Sci-fi food

Intriguing article on foods from science fiction books and movies:


"ChickieNobs or soylent green, anyone?" 
The Sydney Morning Herald
April 17, 2012
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/blogs/table-talk/chickienobs-or-soylent-green-anyone-20120416-1x33c.html#ixzz1sOrOztiO

In fact, ever since watching The Jetsons as a kid, I’ve been fascinated by the way ‘science fiction’ is often more science than fiction. Food is one of the writer’s favourite devices, one that immediately illustrates the culture of the time, whether it’s two thousand years in the past, or the future.

And here is a related article:


Blessed are the geeks
The Sydney Morning Herald
April 17, 2012 
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/blessed-are-the-geeks-20120417-1x4hn.html#ixzz1sOt8gt7w

England's celebrated jelly-makers and architectural foodsmiths Sam Bompas and Harry Parr have seen the future. Not only that, they've cooked it. Working with micronutritionists, biochemists and nanotechnologists, they recently staged a dinner for KitchenAid in London that featured bioluminescent lollipops, insect-protein pasta and ChickieNobs.

Honey - an almost perfect food

Did you know that honey is one of the only foods that does not spoil easily?  The high sugar content means there are very few unattached water molecules so it is not a very hospitable environment for microbes.

The two main sugars are fructose and glucose.

So my first molecular cuisine experiment involved honey - Honey sheets!

 Ingredients are simple:

 1/2 cup Honey

 1/2 cup water

 I package agar agar

 Fruit to wrap

Agar agar is a wonderful gelling product - it is made from the mucilage (the gooey stuff that oozes out) of a seaweed.  It also has no calories and is high in fibre. It gels a bit stronger than gelatin so is useful in some recipes.  Some people use it to help dieting by eating less - eating a food with agar agar in it before a meal will make you feel fuller faster.



Recipe instructions (from the Molecule-R DVD):

Boil up the water, honey and agar agar powder. Then pour a small amount on a plate (like making a  pancake) spread it evenly and then refrigerate it for 15 minutes. You can then cut out a round shape on the plate and even pick it up!

Wrap your favourite fruits and enjoy!  The agar agar is tasteless so the gel only tastes like honey -yummm...

molecular gastronomy lecture/demo?

Just found a lecture to be held in Toronto next week - I can't make it but perhaps some others can!
http://www.otbfoods.com/otbfoods/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=35&zenid=8s7f7gm2htstfbl0sdfi4nb033
It is at the Humber College North campus ( between the 427 and 409)

I need this too! A molecular cuisine kit

A reader sent me this link to a most awesome kit for doing some of the most basic molecular gastronomy tricks:
http://www.molecule-r.com/0-13-promotion-products-cuisine-r-evolution.html
Order from Molecule-R, a Montreal, Quebec company!
check out this video:

Ok, so I ordered it... I'll let you know how stuff came out once I get it!!

I did look at the ingredients list included and it has a number of the chemicals that are included in so many of the products on the store shelves:

• Sodium alginate
• Agar agar
• Xanthum gum
• Soy Lethicin

Should be fun finally understanding why these items are added to everything!!

free webinar with two top foodie scientists

On Wed Dec 9 there is a free webinar sponsored by the American Chemical Society and hosted by two leading molecular gastronomy gurus, Peter Barham, author of "The Science of Cooking", and Shirley Corriher, author of CookWise and BakeWise.  


Just go to this link and register to get the details:
http://acswebinars.org/kitchenchemistry2010


Hear you there!


Addendum (Dec 10, 2010) : If you missed the webinar, you can still listen to the recorded session at the same link - also there are some awesome sounding recipes listed as well.