Oyser Leaf with Dew of Vinegar

Moments after sitting down we were presented with a single leaf.  This wasn’t the first time I’d heard of this leaf, though. This particular leaf had been described to me by Nicholas Mazzard, who I’d met and befriended at the International Star Chefs Convention. For the last two years I’ve listened to him describe this “Oyster Leaf with Dew of Vinegar.” It was really amazing, not only was it a leaf that had the appearance of a drop of dew, but the taste of an oyster and the texture of a leaf.  This was another “wow” mixture of flavor and texture.   The “Apple Sandwich” was next.  This had an apple filling between what looked like meringue but had the texture of nothing I’ve ever had before. It was light like meringue but soft like cotton… but firm enough on the outside to be able to pick it up and bite into.

Apple Sandwich

Yet another mystery! I didn’t know exactly what to expect even though it took the form of a sandwich, I handled it like a sandwich and ended up eating it like a sandwich.

We took a slight turn to savory. I thought to myself, “if this is savory then what were the first 20 courses supposed to be?”  The astonishment of blazing through so many experiences of so many different elements of creation in every form was still playing tricks on my preprogrammed mind. Then I remembered the cookbooks and the category of “snacks.”  We had just had 20 different little types of snacks and now we were moving to the “tapas” style savory dishes.  Absolutely brilliant! By now we were barely half way through the experience.

Tanya was in her own world of bliss catalyzed by an iphone and her Facebook family. There was so much going on we could hardly speak to each other.  She had Facebook, I had Twitter, we had each other and a ’75 Latour. We were at elBulli and our minds were about to explode!!!  When the Latour was first opened, I tasted what I expected and that was a beautiful first Grand Cru Classe that slightly fatigued from the 34 years it had been in its bottle.  It was still quite beautiful but certainly wasn’t a full bodied younger Bordeaux that we more commonly drink.  To my great surprise, a little over an hour into the bottle it suddenly rejuvenated and turned into this magical new wine that tasted like a flower that had just bloomed.  Wow, life is good!

Joselito

Montjoi Lentils

Tartare of Marrow

Another strip of metal mesh brought a one-bite concoction, again resembling some type of caramel sugar work.  This wasn’t sweet at all, “Joselito” was a ham and ginger canapé.  If there is one thing in Spain that you never get tired of, it’s eating all sorts of Iberico ham… in all shapes and forms.  This one was simply one bite, one bite that packed the flavor of an entire platter of the finest shaved Iberico ham in the land.  Next we went on to “Montjoi Lentils.” It was an interesting glass bowl with some sort of broth that had lentils swimming across the surface. I questioned the adventurousness of my wife on the next course, described as “Tartare of Marrow.” It was poached beef marrow with foam over a raw oyster served with crisp, paper-thin, marrow wafers.  Shockingly enough it turned out to be one of her favorite courses.  The warm marrow worked well with the rawness of the oyster. Again, it challenged our minds with the transformation of texture and temperature.  A beautiful display of color, shapes, and sizes—on our plate were the “Tender Pistachios.” Twenty small pieces of different interpretations of one profile, the pistachio.  This was such a diverse dish with so many components, yet all from the same ingredient.   Again, Chef Adrià’s approach to such a simple ingredient was showcasing his genius.  The “Cockles with Yuzu” was next. I’ll tell you, when people say the seafood in Spain is fresh–and it is fresh–imagine how fresh it is at elBulli.  At heart it was a simple dish, yet sophisticated enough to stand its place in this grand parade of culinary masterpieces.  Next was “Soya Milk with Soya.”  This dish was so unique in the sense that the unfamiliarity kept drawing me back for another bite. I spent each bite trying to process exactly what I was eating but finished with no definitive answer.

Tender Pistachios

Cockles with Yuzu

Soya Milk with Soya

Sea Anemone with Te

Trout Roe

The next dish is one I found extremely interesting. Once upon a time I was the owner of a pet store specializing in marine life aquariums… suddenly on my plate was a dish referred to as “Sea Anemone with Te.” I thought to myself “Really? Sea anemone? I didn’t even know they were edible!”  Well these certainly were and with a texture like nothing I had ever had before.  A bright red orange plate with a sheet of 24-Karat gold covering precious pearls of scrumptious “Trout Roe” was placed on our table.  The courses just kept coming and coming.

