El Bulli: 1998-2002

[tan319]

Heard from Gourmand books that they were shipped on Monday. Anyone got theirs yet?

Mine arrived just in time for a long weekend read. It looks fantastic.

I was wondering if any of you folks who have recieved 'THE BOOK' would care to post about what you think of it.

Is it blowing you away?

Did it live up to or surpass your expectations?

Talk to us!

[bloviatrix]

I spent some time looking at the book today while at Kitchen Arts and Letters -- I'm trying to convince Blovie to give it to me for Chanukah. They have it for $180. They sold out their first 100 copies and have 50 more on order.

Anyway, it's a beautiful book to look at. The photos are magnificent as each dish is plated in an amazing way. I don't have enough adjectives in my vocabulary to describe how amazed I was. I commented that I wouldn't mind enlarging some of the photos to hang on my wall.

I should mention that the book weighs a ton. Not something easy to read in bed.

[pedro]

I've just arrived from El Corte Inglés, and I've seen several copies of the second volume, El Bulli 1994 - 1997. Let's see if I can convince any relatives to have them as Xmas. gifts .

BTW, there's an excelent site from Zaragoza on this type of books, De Re Coquinaria.

[edsel]

I've just arrived from El Corte Inglés, and I've seen several copies of the second volume, El Bulli 1994 - 1997. Let's see if I can convince any relatives to have them as Xmas. gifts .

Does anyone know when the English edition of 1994 - 1997 will be published? I was too impatient to wait for the English translation of 1998-2002 and bought the Spanish version (which I can barely read). I finally broke down and got the English one last week from J. B. Prince. I'll try to be more disciplined and wait for the English editions of the remaining volumes.

[Harry Covére]

A couple more places to find the book are listed here.

[robert brown]

Edsel, I think I can find out for you, but Spain being Spain, it may be a matter of saying one thing and turning out to be another.

[robert brown]

Edsel, the e-mail I received from the books' designers said "maybe late next year" for the English edition of Volume 2. You could be looking into 2005.

[bloviatrix]

I got a call today saying they have a copy for me if I want it. I gave Blovie a pleading look and told him he has a week to decide whether to give it to me for Chanukah.

[edsel]

Thanks for checking on the English edition, robert. I'm not surprised that there's no firm publication date, considering the history of the 1998-2002 volume (it's on Amazon UK! no it's not! etc.)

2005, eh? That's really going to test my resolve!

[Zeb A]

Just ordered one from the Gourmand site. Their order page left me less than confident that I will actually receive it. If I do receive it, I wonder how long it will take?

[Zeb A]

Wow. I received the book today. That was quick! And, what a treat.

[russ parsons]

Just fyi: i got a copy of vol II yesterday. haven't had a chance to look at it yet, but it is out there (in spanish).

[docsconz]

I got a copy of the English book today for Christmas. It is a beautiful book. so far I have only perused it, however, I can't imagine being able to actually prepare anything pictured in the book. On second thought there may be a few things I could possibly pull off, but not many. Nevertheless the book is a spectacular record of Adria's output over those five years. I am looking forward to the complete set coming out in English.

[Zeb A]

This is a dumb place to post this and it is probably old news, but I received an email today from the people from whom I bought the El Bulli book. Thought people might be interested:

GOURMANDBOOKS : February 19, 2004

ALAIN DUCASSE IN ENGLISH

Editions Alain Ducasse published in French in February 2001 "Le Grand Livre d’Alain Ducasse", his 5,2 kilogs (12 pounds) masterpiece with 1056 pages, over 700 recipes, and more than 1000 photos.

Editions Alain Ducasse are now publishing it in English on April 19, 2004.

Suggested retail price in Europe will be 240 Euros.

The exclusive international distributor is Gourmandbooks.

As you are a previous special client, Gourmandbooks is making you a special offer before publication. Until April 19, 2004, the price will be for you 215 Euros, plus transportation costs, which are :

To Europe : 32 Euros for each book.

To North America : 61 Euros for each book.

Rest of the World : 80 Euros for each book.

If interested confirm by return. Payment by credit card as usual.

Under the same contract with Gourmandbooks the later books in The Grand Livre collection will also be published in English, starting in 2005. The books included in this program are English editons of "Patisseries" (in French in 2002), "Brasseries" (in French in 2003) and "Mediterranean" (in French in 2004). They will not necessarily published in the same order in English.

A reviewer called the "Grand Livres d’Alain Ducasse" the cookbooks to end all cookbooks!

P.S.- If you buy before March 15, there is additional discount, and the price of the book is 195 Euros, plus transportation.

GOURMANDBOOKS

Exclusive International Distributor

"Les Grands Livres D’Alain Ducasse"

Pintor Rosales, 36

28008 Madrid – Spain

Tel: +34 91 541 67 68 Fax: +34 91 541 68 21

E-mail: maria@gourmandbooks.com

[Jerry_A]

I picked up my copy of the book a couple of weeks ago and was thinking of spending my next day off in early March trying to actually prepare something out of it (some of the recipes look like an all day affair). I was wondering if anyone has attempted any of the recipes, and whether they were successful or not. I am pretty much open to making anything, as long as I can get the ingredients, and would love to hear about any hits or misses.

