Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Jerek Bowman/Barry Mooney, Graduates of Molecular Gastronomy 101. Plus a little self BOHK promoting!

This is everything.

Actually, this is everything I could get into the shot. By far the best was the Reverse Spherical Green Olives seen in the center. It's best compared to laying on a beach somewhere tropical, finding twenty dollars, and paying off the mortgage; ALL IN YOUR MOUTH.

Chocolate Micro Sponge So cool. It's poured into a perforated paper cup, microwaved for 30 seconds and rested for a minute before serving. We played around with a Sweet Pea version as well. What I liked more was taking the finished product and dehydrating it to make it a cool crunchy garnish.

Lemon Juice in it's own little silicon molds... obvious...

Ohh... Reverse Spherification using Jasmine Tea... -then taking one of those nifty lemon ice cubes and putting it into the middle of the tea mixture to set it into a sweet freakin' rav. ...not so obvious...

Jasmine Awesomeness

Thermo Circulator. This one is only $750 (Can.) That is good news. Getting closer to justifying it at home...

Whoowhipped Aromatic EVOO... IN A CAN!!! This was golden. Add aromatic olive oil to an ISI Charger, N20 the dickens out of it and bobs your uncle. There is a similar method to producing Hollandaise via ISI as well, though, it does take a little time to Sous Vide the egg yolk/reduction mix.

Spherification... again... Melon and Cola. I think we are pretty much experts on this by now. Still a good trick to know though.

Chef John Placko schooling us at Humber College. Shown here creating "Carbonated Fruit". Take fruit, make sure it's cut smaller then the ISI Charger hole, launch it in with liquid (we like Grand Marnier) and C02. Fridge for a couple hours, dispel the gas (story of our lives...) and pour the newly fizzy fruit into a bowl. Serve with Sous Vide ISI Charged Sabayon because you are clever like that.

Fruit. Fizzy. Clever.

While you are at it... Take a bunch of tomatoes, blend them up with gelatin sheets and freeze the puree in a hotel pan.

The next day, wrap the frozen block into cheese cloth to form three layers and set on a cooling rack above a bake sheet. Walk away for a day leaving everyone in the kitchen awe-struck by your mysterious confidence.

Day #3 Strut into the kitchen and take the dispelled tomato water and add algin. In fact, go ahead and make a ravioli with it. Half way through setting the rav, whip out your trusty syringe and insert some basil oil into said rav. Let it set for an extra minute.

Place the beautiful "Spherical Tomato Water with Basil Oil" on any stupid random surface because you lack the foresight to find something that will make it visually pop. Next, taste it, or let someone you really want to impress taste it.


This is fun. Some people have strong opinions over molecular cooking. While cynics see it as a total fad, others are completely enthralled by anything coming from it. I tread into the grey here. While I think it offers some amazing methods and techniques, at the end of the day I will choose to use it as a way to compliment existing classic flavor profiles and combinations. It's a great tool to finesse, garnish, and make a dish that more interesting. More to come...


Finally, My editor said some shameless self-promoting was in order so we here at BOHK have some new links to hawk out. Observe the right hand side of the blog: note the RSS feed, as well you can now BOHK Yourself by subscribing to us through email, that way we can hassle you right on your 'pewter's front door. Lastly, enjoy the Video Foodie Bar and the snazzy new layout of it all. I'll leave you with one lasting proverbial question; why can't all internet browsers just get along?



-Jerek

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