Mel’s Lesson Only for teaching purposes Science and Cooking • What does a Scientist and a Chef have in common? In cooking, it’s the synthesis (combining elements to make a One of the similarities between whole) of a meal or dining being a chef and a scientist is experience from a set of ingredients the method of creating an idea using known methods of cooking and getting results. In science, it’s the synthesis of an experiment using defined materials (lab rats, telescopes, In both science and cooking, you chemicals in a test tube) with take known ingredients and use a scientific equipment to obtain common set of techniques to get data about how something works. results. Scientist vs Chef Career Paths • Molecular gastronomy is a subdiscipline (A field of study Molecular or work that is related to one aspect, but not the whole, of a broader field of study or work) of food science that Gastronomy investigates the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients that occur in cooking. It’s program includes three areas, as cooking was recognized to have three components: social, artistic, and technical. Molecular cuisine is a modern style of cooking and takes advantage of many technical innovations from the scientific disciplines. Examples of Molecular Gastronomy History of Molecular Gastronomy • The scientific discipline — which was introduced under the name molecular and physical gastronomy was later shortened to molecular gastronomy . • Established in 1988 by Hervé This (top photo), a physical chemist, and Nicholas Kurti (bottom photo) , a former professor of physics at the University of Oxford. They were interested in the science behind the phenomena that occurs during culinary processes. History Lesson Continues…… Molecular gastronomy, on the other hand, Although food science had existed for some focuses on the mechanisms of transformation centuries, its focus had historically been on the that occur during culinary processes at the chemical composition of ingredients and on level of domestic and restaurant cooking, an the industrial production and nutritional area that had historically tended to rely heavily properties of food. on tradition and anecdotal information. Goal of Molecular Gastronomy Molecular gastronomy seeks to generate new knowledge on the basis of the chemistry and physics behind culinary processes—for example, why mayonnaise becomes firm or why a soufflé swells. One side goal is to develop new ways of cooking that are rooted in science. These techniques are called molecular cooking, whereas the new culinary style based on such techniques is called molecular cuisine. Different Names Molecular cookery is a kind of technologically oriented way of cooking that and when to use was developed by some of the world’s top chefs. them Molecular gastronomy is used for the scientific discipline that investigates the mechanisms of the phenomena that occur during culinary transformation Molecular cooking is used to describe the culinary trend in which chefs use “new” tools, ingredients, and methods developed through research in molecular gastronomy. Molecular cuisine is used for designating a culinary style using the new techniques. Molecular Cooking • Molecular cooking was perfected by such noted chefs as Adrià and Andoni Luis Aduriz in Spain, Denis Martin in Switzerland, Ettore Bocchia in Italy, Alex Atala in Brazil, René Redzepi in Denmark, Sang-Hoon Degeimbre in Belgium, Heston Blumenthal in the United Kingdom, and, much later, Thierry Marx in France. Standing on the shoulders of giants • In Chicago chefs Homaru Cantu at Moto and Grant Achatz at Alinea devised such innovations as edible ink and paper and dishes nestled on aromatic pillows, respectively. Even chefs who did not specialize in molecular cooking introduced into their menus spherification (liquids that create their own spherical “skin” through gelling agents), culinary foams (popularized by Adrià), and flash-frozen popcorn balls, among other concoctions. Critics of Molecular Gastronomy Chefs adopting this new approach to cooking and food disapproved of the label “molecular gastronomists.” (A term preferable to many of them is “Modernist.”) Similarly, the perception of them as “mad scientists” wielding beakers of mysterious chemicals provoked hostile reactions from some diners, who felt alienated by the idea of science’s being applied too blatantly in the kitchen Famed TV chef Gordon Ramsay, who later became a fan of Adrià’s cooking, said that “food should not be played with by scientists. A chef should use his fingers and his tongue, not a test tube.” Even when you achieve success there will always be the nay-sayers. So you need to decide if you’ll move forward or stay stuck. • Rainbow Foam Sometimes you feel fancy and you just want a mousse. A foam. Something light and airy with tons of flavour but not so heavy that you feel like a sleepy slob after consuming it. But a Becoming a traditional mousse takes practice to perfect and sometimes just knowing that you have to fuss with raw eggs, makes it Science Chef at unappetizing. No worries: we’ve got a foam for that. It’s just a whipped Jelly gelatine dessert, with six different flavours layered Home on top of each other. It’s light, refreshing and fruity. All the bubbles you want and none of the fuss. Or the eggs. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND The science behind rainbow foam We use Gelatine to turn liquid Because collagen doesn’t Gelatine in its powdered The Scientific Secret is food into a gummy form. dissolve in water, we need to form, is proteins made up Gelatine add an acid to create the You get Gelatine from Collagen water-soluble gelatine. of amino acid chains When amino acids come together, Once the gelatine cools down Amino acids are the basic When these bonds are added they form chains called to boiling water like when you with the help of cold water the polypeptide chains. They are chains come back together as building blocks of all make Jelly, those bonds break proteins. bound together by weak those molecular bonds between molecular bonds. and the chains separate. them form again In the process the water is soaked When partially set gelatine is irritated, up and trapped in pockets usually with a whisk, air and bubbles are added. This is then trapped once between the chains, resulting in the gelatine cools. The trapped air Jelly’s famous jiggle. gives it a light and airy texture. Our experiment recipe Rainbow Foam • Ingredients: • 3 boxes of Jelly, each a different colour 2 tall glasses • For each package of Jelly: 1 cup boiling water 3/4 cup cold water • How to Make It: Mix each flavour of Jelly separately and according to instructions on the box. But use a 1/4 cup less water than is called for on the package. (Follow our ingredient list as noted above when it comes to the water.) Refrigerate each jelly until just before it has completely set. Don’t let it completely set. Then dump each jelly into a separate bowl and with an electric whisk, whisk each jelly until foamy. Spoon the first jelly colour into each glass and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until it sets. Then repeat this process with the other five colours, layering them on top of each other. Then allow entire Rainbow Foam to sit in fridge overnight to set. Top with whipped cream if you’d like..