I could only imagine what someone without an adventurous palate would be going through when trying to tackle a meal like this.  Tanya described the face of an older woman behind us as she was served each course.  Surely someone dining here would expect the most palate bending and envelope pushing culinary adventure that they would ever experience, right? Would you really expect to come and eat 30 plus dishes of “predictable food?”  Tanya described the lady as “disturbed.” The other seven in her party were much younger and reacting just as we were, with surprise and delight.  Truthfully, I was just glad to be there and figured that the more bizarre the preparations were the better. That is what I signed up for; anything and everything… no matter what.

Roses / Artichokes

Pine Nut Shabu Shabu

Miso Soup

The next course was truly a test of the previous paragraph.  It was called “Roses / Artichokes.” I wasn’t really sure if it was roses that looked like artichoke leaves or a mixture of both.  All I could taste was the pure flavor of rose petals.  I wasn’t quite sure how I liked it but the texture was unique and I had never eaten what looked to be the entirety of a white rose.  I finished the last petal and wondered what was next.   Just then a small, thin, ruler like piece of wood with a small transparent envelope of powder accompanied a bowl of broth arrived and was called “Pine Nut Shabu Shabu.” We were instructed to dip the envelope slightly into the broth then place it on our tongue, then drink the broth to finish.

Sake Snowball

A truly unique spin off of the Japanese traditional shabu shabu where multiple vegetables and meat are washed into simmering broth and then eaten, followed by consumption of the broth. Continuing in the Japanese direction the next course was “Miso Soup.” Not too off direction here.  It was a simple Japanese bowl with perfect miso soup that was slurped from the bowl in the traditional way.  The twist of the dish was when you were finishing your last sip of hot miso a frozen bowl arrived with a “Sake Snowball” on top which served to cleanse our palates.  This was a clever approach to linking tradition and innovation which was extremely well done.

From the beginning of the meal I knew the upcoming dish was probably going to be one of the most challenging of the evening. This was one of only two dishes with that had only one name, “Hare.” I knew of Chef Adrià’s infatuation with the brains of small animals; today’s was going to be that of a rabbit.

Hare

"Balls"

Despite being a chef and claiming to love everything, there are certain things that are definitely not on my list of favorites.  I’ll have to admit the closest thing I’ve ever eaten to brains would be hog head cheese and of course that’s not really brains themselves… although there might be a small percentage in the mix.  These were whole, truly unadulterated, in a bowl of broth.  I knew it would be okay, there were only three or four in the bowl and if I were going to try brains it would to be at the hands of Ferran Adrià.  The broth was rich and dark brown; it was the first thing I tasted. I put the first little brain in my mouth and it almost had the same texture as the spherical olives only in a more “brainy” sort of way.  I finished my bowl and was happy to have had brains; then I noticed Tanya had eaten only one of hers.  Right then I knew that I had three more brains to go before my brain mouth explosion experience would be over. Naturally after the brains came the balls. I wasn’t really sure whether they were actually in fact that or just some sort of rabbit meatball.  They seemed to be too large for the scarier of the two… so in my mind I ate rabbit meatballs. The two dishes were actually well executed and delicious, just challenging.

Abalone with Iberian Ham Fat

Espardenyes Gelee

Parmesan Ravioli

The next course couldn’t have come soon enough, “Abalone with Iberian Ham Fat.” I love abalone and don’t know many people that don’t feel the same about Iberico ham.  The dish presented in the form of an abalone, constructed with many different things that were to be left unidentified when eaten.  It was delicious in every sense and left me wanting another bite.  The next dish was called “Espardenyes Gelee.” When we asked for the translation someone came to us and explained it was sea cucumber.  I’ve eaten sea cucumber on different occasions and was never too impressed with the results.  This was like no sea cucumber I’ve ever eaten.  The texture was inexpressible but reminded me sort of like really good sweet diver scallops, only from a flavor/kind of texture profile.  Tanya was still in shock from the “brains and balls” and was slowly coming back to life, slowly returning to the meal.  I was hoping I wasn’t losing her because we still had a little ways to go.  “Parmesan Ravioli” arrived on a very colorful glass plate.

