Text and Pretext in Textures: El Bulli, Soler & Adria in Context, Oscar Caballero
When Caterer asked me whether I would like to review a book about Spain's überchef, Ferran Adrià, I was really pleased, as I have been a big fan since eating at his restaurant four years ago. So I said yes. Then I got the book - which, by the way, isn't written by Adrià himself but by culinary writer and journalist Oscar Caballero.
The first shock came when I opened it up: oh, no - no pictures of the food. Not what I expected. But it soon became apparent that Text and Pretext in Textures is not really a cookbook in the traditional sense; it's more of a book on the philosophy behind the El Bulli phenomenon and its place in European gastronomy. I should have known by the title that it wasn't going to be an easy read, shouldn't I?
The book starts well with a brief history of the evolution of the El Bulli restaurant, which is really interesting and promises much for the rest of the read. But then it progresses on to the philosophy - and that's hard work. I read four pages and fell asleep. It also made it hard for me to meet my review deadline for Caterer, as the book worked like a double-strength sleeping pill every time I picked it up.
There are some interesting facts. For instance, in 2000 France had 1,000 McDonald's restaurants and, as a nation, eats 540 million hamburgers a year (oh, the great French gastronomes). So what? you may ask. How does that relate to El Bulli? Well, Caballero's inference - after first talking about how nouvelle cuisine changed the culinary world - is that even France's dining public is moving away from three-course menus and going towards tasting menus. And El Bulli is seen within that broader context.
Not that Caballero ever quite comes out and says that. Rather, he tends to flirt with pretentiousness, even down to referring to French nouvelle cuisine as FNC throughout the book. The thing is, the book's supposed to be about El Bulli, not French nouvelle cuisine (sorry, FNC). I don't really care about nouvelle cuisine and how it changed the face of cookery - as a chef, I know that anyway.
Ploughing my way through this section of the book only made me lose the will to live. El Bulli's food, as a phenomenon, is far more interesting than how it got there and its lineage from nouvelle cuisine. And, actually, I don't see the connection myself. Adri… is really doing a version of tapas, which is a progression of Spanish culture, not French.
The book does pick up when it starts to talk about the dishes the writer has had in Adrià's restaurant. It's obvious that he's had a number of meals there and is well placed to talk about the food.
I don't think you get any inkling of the El Bulli experience through this book. If you want my advice, don't buy it unless you're a real Adri… groupie. Use the money for the phone bill you'll accrue trying to get a reservation at the restaurant itself. After I ate there I was so excited that I was kept awake at night remembering the tastes and sensations of the experience.
I'm disappointed to say that I didn't like the book. I'm only a cook - maybe it was just a little too deep for me, and I did miss the pictures as a reference point. However, if you're having trouble sleeping at the moment, pages 29 to 60 of this book should do the job for you. n
Kevin Mangeolles, chef-director, George hotel, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
Text and Pretext in Textures: El Bulli, Soler & Adria in Context
Oscar Caballero
€59.80 (£41.30)
Gourmandbooks
ISBN 84-89131-40-6
