Molecular gastronomy

[Harry Cobean]

what the hell's all that about?! sardine on toast sorbet,bacon & egg ice cream,foie gras mousse frozen in liquid nitrogen....why would you puree beautiful fresh peas then turn them back into peas by dropping them into a bath of sodium alginate,when,ummm,you could just have beautiful fresh errr peas?
two brilliant young chefs(amongst others) have championed the cause in the uk-simon rogan(michelin star) l'enclume in cumbria & heston blumenthal(3 michelin stars)the fat duck in royal berkshire.
now i'm no luddite & i know progress has to be made in all fields(where WOULD we be without the wheel?!) but is this gastronomy or highly skilled chefs showcasing their skills first & the food second.i mean,c'mon,liquid nitrogen?if i want blisters on me tongue i can think of a few more pleasurable ways of getting them!
right,bomb chucked,what do you think?...ermm,about molecular gastronomy that is.....not,ummm,blistered tongues or bombs that is..............

 

[Gravy Queen]

Have you seen the Great British Menu programme? Its gone molecular mad, totally ruined it for me. Yes ok I like a bit of Heston but lets not get carried away. Like you say, what a shame to do such daft things to beautiful british produce!

Stop the sketch its getting silly!

 

[Harry Cobean]

Have you seen the Great British Menu programme? Its gone molecular mad, totally ruined it for me. Yes ok I like a bit of Heston but lets not get carried away. Like you say, what a shame to do such daft things to beautiful british produce!

Stop the sketch its getting silly!

one of my fav cooking competition programmes in the bin until they apologise!! johnny mountain(the chef not the weathercaster!) had the right idea.........walk out!

 

[GLC]

It's very much an overly broad term. And we tend to concentrate on the "molecular" term and forget that gastronomy implies gourmet, and in this case, exotic gourmet. In that sense, it is about more or less exotic equipment. Using a rotary evaporator, for instance. And it's often about what's possible AND exotic, like spherification, which is nothing more than applying some chemical and physical principles to produce a heretofore unknown form of food. Those are largely within the realm of commercial cooking and serious amateur experimental cooking.

But one reason it tends to be seen as exotic is that amateur cooking is so often such an exercise in blind recipe following and rote learning. Cooking is applied chemistry and physics, but most home cooks have little notion of what's happening and have little or no basis for confidently departing from tried recipes. How many understand why mashed potatoes get "gluey" and how to avoid it by understanding the nature of cellular starch and the sequence of critical temperature changes that stabilize the encapsulated starch so that it does not become free starch when the potatoes are fully cooked? Not many.

For every exotic technique, there's another plain principle that is just basic kitchen science. This basic kitchen science is readily accessible to any interested cook and applies to common foods. How much better and more versatile could someone cook if they really understood the physical nature of an egg and it components and knew what could be done with them? Something as basic as the two types of proteins in egg whites and which physical treatments uncurl them to good effect for the cook. Or why is 285F a critical temperature for cooks? Or what is actually happening to make the temperature of a sugar solution rise? What do you now about the physics of heat transfer?

When the science of food is understood, new cooking methods become possible. And old ones become more versatile. It's inevitable that when knowledge begets a new cooking idea, it will be tried. And when some like of investigation leads to a technique that has commercial value, it will be developed. But it is nothing more than doing something that isn't likely to happen in the kitchen of the scientifically obtuse cook.

To put it another way, the art of cooking is developing the concept of the finished food. The science of cooking is bringing raw materials to that finish. If you better understand just how those raw materials are brought to various finished states, you can conceive of more finished food forms. Or at least you can conceive of them and actually carry them out with any hope of success beyond blind chance.

The current high visibility of whiz-bang molecular gastronomy folks obscures the fact that it's simply the continuation of the work of their predecessors that was almost entirely about the most common cooking techniques. Knowledge of the chemistry and physic give you the exotic modernist cuisine techniques, but it also gives you a better fruitcake.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

I fought gastronomy was avin your gastro's orf, .....I'll get my coat

 

[Cerise]

Molecular gastronomy has been around for awhile. I have not attempted it at home, but can appreciate the time, thought & creativity that went into planning the dish. Mostly, imho, it's about presentation/plating and combining different flavors. Foam looks pretty on the plate, but wonder how much flavor it imparts.

