalakain put the plates together. The dish pictured in the photo above was "Hake with White Clay" Much like Aduriz' clay coated potatoes, Arzak has used inert clay in a dish for additional "earthiness" and body. The overall image of the dish is otherworldly. An additional element of interest used in this dish is powdered freeze-dried hake added to the hake prior to the fish being grilled. The Arzaks use this technique to enhance flavor. The dish is plated with a clay "stick" topped with bleached parsley leaves, "green" sauce and hake cheek juice.

Arzak discusses something briefly with his long-time sous chef, Igor Zalakain Arzak took the opportunity to answer some critics who claim that the quality of ingredients at Arzak is not what they were in the past. He dismissed that as being ridiculous, saying that the restaurant has access to and sources some of the very best product available.

At various times during his demonstration, Arzak mixed bits of philosophy, cooking and history to keep the enthralled audience more than satisfied. Arzak started his discussion by completing the clarion tri-call for creative liberty started by Adria, continued by Subijana and now finished with a flourish. While he didn't really add anything new to the discussion, Arzak spoke with the weight of authority, experience and respect. His ardor and earnestness were apparent for all to see.

Juan Marie Arzak Arzak, who probably needs no introduction to this audience, certainly did not need one to that audience either as he came up out of turn. The reverence for Arzak in that auditorium was truly palpable, second only to his good friend Adria. I will provide fair warning for anyone who is not a fan of the man or his work. I have a lot of photos of Arzak and will be putting them up over multiple posts. Feel free to gloss over them, however, I am a big fan of this marvelous man and will not be glossing over him or his presentation. I will not, though, continue with this tonight.

In between Russo's presentation and the next, several awards were presented by the Madrid Chamber of Commerce for 'Excellence in Tourism." David Muñoz received the "Chef of the year" award from Salvador Santos Campano, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce. Other winners included: - Restaurant of the Year: Kabuki Wellington, represented by José Antonio Aparicio - Maître of the Year: María José Monterrubio (Restaurante Chantarella) - Sommelier of the Year: Ruth Cotroneo (Restaurante Senzone) - Lifetime career: José Jiménez Blas and Custodio López Zamarra The following presentation was done out of order from the original schedule...

Alfredo Russo Still unable to get any good sleep the night before, I was unable to make it to he first session of the final morning that included Benito Gómez and Ramón Freixa discussing "Eating with your fingers: tapas in the table." I did, however, make it for the second session on "Contemporary Cuisine with roots in the past: Modernity and tradition in a dish," by Alfredo Russo and Jean-Francois Píege. Russo went first. Russo is spiritual kin to Daniel Patterson as he too is interested in working with essences" of ingredients. He showed video of how he creates garlic essential oil and in fact passed some out to the audience. Russo looked to recreate certain traditional dishes with a modern touch. His first dish was a take on bagna cauda using garlic, anchovies and winter vegetables, but in a slightly different way. Russo obtained his garlic essence by using a rotating evaporator. The principle difference between his version and the traditional is that his is not served hot and is served with the garlic essence misted over the anchovies and vegetables. Es-sence of Fresh garlic with anchovies and winter vegetables Russo also presented a couple of other dishes. Lawn soup with orange This dish actually used fresh lawn grass (seen on the side) mixed with orange and sheep's milk ricotta. The warmed soup is poured atop orange jelly, the ricotta, orange and a lightly toasted piece of bread. Intriguing. Chicken tortellini in brodo This was a traditional egg yolk based pasta that was very heavy on the yolks. It was stuffed with chicken and served in a chicken broth.

