The Sorcerer's Apprentices: A Season In The Kitchen At Ferran Adria's Elbulli (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
Abend has an eye for detail, both in plating and personality. I liked the opening first half, but found that later chapters hinged on my sympathy for the central personality that each focused on. I found myself skipping the biogs to focus on the restaurant, Adria and the place and politics of haute cuisine in contemporary culture. I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in food, art, slave-labour and celebrity. The opening three chapters are excellent; not sure the petit fours lived up to the main course. Pretty good. Very informative about ElBulli and its behind-the-scenes atmosphere. Lisa Abend offers extended biographies of many of the stagiaries (pretty much unpaid kitchen interns) and this became a little confusing as she would veer into their personal stories and then back to ElBulli; I mostly just wanted her to get back to all the descriptions of the restaurant, food, techniques, etc. A good book if you are already into food and celebrity chef culture. It helps to know who some of the most well-known chefs in the business are and what their restaurants are like to give you some perspective on what you learn about ElBulli.
What do You think about The Sorcerer's Apprentices: A Season In The Kitchen At Ferran Adria's Elbulli (2011)?
Decent read. I would have liked to learn more about the food itself.
—Rjewell1018
FOOD AND SCIENCE, IN COOPERATION WITH THE POWERS OF DARKNESS
—heartofsnow
