Daniel Olivella - Catalan Food

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

FROM D.O.

To all the farmers, fishermen, bread makers, butchers, shepherds, and everyone involved in the creation of food in Catalunya; without their hands we could not survive. Nature dictates the seasons, but following the seasons and learning their flavors is a passion that all these people bring to us.

To my family, and especially my wife, Vanessa, for always supporting my career and being the best mother a family could ever dream of. To my sister, Gloria, for her help and understanding, and for taking care of our parents while I was writing this book.

To my mom, Encarna, who gave me the tools to be good with my senses and taste everything fully. She went out of her way to cook for us and to feed us well while we were very humble.

To my dad, Ton, for working so hard to pay for all my eating habits as a kid and for showing me what it meant to be a true Catalan. He was not able to see this book finished, but hopefully the words and recipes here honor his birthplace, Peneds, the egg yolk of the world.

To all the people who have helped me shape my style and become who I am professionally: first, my uncle Paco Snchez, who taught me a lot about discipline and organization; my chef colleagues, friends, and professionalsFerm Puig, Judy Rodgers, Ritsu Tsuchida, Quim Marqus, Jordi Vila, Adri Marn, Josep Cudi, Miquel Mata, Bernat Franco, Nria Ruiz, Marc Pars, Gaby Pars, Salvador Valls, Salvador Lero Queralt, Raimon Totxo Palau, Carles Diego; and my Barlata team. A big thank-you to my great friend Jaume Rafecas, a professor of Catalan language, for jumping up to help correct the Catalan spellings every time I showed up in Vilafranca with the manuscript.

Special thanks to the Ajuntament de Vilafranca, to Pere, who was always there for me, to the Castellers de Vilafranca for always embracing me, Restaurant Platets (we ate there a lot ), Cal Ton, LAteneu (love their popurri ), Pepe Ravents, Gessi Llopart, Joan Cusin, Marcel Sabat, Santi Bund, Joan Pona, and Jess Trotonda.

To all the mothers of my friends from Vilafranca and all the little towns surrounding it who fed me as a kid, thanks for inviting me to dinner.

To Michelle Rodarte for instigating this book, Lisa Ekus for believing in the project, and Amanda Englander, Stephanie Huntwork, and the rest of the amazing team at Clarkson Potter for taking this book to the next level. To Caroline Wright and Johnny Autry; without their love for Catalonia, their smiles, hugs, and big belly laughs, this book could not have been possible. And last, thank you to David Joachim for joining us near the end of the writing to help us finish this project. I cant imagine finding a better person to carry our dream through to the end.

During the creation of the book, my father passed away, my mother had a stroke, and I had a major bicycle accident. Also, my writing partner, Caroline, was diagnosed with brain cancer and my agent, Lisa, was diagnosed with breast cancer. To them go my heartfelt thoughts of peace. Despite the challenges we faced, life went on, and I am inspired by them and honored that their beautiful spirits continue to shine here in this book.

FROM C.W.

Writing this book, for me, had two chapters. One came from imagining and creating this dream project and the dream team that worked on it. The other came from a team who supported this book (and me) when I was diagnosed with brain cancer just before the manuscript was finished.

Michelle, my first salud belongs to you for introducing me to Daniel and for being the first person to believe in this project, as well as the superhero who pushed the project forward when I had to step back.

To a woman who has already given so much to my career, Anne Willan: Thank you for lending enthusiasm and guidance to this project in its earliest stages and for your continued support.

To Lisa (and Sally and our friends at TLEG) for picking up where Anne left off and helping me find the right words and team to honor Daniels story, and then for helping me find even more teammates when I needed to hand over this project. You really are saviors, each of you.

To Amanda, thank you for being a champion of this project from the very beginning and, later, of me, when I learned of my diagnosis. Knowing that you were at the helm and had a vision for the finished book, I could rest and let the project pass from my hands to other collaborators. You helped give me peace and space as I began to fight my cancer, and for that I am deeply grateful.

This brings me to my most heartfelt thanks, to David Joachim, the kind writer who stepped in to clean up our Catalan party and make our work brighter and stronger while I was recovering from surgery and facing rounds of chemotherapy. Without him, this book might never have been finished. Without him, the collective dream held in these pages could have been lost. That he was involved felt like a miracle, both personally to me and for the quality of the finished book. I am sincerely grateful such a thoughtful and talented writer was able to step in and join our crazy team.

La meva familia: So much of my thanks and adoration goes to Daniel, of course, for letting me into his world and stay for a nibble or two. You are a treasure whose collons are as big as your heart. I have joined the mass of people who are so proud to know you and who would stop you in the street to tell you so. I cant believe the journey this book took us on. What a beautiful dream it has been and continues to be in these pages. I just wish it involved fewer hospitals.

Johnny, el Guapo , I was lucky to have you as a running partner in our race across Catalonia. I hope you are reading this alongside an American-size coffee. Your pictures are the beauty I will always hold in my heart for Catalonia. You are as kind as you are talented, my friend, and I am truly honored to have worked together. Vinga!

To the silent helpers, our families, who allowed us to carve out time from our very busy schedules to make this book: first, to my dad and mom, Paul and Glad Markunas, for taking care of my life when I couldnt, and for being superstar grandparents as I wrote these pages. For that, I owe you another Thanksgiving in Santa Fe and the year of sanity that I borrowed from you to be able to write this book as a tumor was growing in my brain. To my boys, Garth, Henry, and Theodore, for being gracious and kind and encouraging, always, and willing to eat Catalan food any night of the week for the years I worked on this book. Each of you is a lens through which I see beauty and my desire to create it, now and always, and I hope this book is a reminder of that truth. To my Seattle tribe who took shifts with my boys in the eleventh hour when I first wrote these pages and who continue to hold me up in the kindest, brightest light: Al, Katy, Katie, Ellen, and Adair. To Vanessa and Charlotte for making it possible for Daniel and Johnny to focus on our project as we traveled and spent so much time and money chasing this thing we had to make, and for your support when plans changed yet again.

To Kate Wilson, for your sisterhood and diligent recipe testing. A big thanks, too, to the team at Barlata who let me ask a million persistent questions as they made paella and braves .

Daniel tells me miracles can happen with a lot of saliva and patience. This book was that miracle for methe start of a really beautiful, really wild ride I never could have imagined myself. I am grateful and honored to have been a part of it all and so thankful for everyone who helped me along the way.