[tan319]

I just got mine tonight. everyone at my restaurant chipped in and got it for my b-day(3-19).

I'm blown away!

Now, fingers crossed that my cd-rom works.

Will be posting my thoughts later.

Cheers!

[tan319]

I just received my CDROM that works in Mac and my mind is blown!!!

All of the detail and work that went into this is so admirable...

My only disappointment was seeing that the recipes on the 'English/USA' track were given in volume, not metric.

Thankfully, the English/UK trak is all metric.

[mdouch]

All of the detail and work that went into this is so admirable...

My only disappointment was seeing that the recipes on the 'English/USA' track were given in volume, not metric.

Thankfully, the English/UK trak is all metric.

This was because the translators (two of them - one who translated the recipes and the other the rest of the CD-ROM and the book) were instructed to use metric for the BE version and imperial for the US version. These instructions were issued by the translation agency that coordinated the various foreign language versions (French, German, Italian and Japanese).

I know this because I was the translator of the book and the rest of the CD-ROM. And I have to say, it was one of the most absorbing pieces of translation I have ever done...

[tan319]

All of the detail and work that went into this is so admirable...

My only disappointment was seeing that the recipes on the 'English/USA' track were given in volume, not metric.

Thankfully, the English/UK trak is all metric.

This was because the translators (two of them - one who translated the recipes and the other the rest of the CD-ROM and the book) were instructed to use metric for the BE version and imperial for the US version. These instructions were issued by the translation agency that coordinated the various foreign language versions (French, German, Italian and Japanese).

I know this because I was the translator of the book and the rest of the CD-ROM. And I have to say, it was one of the most absorbing pieces of translation I have ever done...

Well, all I can say is THANK YOU!!!

It's so incredibly well done, outstanding and awesome.

Once I got on the UK version I was very, very happy.

The book is such a joy to read and absorb.

Any chance you guys are going to ever do a translation of Albertos 'Los Postres de El Bulli?

Thanks again for the great job.

[edsel]

Ted, did you mean volume vs. weight (e.g. tablespoons vs. grams)?

mdouch, thanks for the background info on the translation (and welcome to eGullet ). I second Ted's interest in an English translation of "Los Postres de El Bulli", to which I would add volume II of the El Bulli series (1994-1997). I purchased the first volume before the translated edition was announced. I wound up purchasing the English edition when it came out. My ability to read Spanish fell somewhat short of expectations.

Oh, and Mac users, if you were wondering about the "works on Mac" reference, check here. All is well!

[Doubi]

For info, the publisher of the book of Oscar Caballero on el Bulli ( http://www.agnesvienoteditions.com/gastronomie/el_bulli.htm ) told me that this book will finaly be available (with a few months of delay) during this summer...at least in french

[Bux]

All of the detail and work that went into this is so admirable...

My only disappointment was seeing that the recipes on the 'English/USA' track were given in volume, not metric.

Thankfully, the English/UK trak is all metric.

This was because the translators (two of them - one who translated the recipes and the other the rest of the CD-ROM and the book) were instructed to use metric for the BE version and imperial for the US version. These instructions were issued by the translation agency that coordinated the various foreign language versions (French, German, Italian and Japanese).

I know this because I was the translator of the book and the rest of the CD-ROM. And I have to say, it was one of the most absorbing pieces of translation I have ever done...

Hello and welcome to eGullet. I shouldn't doubt it was an absorbing project. Can I ask how you came about the job. Do you usually translate culinary works and cookbooks? Did you mean to say imperial measures for the US edition? I thought US measures and imperial measure were different, with imperial measures used in the UK.

[mdouch]

Hello and welcome to eGullet. I shouldn't doubt it was an absorbing project. Can I ask how you came about the job. Do you usually translate culinary works and cookbooks? Did you mean to say imperial measures for the US edition? I thought US measures and imperial measure were different, with imperial measures used in the UK.

Thankyou for your welcome. As to how the job landed in my lap, I had been doing jobs for this particular translation agency for two or three years. One of the specialties of this agency is food and drink, and so I had been translating tasting notes and magazine articles as well as books by Martín Berasategui, Andrés Madrigal and Koldo Royo.

Yes, of course, you're right - I meant to say US measures for the US edition

We're hoping to be given the go-ahead to start on the 2nd volume of the 'magnum opus' later on in the year. As for 'Los Postres', I have no idea what, if any, plans there are.

Best wishes,

Martin

[Bux]

This is a bit off topic, but the issue of food, restaurant and recipe translation is an interesting one. I suppose there are any number of fields that are as specialized, but this is the one I pay attention to and it's within this context that I find so many translations that range from amusing to just plain absurd. Running a recipe thought a web translator will invariably provide a useless set of instructions. There are any number of countries in which I would much rather deal with a native menu than try to decipher what I may get when I order from the "English" menu they seem happy to provide. There's a thread in the French forum about some very perplexing dishes listed on the English language version of the web site for a fine Lyonnaise restaurant. I suspect it was the product of a machine translation.

[theladycook]

Someone was enquiring about The book by Oscar Caballero on El Bulli - it is out in English on 22nd June see www.thecookbookshop.co.uk