Adrià was, of course, the master chef of the pastry kitchen at the great 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 came to be known as molecular gastronomy. Albert was known for his distinctive approach in design and in techniques, and this, his first book, 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. Elements are combined to form complete, composed dishes, including some handsome plating ideas. One almost gets the sense that Adrià knew his work was groundbreaking and needed to be recorded and shared for posterity.

Pastry cooks and chefs might now flip through the pages, thinking how familiar everything seems. That is not, however, because Adrià was unoriginal but because he was the original in many ways. Every fine dining pastry program in the early 2000s sought to emulate his paradigm. Adrià himself always pushed the envelope, perfecting and refining his technique after laying the foundation. His evolution is apparent in the progression of his pastry work between Los Postres and his follow-up book Natura (2008) 

The book is still heavily in demand 22 years after its publication and remains relatively scarce, frequently commanding prices of € 300 or more. Our copy is a stated first edition in Very like new condition with a VG dust jacket. 

A handsome book. Color photographs throughout. This book was published in Spanish only.