APICIUS 46. Camarena, Txispa, Ama, Manu Franco

Format: 21 x 29.7 cm

Distribution: Worldwide

Languages: Spanish and English

Release Date: September 29, 2025

There are cooks who simply cook. And then there are others who think about cooking—who understand it as a language, as a way of being in the world. Ricard Camarena belongs to this second group. The kind that doesn’t need to shout to be heard. The kind that builds dishes as if writing music: with harmony, precision, and emotion. At Apicius, we pay tribute to those who set the path. And Ricard does exactly that. From Valencia, with a unique voice—elegant and radically honest. A chef admired by all other chefs: for his talent, for his knowledge, and for his way of understanding flavor as something vibrant, alive, bound to the land and to time. In the new issue of Apicius, Camarena is presented as he should be: in depth, in detail, with respect and with light. Because some careers can’t be summarized. They must be studied. Celebrated. And his is one of them.

At Apicius, we have never felt the need to ask for permission to tell stories that burn. We are not afraid of intensity. We don’t embellish talent. We don’t soften the pulse. If a chef shines, if his story deserves to be told, we do it—naming names, with skin, smoke, and soul. That’s why Txispa will be in the next issue of Apicius. Because greatness is not measured by the size of the city or the number of stars on the wall. It’s measured by what it leaves inside you. We saw it. We felt it. And now we bring it to the page—with the same strength with which Tetsuro ignites every service.

Some decisions are not made with the mind. They’re felt. Like an ancient call, as if the blood whispered to your ear. Manu Franco had everything to keep traveling the world: he was one of this country’s great sports journalists, with the roar of engines as his soundtrack and Formula 1 as his home. Until one day, he decided to stop. To return. To look inward. And then the inevitable happened: La Casa de Manolo Franco—that humble, family-run restaurant filled with memories—became his new racetrack. But here there are no podiums, no flags. Only depth, hard work, and emotion. From that hidden yet glowing corner in the mountains of Madrid, Manu has built a place that shines without making noise. A gastronomic lighthouse where excellence is served with simplicity, and where every dish tells more than any sports chronicle ever could. That’s why Manu Franco is in Apicius. Because his story is fuel for the soul. And because sometimes, stopping is the best way to truly arrive.

From Tolosa, with the quiet strength of those who know their land intimately, Javi and Gorka cook with undiminished emotion and their feet firmly on the ground. At AMA, every dish is an act of love for what they grew up with. An honest, brilliant, and unpretentious way of doing things right. At Apicius, we believe talent multiplies when shared. And they share it like few others: they shine a light on their suppliers, they elevate those who work the land, the sea, and the crafts with the same passion they put into plating a dish or opening the restaurant’s door. AMA is featured in the new issue of Apicius because their cuisine deserves to be told. Because their story—deep, generous, and free of affectation—speaks to us about what truly matters. And because when depth, truth, and sensitivity join hands, the page burns. That’s how this feature burns.