Apicius 19 (eBook)

It's raining... just as this editorial begins. The music given to me by my good friend Alonso Arreola is playing. A Saturday in autumn bears witness to the words that begin to describe what happens in the 224 pages of this notebook, a notebook that aims for nothing more than to promote gastronomy as another tool to foster culture. A team that, from Barcelona, works its heart out. A way of doing things. A working method. Countless sleepless nights. A good handful of WhatsApps. The result? Apicius. You hold it in your hands. Enjoy it. And, if possible, as much as we enjoyed making it. I have never been so well accompanied on this long journey. Never.

What a way to travel. Many miles have been covered, but, God! what a reward. Chile, Mexico, Brazil, France, Peru, Italy, the United States and, of course, Spain make up this feast of knowledge, contemporaneity, know-how... of culture, after all. I was going to say something like "quintessential" but it sounds terribly cheesy to me. It has been a luxury to share so many moments with the people who appear in this Apicius. From the first to the last. The kindness of Rodolfo Guzmán, the elegance of Alejandra Hurtado, the gratitude of Alexandre Couillon, the musicality of Daniel Humm, the discourse of Gastón Acurio, the hyperactivity of Ángel León, the complicity with Helena Rizzo and Daniel Redondo, the connection with Matías Perdomo, the laughter and Enrique Olvera, the eagerness of Jorge Vallejo, the peace of Paco Pérez, the intensity of Mauro Colagreco, the Euro Cup goals cheered with Marcos Morán, the maturity of Josean Alija, the subtlety of Jacob Torreblanca... All of them have enveloped this issue 19 with a magic that will be hard to forget. With their generosity, they have made possible a logbook of what is happening today in gastronomy worldwide. From a fifth-generation establishment to a restaurant that has only been open for a few months. From avant-garde creations to traditional dishes. But always, always, Signature Cuisine. Emotions, sensations and shivers. We love, as we have since November 2003, cuisine and we understand it as a social weapon, an identity weapon and a deeply cultural weapon. We state in writing once again that we do not believe in borders in gastronomy. We believe in the soul of cuisine: in the chefs (wherever they may be from). Those who have to fight to get the best product, the right suppliers to make their business successful; those who lose sleep; those whose arms are marked by salamanders; those who play around giving free rein to their imagination; those who, logically, have become icons of a modern society because their work is understood as a way of recording what is happening in the world.

And the truth is that cooking is more than just the human response to the need for food; it is even more than the pursuit of happiness. It constitutes a powerful tool for transformation and can change the world's diet thanks to the joint work of chefs, producers, and diners. It has stopped raining now.... It is time to ask... what to think of the doomsayers and sad people who see cooking as something mechanical and lacking sensitivity? Honestly, their days are numbered. Let no one take away our hope of being able, through this artistic facet, to transform the world or, at least, its habits. The sky opens... And this presentation comes to an end.

Definitely Apicius. Apicius and its contents. Apicius and its images. Apicius and Culture. Apicius and Gastronomy. Apicius... Gastronomy... Culture...