FERRAN ADRIA, Spain Gastronomic inventor back    If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then Ferran Adrià has certainly conquered the hearts of many – including the Michelin experts who awarded his restaurant three stars in 1997. The ”Salvador Dali of the kitchen” landed his first job as a kitchen aide at 18 and was again assigned to the kitchen during his military service. In 1982 he joined the staff of El Bulli restaurant on the Costa Brava, and by 1984 was head chef, under the direction of Julio Soler Lobo.     Since then the two inseparable friends and colleagues – later joined by Ferran’s younger brother Albert – have committed themselves to making El Bulli the Mecca of a cuisine that defies all traditional standards and expectations. During the winter months, Adrià and his team retire into El Bulli Taller, their workshop and lab in downtown Barcelona, where they "take the necessary time calmly to develop their creative process and technique.” From the initial main idea to the final magic touch that renders the new creation perfect, it all has to do with that inexplicable "something” that no books can teach and that Ferran calls "spark.” In his menus proposing such uncanny dishes as Parmesan ice cream or grilled watermelon with basil or onion and egg foams, Adrià has mastered the physics and chemistry behind the consistency of beaten egg whites and heated olive oil, using his raw talent – and top quality ingredients – to transform each of his creations into sheer gastronomic delight.               back