EUROPEAN CUISINE

The history of cooking is the history of Humanity and if cooking made man, as biologist Faustino
Cordón states, style marks society at all times. Europe is indebted to Greek and Roman cuisine,
two cultures that love gastronomy. The recipe book of Apicius remains from the banquets of the
Roman table, which actually refers to four generations who left the recipes of Rome written in De
re coquinaria between 91 BC and 192 AD

Roasts, boils and stews from the Greeks and Romans are the basis of early European cuisine, but
so are the products and preparations inherited from the Arabs and barbarian civilizations such as
Goths and Gauls.

In ancient Greek culture, gastronomy always had a special importance, to the point that in the
teaching of young people, which included disciplines such as philosophy, astrology, geometry,
medicine, etc., along with other sciences and arts, they also received cooking lessons, which the
trainers considered at the same level as those taught, for example, in relation to poetry.

The wines also deserved the attention of the teachers, who previously introduced their students to
the basic techniques known at that time for treating and caring for the vines, and then moved on
to the actual teachings on the production of wines, some wines by the way. very different from
those that we now know and consider as such, since the juice of the grapes was almost always
mixed with water and to this liquid ingredients such as honey, myrrh, pine nuts, myrtle berries and
generally aromatic herbs were added, a composition that Today it is known thanks to the remains
found in bottles and amphorae discovered in tombs and marine wrecks.

Greek cuisine was based, as in almost all ancient civilizations, on the use of cereals as daily food, in
this case using wheat to make different types of bread, which due to its “Mediterranean”
condition Olive oil, aromatic herbs, vegetables and meats were added.

The introduction of pork into its cuisine left as a legacy for subsequent generations the production
of all types of sausages, many of them currently in force in our gastronomy.

Spices and mixing with other cultures

Very fond of spices, they usually used them to flavor stews, especially saffron in fish and seafood
soups, which they also consumed cooked or simply cooked and seasoned with citrus fruits such as
lemon.

But as was inevitable in a warrior and conquering civilization, Greek cuisine received many
influences from other countries and civilizations, especially Turkish and Arab, so it was not difficult
to find dishes and desserts similar or very similar to those still available today. Nowadays it is
common to see in these geographical areas, certain lamb-based stews to which oriental spices
gave their characteristic flavor.
The European Medieval table is fed with these bases until the Sun King and his stylistic revolution
reaches the kitchens.

OIL

Olive oil was the vegetable fat used in Ancient Greece par excellence. It had three uses. The first was
obviously obtaining olive oil. It was also used as oil to be spread on the body, that is, for cosmetic purposes.
Finally, the waste was used as fuel for lighting.

Part of the Athenian economy depended on its olive groves. The Peloponnesian War destroyed most of the
olive trees in Attica, which spelled the ruin of Athens since an olive tree takes 16 years to bear fruit and 40 to
reach maturity.

CAME

In Ancient Greece, wine represented the alcoholic base of many mixtures. It will not be until the 18th
century that wine will begin to be drunk pure. The usual proportion was two parts wine to three parts water.
It must also be said that Greek wines had a higher alcohol content than today's wines. In addition to water,
Greek wine was composed of honey, thyme, myrrh, myrtle berries and sometimes sea water.

AROMATIC HERBS

In Attica there were abundant quantities of aromatic herbs, among which thyme, bay leaf, oregano,
coriander, parsley, mallow and sage stand out. Saffron was considered an aphrodisiac.

7 LEGENDARY CHEFS

It seems that seven Greek chefs laid the foundations of Western cuisine, although it is not known whether
they were real or mythical characters. These chefs are:

 Egis of Rhodes: I introduce the cooking of the fish.

 Nereus of Chios: invented conger eel broth.
 Chariades of Athens: great expert in culinary science.
 Lampria: invented black sauce made from blood.
 Apctonete: inventor of sausage.
 Euthyno: he was a great cook of legumes, especially lentils.
 Ariston: invented a large number of stews and apparently evaporation cuisine.

2.2. FROM THE MEDIEVAL SPARTAN TO THE STYLISTIC REVOLUTION OF THE COURT OF THE SUN
KING.

Medieval European banquets dispensed with the refinement of service. The nobles showed their
skill with swords by cutting the roasts and the delicacies were served at the same time.

The common people, however, ate mainly porridge, tubers such as turnips and black bread. The
evolution of the production of foods such as cereals and vegetables promoted the entry of other
products into the medieval diet, which continued to have meat as the center of power and
strength. Medieval conservation techniques revolved around salt, a product of which huge
quantities were consumed, vinegar and oil, depending on the area.

With the Renaissance, the classic taste for gastronomy was recovered. Among its ideologues,
Bartolomeo Scappi, Vatican librarian, who wrote in 1474 De honesta voluptate et valetudine and
who is popularly known as the Pope's cook. His book describes cooking and the moral and
aesthetic rules that must be respected, as well as what is best to maintain good health. Its
principles were recovered and developed by Billat-Savarindos centuries later in the Physiology of
Taste . Table manners began to spread during the Renaissance through wealthy Italian merchants,
especially from Venice and Florence, who imposed the use of forks, individual plates, and crystal
glasses. These new manners were adopted in France, where progress was made in the definition
of gastronomy with the publication of Guillaume Tirel, known as Taillevent, who wrote in the 14th
century Le Viander , a book whose recipes presented works of alchemy.

