You Won't Believe Who Loves McDonald's!

Ferran Adria may not be a household name, but he is the top chef at El Bulli, a restaurant in Spain that has been recognized by Restaurant magazine as the best eating establishment in the world--not once but four times: in 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2008. And now Adria has confessed he has a dirty little secret: He loves McDonald's.

Adria told London's Telegraph newspaper that even though he has been described as the most imaginative creator of haute cuisine on the planet, he still craves fast food, particularly McDonald's hamburgers. The author of "A Day at elBulli" admitted he wants to visit a McDonald's outlet to find out how the fast food chain cooks its meals. It's probably quite different than the way Adria would whip up his famous menthol watermelon and hibiscus paper with blackcurrant and eucalyptus.

"I don't think people should come and say, 'McDonald's isn't good', if you don't give me an alternative, what is the alternative, for the same price?" he told the Telegraph. "It's like saying everybody should be driving an Aston Martin or Rolls Royce; most people don't drive them. Cars have the price they have." And El Bulli is costly. Located at Costa Brava in Catalonia, Spain, the average cost of a single meal at El Bulli is $327. Only 8,000 diners can be accommodated annually, although 800,000 try to make a reservation. Each table has a waiting list of 400 people.
source: Netscaepe

A Day at elBulli is available at Amazon

''Ferran stands head and shoulders above any other chef cooking in the world today...truly in a class of his own.'' -- Gordon Ramsay

''Ferran Adria is one of the most generous creative geniuses the world has ever known...this book offers a glimpse into the mind of this amazing man who has revolutionized how we cook today and tomorrow.'' -- Jose Andres

A Day at elBulli: An Insight into the Ideas, Methods and Creativity of Ferran Adria reveals for the first time the creative process, innovative philosophy and extraordinary techniques of the multi-award-winning restaurant, elBulli, and its legendary head chef, Ferran Adria.

Situated on a remote beach on the northeast coast of Spain, elBulli is famous for being the ultimate pilgrimage site for foodies, and a reservation that is nearly impossible to obtain. Each year elBulli is open for just six months, and receives more than 2 million requests for only 8,000 seats. Renowned for his spectacular ever-changing 30-course tasting menu, Adria's pioneering culinary techniques have been applauded - and imitated - by top chefs around the globe for the past decade, and he was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people of our time.

If you weren't one of the lucky few to get in this year (2008 reservations were booked a year in advance), you can now experience the restaurant like never before. This generously-illustrated 600-page ''day in the life'' features over 800 photographs, menus, recipes and diagrams, and presents a guided tour through a full working day at elBulli.

The book highlights 30 dishes which represent a full elBulli menu, and Adria shows you how he creates the restaurant's innovative cuisines. Sample recipes include Samphire Tempura with Saffron and Oyster Cream, Steamed Brioche with Rose-Scented Mozzarella, and Coulant/Souffle of Granadilla with Cardamom Toffee.

In April 2008, elBulli won the #1 Best Restaurant in the World, for the third year in a row at the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards.