Présentation de l'éditeur :
It is, arguably, the most famous restaurant in the world and perhaps one of the most significant and influential ever: the legendary 'el Bulli' in Catalonia has attained a near mythic reputation for culinary wizardry. But what actually goes on behind the
scenes? What is the daily reality of life in the world's greatest kitchen?
The Sorcerer's Apprentices tells first-hand the story of a young chef enrolled in the
restaurant's legendary training course. It shows her struggle to adapt to the culture
shock of el Bulli, how she and the other apprentices learn to push themselves and
the limits of their culinary abilities, how they adjust to a style of cooking that is
creative in the extreme and how they deal with the pressures of performing at the
highest level night after night.
In past years stagiers have clashed with the rather severe demeanor of Oriol Castro,
the restaurant's chef de cuisine; others have gone on to work permanently at the
restaurant. One, inevitably, is sent home each year, unable to fit into the high-wire
act that is the el Bulli kitchen.
Complicating things even more, the stagiers live together in shared apartments, so
the events and emotions of their personal lives bleed more than usually into the
professional. The Sorcerer's Apprentices tells these smaller, more human stories as well.
At its heart, The Sorcerer's Apprentices is a quest: it tells the tale of a handful of
aspiring young men and women who submit themselves to a grueling challenge in
order to be made better by it. It also offers an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at the most famous restaurant in the world through the lens of those who, ultimately, make it work.
Quatrième de couverture :
When el Bulli closes its doors in December 2011, it will mark the passing of an institution whose patrons, drawn to Catalonia like pilgrims from around the world, are lucky to get reservations a year in advance. Voted best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine an unprecedented five times, el Bulli is the laboratory of Ferran Adrià, the maverick chef who has changed the face of modern cuisine. The Sorcerer's Apprentices provides, for the first time, a behind-the-scenes account of the remarkable way that Adrià runs his restaurant and, in the process, trains the next generation of culinary stars.
Behind each of the thirty or more courses that make up a meal at el Bulli is a small army of stagiaires - young cooks who do the work of executing Adrià's vision in exchange for nothing more than the opportunity to learn from the master. Granted unprecedented access to this world, Lisa Abend follows a group of stagiaires as they struggle with the grueling hours, cutting-edge techniques, and personal tensions that come with working at the most revered restaurant on earth.
Abend's lively narrative captures the varied experiences of a great cast, including a Korean man who camps on the doorstep of el Bulli until he is allowed into its kitchen; a chef from one of Switzerland's top restaurants struggling to come to terms with his artistic ambitions; and an American couple whose relationship might not withstand the restaurant's unique pressures. What emerges is a tale of aspiring talent face-to-face with the opportunity of a lifetime, and an intriguing exposé of the world's most famous dining experience.
Les informations fournies dans la section « A propos du livre » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.