Two centuries later, in 1651, Pierre La Varenne, who worked for the Marquis d'Uxelles, published
Le Cuisinier François, which is considered the first French cookery book. The technique gains
ground over the use of exotic products as a symbol of opulence on the table.

Starting with La Varenne, work began on sauces for the first time. It is this cook who also
discovered the roux , the combination of fat with flour, which has continued to be used to this day.
He is also the author of a fundamental technique: the reduction of sauces. This technique is very
current in any kitchen in the world and despite the modernity that we can sense in it, it is four
centuries old.

In the 17th century, juices and coulis also appeared, which would evolve, two centuries later, into
broths. Two years after the publication of La Varenne's book , Le pâtissier français ( The French
Pastry Chef ) appeared, which had a similar impact to the previous one. For the first time, savory
cuisine is differentiated from sweet cuisine. In it, the preparation of the pastry cream and the glaze
are revealed for the first time.

The spoon has imprecise origins, perhaps the first spoons were mollusk shells used by primitive
man who already in the Paleolithic period made wooden or bone spoons. Thousands of years
later, in Mesopotamia and Egypt, spoons were created with carved handles. Many of these spoons
had a function for various medical or ceremonial activities.

The term spoon comes from ancient Rome, where there was a utensil called cochlea. Its thin
handle allowed you to pierce pieces of food, also acting as a fork.

Practically until the 19th century, the spoon, along with the knife, was the only instrument used at
meals and its manufacture was almost exclusively made of wood for the less wealthy classes.
Starting in this century, industrial manufacturing developed pieces made of different materials.
Since the 14th century they acquired their current shape, since before they were quite flat.
The history of the fork is, however, relatively recent. Previously, people ate with their hands. There
were even treaties on good manners at the table that encouraged using three fingers to touch the
food, leaving the little finger and ring finger unused.

The fork arrived at the beginning of the 11th century to Venice from Constantinople by Theodora,
daughter of the emperor of Byzantium. But its use was considered scandalous and a “diabolical
instrument” that offended God. Behind this was the inability of diners to eat noodles with such an
instrument, also taking into account that the forks of the time were flat and had two prongs,
therefore much more difficult to handle. In this way, the fork disappeared from Europe for more
than 300 years until Catherine de Medici, at her wedding to Enrigue II of France, made it
fashionable at the French court in 1533.

Furthermore, in the 17th century, the pressure cooker was invented, a revolution when it came to
stewing meat. The first ice creams were also created and the drink par excellence in a refined
banquet, champagne, was discovered. Abbot Dom (father) Pierre Pérignon was the inventor of
sparkling wine and high society, hungry for gastronomic experiences, was responsible for its
success. It was the fashionable drink, as detailed in 1674 in the book Arte de agasajar .
Sophistication reached the point that the sale of a bottle of champagne was always accompanied
by a series of instructions for its enjoyment. Among them, conservation measures to avoid the loss
of the bubble, as well as its service. It had to be chilled in ice and served in a special glass invented
in 1699, which was called a “flute” because it was tall and narrow.

However, it is La Varenne with her book who started the movement that transformed food into
one of the milestones of a new society of good taste in France. This is the beginning of recognized
restaurants and kitchen stars. In short, it is the beginning of French haute cuisine. The initial
protagonist of this new vision was Francçois Vatel, who, in addition to being a cook, was in charge
of the development of the banquet, what we call today room service. Vatel understood cooking as
a spectacle and was responsible for organizing some of the biggest parties of the time, many of
which included the participation of the monarch Louis XIV, known as the Sun King.

This evolution was accompanied by a new table protocol that spread throughout the world and for
which French gastronomy, with its rituals and presentation, has been inscribed in the world
intangible heritage of humanity in November 2010, along with with Spanish flamenco or Chinese
acupuncture. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization , internationally abbreviated as UNESCO), justifies
its decision as follows: “Its most important elements include, among others, the following: a
careful selection of the dishes to be prepared, choosing them from a constantly increasing recipe
book; the purchase of quality products, preferably local, whose flavors match; the harmonization
of delicacies with wines; the ornamentation of the table; and accompanying the consumption of
dishes with specific gestures, such as smelling and tasting. The gastronomic meal must conform to
a predetermined scheme: it must begin with an appetizer and end with a glass of liquor, and must
include at least four dishes: hors d'oeuvres, fish or meat accompanied by vegetables or legumes,
cheese and dessert. . People recognized as gastronomes, who have a deep knowledge of the
culinary tradition and preserve the memory of it, ensure a living practice of gastronomic rites and
transmit them, orally or in writing, to the younger generations . Gastronomic food contributes to
strengthening family and friendly ties, and on a more general level reinforces social ties.”

Everyone knows that on July 14, 1789, 227 years ago today, Parisians, or at least a lot of them,
took over the old Bastille prison; That date is considered the beginning of the Revolution and
today is the National Day of the French Republic.

Well, the fact is that 1789 is also considered the date of departure of a fundamental institution
since then: the restaurant.

It has been said many times that, before the Revolution, the great chefs worked for the
aristocracy. When the revolutionary events arrived, many aristocrats went into exile, and a few
lost their heads at the guillotine, so many of these cooks were left without work... and ended up
establishing themselves on their own. It is already pretty.

