BEHOLD! The wonders of...
Or rather, that's what it should be. Molecular Gastronomy (also called multi-sensory cooking or modernist cuisine) has brought many a fascinating dish to the table in the last thirty years or so. Thanks to the innovative minds of people like Ferran Adria (el Bulli), Grant Achatz (Alinea), Heston Blumenthal (Fat Duck) and many others, the application of scientific innovation to culinary creations has astounded and fascinated chefs and hobby cooks alike.
Molecular Gastronomy is technically defined as "a subdiscipline of food science that seeks to investigate the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients that occur in cooking. Its program includes three areas, as cooking was recognized to have three components, which are social, artistic and technical." (Source: Wikipedia. Take that, college teachers). More simply, one might define it as using science to transform ingredients with the end goal of creating new textures and enhance flavors.
As a sidenote, a lot of chefs have distanced themselves from the term 'Molecular Gastronomy' (coined by Herve This in 1995), believing it elitist, not accurate for their style of cooking, et cetera, et cetera. There are a lot of different names for the style of cuisine, but for the sake of simplicity and avoiding an unnecessary pedantic debate, I'll keep using molecular gastronomy. If you're interested in why these chefs don't like the term molecular gastronomy, you can start here..
Sous vide cooking (cooking vacuum-sealed ingredients in a water bath that's kept at a precise temperature to avoid overcooking) is one form of molecular gastronomy. Other techniques you might consider when thinking of molecular gastronomy are foams, gels, spheres and edible papers. In this thread, with the molecular gastronomy starter kit I received for my birthday, I'll be working my way through basic techniques first, then eventually applying them to making some dishes, all while telling you exactly where things go right or wrong. So don your labcoats, put on the goggles (they do nothing), and let's go.
Or rather, that's what it should be. Molecular Gastronomy (also called multi-sensory cooking or modernist cuisine) has brought many a fascinating dish to the table in the last thirty years or so. Thanks to the innovative minds of people like Ferran Adria (el Bulli), Grant Achatz (Alinea), Heston Blumenthal (Fat Duck) and many others, the application of scientific innovation to culinary creations has astounded and fascinated chefs and hobby cooks alike.
Molecular Gastronomy is technically defined as "a subdiscipline of food science that seeks to investigate the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients that occur in cooking. Its program includes three areas, as cooking was recognized to have three components, which are social, artistic and technical." (Source: Wikipedia. Take that, college teachers). More simply, one might define it as using science to transform ingredients with the end goal of creating new textures and enhance flavors.
As a sidenote, a lot of chefs have distanced themselves from the term 'Molecular Gastronomy' (coined by Herve This in 1995), believing it elitist, not accurate for their style of cooking, et cetera, et cetera. There are a lot of different names for the style of cuisine, but for the sake of simplicity and avoiding an unnecessary pedantic debate, I'll keep using molecular gastronomy. If you're interested in why these chefs don't like the term molecular gastronomy, you can start here..
Sous vide cooking (cooking vacuum-sealed ingredients in a water bath that's kept at a precise temperature to avoid overcooking) is one form of molecular gastronomy. Other techniques you might consider when thinking of molecular gastronomy are foams, gels, spheres and edible papers. In this thread, with the molecular gastronomy starter kit I received for my birthday, I'll be working my way through basic techniques first, then eventually applying them to making some dishes, all while telling you exactly where things go right or wrong. So don your labcoats, put on the goggles (they do nothing), and let's go.