Molecular Chef, by Maddie Tait-Jamieson
Imagine eating something that has taste without texture. I’ve been thinking about this all week – ever since I attended a video presentation on molecular gastronomy organised by the NZ Institute of Food Science and Technology.
Scientist Dr Fabrice Riblet was beamed in to Wellington from his lab in Geneva where he had whipped up a bowl of foam infused with grapefruit. The foam was composed of large bubbles containing so much air they immediately evaporated on the tongue, registering flavour without feeling. Imagine that. And, he continued enthusiastically, imagine if the foam was infused with the essence of smoked ham. Well, I tried to imagine that and figured it would be rather like licking a rasher of bacon that disappeared before I could bite into it. What would be the point of that?
The point, for this scientist and others who work with him on Le Jardin Expérimental, is to use experiments in molecular gastronomy to explain and understand the processes of cooking.
Most of the seminar covered the evolution of various techniques. The development of emulsions and foams; the manufacture of ice cream, from snow to liquid nitrogen, and the use of heat to cook food – a gradual progression from the early use of fire to the contemporary low-temperature, long-cycle, dishwasher method. The latter a sort of DIY precursor to sous vide, an extremely slow method of immersion cooking under vacuum that started in the laboratory and is now being used in food factories and restaurant kitchens.
It’s easy to see the commercial value in this. Food manufacturers depend on advancing technologies, and now restaurants and caterers can adapt the same tools and techniques to produce the perfect poached egg, instant sorbet, or exactly rare steak every time.
But when chefs start serving their food in test tubes, creating ‘strawberries’ that taste of pineapple, or conjuring up caviar-like spheres out of stuff that’s not, then it’s stretching a molecule too far. Even in the hands of genius chefs like Ferran Adrià and Pierre Gagnaire (who has created an extraordinary dish made entirely from chemical compounds) this is science not cooking. Or perhaps you’d call it ‘conceptual cuisine’.
This was a seminar aimed at food technologists not the home cook, but interestingly during question time someone did ask Dr Riblet the question: Which tools and techniques of molecular gastronomy did he imagine crossing over from the lab into the home kitchen? His answer was non-committal but you only have to think of the microwave to be reminded of how technology can sneak up on you.
I hope it doesn’t happen too fast. Food professionals may consider me hopelessly out of touch for thinking this way, but when I beat oil into egg yolks to make a silky mayonnaise I still prefer to use a whisk, and when I’m adding the oil drop by slow drop I’d rather not imagine molecules bonding with each other. My mayonnaise is not an emulsion, it’s a magical marriage of texture and taste.
Pass the Salt 
Hi Anna, I love your blog! Just replying to your piece about food allergies – this is my first ever comment to a blog, how privileged you are!! I’m not sure if I’ve posted this comment on the right spot? Sorry if I got it wrong!
I have total sympathy for the restaurants with all of the dietary restrictions and allergies, it must be a real challenge to manage at times…
I also have sympathy for people with the restrictions – but only those with genuine need!
My 11 yr old Amelia, after years of sore, bloated tummies, was diagnosed as gluten intolerant at about the age of 7, so it’s been a journey for us to figure out good alternatives, of which there are many, thank goodness.
At the Foodwriters Guild Conference in Hawkes Bay last year local chef/deli owner Vicky Bruns-Bolderson shared her theory on why there is so much more gluten intolerance today.
She says that because of modern bread baking methods where the proving process is so sped up, the gluten is not broken down to the same extent as it was with traditional bread making. On top of that our modern flours are highly hybridised and the gluten content is stronger. She believes the proving process particularly is responsible for the rise in gluten intolerance, because there is so much overexposure to it. Vicky praised today’s sourdough breads as the process is still quite long and traditional.
Over the last couple of years I’ve discovered that Amelia can tolerate baking with Spelt Flour which is wonderful as the results are similar to using other wheat flours and can just be directly substituted. Being an old fashioned wheat, my unscientific understanding is that Spelt Flour has lower gluten levels.
At home we now use spelt flour in all our baking. I’ve also taken to eating spelt bread with Amelia and I feel much better too, even though I was not particularly gluten intolerant.
Floriditas makes their own spelt rolls to accompany their soups etc which are delicious.
The downside is that spelt flour is about twice the price of regular flour.
So, I guess that even though I do have a lot of empathy for restaurateurs, at the same time I do hugely appreciate those that state whether menu items are GF, V etc and make the effort to offer a variety.
Bravo Maddie………..now I understand the Molecular……..
Dear Maddie,
I’m Dr F. Riblet ! I’ve just read your nice summary of my lecture. Thanks for your willingness to transmit it.
Be sure that eventhough, scientists can still be poets 🙂
If you wish further infos, It’ll be with pleasure.
Cheers,
Dr F. R.
Goodness – the long arm of the internet! I thought your lecture was fascinating – although as you will have surmised, I’m not sure about the crossover from lab to kitchen. I recently attended a lecture by Prof Kent Kirshenbaurm of the Experimental Cuisine Collective – he talked about stretchy ice cream and, as he was visiting New Zealand, he made a passable pavlova out of unexpected ingredients. He also mentioned ‘meat glue’ which has had a bad press in this country recently – It seems it’s quite safe and natural but we foodies don’t like the idea. Anyway, I do find the molecular kitchen fascinating, and I also think you chemists have quite a lot in common with chefs – a sort of unbridled enthusiasm and a love of ‘discovery’ that is very engaging. Thank you for your interest in my blog.
By the way, my name is Anna. Maddie is my artistic daughter.