But inaccurate. The first restaurant named this way dates back to 1765. At that time, work was
governed by corporate regulations. There were many, in the food field: the innistas, the custom
food houses (traiteurs), the grillers, the pastry chefs, the bakers, the vintners... Until, in 1765, the
“Bolanger case” arose.

Mr. Boulanger, established on rue Bailleul, near the Louvre, sold 'restaurant broths'. But he got
into the habit of calling 'restaurant' not only the broth, but other solid dishes, including lamb
trotters in poulette sauce, which were his specialty. Those from the eateries took him to court for
this, which ruled in favor of Boulanger, believing that these trotters “are not a simple and habitual
ragoût like those prepared in inns and eateries, but rather a personal preparation.” .

Although it would not be accurate to see this sentence as the birth of the restaurateur profession,
it was a symptom that things were changing. In the following years, some establishments opened
in Paris that served a variety of restaurants at the table, in individual portions. But it will be the
Revolution that will make them triumph.

Already in the mid-eighties, a chef Antoine Beauvilliers left the service of the Count of Provence to
open a restaurant: La Grande Taverne in London. Brillat-Savarin speaks of him: “for fifteen years
he was the best restaurateur in Paris (...) He was the first to have an elegant salon, well-dressed
waiters, a well-kept cellar and a superior kitchen.”

Boulanger and, above all, Beauvilliers were followed by others: the most famous, still remembered
today, were Méot, Robert (both had worked for the Prince of Condé), Bancelin, Henneveu, Very,
the 'Provencal Brothers' (who They were not brothers, but brothers-in-law and associates, and
their names were Maneille, Barthélemy and Simon), Balaine, patron of the 'Rocher de Cancale'...
2.3. THE FRANCE OF RESTAURANTS. FROM BRILLAT-SAVARIN AND GRIMOD DE LA REYNIÈRE TO
ESCOFFIER.

French cuisine experienced a new revolution between the 18th and 19th centuries. Restaurants
are multiplying and so are gourmands – those who like good food – and gourmets – who know
how to choose and appreciate cuisine. This turn of the century also coincides with the rise of the
press. Since their birth, periodical publications were linked to agricultural information. Collaterally,
the pages of the primitive newspapers published ways to preserve food and recipes to promote
the consumption of products. However, the growing interest in gastronomy favors the creation of
a new journalistic style that marks the gastronomic press to this day. It's about food criticism.
Alexandre Balthazar Grimod de la Reynière is considered the first gastronomic journalist, thanks to
his book Almanach des gourmands ( The Gourmet Almanac ), published at the beginning of the
19th century.

Grimod de la Reynière is a somewhat eccentric aristocrat with a love for good food who comes up
with the idea of publishing a newspaper where he presents and comments on the latest
developments in the world of restaurants in Paris. At the turn of the centuries, cafes, restaurants
and delicatessen shops do not stop appearing in this city to satisfy the demand of bourgeois
society eager to refine its customs. This is how he devises a kind of “guide” to these
establishments to which he dedicates a gastronomic review, Almanach des gourmands . The
success of the publication is immediate and with it it inaugurates a new style of journalism and a
new genre, criticism.

gastronomic. This guide was republished up to eight times until 1812, when complaints about his
harsh criticism prevented him from continuing with this project. His influence was very important
in the development of rating methods that remain to this day, such as the creation of dish rating
juries. In addition, it is responsible for popularizing dishes with names or denominations, whose
function is evocative. For these denominations, names of places, people or mythological names
are chosen: Chantilly cream or Bellvue lobster. If the creation of a new journalistic genre to
analyze the gastronomic quality of an establishment was essential, so was the conceptualization of
the principles that should govern the discernment of taste. The person in charge of this was JA
Brillat-Savarin, who wrote Physiologie du goût or Physiology of taste in 1825.

The Physiology of Taste is a scientific and philosophical writing about gastronomy in which
parameters are established to analyze the sensation of taste. Among the classifications he makes
is the analysis of the sensation of taste in which he expresses in terms, which continue to be very
current, the three stages through which this sense goes through: the direct sensation or first hit of
the mouth, the complete or what we would call aftertaste and the reflected or “judgment of the
soul”, that is, the emotionality it provokes.

The book, structured in chapters called “Meditations”, dedicates a specific one to “Gastronomy”.
In it he already alludes to one of the common complaints from the 19th century until relatively
recently among regular gourmets and that is that the term is related to gluttony and voracity. In
fact, in the Dictionary of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language, gastronomy is still accepted
as the second meaning of its definition “A penchant for eating generously”.

Among the best-known aphorisms of this work is: “The pleasure of the table is for all ages, all
social conditions, all countries and every day. It can be associated with all other pleasures and will
be the last to console us for the loss of others.” During the 19th century, the concern of chefs to
develop a culinary science was also consolidated. Chef Antonin Carême is especially involved in
this commitment to measurement and observation of processes. Carême worked for the Prince
Regent of England – George IV –, Tsar Alexander I and for the House of Rostchild in France. He
published several books, including L'art de la cuisine au XIX . It is a five-volume compendium that
includes The Great Art of Stocks, Broths, Marinades and Potages , one of the few translations of
Carême's work into Spanish.

This chef has been one of the most inclusive in the kitchen. He created refined recipes, redesigned
kitchen utensils, modified the shape of pans for spinning sugar, designed molds and defined the
shape of chefs' hats. Carême is credited with the invention of volován and meringues, as well as
sauces and preparation formulas such as egg mollet. The kitchen is marked at the beginning of the
20th century by the thought of Auguste Escoffier. He was the cook at the Savoy restaurant and the
Carlton restaurant in London. He was responsible for reforming work methods in the kitchens,
distributing the distribution of tasks in the brigade and renewed the world of sauces through
fumets, juices and concentrates.

