[apicius24] MUGARITZ, NOOR, NERUA...

The protagonists of Apicius 24 will be revealed day by day. Apicius, awarded as Mejor Publicación (Best Journal) by the Spanish National Gastronomy Prize, has just been branded as the best publication in the world at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, the Oscars of haute cuisine journalism. Apicius offers contents based in the creations of prestigious chefs and the latest techniques in the gastronomic industry. Culture and design. Apicius is the fascicle that gives proof of the novelties, curiosities and great dishes. Apicius pretends to show more than the mere didactic and formal aspects in which professionals rely on, but also those pleasurable elements that round off the rich and wide field of gastronomy. Every aspect is treated with the utmost technical and qualitative rigorousness, availed by the publishing team of Apicius, extending our experience in this field since 2003.

Josean Alija began his career at the age of seventeen. Under the tutelage of the great contemporary masters in the restaurant industry he has been able to cultivate his own style. He has developed a purist style in which aromas, textures and flavours are main components, but also an avant-garde style that even the chef Paul Bocuse has identified as "one of the best cuisines in his life." Alija, true to his love of challenges, intends to dazzle those who savour his work with the essence of the earth and its produce. He has built his cooking around this theme and his work has been recognized earning him multiple awards. Best Young Chef Award in 2000, Best International Chef by Identitá Golose in 2009 and Conceptual Innovation Award in 2010 are examples of his internationally acclaimed awards.

Their offer is based on reinterpreting Mexican flavors. To achieve this, they mix modern and ancient techniques. The result: authentic flavors and a constantly evolving concept using only the best produce. At Punto MX, they serve tradition, haute cuisine from our organic garden, cultivated and intended to supply our pantry. They are the only Mexican restaurant in Spain preparing handmade organic corn tortillas using nixtamalization process to create the tortilla mass – a traditional way of creating the tortilla mass. In addition, they have the first MezcalLab in Spain, a space that has the largest selection of mezcal in Europe as well as signature cocktails using mezcal a typical mexican distilate.

This restaurant, considered to be one of the best in the world, reached that point after experiencing a natural evolution in its cuisine, which we want to illustrate in Apicius. With that in mind, we decided to take a look back and remember those dishes which, since 2004, have become iconic, complete with commentary by Andoni Luis Aduriz. Because he who forgets his past loses his identity.

Noor (which means "light") lands on the pages of Apicius, which has told the stories of restaurants and chefs on more than 5,000 pages, without having served its first customer, though it is scheduled to open in the second half of this year. We're including it because we are clearly convinced of its success and significance on the culinary scene due to the uniqueness of its cuisine. Apicius highlights, for the first time, some of the dishes that will be served at the restaurant in Córdoba.

After a three-year "tour" with Compartir, proposed as their most intimate project, Casañas, Castro and Xatruch (finally) landed in Barcelona with their latest venture, Disfrutar, indubitably one of the most anticipated openings in the Catalonian capital. Unsurprisingly, and coming from this trio of whizzes, Disfrutar is the work of three chefs who are used to advancing their careers in a way that is slow, well-thought-out and meticulously organised.

El Baqueano was created out of the need to return to the true native roots of Argentina, being inspired by cutting-edge contemporary cooking techniques, looking to Europe, and using the country's very best regional products. The result was an innovative project, which became the first and only restaurant in Argentina specialising 100% in native meats from its various ecosystems.

How is it possible that, in just six years, Culler de Pau has become one of the great "white hopes" of Spanish gastronomy? Indulging. Caressing. Accompanying. Observing. Growing. Actions which travel on the unhurried path of Javi Olleros and in hyperactive Amaranta Rodríguez, a self-taught woman who shows that excellence can be achieved in the dining room and in management when the objective is well defined. Marking a turning point.

Kamilla Seidler is a woman who knows she has a lot of eyes on her. Gustu, in Bolivia, has quickly become the centre of attention. Claus Meyer, from Denmark (Rene Redzepi's partner at Noma) wanted to position Bolivian gastronomy among the most delicious on the planet. This project began in 2010, when Meyer arrived in Bolivia and created the Melting Pot Foundation with a view to making Bolivia a gastronomic destination.

Juan Ruiz Henestrosa is the man. Juan is well aware that, in his role at Aponiente (two Michelin stars, in El Puerto de Santa María), he's just another member of the crew. But we wanted to take a closer look at the man for whom local wines mean so much, the very wines that are paired with Ángel León's creations.

Pepe Solla, a man who's down to earth and who has known how to champion Galician cuisine, giving it the pride of place it deserves and stripping it of clichés. The importance of Casa Solla in the gastronomy world is key. “Generous maturity”. That's how people describe what Pepe has done. Let's go a bit further. Because maturity, without a touch of badass, is pure boredom. Pepe is having one of his best moments and it's time to capture it in black on white.

There are days when you miss old family recipes, and at Amaranta, you return to the past quickly, with a new perspective, but with the flavor of tradition; that’s why there’s a simple reason the restaurant is a success. Many see Amaranta’s soul, the aromas from the food are steeped in stories of the past, personal stories of a person who could get lost in a one more anecdote. However, this young rapper who cooks with this soul shows us day after day that there is a special driver that moves every cuisine in our world.

A chef must be loyal to his land, but he mustn't become a traditionalist; it's important to be open to other things the world has to offer, even though traditionally we have been a bit isolated. We must remain abreast of new influences and accept them, without losing the essence of our cuisine.” Girardet, Adrià and Bras are his references and, despite never having cooked with them, he's always had his eye on them. Class, innovation, nature. That's Xosé Cannas's cuisine, knowing how to combine those three ingredients in each of his creations. Luxury for the senses.

Casa Gerardo restaurant, which opened in 1882, knows very well that products from the earth must be given extra special care. But not only that: their virtues should be extolled even further, if possible. The elver is a clear example of the fact that outstanding gastronomic products and Casa Gerardo make the perfect team. Cold and wet. Silence and ritual. That's how we set sail out in a small motorboat on the River Nalón when night fell.

Pure sea. Untamed. Contemporary cuisine, aware of new techniques but always with ingredients as the core principle in his cooking. Product and season, elegance and balance, surprise and flavour, aroma and texture... That's Iván Domínguez's cuisine, which asserts that Galicia is a region that cannot be overlooked, as has become clear throughout this edition of Apicius.