Adria Cooking in NYC

[ASM NY]

I thought that for the most part, the presentations were very entertaining, although I was somewhat disappointed to see so much use of pre recorded video instead of preparing many of the items there. Many of them were complicated, which made it difficult to really do in either the place or the time allowed. Berasategui, for example, made very interesting dishes in his video, but in the demonstration he prepared this relatively "traditional" dish that seemed based on the cod "pil-pil" which is common in Basque cuisine.

With that said, I the highlights for me were:

1) Arzak - in his first preparation he put apple juice in a home cappuccino machine and used the steam produced in the machine (usually used to froth the milk) to cook a shrimp and some vegetables, giving them an apple "flavor" from the steam. Very simple, but very original in my opinion.

2) The Roca Brothers: Their focus was the role that smell places in cuisine. The highlight was in some of their desserts which they name after well known perfumes. They study the essences and their percentages in perfumes, and they construct a dessert based on the ingredients and in the same proportions. And while the food doesn't have any perfume in it (thankfully), the diner is given a strip with the perfume after the dessert and apparently the effect is pretty remarkable. (I know I am not doing the best job at explaining this one).

3) Adria - I thought that the whole sphere thing has been out there for a while now, but it was interesting to see how he explained the process and the new materials they are using. Yes, there is a machine that they are using to "capsulate" things like olive oil, but there is another chemical that can be used to make spheres out of practically anything. The coolest thing was the coconut egg shell (shown only on video). They dunk a spoon in liquid nitrogen and then dunk the back of the spoon into coconut milk. After a little while, they peel it off and it has the shape of half and egg shell, they later remove the water from via freeze drying, and they are left with a brittle shell made entirely of coconut.

[xdrixn]

but there is another chemical that can be used to make spheres out of practically anything.

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can you elaborate on this please, what 'chemical'?

[Fat Guy]

I'm not so sure that it works quite like that . . . .

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It used to work like that, and many people remain under the impression that it still does -- until they try to get a stage at a Michelin three-star or other highly regarded restaurant. Today, with the simultaneous explosions of cooking-school enrollment and well-to-do amateur interest in the culinary arts, stages are worth something. Students need to be at the top of the class and come highly recommended in order to have a chance of breaking in to the best places. Amateurs are often expected to pay -- for several years now, many of the top restaurants have been selling stages as part of high-end food-and-travel packages. There are still some back doors: it's still relatively easy for journalists to get access to most restaurant kitchens, good customers are sometimes allowed behind the kitchen doors if they express interest and a friend of the chef can usually negotiate something. Still, it's getting harder and harder to gain access to the top places.

[ASM NY]

but there is another chemical that can be used to make spheres out of practically anything.

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can you elaborate on this please, what 'chemical'?

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I can't remember the name, they said it about 4 times, but I was unable to catch it, never heard of it before. I understand that "chemical" might not be the best word to use, as it is not the best word to describe calcium chloride, but that's the only thing that came to mind.

[BryanZ]

Does anyone else know what ASM NY is talking about? Other attendees.

[docsconz]

Does anyone else know what ASM NY is talking about?  Other attendees.

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If no-one is able to come up with it, I will keep an eye and an ear out for it at the WOF Conference in a couple of weeks with a number of the same players including Ferran. Better yet, why don't you ask Jose Andres in his eG Spotlight Discussion?

[Luckylies]

3- Quique daCosta, who's written a stunning book on arroces (risottos, kinda, but not really), many of them bound not with fat but with aloe vera, made a foie gras that was simply steamed in the oven (he dislikes seared foie gras) and dusted with aloe vera powder, served with stevia (a plant 300 times sweeter than sugar and one of his favourite ingredients).

I believe this was actually matcha powder.. or green tea powder.

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[foodite]

Does anyone else know what ASM NY is talking about?  Other attendees.

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If I'm not mistaken, I believe Adria mentioned that there are techniques, not necessarily specific chemicals, that can be used to sperify anything - be it basic sperification, reverse spherification, oil spherification, etc.