2.4. THE REVOLUTION IN SPANISH KITCHENS IN THE 19TH CENTURY. BOURGEOIS FRENCHIZATION.

In the 19th century, cuisine in Spain underwent a transformation. The bourgeois classes begin to
take center stage in Spanish social life and their favorite setting is the inns.

The atmosphere of the inns was captured in his press articles by the writer Mariano José de Larra,
also known as Fígaro .

The desires of the intellectual class are inspired by France and its restaurants, rather than by inns
whose culinary quality and manners could be called into question. For this reason, the
inauguration of Lhardy was a social event. On Carrera de San Jerónimo in Madrid, the first modern
restaurant opens its doors during the reign of Isabel II. This establishment also marks a social
milestone, as it is the first where single women go to have a broth and a glass of sherry.

The name of the restaurant is inspired by the Hardy café in Paris. It was opened by Emilio
Huguenin, who eventually succumbed to the fame of his restaurant's name and changed his last
name.

Elizabethan Hall in Lhardy. Author: YA The Lhardy currently maintains to a large extent the
structure and concept with which it was created in the 19th century. Its famous Japanese salon,
where it is said that Elizabeth II one day left her corset forgotten. In the same room, Primo de
Rivera summoned his ministers.
The Lhardy was also the setting in which it was decided that Niceto Alcalá Zamora would be the
first president of the Second Republic. However, social differences were also noticeable at the
table, not only due to the amount of food, but also due to the type of cuisine. Thus, while the
popular classes barely had bread to eat cooked with water or accompanied by garlic and onions,
the nobles enjoyed French-style menus, whose minutes were even written in that language.

However, thanks to the incorporation of the bourgeoisie into the upper social stratum, at the end
of the century "poor people's" products, such as garlic and olive oil, were incorporated into the
diet of the poor.

wealthy The bourgeoisie introduced novelties in social customs such as the celebration of family
events such as birthdays, weddings, baptisms or new jobs in restaurants, the new inns for this
emerging social class.

However, the popular classes continued to frequent the traditional inns, which were also the
scene of their political organization in unions and parties. This was the case of the founding of the
Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), which took place in the inn on Madrid's Tetuán street
“Casa Labra”.

2.5. THE NOUVELLE CUISINE. ONE ROUND

NUT.

Nouvelle cuisine was the name given in 1972 by the food critics Heri Gault and Christian Millau to
a culinary movement that had been born in the early seventies by young chefs who wanted to free
themselves from routine and norms.

kitchen classics. The names of this new movement are: Paul Bocuse, the Troigros brothers, Alain
Chapel, André Pic and Michel Guerard. It is the latter who affirms that his new way of interpreting
cuisine in what we know as “big plate, small portion” was out of love. The owner of the spa in
Eugénie-les-Bains called him to offer advice for the restaurant in his spa. Guerard looked at him
with displeasure, until he met the gaze of the girl who later became his wife.

The cook moved to this town in the south of France when he was 41 years old. With his cuisine he
sought the formula to conquer the palates of those who spent time with the aim of losing weight
and purifying themselves. Small portions of tasty, but lightened dishes.

In an interview given to Agencia Efe in 2006, Michel Guerard was convinced that what he did in
the kitchen was not a "revolution." According to him, this is too strong a word. For him, his
cooking was, as Adrià's is now, a continuity.

However, these statements by Guerard are made 35 years after a new aesthetic and a new look
changed cuisine forever around the world.
The movement was supported and promoted by the food critics Gault and Millau. Furthermore, as
a self-respecting cultural and artistic movement, the group of chefs identified themselves with a
series of points collected in a decalogue, following the trend of the artistic avant-garde.

2.5.1. DECALOGUE OF THE NOUVELLE CUISINE

In 1973 the decalogue appeared that marks the style of a new cuisine that would conquer the
world. The points that identified nouvelle cuisine are the following:

1. You will not overcook.

2. You will use fresh and quality products.

3. You will lighten your letter.

4. You will be introduced to new techniques.

5. You will remove marinades and fermentations.

6. You will not use roux and flours in sauces.

7. The mousse turns cold, hot or iced.

8. Regional cuisines will be reviewed.

9. You will preserve the flavor of the products.

10. You will open to the outdoor kitchens.

Among the outside influences that French chefs receive that drive this movement is that of
Japanese cuisine. The composition of the dish and the search for aesthetic minimalism is based on
this ancient culinary culture, which will also be of great importance for the revolutionary
movement that follows nouvelle cuisine, Spanish avant-garde cuisine.

2.6. EUROPEAN TRAVELING AND LAND CUISINES

During the 20th century, regional cuisines or cuisines rooted in the terroir began to attract the
attention of critics and gourmets. The evolved processes of the nouvelle cuisine movement
influenced the development of this traditional cuisine based on a new concept of balance of
flavors and lightness. Among the most important traditional cuisines in Europe, in addition to
French, there are Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Greek. They are four cuisines that,
paradoxically, are among those that have assimilated the most external influences, because they
are the product of countries that have either been colonizers of other lands, or have been
colonized.

