It's over... Ferran Adria's El Bulli is officially closed. I love this man, his passion, his creative spark. In all fairness it isn't just him, but it takes someone to start, and to lead, in this case it is all him. For those who don't know El Bulli was the world's most famous restaurant, well besides McDonald's, Burger King and all the other Goodyear rated American Haute Cuisine... bleh! Adria specialized in molecular gastronomy, altering the chemical and molecular structure of foods to create an entirely new dining experience, but not in the way your mother in law does it, his actually tastes good. I am fascinated by this cooking. Food is undoubtedly one of the most pleasurable sensory experiences. Some of his creations were works of art and would take hours to prepare yet consumed in less than a bite. Magnificence, Decadence, Opulence.
Like you, I love food, but I stick to the simple and the nourishing, the home or local grown, simple preparations and always strictly vegetarian. But I can certainly appreciate what these people are doing...
It would seem the reasons for closing were several most of them probably linked to lack of money and time, but he revealed something very interesting... that it is hard to be creative 15 hours a day every day of every week. Being creative myself I feel the juice flowing in me, and I don't know what people who work in offices do about all the thoughts of weird and strange cloth constructions that go through their head all day long, but for me it is sometimes too much. I can relate in a small way to this man and his life. I enjoy being around passionately creative people, people who are creative first, then think about money and living. There is a nakedness in that, an honesty which transcends our need to prove something to others, but more like a never ending tube of toothpaste which was squeezed to hard, with ideas oozing forth uncontrollably. It is inspiring watching these people do what they do and try to make their mark in a world which is becoming more about homogenization than individuality. I feel that the energy that these people share with the world is a fearless energy, powerful and believing in and of itself. It is always impressive. I also believe that this energy doesn't go away, it changes, and transforms and matures and develops. I am curious to see what he will have in store for us next.