Questions tagged [molecular-gastronomy]

Questions on the applications of modern science to culinary techniques in the home or restaurant.

The tag refers to the eponymous style of cuisine, AKA modernist cuisine or experimental cuisine, in which modern scientific principles and techniques are used to enhance or replace the more traditional culinary methods used in home or restaurant kitchens.

The term molecular gastronomy has, on occasion, been used to denote any in-depth study of the physics or chemistry behind culinary techniques, as described in Wikipedia: Molecular Gastronomy. We prefer that questions with this tag relate to one or more areas commonly associated with the discipline, such as:

  • Use of chemical reagents (for foams/gels, spherification, etc.)
  • Use of specialized equipment (syringes, centrifuges, Pacojet, etc.)
  • Quantitative experiments designed to test claims or understand processes

If you are seeking a broad, general, theoretical understanding, as opposed to controlled experiments and applied chemistry, please use the tag instead.

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How can I get good spherification results with alcohol?

I've been trying to make chocolatini (vodka, godiva liqueur, baileys) spheres, but I've had some issues with separation of the alcohols. Also, I've been deciding whether the alginate solution should be placed into the mixture (vs. calcium lactate…
kevin
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Creating differing temperature fluid gels that stay separate

At the Fat Duck they serve a mug of hot and iced tea. The drink is served in a single cup yet the two different temperature drinks stay separate side by side with no barrier between them. I believe this is done by using fluid gels rather than…
colethecoder
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What type of methylcellulose would be appropriate for gel noodles?

I'd planning to attempt some flavoured methocel noodles; I know that type K is the softest (best for things like marshmallows) but I've never experimented with the firmer kinds and I'm not entirely sure just how firm they get. I'm pretty sure I'll…
Aaronut
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What ingredients will allow me to make a foam with a whipped cream charger?

So I have an iSi whipped cream charger. There are a series of recipes that sound really interesting, but I don't quite understand what ingredients you need in order to make a stable foam / mousse. Some common ingredients seem to be cheese, cream,…
yossarian
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Liquid Nitrogen Ice cream Melting too fast!

I am trying to make ice cream using liquid nitrogen and I am seeing that the ice cream melts very quickly. I'm using a spatula to mix the base with the liquid nitrogen in a vessel. Initially, I thought maybe I was using too little liquid nitrogen ,…
user63740
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monster egg . how to

I recently found a recipe for making a monster egg... i think it may have been medieval. The recipe required 6 eggs for yolk and white. the yolk and whites would be separated into 2 pigs bladders and respectively poached. I would like to attempt…
abbc
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How to preserve the green colour of mint when doing spherification?

I was recently making some mint spheres using reverse spherification, as a bit of background here was my process: I blended around 15g of mint leaves with 250ml of boiling water and left to steep for an hour. I strained the infusion through a 50…
Stefano
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Why did my reverse spherification method fail to produce proper spheres?

After much experimentation with reverse spherification this weekend, I completely failed to get an acceptable product. Caviar didn't form properly. In particular, when dropped from an eye dropper, the drops would not penetrate the bath and so did…
yossarian
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Use of algin and calcium chloride in spherification

I belong to a cooking club in which we have several home cooks who wish they had gone to culinary school. Anyway, I am cooking a dinner in which I am exploring modern cuisine utilizing new molecular gastronomy techniques. My question is as follows:…
Catherine
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What happens to the cream and egg white in a Ramos Gin Fizz?

A Ramos Gin Fizz uses both egg white and heavy cream in order to form an extraordinarily stable and dense head on the drink. When egg white is whipped, it forms a foam through protein networking. When cream is whipped, it forms a foam because fats…
Jakob Lovern
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How are powdered emulsifiers (such as monoglycerides) prepared for use in cooking and baking?

Recently I picked up a few different types of emulsifiers in bulk powder form when I saw them in passing at a catering wholesaler. Having never used powdered emulsifiers before in cooking or baking, I figured I'd find pretty comprehensive…
WackGet
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What is a good resource for learning about Molecular Gastronomy?

Before frequenting this site I had never even heard of molecular gastronomy and now I am intrigued. Is there a good resource to learn about the process either web or in printed format that would be a reliable source of information?
Varuuknahl
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What is the best way to hold a sphere and for how long?

I have been playing around with the spherification process. My questions are how long can I hold a sphere and what is the best way to do so??
Juan
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How can I make a foam without an immersion blender?

I want to try some experiments with molecular gastronomy foams, but all the recipes I've seen involve using an immersion blender to create the foam. Can I use a whisk to make the foam? What about my Vita-mix? Are there any changes I would need to…
yossarian
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Why does my LN2 evaporate so quickly?

Just made my first attempt at cooking using liquid nitrogen. Decided to start easy, and make a 0.5L batch of ice cream, along with some powdered peanut-butter and banana for toppings. Overall I'd rate the entire experiment a success, but noticed…
aroth
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