Molecular gastronomy, ie playing with your food. Or, bringing science into the kitchen. Whatever you call it, it's the process of making gels, foams, freeze drying, carbonating, doing all kinds of crazy cool stuff that hopefully makes for interesting dinners. Here's a list of everything an aspiring molecular gastronomist can't do...
We love the one pot meals here - so simple, and so delicious when you get all the integrated flavors working together. This hand-poured cast iron pot is produced by ODLCO and done through kickstarter.com - pledges to purchase fund the purchase (you can even just pledge to support the Wisconsin-based company). So contribute to the economy by...
This book, Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking by Nathan Myrvhold is nothing short of amazing. Essentially, a successful and technical obsessive compulsive decides he wants to figure out how to make the best...everything. From french fries to burgers, braises and more. Myrvhold worked with chefs Chris Young and Maxime Bilet to...
Part I in a maybe-never-to-be-continued series about weird food tools: the duck press. Purpose: to smash the remains of a duck carcass to pulp. Usage: You place the duck carcass in the press, crank the wheel, and the top plate compresses the duck, squeezing out whatever liquids (or liquid-y) remains into a bottom pan (not included). Why?:...
Keeping herbs fresh is a challenge. Some do well in the refrigerator, others (like basil) wilt and go black. The best way is to - as best one can - keep them alive. This handy acacia rack (that matches the spice holder we featured earlier) by Roost may just hold a functional, as well as decorative, solution: keep them alive in water just like...
Shabu Shabu is the Japanese word for these hot pots, the Chinese hot pot is called shuan yang rou. It is also known as Mongolian Hot Pot. Whatever you call it, it's a delicious, fun and social meal. For all the whiteys out there (like myself): think Asian fondue. The Chinese have been cooking in this way for a dozen centuries. Seriously. And...
It's so easy to grow your own sprouts year round. And that earthy, crunchy delicious flavor they add to salads is unbeatable. Also, cooking with hydrated beans, like garbanzos and black-eyed peas, is a snap. They hydrate much faster than their un-sprouted peers, making it easier to whip up bean dishes without having to resort to...
We think we know what the answer is...but we are still seriously considering purchasing these onion goggles from RSVP. Foam padding around the glasses creates a seal that protects even the most sensitive eyes from harmful onion rays (o-rays in science speak). Anti-fog lenses insure you can see, helping you get those finely diced shallots for...
Fennel pollen is, simply put, golden goodness. Because it is the harvested pollen from dried fennel flowers, it is potent stuff, offering a lightly floral, honeyed, heady, herbaceous aroma (and flavor) that is akin to fennel, but yet different. It is extremely versatile and a little dash goes a long way to making the simplest of dishes more...
Personally, I almost never follow recipes. Yeah, sure, you have to when you're baking a cake. But I don't bake cakes, so there. That said, I love cookbooks. I love the ideas I get and I love learning about different ingredients and mixing and matching them and coming up with new menu ideas, new techniques and wicked combinations. The problem...