 

[Andy M.]

What I've seen on TV, Jose Andres and Ferran Adrea, is fascinating and educational. I'd love the opportunity to experience it but don't see a steady diet of it.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I look at it more from the perspective of "food as art". In my opinion, it's been overdone in some circles, and a lot of chefs seem to be getting away from it now, at least where I live.

 

[GLC]

I fought gastronomy was avin your gastro's orf, .....I'll get my coat

Well you have to be careful if you visit a gastromonical observatory lest the moon hitta you eye like a biga pizza pie.

 

[4meandthem]

We have the #5 rated restaurant in the world near us. I have honestly had better meals at other places. It was good but not even in my top ten.When a chef cooks to impress other chefs sometimes the food gets lost in preperation or plating. You can overthink or overwork food quite easily.

 

[Gravy Queen]

I've noticed you can buy lots of gadgets now to recreate the foam and beads and such like at home.

Nay nay and thrice nay.

 

[Harry Cobean]

I've noticed you can buy lots of gadgets now to recreate the foam and beads and such like at home.

Nay nay and thrice nay.

correct gravy!

 

[Harry Cobean]

Well you have to be careful if you visit a gastromonical observatory lest the moon hitta you eye like a biga pizza pie.

or if you are a gastronaut............

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Harry: A Day At El Bulli Reinventing

Harry, Good Afternoon,

Firstly, thank you for your note and fascinating thread.

Firstly, let me kick off with some awesome insights and exclusive pain staking preparations, methods, creativity and genius behind The Ferrán Adrià culinary philosophy. I have experienced first hand, that nitrogen liquid is very simple to misconstrue. It is just a method employed and an ingredient which provides the avenues to reinvent a product´s form. There is a vastness beyond one´s imagination and knowledge to see, taste, see, feel, touch and even hear.

Exploring, navigating and experiencing a whole new extraordinary experience ...

I highly recommend the following 2 books on this subject:

The 1st is: A DAY AT EL BULLI

The second is: REINVENTING FOOD, THE MAN WHO CHANGED THE WAY WE EAT authored by: Colin Andrews. This 360 page book shall provide an intelligent look at Ferrán Adrià who I had interviewed several times over the years and a true look at his astonishing career and the impact he has made on the culinary world of the 21st millennium.

For those who live in the USA, Chef José Andrés with over 12 establishments in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and soon in Miami Beach, is a phenomenal experience, and a special occasion, which shall be unforgettable, especially his Tapas Bar in Washington D.C.

I had met Heston Blumenthal at Madrid Fusion held yearly in Madrid a couple of years ago, and since he has moved to opening a venue in London, Dinner with H.B. I believe. His take on traditional Fish & Chips, is quite impressive and his Turbot Fish and Chips were absolutely divine.

I truly appreciate your interesting post.

Kindest.
Margi Cintrano.

 

[Harry Cobean]

Harry, Good Afternoon,

Firstly, thank you for your note and fascinating thread.

Firstly, let me kick off with some awesome insights and exclusive pain staking preparations, methods, creativity and genius behind The Ferrán Adrià culinary philosophy. I have experienced first hand, that nitrogen liquid is very simple to misconstrue. It is just a method employed and an ingredient which provides the avenues to reinvent a product´s form. There is a vastness beyond one´s imagination and knowledge to see, taste, see, feel, touch and even hear.

Exploring, navigating and experiencing a whole new extraordinary experience ...

I highly recommend the following 2 books on this subject:

The 1st is: A DAY AT EL BULLI

The second is: REINVENTING FOOD, THE MAN WHO CHANGED THE WAY WE EAT authored by: Colin Andrews. This 360 page book shall provide an intelligent look at Ferrán Adrià who I had interviewed several times over the years and a true look at his astonishing career and the impact he has made on the culinary world of the 21st millennium.

For those who live in the USA, Chef José Andrés with over 12 establishments in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and soon in Miami Beach, is a phenomenal experience, and a special occasion, which shall be unforgettable, especially his Tapas Bar in Washington D.C.