Fall Hunt

The ravioli were not ordinary pasta, they were some kind of gelling sheet flavored with Parmesan.  Nevertheless, they were delicious.  We were then served a marble square type of bowl resembling a mortar and pestle.  It had a small amount of Parmesan consommé and some 24-Karat gold leaves. It was a refreshing way to end the course.  The next dish was named “Fall Hunt” and the server described it as turtle dove.  It was the breast of a dove in some sort of grayish brown thick sauce sitting in a citrus gelee.  I love dove but haven’t had it in many years.  In the US the only way to enjoy it is to go dove hunting and cook it at your house.  Tanya’s dove ended up on my plate also, this was where the meal became challenging.  Eating for two, with no idea how much to go was a little bit daunting.  Oh well, I am a power eating trooper able to eat my weight in great food any day of the week so I wasn’t too worried.

The wine was being prepared. The food started to arrive once again. Only four courses in and our minds were already racing with excitement.  Should we slow down?! Were we going too fast?! We didn’t want the night to end too soon, after all. A cart pulled up next to our table and the server started preparing our “Grape Tea and Cassis”.

She used a small brush to mix everything together, she handed us our bowl.  We slowly drank the nectar, trying to savor each moment, to absorb each element, flavor and texture.

Many things we ate and drank in mystery, trying to keep our mind at the pace of such a multifaceted, sophisticated meal.  Next to arrive was a steamer basket with eight small shrimp on top of some seaweed. The shrimp were divine. I thought the same of the seaweed… but then I was told I wasn’t supposed to eat it; oh well… it was still delicious.

Seaweed Shrimp

Campari

A large white oblong globe appeared and was quickly cracked table side; then dusted with fresh grated nutmeg.  Not knowing what it was, I put it in my mouth and immediately recognized the familiar taste of “Gorgonzola.” Another technique that was truly amazing, transforming a familiar flavor element and taking it out of context by presenting it in an unfamiliar shape. A few more transparencies made their way to us; they contained the most delicate flavors and were aptly named “Campari.”

Another metal serving piece was brought in, with what looked like peanuts. They were actually “Mimetics Peanuts.” When eaten they had a delicate outer shell with an almost liquid center that tasted like the best peanuts I’ve ever eaten. Two little discs that looked like cookies, named “Sesame Crackers” followed.

I got excited about this one because I knew how it was made.  I learned the technique while working in the kitchen of Grant Achatz at his world-renowned restaurant, Alinea.

The serving pieces were all very different, some were metal objects, some were pieces of stone, wooden planks, woven mesh, and silver cups. Then I realized that I had yet to be given one single piece of silverware. I wondered if there would be such utensils.

We finished the Cava and the Latour was presented.  The cork showed its age, the wine deep in color, I anticipated my first sip would be heaven.  I’ve had several vintages of Chateau Latour but never one 34 years old.  For a moment I was doing the math and then thought to myself “duh, it’s 34 years old, like my wife.”  That was the total point, wasn’t it?  The wine was like heaven, still holding strong… the meal continued.

Mimetics Peanuts

Sesame Crackers

'75 Latour

The next course was familiar. It’s one I’d made in the elBulli workshop I attended in Barcelona in 2007. I was delighted to be able to try it in its original form; “Spherical Olives” in a jar with fine Spanish olive oil. I didn’t have to wonder long because we finally got a spoon. Not just any spoon, a spoon that had obviously been designed only for this course. The “olives” were as fantastic as I remembered them.

Spherical Olives

Perfect round green spheres masquerading as olives that when placed on your tongue, with the slight pressure of your mouth, burst into the finest green olive liquid you could ever imagine.

