OP: Los Postres de El Bulli

Ediciones Península, 1998. Hardcover. Near Fine. 

Albert Adrià was the mastermind behind the pastry kitchen at the groundbreaking restaurant elBulli in Barcelona from 1985 to 2008. He and his brother Ferran and the culinary impresario Juli Soler were, in many ways, the godfathers of what was eventually called molecular gastronomy. Albert was known for his distinctive approach in design and in techniques, and this, his scarce first book, published in 1998, was one of the blueprints for pastry innovation in the 21st century.

Organized by recipe type—creams, foams, gels, doughs, sauces, ice creams, etc.—Los Postres is generously designed to serve as a sourcebook, offering technical advice and suggestions on developing variations. One almost gets the sense that Adrià understood the industry-shaking significance of his work and the need to record it and share it for posterity.

Always pushing the envelope, perfecting and refining his technique after laying the foundation, Adrià’s evolution is apparent in the progression of his pastry work between Los Postres and its 2008 follow-up, Natura.

The book is still heavily in demand years after its publication. Our copy is Near Fine, appearing unused, showing evidence only of long shelving with slight wear to the jacket at the head of the spine. A handsome book. Color photographs throughout. Published in Spanish only.