I had met Heston Blumenthal at Madrid Fusion held yearly in Madrid a couple of years ago, and since he has moved to opening a venue in London, Dinner with H.B. I believe. His take on traditional Fish & Chips, is quite impressive and his Turbot Fish and Chips were absolutely divine.

I truly appreciate your interesting post.

Kindest.
Margi Cintrano.

thank you margi.i shall,as always,keep an open mind....in fact el bulli & the fat duck are on my "things to do before i die" list.....i'll need to die shortly afterwards because i won't be able to afford to live after paying the bill!
turbot? let's face it margi,it's divine in any shape or form,halibut too!
harry

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Harry: An Open Mind Is Quintessential

Good Morning Harry,

Firstly, El Bulli, The Bull Dog in Las Rosas, Girona, Catalonia has been closed in its sit down format since 31st July, 2011. It is undergoing the new architectural complex The El Bulli Foundation Investigation Centre with Harvard University of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Secondly, Heston Blumenthal had opened a new venue in London called Dinner With H.B. ( I believe this is the name ) and to my understanding, he closed the restaurant in Bray.

An open mind is quintessential in all one encounters.

Albert Adrìa, the younger brother and disciple of Ferrán is operating two Gastro Modernist Tapas Bars with the same Adría philosophy in the heart of Barcelona City, and they are called: Tickets and Gastro Bar 41. The format does not provide sit down dinner seating. They are barside tapas bars with a wealth of extraordinaire culinary inventions to die for.

In actuality, one of the finest Gastro Bars at a reasonable cost is:

ESTADO PURO ( natural or pure state), in the Banco De España neighbourhood of Madrid Capital owned and operated by Adriá disciple and friend, CHEF PACO RONCERO, a Madrid native. The average bill for one person is 20 Euros. The tapas range from 1 Euro to 12 Euros. A glass of wine is 2.50 - 3.50 Euros.

Kindest Regards, and have a lovely Sunday. Again, fab post ...

Margi Cintrano.

 

[Harry Cobean]

Good Morning Harry,

Firstly, El Bulli, The Bull Dog in Las Rosas, Girona, Catalonia has been closed in its sit down format since 31st July, 2011. It is undergoing the new architectural complex The El Bulli Foundation Investigation Centre with Harvard University of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Secondly, Heston Blumenthal had opened a new venue in London called Dinner With H.B. ( I believe this is the name ) and to my understanding, he closed the restaurant in Bray.

An open mind is quintessential in all one encounters.

Albert Adrìa, the younger brother and disciple of Ferrán is operating two Gastro Modernist Tapas Bars with the same Adría philosophy in the heart of Barcelona City, and they are called: Tickets and Gastro Bar 41. The format does not provide sit down dinner seating. They are barside tapas bars with a wealth of extraordinaire culinary inventions to die for.

In actuality, one of the finest Gastro Bars at a reasonable cost is:

ESTADO PURO ( natural or pure state), in the Banco De España neighbourhood of Madrid Capital owned and operated by Adriá disciple and friend, CHEF PACO RONCERO, a Madrid native. The average bill for one person is 20 Euros. The tapas range from 1 Euro to 12 Euros. A glass of wine is 2.50 - 3.50 Euros.

Kindest Regards, and have a lovely Sunday. Again, fab post ...

Margi Cintrano.

ok then,i'll replace el bulli with estado puro @ 20 euro's i can afford to live a bit longer! the fat duck did close temporarily in 2009 following the outbreak of a mystery illness.don't know what it was...it's a mystery....but maybe it won't be the bill that kills me!it reopened shortly afterwards & is currently taking bookings on a 91 day rolling schedule.
you have a good one too margi
harry

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Harry,

Harry,

If you are ever in Madrid, by all means, please let me know. We could meet for some Tapas and Wine ...

Have a lovely Sunday.
Margi.

 

[Harry Cobean]

Harry,

Harry,

If you are ever in Madrid, by all means, please let me know. We could meet for some Tapas and Wine ...

Have a lovely Sunday.
Margi.

that's a date then margi!
harry

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Brilliant, great.

Margi.