Spherical Olive Spoon

Another magical example of the brilliant approach of Chef Ferran Adria’s ability to trick and surprise our often preprogrammed mind. Metal serving piece number two, with what looked like paper-thin sugar caramel came into sight. I was totally wrong, it was “Parmesan Crystal.” So much creation and innovation, I contemplated how much time and work had to go into the thought, design, development, and execution of this dish.  Amazingly, each dish displayed the same magnitude of complexities and characteristics.  Following the Parmesan came a nectar filled flower. We were told to drink the nectar and leave the flower. I had a seaweed flashback.  Once again, it was totally divine.  It reminded me of childhood and how I’d pull the stamen out of small honeysuckle flowers so I could harvest the small drop of nectar inside.  This flower, however, was much larger and filled with a dream portion of the nectar I once gathered.

Nectar

Parmesan Crystal

Coconut Sponge

A small slab of slate carrying one of my favorite courses was next, “Coconut Sponge.” Visually stunning, marvelous texture, and the taste of pure coconut.  I wondered how in the world he made this because I knew of no technique with the end result being something so different and wonderful.  A series of cookies were brought to our table. First was a berry cookie; a small, almost transparent pouch of berries and rosemary that was as fragile as fragile gets. Once in was in my mouth it faded into a flavor explosion, proving the reaction I’m sure Chef Adria was trying to create.  Raspberry cookies arrived on a steel mesh serving piece, complimented by a small drop of honey. Again, extremely delicate and true to its name: “Raspberry.”  A mound of ice in a bowl was presented as “Icy Cookies.” A concoction in the form of a cookie, but perfectly frozen, having almost a Popsicle like consistency that brought me back to my childhood.

Rosemary Cookie

Raspberry Cookie

Icy Cookies

It was now my turn to excuse myself. I really just wanted to slow down a bit and to take a walk through the dining room, see all of the other guests in similar worlds of their own.  Such a powerful source of energy emitting from this small space in the universe, I now understood why people were drawn here.  It’s a story of a young chef who fell into the right situation and over the course of 20 years took his genius and talent to the top of the world.

It’s a chef’s dream to not only be such a chef, but in this case, it’s a dream to simply eat in his restaurant.  Truly a modern day culinary super hero. I made my way back to our table and took my seat…

Through much digestion — no pun intended — and an extensive year of culinary education and experiences, I finally have the thought process to begin my blog. I’ve chosen to start the blog at the current time of my journey; I feel that going all the way back to the beginning would leave this life changing experience stale and outdated. We’ll begin with a day in Roses and dinner at elBulli.

After two years of attempted reservations and an elBulli seminar in Barcelona in 2007, by destiny my dream was finally granted on October 19^th, which was my second wedding anniversary. In those two years I’d begged and pleaded for stage positions, only to be told again and again that I must commit for the entire six months in order to work there. For me this was impossible because of my responsibilities at Stella! I visited elBulli’s website, as I often did, and out of routine tapped the reservation button. All of a sudden the calendar of their 2009 season appeared on my screen, I started to panic. Realizing that my anniversary date was open I quickly gathered my thoughts and clicked the date. After waiting three weeks I finally received the email I’d been waiting for essentially all of my life.

We regret to be late giving you an answer. The demand has been again extraordinary and is difficult to go on with the management. We have found a solution and have an option for you on:

Monday October 19^th of 2009, table for 2 people at 7.30 p.m. under the name:

SCOTT BOSWELL

Ferran Adrià will prepare a personalized tasting menu. You will try many different elaborations and it means many different products. It is very IMPORTANT FOR HIS CONFECTION TO KNOW IN ADVANCE if some problem exists, like ALLERGIES OR ANY OTHER PRODUCT THAT WE COULD NOT INCLUDE FOR ANYONE OF YOU.

I wait your news to fix the option and also with regard to this question to fix all the details at your reservation.

I also ask you to give us a direct phone number to contact you, only if necessary, during your time in our area.

Sincerely yours,
Luis Garcia
ElBullirestaurant
Cala Montjoi – 17480 Roses

I screamed with joy as I read the mail. Tanya, my wife, woke up frightened, not knowing what had happened. I bounced on the bed and told her about our anniversary—the one we would spend at the dream reservation, elBulli.

