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Anthony Bourdain's Decoding Ferran Adria

iharrison

By iharrison
in Food Media & Arts

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  • 1 month later...
PamelaF

PamelaF

Posted
Posted

I am surprised that this topic has gone unnoticed for this long. I saw it when it was originally posted and ordered the DVD.

After three viewings, I finally think that I have absorbed most of the message.

If you are a fan of Bourdain’s “Cook’s Tour”, or interested in Ferran Adria, or just are looking for an intelligent food show, you will love this one hour DVD.

It starts out with Adria introducing Tony to fine Serrano ham, showing how this traditional process transforms a basic food product into a delicacy.

They then move to the El Bulli workshop (“ateller” sp?) where the El Bulli team works for several months of the year to develop new techniques to present at the restaurant. Important point here, not just new dishes, but new techniques.

In the third segment Tony has his meal at El Bulli. He admits beforehand that he is nervous, but proceeds valiantly to the chef’s table in the El Bulli kitchen to share the meal with Adria and editor who acts as a translator. The courses are beautifully detailed and the comments of the three diners make you feel like you are experiencing the meal along with them.

The final segment has Adria taking Tony to his favorite place in town, which is a small, family owned restaurant that specializes in fresh seafood. At this restaurant the preparation is minimal and the true flavor of the seafood comes through.

Adria makes the point that all his team’s new techniques are really about bringing out the true flavors of ingredients and presenting them in a new way. True flavors, that bring about taste memories of traditional flavors, but in new formats.

A very enjoyable hour of TV. Well worth ordering if you are interested in this topic. (No vested interest here, just a happy customer)

P.S. If you invite me over for dinner, I will be happy to bring my DVD 

Pamela Fanstill aka "PamelaF"
Bux

Bux

Posted
Posted
. . . . The final segment has Adria taking Tony to his favorite place in town, which is a small, family owned restaurant that specializes in fresh seafood. At this restaurant the preparation is minimal and the true flavor of the seafood comes through.  . . . .

Rafa's is by now almost as famous as elBulli, perhaps not entirely due to Tony, but Tony's been a big booster. Rafa himself, is an enthusiastic fan of Tony's. So many elBulli diners want to eat at Rafa's as well as elBulli that Rafa may be the harder reservation to get, as there are far fewer tables and if the catch that day isn't up to Rafa's standards, the restaurant doesn't open.

Robert Buxbaum

WorldTable

Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

My mailbox is full. You may contact me via worldtable.com.

iharrison

iharrison

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
. . . . The final segment has Adria taking Tony to his favorite place in town, which is a small, family owned restaurant that specializes in fresh seafood. At this restaurant the preparation is minimal and the true flavor of the seafood comes through.  . . . .

Rafa's is by now almost as famous as elBulli, perhaps not entirely due to Tony, but Tony's been a big booster. Rafa himself, is an enthusiastic fan of Tony's. So many elBulli diners want to eat at Rafa's as well as elBulli that Rafa may be the harder reservation to get, as there are far fewer tables and if the catch that day isn't up to Rafa's standards, the restaurant doesn't open.

I don't doubt it for a second! I'm looking forward to making a pilgrimmage to both.

FoodMan

FoodMan

Posted
Posted

I got a note last week from Jessica's Biscuit that they carry the DVD as well, and if I am not mistaken, for less than 29.95.

edit: here it is

E. Nassar
Houston, TX

My Blog
contact: enassar(AT)gmail(DOT)com

  • 2 months later...
theakston

theakston

Posted
Posted

OK I was looking at a Tivo recording of an awful progam about Marseille on Travel channel that it had helpfully recorded for me(thanks) - half way through it advertized that this show was on that same night July 3 (10 PM) - now sadly past.

Is it going to be repeated on travel channel or must I kill myself?

tan319

tan319

Posted
Posted

I just watched 'DFA' and am pretty speechless.

The thing that blew me away even more then the food was seeing Bourdains mind blown.

But, anyone who has their doubts, I think the Carame quote in the end by AB sums it up.

Beautiful work, Mssr. Bourdain and crew!!!

And Thank You!

2317/5000

mrsadm

mrsadm

Posted
Posted

DARN!!!

It is out of stock at Jessica's Biscuit and ships in 5-7 weeks from Amazon.

Guess it's popular!

*****

"Did you see what Julia Child did to that chicken?" ... Howard Borden on "Bob Newhart"

*****

pork

pork

Posted
Posted

Does anyone know the pictogram language that Adria uses in his lab? Is it in his (very expensive) book?

I am remodeling my kitchen and one of the possibilities for a decorating lagniappe my wife and I discussed was painting some of those symbols along a bulkhead near the ceiling. I don't want to just copy some of the ones I see on the dvd, I would need to know what they mean.

tan319

tan319

Posted
Posted

Those symbols are in the very expensive book, in a folder that holds the CDROM with all of the recipes.

2317/5000

Joisey

Joisey

Posted
Posted

Saw it and I wasn't blown away. Some of the techniques are pretty cool, but I guess I'm just old school. It was neat like watching a Discovery Channel show, but I have no desire to eat it.

jsolomon

jsolomon

Posted
Posted

Good plan. DVD's aren't that nutritious or digestible.

I always attempt to have the ratio of my intelligence to weight ratio be greater than one. But, I am from the midwest. I am sure you can now understand my life's conundrum.

tabasco cat

tabasco cat

Posted
Posted

This was a great episode. I haven't missed one yet, and Tony has been a HUGE influence on my culinary career. I realize Texas isn't a very exotic location, but I sure hope he visits our fair state for a show in the not too distant future. :cool:

  • 1 year later...
317indy

317indy

Posted
Posted
Saw it and I wasn't blown away.  Some of the techniques are pretty cool, but I guess I'm just old school.  It was neat like watching a Discovery Channel show, but I have no desire to eat it.

thats a very close minded thing to say. anyone who has a passion to make great food, would want to taste what the worlds greatest chefs ( and no anthony bourdain isnt in thier class ) have acclaimed to be the best food on earth...

Peter the eater

Peter the eater

Posted
Posted
Nobody has to buy this video...

Just watch it on google videos....

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6...earch&plindex=0

Thank you, thank you, thank you, 317indy. I struck out finding a torrent, and wasn't aware free GUBA. I'm DLing now!

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

Mild Bill

Mild Bill

Posted
Posted (edited)

Wow, I kept missing it when it first came on but just watched the whole thing...

Looking at the tiny morsels I feared I'd leave the place hungry--- paying $207.00 for dinner--- $200.00 at Adria's and $7.00 at Burger King afterwards, but those 32 courses might just do the trick...

I'm all about that Ham place tho!

:blink:

Edited by Mild Bill (log)
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