I've spent the better part of my day searching for notes and a menu from the dinner I attended on the third night of Madrid Fusion at the real cafe at RealCafé Bernabeu at Stadium Santiago Bernabeu, the home of Reál Madrid and several other quality restaurants and finally found it! This dinner was one cooked entirely by some of Spain's finest women chefs, several of whom I was acquainted with from the Spain and the World Table conference in California and another from Catalonia of whom I had heard good things. They did not disappoint and neither did my table mates who included amongst others Pedro Subijana, Anya von Bremzen, independent journalist Barry Yourgrau, John Radford and Aida Mollenkamp from Chow.com, winemaker Andrew Halliwell from the dinner sponsor Codorniu and several others. I got there late so missed the time for cocktails. Instead, i sat down with some cava and fine company with Barry Yourgrau to my left and Andrew Halliwell to my right. The first course was brought out promptly. Oyster with menthol simple syrup with granita of Pinot Noir de Codorniú - Maria Carmen Velez This simple preparation of a large Galician oyster was right up my alley, though amazingly to me there was more than one at the table who were not fans of oysters, any oysters. While my favorite way of eating a good oyster is by itself with a little lemon, this worked nicely. Bravas con Azafran - Maria Jose San Roman I am a big fan of Maria Jose San Roman, having had the pleasure to dine at her restaurant Monastrell last May. This dish was an example of why. Seemingly a simple dish, it is difficult to do well. This hit the spot for me with enough saffron to matter and not so much as to overwhelm the dish. Coca de Cigalas - Montse Estruch A coca is a traditional catalan dish, in fact, commonly considered the Catalan version of pizza as it typically has toppings served on a baked crust. This was not your typical coca, though it did have a crust. Basically, I am a sucker for anything with cigalas. Estruch, perhaps the most celebrated Catalan woman chef only after Carme Ruscalleda, was working with a wounded hand having cut herself earlier. I wouldn't have been able to tell. Lubina roasted with litchis, ficoide glaciale, mini acelga roja and cherry sauce - Maria Carmen Velez This was simply one of the best courses that I had all week. The fish was cooked perfectly and the combination with the cherry was simply brilliant! Artisanal Spanish Cheese Course - Maria Jose San Roman I find that very few chefs really do composed cheese courses notably well, especially with more than one cheese at a time. The only time I have ever had one on a par with this was Carme Ruscalleda's at Sant Pau. Naranja y anaranjados - Maria Jose San Roman Perfectly refreshing and satisfying. The evening's brilliant cocineras: The Velez sisters, Mari-Carmen and Lola on each end, with Maria Jose San Roman and Montse Estruch in the middle. Thanks and congratulations The cocineras along with Esmeralda Capel, Oscar Caballeros and Pedro Subijana This was a lovely end to the third night of Madrid Fusión and the last of the Press dinners that I would attend this conference.

I will have to admit that by the time Christophe Michalak came on the stage, my spirit was willing, but my body was no longer co-operating. After five nights in a row of very little sleep and plenty of running around and excitement by day, I was exhausted. I managed to catch the beginning of Michalak's presentation before returning my hotel to recharge somewhat before dinner. Michalak showed a number of slides of some of his whimsical desserts. I did take a few photos, but alas, none that really do him or his work sufficient justice. nevertheless, I think that you can get a sense of some f his humor and skill. Michalak is the pastry chef at the Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris. Michalak's family comes from Italy and he even shares a grandfather with Michel Troisgros, though until he stepped into the ring, his side of the family were not particularly culinarily inclined. While working for Ducasse, Michalak considers Pierre Herme and Frederic Bau to be his masters as well as his friends. Elixir Plaza, Creamy lemon biscuit Michalak apparently did prepare this dessert, perhaps his most well-known, live, though I did not see it to completion. The dessert consists of a pear sorbet and lemon biscuit placed at the bottom of the glass, layered on top by strawberry compote and fresh strawberries and then a half-sphere of beaten egg whites coated with caramelized almonds. Dry ice is added and the glass is stoppered with a cork. Warm strawberry juice is poured over this at the table after the lid is removed. While I am not absolutely sure, i believe that this is a "sponge" cake. I am sure, however, that my 8yo son would flip out for this dessert! By leaving early (although not really terribly early as it was already after 6PM) and everything was running late, I missed a number of potentially interesting presentations that were slated including a conference entitled, "Blogs, a new era for gastronomy reviews." Fortunately, eGullet Society member and Specialist, Rogelio was a participant in the conference. Hopefully, he will be able to fill us in on what transpired there.