2.6.1. ITALY
Italian cuisine is marked by the confluence of paths between Asia and Europe. It was Marco Polo,
according to legend, who brought the pasta formula with him after his travels through the Far
East.

The Venetians introduced coffee from the Arabian Peninsula and were responsible for the creation
of one of the best-known desserts worldwide, tiramisu, which consists of soaking various sheets of
sponge cake in this drink that are accompanied by a fresh cheese called mascarpone. .

The tomato adapts perfectly in Campania to be part of the great Italian dishes known throughout
the world. In Tuscany is the olive oil production area and among its most fragrant varieties, the
frantoio. From the love of this product, an atypical dish in Europe called pinzimonio was born, raw
vegetables that are eaten as an appetizer seasoned with olive oil and black pepper. This dish
contrasts with the rest of the typical stews of this cuisine such as wild boar, whose direct influence
comes from Central Europe. Throughout northern Italy, the dish made with corn, usually
accompanied by meat, known as polenta is known. Also the small balls made with mashed potato,
called gnocchi, are typical of this area. Among the sauces, the best known is the one created in
Genoa and called pesto, which consists of an emulsion of pine nuts, parmesan cheese, basil and
olive oil. The south is the area of pizza, a dish of Arab origin that has conquered world cuisine.

THE NEW NOUVELLE CUISINE. THE WORLD REVOLUTION OF Avant-garde CUISINE BORN IN SPAIN

Since the mid-90s, Ferran Adrià began to change his cuisine. His genius was known among
professionals and gourmets and Joël Robuchon himself had defined him as his “heir” during an
interview in 1996. However, global recognition for Ferran Adrià came in 2003. One of the most
influential newspapers in the world, The New York Times , published the photo of Ferran Adrià on
the cover of its Magazine , as an image of an extensive article by Arthur Lubow titled “The New
Nouvelle Cuisine. How Spain became the new France” (The new Nouvelle Cuisine. How Spain
became the new France. Cover of The New York Times that appeared in 2003. Source: NYT With
this report, The New York Times recognized the primacy of Spanish cuisine in the world, with
Ferran Adrià as its bulwark and a large group of followers around the world. This idea spreads to
the rest of the media around the world and even the French newspaper Le Monde dedicated the
cover of its Sunday magazine in 2004 to the Spanish genius. Jean Michel Normand's report was
titled: “Ferran Adrià l'alchimiste, est-il le plus grand cuisinier du monde?” (Ferran Adrià the
alchemist: is he the best cook in the world?). As of the publication of this cover of The New York

Times piques the curiosity of chefs and the media around the world about this culinary movement.
This interest has been maintained during these years in which the culinary avant-garde has been
consolidated as a new trend in the most important restaurants. Avant-garde cuisine, also known
as molecular in some countries, represents a new revolution in cuisine, after nouvelle cuisine .
However, all the chefs who have made this new vision of cuisine possible are indebted to nouvelle
cuisine and, in the specific case of Spain, to the introduction of this French vision of gastronomy by
the Basque chefs Pedro Subijana, Juan Mari Arzak and Karlos Arguiñano in the seventies and which
became known as “New Basque Cuisine” (Euskal Sukaldaritza Berria). The movement is headed, of
course, by Ferran Adrià, who has been its main promoter, but other Spanish chefs are also at the
forefront such as Albert Adrià, Joan and Jordi Roca, Carme Ruscalleda, Juan Mari and Elena Arzak,
Pedro Subijana, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Quique Dacosta, Dani García and José Andreé from their
restaurants in the United States. In the United States, New Yorker Willy Dufresne and Grant Achatz
in Chicago are also part of this movement. In England, its main supporter is Heston Blumenthal,
while in Brazil, its main representative is Alex Atala. In France there are Thierry Marx and Jacques
Decoret. In Italy, Carlo Cracco, Massimiliano Alajmo, Massimo Botura and Paolo Lopriore. In Japan,
Seiji Yamamoto.

2.7.1. AVANT-GARDE OR TECHNO-EMOTIONAL CUISINE

Avant-garde cuisine was created, but it needed a name. Ferran Adrià proposed the challenge at
Madrid Fusión 2006 and the Catalan journalist Pau Arenós coined it: techno-emotional cuisine.
According to the journalist, the definition of techno-emotional cuisine is: “Global culinary
movement at the beginning of the 21st century led by Ferran and Albert Adrià. It is made up of
chefs of different ages and traditions. The objective of the dishes is to create excitement in the
diner and to do so they use new techniques and technologies, being the discoverers or simply the
interpreters, resorting to systems and concepts developed by others. With attitude and
preparations, cooks take risks. They pay attention to the five senses and not just taste and smell. In
addition to creating dishes, the objective is to open paths. They do not pose any confrontation
with tradition - since many of the dishes are evolutionary - but, on the contrary, they show debt
and respect for it. They have started a dialogue with scientists, but also with artists, novelists,
poets, journalists, historians, anthropologists. “They collaborate, in search of the survival of the
product, with farmers, ranchers and fishermen.” However, the Spanish press insists on calling this
movement avant-garde cuisine, while in Italy it is called molecular cuisine, alluding to the use they
make of Science for its development.

