These parmesan “marshmallows” are actually made of gelatine and olive oil (Image: Renée Suen)
If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, then Ferran Adrià—chef and co-owner of the now shuttered El Bulli, a restaurant on Catalonia’s Costa Brava that reigned as the World’s Best for many years—must be feeling the love right now. Since his landmark restaurant closed this summer, a number of chefs have been conducting various tributes, including Matt Kantor of Little Kitchen and Secret Pickle Supper Club, who hosted a three-night El Bulli-based menu at The Cookbook Store. The El Bulli Imitació menu came in at an impressive 22-courses—including snacks, tapas, main plates, desserts and “morphs” —spanning over two decades of the restaurant’s history. The four-and-a-half-hour affair was also the maiden voyage of The Cookbook Store’s brand new kitchen studio, a 29-year dream of store manager Alison Fryer (it also doubles as a showroom for home renovation outfit Rosemill Development Inc., which built the kitchen). Kantor told us he hoped to inspire diners to think of ordinary foods in a new light. “It was fun, tiring and frustrating, but worth it,” he said. “I wanted everything to be perfect. I think we did a pretty good job.” After the jump, our slideshow with pictures of each dish and some of the machines behind them, along with a few shots of the appreciative crowd.
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- The Cookbook Store’s shiny new kitchen studio, custom built by Rosemill Development Inc. The space will act as a showroom and host future culinary-focused events.
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- In addition to Matt Kantor, Michael Chartrand and John Placko also stepped up to the (virtual) stove.
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- Twelve diners quick enough on their emails to score tickets to the event were served Kantor’s 22-course menu. Most brought their cameras (or camera phones) along for the ride.
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- The hosts of the evening: chef Matt Kantor (Little Kitchen, Secret Pickle Supper Club), Alison Fryer (The Cookbook Store) and Tony Briganti (Rosemill Development Inc.)
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- Warm caipi-mojito (appeared on El Bulli’s menu in 2011): the aromatic cocktail involved steeping mint leaves in warm cachaça (normally used in caipirinhas), which was decanted tableside into glasses with fresh mint and lime (as in Mojitos)
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- Almonds with fried curry (2005): a nod to El Bulli’s simpler foods, these marcona almonds were tossed in egg whites and then curry powder before being baked.
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- Iberian sandwich (2003): a twist on a tapas favourite, these were hollow pita pocket–like flatbreads wrapped with Ibérico ham.
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- Parmesan marshmallow (2009): the spongy loose milk-based “marshmallow” is actually made of gelatine and olive oil, set and cut into cubes before being rolled in parmesan cheese and dusted with nutmeg.
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- Oreo, black olive with double cream (2005): this table favourite featured a pair of bright, briny olive cookies sandwiching loose, milky double cream.
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- Hot-Frozen Gin Fizz (2011): the two-layered lemony cocktail featured an icy and sweet gin-based drink topped with a warm white foam made from lemon-infused 68-degree egg. This one was much talked about during the first flight of snacks.
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- Avocado chips with crab (1991): thimble-sized bites of shredded crab wrapped with a thin layer of slightly under-ripe avocado. “Wrapping foods with other foods is a thing Adrià likes to do,” explained Kantor.
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- Popcorn with Reypenaer cheese and nutmeg (2005): This is one dish that can actually be replicated at home—it’s just microwaved butter popcorn that’s topped with savoury Reypenaer cheese before being baked (one attendee called it “Gourmet Smart Pop”)
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- Pipetas of cream and mushroom (2001): an interactive course where guests were instructed to squeeze the warm cream-filled bulb of the Pasteur pipette (pipeta in Spanish) as they consumed the meaty grilled king oyster mushroom threaded at the end of its shaft.
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- Sometimes the process of consumption is just as important (or at least as fun) as the food itself. Here the group bonded over the pipetas.
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- Spherical mozzarella (2005): The first of the tapas plates, this “encapsulated” Ontario Burrata looks like a skinless ravioli, but hides a liquid gush of mild cream that’s been blended with the milky cheese.
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- Evolution of the hot ‘tortilla de patatas Marc Singla’ foam (1998): a deconstructed version of Spain’s national dish. Caramelized onions are topped with a rich sabayon and airy egg white potato foam.