[Silly Disciple]

3- Quique daCosta, who's written a stunning book on arroces (risottos, kinda, but not really), many of them bound not with fat but with aloe vera

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Alex, risotto is not the only way rice is cooked in Europe. Give the man (and his tradition) some credit, his book is quite possibly one of the most comprehensive modern studies on the Spanish rice tradition.

[AlexForbes]

Of course I know risottos are not the only way that rice is cooked in Europe!!!

I was trying to translate the word arroces, and thought that "rices" might give

an incorrect connotation, that's all.

[docsconz]

Of course I know risottos are not the only way that rice is cooked in Europe!!!

I was trying to translate the word arroces, and thought that "rices" might give

an incorrect connotation, that's all.

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This clearly points out the difficulty of translation. The nuances can be so loaded and be interpreted differently by different people. That is why I asked the question I did upthread about the translators for Ferran. Nevertheless, Alexandra, I would encourage you to continue with the fine service that you have provided us here as your translation skills are certainly better than most and your understanding of the cuisine superlative. Thank you.

[ASM NY]

Does anyone else know what ASM NY is talking about?  Other attendees.

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If I'm not mistaken, I believe Adria mentioned that there are techniques, not necessarily specific chemicals, that can be used to sperify anything - be it basic sperification, reverse spherification, oil spherification, etc.

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He did mention another ingredient, which they started using this year. He demonstrated its use by making mussel spheres in the kitchen, which he said can't be made with the sodium alginate/calcium chloride combo. He mentioned the name of the ingredient, but I really couldn't get it, and when I asked my wife who was listening to the translators, they apparently didn't get it either.

Hopefully someone can ask at the upcoming demonstrations that doc mentioned. Otherwise we'll have to wait for the book to come out next year!

Edited October 21, 2006 by ASM NY (log)

[AlexForbes]

ASM, I don't blame you for not getting it - it was hard to get all of what they were saying. When they spoke clearly, I listened to the chefs directly. But when those with thicker accents were on stage (Quique daCosta, Dani Garcia), I had to listen to the translator. So I went back and forth from Spanish to English, and missed quite a lot.

Sound quality and simultaneous translation were much better at the last Madrid Fusion.

Oh well... I haven't given up, and am still trying to make sense of my notes and the bits and pieces I got on my digital recorder!

by the way, Ferran told me at the event that he and Joan Roca were off to Napa the next day. I wonder if there's a topic on that CA event, whatever it might have been...

[docsconz]

ASM, I don't blame you for not getting it - it was hard to get all of what they were saying. When they spoke clearly, I listened to the chefs directly. But when those with thicker accents were on stage (Quique daCosta, Dani Garcia), I had to listen to the translator. So I went back and forth from Spanish to English, and missed quite a lot.

Sound quality and simultaneous translation were much better at the last Madrid Fusion.

Oh well... I haven't given up, and am still trying to make sense of my notes and the bits and pieces I got on my digital recorder!

by the way, Ferran told me at the event that he and Joan Roca were off to Napa the next day. I wonder if there's a topic on that CA event, whatever it might have been...

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The only "event" that I am aware of that they will be attending is the CIA's World of Flavors Conference on "Spain and the World Table" which starts a week from yesterday. Perhaps they were heading out early for a little well-deserved R&R?

[docsconz]

ASM, I don't blame you for not getting it - it was hard to get all of what they were saying. When they spoke clearly, I listened to the chefs directly. But when those with thicker accents were on stage (Quique daCosta, Dani Garcia), I had to listen to the translator. So I went back and forth from Spanish to English, and missed quite a lot.

Sound quality and simultaneous translation were much better at the last Madrid Fusion.

Oh well... I haven't given up, and am still trying to make sense of my notes and the bits and pieces I got on my digital recorder!

by the way, Ferran told me at the event that he and Joan Roca were off to Napa the next day. I wonder if there's a topic on that CA event, whatever it might have been...

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The only "event" that I am aware of that they will be attending is the CIA's World of Flavors Conference on "Spain and the World Table" which starts a week from yesterday. Perhaps they were heading out early for a little well-deserved R&R?

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The event has been mentioned on several threads. I will be attending and plan on reporting back on the eGullet Forums with photos if I get some good ones.