President Pere Aragonès was kindly offended when I asked him if he knew how to cook anything other than those paellas that he occasionally posts on Instagram. “Of course I do. I really like to cook and it relaxes me a lot.” It was in a talk before the awards of the Academy of Catalan Gastronomy. That yes, I agreed with Aragonès, that, from the outset, those people who do not know how to enjoy food produce a certain suspicion in me. Those who when they arrive at a restaurant, without listening to the ‘maître’, say “bring me whatever you want”. Luckily, this Wednesday, at Mas Marroch, the space where the Roca brothers hold private events, there was no type of those who despise the pleasure of eating. Magda Carlas herself, a member of the Academy and a nutritionist, commented at the table, while asking for more bread, that in certain agapes there should be no limits… Well, that there was a record number of attendees, almost 430, most of them from Barcelona and that they enjoyed an excellent dinner with a perfect organization.
And it is that the president of the Academy, Carles Vilarrubí, has managed to make the National Gastronomy Awards a benchmark for Catalan culture and one of those nights that no one wants to miss. It was also appreciated that only Vilarrubí and the ‘president’ made speeches. Indeed, Aragonès, without any paper, remembered that Jordi Pujol, that after one of these dinners he went up on stage and made a fantastic gloss of the act without missing or forgetting any name of the attendees and winners.
Barcelona in Girona
During the previous aperitif, the treasurer, Ramon Agenjo, explains to me that the success was so notable that they had had to give up tables. While, the writer and journalist Rafel Nadal, who always has two books in mind, proved to be in top form despite having overcome two heart attacks almost without realizing it. Also injured is Carles Gaig. The knee of the Catalan chef who has traveled the most kilometers behind the stove has said enough.
Who is in top form is Sol Daurella, the president of Coca-Cola Eurpean Partners. The Carles Vilarrubí’s wife was overjoyed after completing Bagur’s ‘Marnathon’ last weekend while she is already preparing her first triathlon. Among the academics attended Artur Carulla, Josep Maria Sancliments, Joan Font, Montse Folch and Ignacio García-Nieto. And among the chefs, in addition to Gaig, we saw Nandu Jubany, Fina Puigdevall, Joel Castanyé and the Torres brothers.
There was also Rosa Clará, Víctor Font or the journalist Ramon Besa. oh! In addition to the winners of the sector, Joan Junyent, Elisabet Farrero and Albert Sastregener, the most watched of the night were David Madí and the writer Maria de la Pau Gener.
Unzué peppers
Another attendee at the Academy Awards was Josep Ametller, CEO and co-founder of Ametller Origen. In another example of his usual discretion, Ametller traveled in the bus that the organization had put at the service of the attendees and that the next day he had an important act. At the Mercat d’Autors on Calle Berlín and coinciding with the fact that tomorrow is World ALS Day, Ametller presented the charity project ‘Cuina Solidaria’.
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The initiative consists of five couples made up of an athlete and a chef preparing five dishes that will be sold at Ametller and 100% of the profits will go to the Fundació ELA Miquel Valls. Alex Corretja, who along with Ona Carbonell and Alexia Putellas are participating in the project, explained that he has asked Ruscalleda who makes good rice. For its part, Juan Carlos Unzué has requested Nandu Jubany your favorite set. I mean, some piquillo peppers with brandade. We were able to taste the latter right there and it is spectacular.
Well, that, that the publicist, Enric Jové, who is everywhere, one day brought Josep Ametller together with Unzué and from there all this was born. A project to applaud and to lick your fingers. Of course, of everything that happened this week I was left with a phrase from Unzué himself. “I never thought I could be happy sitting in a wheelchair.” What a great example! On Monday everyone to buy piquillo peppers. On sale now. It’s the least we can do.