2.7.2. INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR A NEW

KITCHEN

Avant-garde cuisine is characterized by offering a new spectrum in the interpretative freedom of

cooking and by the use of techniques already invented but reformulated for the preparation needs
of this type of cuisine and by the machines invented by the chefs themselves in collaboration with
scientists and laboratories. Among the rethought techniques is the siphon. Ferran Adrià gave a
new vision of this 19th century invention used to make soda, which the chef applies to obtain
what he calls “foams”, that is, lighter sauces.

Other techniques already used and that are given a new vision with avant-garde cuisine are freeze-
drying and dehydration, as well as liquid nitrogen, which is used for the first time as a kitchen
element by Dani García from Malaga. Inventions made specifically for avant-garde cuisine are the
Roner. It is a circuit of hot water in motion always at the same temperature developed by the chef
Joan Roca, with which a vacuum-packed product can be cooked at a low temperature for several
hours. This technique ensures that the ingredients do not lose any of their juiciness or aromas.
This technique has led to the creation of what is known as “vacuum cooking”. The chef at “El Celler
de Can Roca” also developed a technique to smoke dishes on the spot using an ingenious pipe
device.

Demonstration of the use of the pipe to smoke dishes on the spot by Joan Roca at Madrid Fusión
2006.

Joan Roca also developed a machine called Rotaval, with which distillates can be extracted from
any product. Thanks to it, he has made an oyster with earthy aromas, which he obtained from the
distillation of undergrowth soil.

2.7.3. NEW INGREDIENTS

Avant-garde cuisine is also differentiated by the incorporation of new ingredients in cooking.

On the one hand, Ferran Adrià's elBulli kitchen was responsible for developing new thickeners,
gelling agents, emulsifiers and sweeteners. These products had been used for years by the food
industry to prepare ready-made dishes. This is the case of methylcellulose, a derivative of plant
cellulose. It is a thickener that is usually found in prepared dishes such as flans and croquettes. The
use of methylcellulose was responsible for the controversy that the late Santi Santamaría was
involved in in 2008 with the publication of his book La Cocina al Naked, in which he accused Adrià
of “poisoning” his diners.

The chefs who used methylcellulose defended its use by alluding to the fact that in no case did
they exceed the maximum consumption quantities imposed by the World Health Organization.

Health. Among the gelling agents, elBulli popularized the use of agar agar, a derivative of algae
that allows the production of gelatin at the same temperature developed by chef Joan Roca, with
which a packaged product can be cooked at low temperature for several hours. empty. This
technique ensures that the ingredients do not lose any of their juiciness or aromas. This technique
has led to the creation of what is known as “vacuum cooking”.

2.7.5. THE PRINCIPLES OF Avant-garde CUISINE

In 2006, Ferran Adrià, following the example of the decalogue of nouvelle cuisine created by the
critics Gault&Millau, created his own. These points were read by Ferran Adrià himself at the
Madrid Fusión International Gastronomy Summit in 2006 in front of hundreds of fellow chefs from
around the world.

Image of Ferran Adrià's intervention at the Madrid Fusion 2006 International Gastronomy Summit.
Author: YA

The 23 points it details perfectly describe the common characteristics of the creators of avant-
garde cuisine.

These points are:

1. Cooking is a language through which you can express harmony, creativity, happiness, beauty,
poetry, complexity, magic, humor, provocation, culture. as well as the knowledge of the technique
to make them.

3. All products have the same gastronomic value, regardless of their price.

4. Products from the plant and sea world are preferably used; Dairy products, nuts and other
products also predominate, which together make up a light cuisine. In recent years, very little use
has been made of red meat and poultry in large pieces.

5. Although the characteristics of the products are modified (temperature, texture, shape, etc.),
the objective is to always preserve the purity of their original flavor, except in processes in which
there is a long cooking or the resulting nuances are sought. of reactions like Maillard's.

6. Cooking techniques, both classic and modern, are a heritage that the chef must know how to
make the most of.

7. As has happened throughout history in most fields of human evolution, new technologies are a
support for the progress of cooking.

8. The family of funds is expanded and, along with the classic ones, lighter funds that perform the
same function are used (waters, broths, consommés, clarified vegetable juices, nut milks, etc.).

9. The information that a dish gives is enjoyed through the senses; It is also enjoyed and
rationalized with reflection.

10. The stimuli of the senses are not only gustatory: you can also play with touch (contrasts of
temperatures and textures), smell, sight (colors, shapes, visual deception, etc.), so that the senses
are They become one of the main points of reference when creating.

11. The technical-conceptual search is the vertex of the creative pyramid.

12. It is created as a team. On the other hand, research is affirmed as a new characteristic of the
culinary creative process.

13. The barriers between the sweet world and the salty world are erased. A new cold cuisine is
gaining importance, in which the creation of the salty frozen world stands out.

14. The classic structure of the dishes is broken: in the starters and desserts there is a true
revolution in which the symbiosis between the sweet world and the salty world has a lot to do
with it; In the second courses the "product-garnish-sauce" hierarchy is broken.

15. A new way of serving food is promoted. There is an update of the finishing of dishes in the
room by the service. In other cases, it is the diners who participate in this finishing.
16. The native as a style is a feeling of connection with one's own geographical and cultural
context, as well as with its culinary tradition. Communion with nature complements and enriches
this relationship with the environment.

17. Products and preparations from other countries are subject to their own cooking criteria.

18. There are two great ways to achieve harmony of products and flavors: through memory
(connection with the native, adaptation, deconstruction, previous modern recipes), or through
new combinations.

