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...
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...
OK. So I've never actually heard of anyone using this, though I'm sure it's been done. Think about it, you can take any food item and evaporate it's essence and have it reconstitute in extract form. What you could do with that would be astounding. Lasagne ice cream. Creme Brulee pasta (served in creme Anglais, of course). Osso Bucco...
So back in the day, for those (like myself) who don't remember, Thrifty Drugstores (now Rite Aid) were the bastions of all things ice creamy. Think of the counters filled with beskirted girls and rough and tumble boys sipping root beer floats and living their Norman Rockwell-ian lives. Back in those days, if you were to order an ice cream, they...
The latest food trend: carbonated fruit. Yeah, sounds weird, but it's actually a really fun way to make simple desserts. Here's how it works: 1) Stuff one of these carbonators with fruit. Make sure you get a good one that handles some pressure. 2) Insert a C02 cartridge and charge it up. 3) Open the top carefully and empty the fruit. Serve...
Sous vide. A revolutionary process of heating meats and vegetables by submersing them in heated water, up to 140 degrees, over a long period of time. This technique is part of the whole "molecular gastronomy" movement - where gourmet chefery meets science. People who cook sous vide say it's the best way to make really moist fish, that it brings...