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- Scallops, yogurt, curry, peanuts and apricots (1997): seared scallops sided with various complementary bits and bobs.
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- Ajo blanco (1996) – white gazpacho (aka the other gazpacho) retooled: almonds, garlic, almond sorbet, garlic and almond balsamic.
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- Caviar of melon with Serrano ham broth (2003): ham consommé poured tableside into a champagne flute over pearls of Orbitz-like melon caviar. The collagenous drink incited intense feelings of nostalgia at the table (everything from mom’s cooking to childhood memories of Hong Kong).
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- White asparagus with hot mayonnaise (2001): a tender spear of white asparagus was served with grapefruit and hot mayonnaise squeezed out of an iSi whip.
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- Tagliatelle of saffron consommé with caviar and lemon (2001): this course featured the fresh and bright flavours of lemon and slightly salty caviar on tender-crisp agar noodles made from saffron soup.
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- Potato gnocchi with potato skin consommé (2004): a puffy potato “gnocchi” encapsulation and a butter- and cream-infused potato skin broth.
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- Swallow’s nest with coconut and grapefruit (2003): Instead of a traditional swallow’s nest (an Asian delicacy used in dessert soups), diners were served a tangle of agar noodles that looked like a nest, bathed in coconut milk and grapefruit.
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- Sesame sponge cake with miso (2009): mild and moist microwaved sponge cake served torn with thick smears of miso for a slightly sweet and savoury dish.
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- Chef John Placko of Maple Leaf Foods assisted Kantor on all three evenings. Placko not only helped, but brought various pieces of Modernist Cuisine–style equipment, like this anti-griddle that can freeze items down to -30 degrees
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- Teppan nitro-frozen soursop cream with coffee caviar (2004): soursop fruit infused into an ice cream-like base, frozen on the anti-griddle then topped with nutty chia seeds that have been rehydrated and steeped in espresso
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- The soursop cream on the anti-griddle
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- Apple (2007): brown butter sponge cake paired with yogurt, apple sorbet, honey, cinnamon and a single blueberry. This was the first of the dessert courses. A microwave was used to make the sponge cake in this course.
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- Earth (2005): A unanimous favourite amongst the evening’s diners. This plate featured powdered yogurt, peach and cocoa with candied hazelnuts made to resemble dirt, along with a truffle boulder (35 per cent milk chocolate ice cream that was flash frozen on the anti-griddle) and chocolate sorbet. The crumbly mixture melted in the mouth.
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- Pineapple infused with fennel and star anise (2005): a mignardise of sorts that refreshed the palate after 21 courses.
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- The dedicated crew responsible for the evening’s experience. From left to right: Esther MacWilliam (server), Michael Chartrand (chef), Alison Fryer (venue host, The Cookbook Store), Matt Kantor (chef, Little Kitchen and Secret Pickle Supper Club), John Placko (chef, Maple Leaf Foods), James Rush (dishwasher, aka “hero”), Tony Briganti (Rosemill Development Inc.) and Michelle Rabin (server).
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- Matt Kantor
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- The night’s menu
Hi Renée,
Can you please contact me?
Tony
October 28, 2011 at 8:25 pm | by Tony BrigantiJust cool on so many levels. Definitely will be attempting some of these flavour combos at home.
Cheers,
October 28, 2011 at 8:39 pm | by Restos in TORestosinTO.com
So this guy cooks this menu a few nights for 12 “lucky” guests and thinks he’s some kind of hero? That’s not a tribute, that’s an insult to Farran’s hard work. Try doing it night after night for hundreds of guests. Imitation is the fondest form of laziness.
October 31, 2011 at 3:36 pm | by mattagascarI guess Achatz is a hack then. And LePine and Kantor. And everyone else but you, mattagascar. Learn to spell, and learn something about your subject before you post.
October 31, 2011 at 10:31 pm | by ChefGOuch ChefG-Dog, a hack? I guess you put me in my place. Sorry, by “imitation” I meant flagrant theft of exact dishes. Grant is a visionary who can run a kitchen and a brigade night after night under intense scrutiny from some of the toughest critics in the world. The “Secret Pickle” crew seem to like cooking little dinner parties in a cookbook shop. There’s a difference ChefG…too bad you can’t see it. BTW mattagascar is a screen name, get a grip.
November 1, 2011 at 9:58 am | by mattagascar