19. An increasingly codified language is created, which sometimes establishes relationships with
the world and the language of art.

20. The design of the recipes is designed so that harmony works in small portions.

21. Decontextualization, irony, spectacle, performance are completely legal, as long as they are
not superficial, but rather respond to or connect with a gastronomic reflection.

22. The tasting menu is the maximum expression of avant-garde cuisine. The structure is alive and
subject to change. It focuses on concepts such as snacks, tapas, avant-desserts, morphings, etc.

23. Knowledge and/or collaboration with experts from different fields (gastronomic culture,
history, industrial design, etc.) is essential for the progress of cuisine. In particular, cooperation
with the food industry and science has been a fundamental boost. Sharing this knowledge among
kitchen professionals contributes to this evolution.

Brigades

Today's food service operations are generally led by an executive chef, who coordinates kitchen
activities and directs kitchen staff training and work efforts. The Executive The chef plans menus
and creates recipes. He or she establishes and enforces nutrition, safety, and sanitation standards
and participates in (or at least observes) the preparation and presentation of menu items to
ensure that quality standards are rigorous and consistently maintained. He or she is also
responsible for purchasing food and often equipment. In some food service operations, the
executive chef may help design the menu, dining room, and kitchen. He or she trains dining room
staff so that they can correctly answer questions about the menu. He or she may also work with
food suppliers, catering directors, equipment suppliers, financial consultants, media, sanitation
inspectors and dieticians. In some operations, chefs with some or all of these responsibilities may
be referred to as a chef de cuisine.
The executive chef is assisted by a sous-chef or executive sous-chef, whose main

The responsibility is to ensure that the food is prepared, portioned, garnished and

presented according to the standards of the executive chef. The sous-chef can be the cook.

Primarily responsible for producing menu items and supervising the kitchen.

Large hotels and conference centers with multiple restaurants may have one or more

More area chefs, each responsible for a specific facility or function. There could be, for

For example, an area chef responsible for each of the hotel's restaurants, as well as a banquet.
chef. Area chefs usually report to the executive chef. Each area chef, in turn, has a brigade.

working under him or her.

Line cooks (or section cooks) are responsible for preparing menu items according to

recipe specifications. They can be assigned to a specific area, such as the broiler cook, fry kitchen
station or pantry. A roundsman or swing cook is capable of working multiple stations.

and is assigned where needed during each shift. The pastry chef is responsible for developing
recipes and preparing desserts, pastries,

Frozen desserts and breads. He or she is usually responsible for purchasing the food

Items used in the bakery.

Cooks, assistants and preparation trainees are employed as entry-level workers

In all modern kitchens.

From the chaos and redundancy found in The private kitchens of the 19th century.
Aristocracy, Escoffier created a different hierarchy. of responsibilities and duties for food
service operations. At the top is the chef de cuisine or Chef, who is responsible for all
operations, developing menu items and setting the tone and pace of the kitchen. His
primary assistant is the sous -chef (the sous chef or second chef), who is responsible for
scheduling staff? and replacing the chef and station cooks as necessary. The sous-chef also
often
Functions as the aboyeur (speaker dispatcher), who accepts orders from the dining room,
transmits them to the various cooks at the station, and then checks the dishes before
service. The chefs de partie (station chefs) produce the menu items under the direct
supervision of the chef or sous-chef. Previously, whenever a cook needed an item, he or
his assistants produced it; So several cooks could be making the same sauce or basic
preparation. Below In Escoffier's system, each station manager is assigned a specific task
based on either cooking method and equipment or the
Category of items to be produced. They include the following:
The saucier (sauté station cook), who has one of the most demanding.
Works in the classic kitchen, is responsible. for all stir-fry items and most sauces.
The poissonier (fish station chef) is responsible for fish and seafood.
Items and their sauces.
The grillardin (grill station cook) is responsible for all grilled items.
The friturier (fry station chef) is responsible for all fried items.
The rôtisseur (roasting station chef) is responsible for all roasted items and
jus or other related sauces.
The potager (soup station chef) is responsible for soups and broths.
The légumier (vegetable station chef) is responsible for all vegetables and
Starch items.
In The potager and légumier functions. They are often combined into one
vegetable station whose chef is known as the entremetier.
Entremets were the courses served after the
roast; They usually included vegetables, fruits, fritters or sweets.
items (the sorbet served before the main course in some contemporary
Restaurants are a vestigial entrance).
The garde-pesebre (pantry chef) is responsible for cold food
preparations, including salads and salad dressings, cold appetizers,
Charcuterie items, pâtés, terrines and similar dishes. The garde-manger supervises the
boucher (butcher), Who is responsible for the butcher shop?
meats and poultry, as well as the Chefs responsible for the hors d'oeuvres. and breakfast
items. The turner, also known as the roundsman or swing cook, works as needed. The
pastry chef (pastry chef) is responsible for all baked items,
Including breads, pastries and desserts Unlike the multi-cook station, the pastry chef is not
necessarily under the supervision of the sous-chef.
The pastry chef supervises the boulanger (baker), who makes the breads, buns and
roasted dough containers used for other menu items
(e.g. bouchees and feuilletés); The confessor, who does it. candy and petit fours; the
glacier,
Who makes everything cold and frozen. desserts; and the decorator, who
Make special showpieces and cakes. Depending on the size and needs of
In any station or area, there may be one or more demi-cooks (assistants) and Comis
(apprentices) who work with the station chef or pastry chef in the area.

