Spherification













Spherification means exactly what it sounds like it means. It’s the process of taking liquid, which takes the shape of its container, and reshaping it into a sphere. The liquid is barely solidified on the outside, and left to be itself on the inside – a ravioli with itself as both delicate skin and liquid filling.
The technique relies on a simple gelling reaction between calcium chloride and sodium alginate: enrich a tasty liquid with either calcium or alginate and then drop it with a squeeze bottle, syringe, spoon, or whatever else will get the job done, into a bath of either calcium or alginate. After a certain amount of time (the longer the time, the thicker the jelly-shell that develops) gently remove, rinse, and serve. The pictures shown here are of a Truffled Veal Jus Ravioli I had the Honor of producing at work the other day






The technique relies on a simple gelling reaction between calcium chloride and sodium alginate but experimentation with percentages of the chemicals in the liquid might be necessary if you're not following a recipe



1: Enrich a liquid with either calcium or alginate





2: Drop it with a squeeze bottle, syringe, spoon, or whatever else will get the job done, into a bath of either calcium or alginate





3: After a certain amount of time (the longer the time, the thicker the jelly-shell that develops) gently remove



4: Rinse and serve

Things to put in your mouth???


Flavours that pair well together and seem to chemically match are commonly referred to as Ketones or molecules that have a special carbon oxygen bond together. They have to have a certain order activity value or O.A.V.. These were first brought to light by perfume companies trying to find scents and taste that would match. I did some poking around and came up with a list written by Heston Blumenthal on egullet in 02"

Strawberry and coriander
Snails and Beetroot
Chocolate and pink peppercorn
Carrot and violet
Carrot and coriander
Mango and violet
Pineapple and blue cheese
Caraway and lavender are surprisingly interchangeable
Cauliflower (caramelized) and cocoa
Liver and Jasmine
Banana and parsley
Harissa (chili paste) and dried apricot
Chocolate and Parmesan

Fresh Pasta






The other day I decided it was time to keep up with my pasta skills, not being in an Italian Restaurant anymore I don't get to practice them as much as I should. I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. The recipe I used was quite easy and offered much elasticity by working 5-6 yolks into it it had a rich golden hue.

1 3/4 C a/p flour
5 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1Tbs milk
1 tsp e.v.o.o.


Mix together making dough and double wrap in plastic film as it will dry out rather fast and let it sit for at least 30 min..I took the time to chop up some fresh Herbs and work them into the pasta. Working it through the numbered rollers just be sure to never go past 5 or rather good luck if you try. Anyway I took some fresh crab mixed it with ricotta cheese and seasoning pressed out all air and sealed it with an egg wash. The end result magnificent and well worth the time it took. Topping with a seared scallop some frizzled leek in a pool of Mango Cream with Roasted Red Pepper Coulis I was quite pleased and Happy for the rest of the day

Ten elements of basic kitchen knowledge

The other day I came across an interview with Herve This, at the end of it was a rather interesting list of ten elements to remember about cooking and what he thinks is the most important tools of our trade. I only hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Trained as a physical chemist, Dr. This is the godfather of molecular gastronomy, the emerging discipline of understanding the physical and chemical structure of food and the scientific processes of cooking.
Naysayers accuse him of tarnishing culinary traditions, but to Michelin three-star chefs such as Spain's Ferran Adria and Paris's Pierre Gagnaire, he's a guru. Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor and Kitchen Mysteries: Revealing the Science of Cooking, the first of his books to be released in English, set out to make kitchen science accessible to the lay cook. We talked to him about distilling countless napkins' worth of experimental results into practical advice on how to prepare meltingly tender meat and why all you need is a good oven.

Helping chefs understand and apply the rules of chemistry in the kitchen has made Herve This a culinary hero to Michelin three-star chefs such as Ferran Adria

The term "molecular gastronomy" is now associated with chefs like Ferran Adria, but you disagree with that usage. Why?

They are doing molecular cooking. The truth is that molecular gastronomy is science, molecular cooking is cooking, and chefs are not scientists.
What equipment do you consider essential for home cooks?

A good oven, certainly. Induction is fine, because induction is more efficient than a gas stove. That's all.

No thermometers? Scales?

If you have a good thermometer in your oven it's alright. I would say that we lack knowledge more than tools. Our kitchens are full of gadgets, but if we don't know what to make with these tools we cannot make anything.

You've devoted a lot of research to collecting and debunking "precisions" - old wives' tales about cooking.

I have more than 25,000 precisions. People say you should make stock by starting the meat in cold water to extract more juice. Is it true? Well, let's do the experiment. We take one piece of meat, cut it in two to have the same quantity of fat, and put one part in boiling water and one part in cold water. In the end, when the temperature has reached equilibrium, you have exactly the same. So, this is wrong.

You have assembled a list of 10 fundamental pieces of knowledge for cooks. It includes unexpected items like salt dissolves into water and salt does not dissolve into oil.
You see how silly it seems? It's not obvious. Imagine that you take a glass of oil, you put some salt, even after one century the oil will not be salted. This, according to Pierre Gagnaire, is my main discovery.
Really?
Yes, he was putting Maldon salt on meat just before serving, but the salt was drawing out the water from the meat, so it was dissolving instead of giving the crunch he wanted. I had an idea: Put the salt into oil because it will be protected. And now, in all of Pierre's kitchens, there are small cups with various oils and various salts. He tells the press in many interviews this is my main discovery, but I will not get the Nobel Prize for that.

Do people understand these basics?

They don't know. Water boils at 100 C. It seems obvious, but it's not. I have a cookbook written by a three-star chef with some scientific education, and the book states that when you put a lid on a pan you can increase the temperature of water up to 130 C. You will never achieve 130 C.
So how can home cooks apply this knowledge?

Imagine you have a tough piece of meat. If you cook it at a high temperature the water in it boils, rule number four, and evaporates, rule number seven. You now have a crust, but it's still tough in the middle. To make it good and tender you have to apply rule number eight, collagen dissolves above 55 C [131 F]. See, it's easy.

How do you respond to people who criticize you for dehumanizing food and cooking?

There is an easy answer. Imagine you take a moonlit walk with your lover and you understand why the moon shines. Are you less in love? No. You know, any way of discussing what you eat makes it better. If you just eat, you're an animal; but we are not animals, we are humans.
Hervé This's

10 elements of basic kitchen knowledge
1. Salt dissolves in water.
2. Salt does not dissolve in oil.
3. Oil does not dissolve in water.
4. Water boils at 100 C (212 F).
5. Generally foods contain mostly water (or another fluid).
6. Foods without water or fluid are tough.
7. Some proteins (in eggs, meat, fish) coagulate.
8. Collagen dissolves in water at temperatures higher than 55 C (131 F).
9. Dishes are dispersed systems (combinations of gas, liquid or solid ingredients transformed by cooking).
10. Some chemical processes - such as the Maillard Reaction (browning or caramelizing) - generate new flavours.