A menu from the El Bosque restaurant opens a series of gastronomic events organized by the CEA at the Madrid hotel
The dessert, a semifreddo made with Jerez amontillado sherry, was already served. at the tables in the Goya Room of the Ritz Hotel. And only then MaManuel Córdoba and César RodríGuez, the cooks of the restaurantThe forest, a Gaditano rante, is They allowed a respite. "He isI've been nervous all morning, "There was a lot of responsibility." Córdoba commented, a little while agoafter a grateful ovaseating for the 200 diners, inAmong them, some food critic was camouflaged, dispelling their fears.
Their dishes of "elaborate traditional cuisine" served yesterday to open a series of events organized by the CEA to promote the region's agri-food products.
The first event of the series, which will take place at the luxurious Madrid hotel over the next two weeks, was a resounding success. The Ritz waiters had to set up two more tables in a hurry when the organizers realized their initial estimate (160 guests) had fallen short. Some attendees, who had just finished a presentation of the guide in an adjacent room, didn't hesitate to attend both events.
Sonia and Yolanda, two hostesses (from Vitoria and Madrid, respectively) who had dressed as flamenco dancers for the occasion, presented each guest with a carnation. To whet the appetite, the chefs of El Bosque offered an appetizer of artichoke cream, shrimp fritters, Rota sea bream, marinated fish, and scarlet emulsion—a tomato cream that sparked countless questions; the tempting enticement prompted a rapid transfer of staff from the Ritz's main hall to the anteroom of the Goya Room.
The head of the Andalusian employers' association, Rafael Álvarez Colunga, led a large group of business leaders from the region, and José María Cuevas, president of the CEOE (Spanish Confederation of Employers' Organizations), and the mayor of Madrid, José María Álvarez del Manzano (PP), were also present at the luncheon. However, the guests paid particular attention to the welcoming remarks of the Minister of Agriculture, Miguel Arias Cañete.
The minister, who had to contend with journalists' questions upon entering about the controversial culinary advice from Health Minister Celia Villalobos against using beef bones in food due to mad cow disease, didn't miss the opportunity presented by the El Bosque chefs' menu. After "strongly" recommending the monkfish mille-feuille with sea anemone sauce that opened the meal, he remarked, with a half-smile, "I see you've included oxtail." The diners interpreted the comment as a blessing from the authorities and, in no time at all, devoured the second course.
“We believe that the best way to showcase the values of our gastronomy is to bring together the culinary wizards of our kitchen,” explained Manuel López, vice president of Lándaluz. This association, which brings together 90 companies in the agri-food sector, was created less than a year ago to take up the mantle of Alimentos de Andalucía (Foods of Andalusia), following the EU ban on the use of regional labels. The Andalusian Regional Government distanced itself from this initiative and had no high-level representative at the event.
On Monday, the chefs from the Hospitality School will be in charge of putting on the next gastronomic magic show; José Vicente (Huelva), Ruta del Veleta (Granada), Casa Robles (Seville), El Caballo Rojo (Córdoba), Vera-Hotel (Almería), and Vandelvira (Jaén) complete the menu. Although yesterday's packed house will be hard to top, the culinary delight will come with a Ritz-style bill: 8.000 pesetas per person plus VAT.