Although there is no single recipe to produce a good professional chef, we believe that

With knowledge, skill, taste, judgment, dedication and pride, a student's chef will mature.

in a professional chef.
Knowledge

Chefs must be able to identify, purchase, use and prepare a wide variety of foods. They

Must be able to train and supervise safe, skilled and efficient staff. To do all this
successfully,

Chefs must possess a body of knowledge and understand and apply certain scientific
knowledge.

and business principles. Schooling helps. A professional culinary program should,

At a minimum, provide the student chef with a basic knowledge of foods, food styles and

The methods used to prepare food. Student chefs must also understand sanitation,
nutrition.

and business procedures such as food costing.

DINING ROOM

Just like the back of the house (i.e. kitchen staff, the front of the house (i.e. dining room)
staff is also organized into a brigade. A traditional dining room. brigade is led by the dining
room manager (Maître d'hotel or French maître d'), who typically trains all wait staff,
oversees wine selections, and works with the chef to put together the menu. He or she
arranges the seating chart and may also seat the guests. Working subordinate to him or
her are the following: The wine butler (P. sommelier), who is responsible for wine service,
including purchasing wines, assisting guests in wine selection and

Serving the wines. The waiter (P. chef de salle), who is responsible for service in the entire
dining room or in a section of it. In smaller operations, his role may be assumed by the
maître d' or a captain. The captains (P. chefs d'étage), who are responsible for explaining
the menu to guests and taking their orders. They are also responsible for any table
preparation. The waiters (P. rang chefs), who are responsible for ensuring that The tables
are set correctly for each Of course, the food is delivered correctly. to the appropriate
tables and the needs of The guests are received. The back waiters (P. sonó demi-chefs or
sonó comis, also known as dining room assistants or business people), who are
responsible for cleaning plates, refilling water glasses, and other general tasks appropriate
for new dining room workers. Whether a restaurant uses all this variety of staff depends
on the nature and size of the restaurant and type of service. Provided

Ability
Culinary education alone does not make a student a chef. Nothing more practical,
handson

The experience will provide the most academically gifted students with the skills

necessary to produce, consistently and efficiently, quality food or organize, train, motivate

and supervise a staff.

Many food service operations recognize that new workers, even those who have
graduated

From culinary programs, it takes time and experience to develop and hone your skills.

Therefore, many graduates start in entry-level positions. Don't be discouraged;

advancement

It will come, and training pays off in the long run. Today, culinary styles and fashions.

changes frequently What does not go out of fashion is well trained, qualified and

knowledgeable cooks. They can be adapted.

Taste

No matter how knowledgeable or skilled the chef is, he or she must be able to produce

Foods that taste good, or the consumer will not return. A chef can do it only if he or she

He is confident in his own sense of taste.

Our total perception of taste is a complex combination of smell, taste, sight, sound and

texture. All senses are involved in the enjoyment of eating; everything must be considered
in creation

or preparing a dish. The chef must develop a taste memory by sampling foods,

both familiar and unknown. The chef must also think about what he knows, making

Notes and experimentation with flavor combinations and cooking methods. But a chef

You should not be inventive simply for the sake of invention. Rather, he or she should
consider

how the flavors, appearances, textures and aromas of various foods will interact to create
A total flavor experience.

Judgment

Selecting menu items, determining how much of which item to order, deciding whether
and

How to combine ingredients and approve finished items for service are matters of

judgment. Although knowledge and skill play a role in the development of judgment, good
judgment

It only comes with experience. And real experience is often accompanied by failure.

Don't be angry or surprised when a dish doesn't turn out as you expected. Learn from

Your mistakes, as well as your successes; Only then will you develop good judgment.

Dedication

Becoming a chef is hard work; That's what it's like to be one. The work is often physically
demanding, the

The hours are often long and the pace is often hectic. Despite these pressures, the chef

expected to efficiently produce fine foods that are properly prepared, seasoned,

Decorated and presented. To do this, the chef must be dedicated to the work.

The dedicated chef must never hesitate. The food service industry is competitive and

it depends on the continued goodwill of an often fickle public. A bad dish or just one

The evening can result in an unhappy dinner and lost business. The chef must always be
attentive

Of the food prepared and served to the customer.

The chef must also be dedicated to his staff. Virtually all food service operations.

Rely on teamwork to get the job done right. Good teamwork requires a positive attitude.

and dedication to a shared goal, which is as impressive to a potential employer as it is to a

blessed person.

technical skills.
Pride

Not only is it important that the job be done well, but the professional chef must have

a sense of pride in doing well. Pride should also extend to personal appearance and

Behavior in and around the kitchen. The professional chef must be well prepared and

In a clean, well-maintained uniform when working.

The professional chef's uniform consists of comfortable shoes, pants (either solid

white, solid black, black and white checkered or black and white striped), a white double
breasted

A jacket, apron, and neckerchief, usually knotted or with a cravat-style tie. The uniform

It has certain utilitarian aspects: Plaid pants that disguise stains; the double button

The white jacket can be bounced to hide dirt, and the double layer of fabric protects from

scalds and burns; The scarf absorbs facial perspiration; and the apron protects the

Uniform and insulate the body. This uniform should be worn with pride. Shoes must

be polished. Pants and jacket should be pressed. The crowning element of the uniform.

It's the touch, the tall white hat worn by chefs almost everywhere.