I have to admit, planning the trip was a very enjoyable journey in itself. It’s not like elBulli is a hop skip and a jump away from any major airport or city. We had to get to Barcelona and from Barcelona to Roses, which is about an hour and a half to the east. I completed the planning in March, seven months before our anniversary dinner. Completion of the planning finally made it real, so real, which fueled my energy level far beyond what it had ever been before.

I began pushing harder and harder, I felt that I needed to be worthy of such a great meal… a meal that would ultimately change my life as a chef. I planned an amazing summer of culinary studies, traveling, and continuing education that would lead up to the culmination of the greatest decade of my life. So this is where the story of Scott Boswell, the chef, will begin.

A Day in Roses and Dinner at elBulli (part II)

Anyone who’s ever traveled knows the feeling of waking up in your hotel room slightly startled and not quite remembering where you are. I’m sure it’s happened to you at least once. Well, not today! On Monday morning, October 19, 2009, I woke up in Roses not only knowing exactly where I was but with an instant adrenaline rush. This was it, today was the day Tanya and I would eat at Chef Ferran Adrià’s world-renowned restaurant, elBulli! Oh… I almost forgot… this was also our second wedding anniversary.

I lifted the shades and opened the doors to what appeared to be the beginning of a perfect day. The sun had yet to rise but daylight was intact. Walking out onto the balcony I could hear the great symphony of the waves of the Mediterranean washing against the rocks of the shore below. I felt like a child on Christmas morning waking up early, eager wake his parents; only this time it was my wife so we could get this magical day started. I took a deep breath of the sea’s air and embraced the beginning of this great day.

Our hotel, Hotel Vistabella, was tucked away at the far end of Roses, nestled up against a crest of what seemed to be a small mountain overlooking the Mediterranean. After sunrise Tanya and I dressed and started our day with a lovely breakfast and a remarkable view. Breakfast was truly an outstanding display of Europeans delight. Knowing this would be our only meal until the evening, I decided to have a spread. If there is one technique that the Europeans have down (I assure you, they have many more than one) they know how to prepare the perfect soft-boiled egg. There was charcuterie, cheeses, fruits, eggs, pastries… my mouth is watering just thinking about it. This was truly a breakfast not to miss.

We finished up breakfast and decided to take a long walk through the village, enjoying our day in Roses. The climate reminded me a bit of Napa Valley, being very cool in the morning and transcending into the perfect day once the sun was fully exposed. Our walk began about 10:30am with no plans, no destination and no boundaries… just the beginning of a journey of the day of a lifetime. We walked down the hill into the village enjoying the many sights along the way. It was apparent that the season was at the end since nearly 75% of the businesses where already closed for the arriving winter. The serenity of having such a beautiful landscape in what at one time would have seemed to be the middle of nowhere, was truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been in my life. Beach after beach hotel after hotel, our three hour walk seemed to disappear in a blink. Jokingly, I remarked to Tanya: “This is more than I’ve walked in the entire year”. Or maybe not so jokingly.

Back at our hotel, we enjoyed the terrace overlooking the sea, watching a large German yacht pulling in towards the shore. I told Tanya jokingly again “Our boat has arrived”. She looked at me puzzled because she never knows when to believe me since I’m always full of surprises. She laid down on the cabana and we ordered sangria and I suddenly remembered that I had orders to make for the Stella! Tanya said “you’ve been making orders ever since the first day I met you” and I thought to myself that “I hoped it never go away.” I’ve always had a very close relationship with the key people who make my menu at Stella! happen. The farmers, fishermen, and truffle man all play such key roles in the inspirational part of painting the plate. I remember when studying in culinary school, looking at a magazine, at a picture of a chef in Miami sitting on the beach on a cell phone making orders for his daily menu, dreaming of doing the same one-day. Well today not only was I ordering products from my most precious resources but I was doing it on the beach in the land of the greatest chef in the world.

After enjoying afternoon sangria on the terrace we headed back to the room and begin preparing ourselves. Our dinner was at 7:30pm and the anticipation was clearly building in our souls. The taxi was arranged and would pick us up at 6:45. For the short time we were here I had noticed the great peak, which earlier I referred to as a small mountain overlooking the sea. Instinctively I wanted to go to the top earlier but Tanya said it was too far and too high to walk. Little did I know what was about to happen.

