MOVIDA SPANISH CULINARY ADVENTURES
Frank Camorra & Richard Cornish
Published by Murdoch Books, deluxe P/B $45.00

This is a wonderful book, a book for the passionate chef and home cook. Camorra’s food is the type of food that once you’ve got the hang of it you will find yourself using the book less and less, but it doesn’t mean you won’t return to it to re–read the exquisitely crafted text. Co–author, food journalist Richard Cornish has taken Camorra’s words, kept their enthusiasm and passion and crafted them into perfectly compatible passages that sit alongside the recipes. If you like a book that makes you cry Movida just might do it as there are some especially sentimental chapters. Try for instance p338. Curiously this old food is the food informal generation ’Y’ love to eat and the type of food we love to cook and eat. Nothing too structured, utterly seasonal, often grown by suppliers who have become close friends and of course family who feel some ownership in the success of Movida Bar de Tapas. Bold wine friendly fresh food combinations that are often embellished with the preserves of the seasonal glut, the magic of Spanish heritage that has transposed so smoothly to Australia Camorra’s food, whilst served in an Australian restaurant his food has not become Australianised.
Particularly wonderful are the references to the cross–cultural lists of suppliers that are part of the miracle of the migration and cooking in Australia. It was impossible not to smile at the resistance to chilled soup, Chilled almond soup with grape granita, now a signature dish at Movida Bar de Tapas, and remember the gallons of chilled soup we poured down the sink in the 80s until we realised it went pretty well with vodka after work. Chef/owners will always persist regardless of the cost until finally their customers realise what they are missing out on.
The recipes are deeply embedded in family history and culinary traditions that whilst they come from Spain, are not at all out of place in the Australian. Not everyone will share our enthusiasm for the images, but we have come to detest pictures of food meant to be rustic that has been given a designer look. Food that is cooked and served in the same implement as a matter of custom should never be shown tortured into submission lying in a dish that has never seen an oven or stovetop. It misses the point, not just of the food and flavours, but the reality of the style of food. These are recipes from a restaurateur chef/owner, whose restaurants are always so packed with devotees its hard to get a seat and Camorra, despite the pressures of success and work maintains an intelligent equilibrium with a zest for life and fun that is ever present. The pastry section is spectacular. We love this book!

Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish are working on a second book (title not fixed) that will be launched world–wide later this year, probably October or November.

A day at elBulli
An insight into the ideas, methods and creativity of Ferran Adrià
Ferran Adrià — Juli Soler — Albert Adrià
Published by Phaidon Press Ltd 2008, www.phaidon.com — H/B $75 AUD

Our other elBulli book 2005 (not that we are complaining) cost almost $200. Published by elBulli it is a glorious publication in every respect but one, they list ingredients but not actual recipes. The images are utterly titillating culinary pornography. It didn’t spoil our appreciation of the food at elBulli, the art on the plate but the food remained mysterious, daunting and challenging. This book, A day at elBulli opens the restaurant, the philosophy and some recipes to a group of people who may never be lucky enough to eat in their restaurant or work in their kitchen. The tiny $75 price tag will mean this book will fly off of the shelves, so if you want a copy and not have to wait for the second print run you had better buy one this week, this very day! Most importantly the small price tag puts the book within the reach of the lowliest apprentice with a dream of being famous, being as good, as innovative as Ferran Adrià.....read the full review and read Marian Clarkin’s Melbourne interview for Galaxy Guides with Ferran Adrià

ELBULLI2003
ELBULLI2005
Ferran Adrià, Juli Soler, Albert Adria
Photography Francesc Guillamet
Published by approximately $200AUD
Only available on internet

The books of Ferran Adrià and his collaborators Juli Soler, Albert Adria are tomes, the bibles of modern cookery. There is a 2005 edition but as yet not in English, French or Italian. One perhaps might wonder at the massed content and whether or not buying each one is worth the money but 2003–2004 certainly has vast changes from 1998–2002 and we are eagerly awaiting the English version of 2005. These books list ingredients not quantities and this is just the start of the challenges that lie within the purchase. Certainly some of the presentation is reminiscent of the eighties in Australia but the elements are driving kitchens throughout the world to new heights. Cooking has always been alchemy, the ElBulli team just bring that alchemy to all forms of cooking and have, as for example with their Roner Digital Thermostatic found extremely practical solutions for more conventional types of cooking.

Most totally obsessed chefs (including myself) would kill to spend a month working with the ElBulli team, and that would just be the start of another journey, because there is always something new to learn about food. AO

THE REAL TAST OF SPAIN
Recipes inspired by the markets of Spain
Jenny Chandler, recipe photographs by Vanessa Courtier
Published by Cameron House, H/B $49.95

Just when you think there couldn’t possibly be another Spanish cookbook, well wrong! The temptation to leave it unopened was barely resisted but the words markets of Spain was overwhelmingly seductive. The old Barcelona markets at dawn are a memory so indelible, so wonderful it was impossible not to wonder if the book captured any of the memory.
So much of cooking is re–living the memory of travel and The Real Taste of Spain does just that recreating the basic food of the markets, streets and home cooking without complicating the recipes into something they were never meant to be. The Real Food of Spain is not in the league of the recent Movida or 1080 Recipes, but if you are obsessed with Spanish food you will probably want to own it. The dessert section is good and the inclusion of Lecho Frita, fried custard p121, basically fried patisserie cream sets the pace for authenticity.

So few magazines give serious attention to wine and food as a naturally symbiotic relationship. How can you cook great food and not give some thought to the wine/alcohol you would like to serve with it. The fact that what we would like to serve may frequently not coincide with what we can afford to buy doesn’t matter, it’s the thought that counts. SPAINGOURMETOUR is blatant promotion of all things Spanish and published by their Trade and Tourism, Ministry of Economy.
We can only wonder why our government isn’t as inventive (and stylish) promoting our own South Australian wine and food and travel industry. This is a real food magazine that makes no compromises as it deals with wine, winemakers, food, producers and chefs and inspired home cooks. It is a quality publication in every respect and inspirational for the chef and home cook alike. The images are just stunning.

Industry professionals should post their credentials to SPAINGOURMETOUR