After two long hours of watching Tanya change dresses, shoes, and ear rings, we returned to the terrace to to celebrate with a glass of champagne. In the car I immediately noticed we took a quick turn in the opposite direction of Roses and headed to the top of the great peak that my instincts so strongly invited to me earlier. I thought of course, this makes perfect sense; where else would this restaurant be other than at the very top of this crest overlooking the magnificent sea? Now I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that life had already started to change!

Round and round we went, the view getting more magnificent as we got higher, anticipation and excitement overwhelming us as we approached the peak. We passed the first small discreet sign bearing the emblem of elBulli. Further we came to another sign, similar to the other, only this one stopped at a menacing, locked iron gate. We were the first to arrive, the driver explained, and the gate would not open for another 25 minutes. The space outside the gate began to fill with other diners. As the first four people to arrive after us got out of their car it was apparent that we weren’t the only people thrilled beyond imagination. They were clapping and smiling with joy, obviously as excited as we were. Luckily they were from San Francisco and the conversations began. Introductions made, exchanges of business cards and photos of each and every one of us in front of the elBulli made for a short 25 minutes. Then over our cackles and conversations the noise of the iron gate drew complete silence. Everyone quickly made their way to the open gate in anticipation of finding the entrance.

When approaching the restaurant the first eye-catching sight was a large window displaying a sea of chefs in final preparation for the night’s service. We walked in and were escorted to the kitchen for a closer look at the beginning of the show. We were then shown to our table and seated, silent, in anticipation of meal that was about to begin.

A new dear friend that I met on Twitter had a fine bottle of Ex Vite Brut Grand Riserva waiting for our arrival. What a great surprise and once again the power of social networking continuing to prove itself in today’s fast moving world. The bottle was presented as a gift from our friend and we toasted our Cava as all of the other guests started to arrive. We were greeted by several different people and then presented the wine bible. It is truly a giant list of amazing wines at every level. The sky was the limit on this list but at the same time you didn’t have to break the bank if you didn’t want to. Tanya excused herself and I quickly removed her gift that I had hidden in my pocket for the last three days. One of our servers quickly took the gift and told me it would be presented later in the meal at the appropriate time. Now everything was in place except for the choice of wine. She returned and our grand meal at elBulli began.

Margarita Cactus

The first to arrive was a “Margarita Cactus.” The look, shape, and feel of a cactus leaf that when eaten tasted like a bite of margarita. I’ve never taken a bite of a margarita before… but right then, after a moment of surprise, I knew that the adventure was on! Next up was sugar cane: A “Mojito-Caipirinha.” This treat consisted of a beautiful strip of sugar cane in ice that, when bitten, was a cold sweet texture of mojito flavored with sugar cane. There was no doubt about this one, a little taste of home.

Mojito-Caipirinha

It had the strength of a New Orleans’ cocktail, but embedded into the batonettes of sweet sugarcane.A very fragile leaf-like transparency arrived, named simply “Hibicus.”

Snow Fizz

I put the transparency in my mouth, quickly it melted away, leaving the essence of hibiscus on the palate.Three courses in and I was still busy studying the wine bible, trying to find the perfect wine to drink after the great bottle of Cava we were so much enjoying. Another course arrived and again was very fragile.

Hibicus

It was handed to us with special instructions: take in one bite. I wasn’t exactly sure what “Snow Fizz” was, what I did know is that it resembled a small ball of snow and also had a slight fizz on the finish; it wasn’t just a clever name after all. Still searching, I noticed there were several selections of Spanish and French reds of the vintage 1975. This was a special vintage for me, it was the year my wife of two years, and woman of my dreams (both the same person, incidentally) was born. After narrowing it down to four bottles, I asked the sommelier… his response was of course “1975 Chateau Latour.” When I first saw that bottle I knew in my heart it was the bottle to savor with such a monumental meal. You only live once and if ever there was a time to go for it… this was it!!!