Stirring the Pot: Decoding Molecular Gastronomy
October 29, 2007
Elizabeth Cawdry Thomas, whose idea brainstorm kick-started the Molecular Gastronomy movement and who set up the first workshop on Molecular and Physical Gastronomy in 1992 in Sicily, was recognized by the SFPFS for her contribution to the field. Elizabeth passed away just days before this event. The event was dedicated to her memory and her significant contribution to today’s food.
The Newest New Nouvelle Cuisine
A star-studded panel of chefs and food scientist Harold McGee were on-hand last Monday night at the offices of Ketchum Public Relations to help San Francisco food professionals debunk the myth of molecular gastronomy as whiz-bang, chemically-influenced, as-far-from-the-field-as-it-gets food. Quite the contrary, in fact, as McGee and the chefs Mark Dommen of One Market, Daniel Patterson of Coi and Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake (and soon, Orson) made clear.
McGee spoke first and provided a story-arc for the movement. While Spain’s Ferrán Adriá was and continues to be hugely influential and the food press focuses on the “gimmicks” of molecular gastronomy, the reality is that innovation and creativity in professional kitchens is nothing new. The term “molecular gastronomy”, however, is very much new and in vogue. In fact, McGee continued, it is a Chef’s job to innovate, to come up with new ideas and techniques. Adriá “pioneered” the movement in 1988, preceding the physicists meeting in Sicily by four years. Adriá and his English counter-part, Heston Blumenthal, are often referred to as the Fathers of Molecular Gastronomy, but neither is comfortable with the accolade. Blumenthal openly states that he riffs on cooking techniques he found in an 1879 English book on ice cream and McGee mentioned an 1821 cookery book called Culinary Chemistry as a cornerstone or foundation of current cookery. “Cooking is innovation and excellence driven. Science is the tool.”
In turn, each of the chefs spoke to their use of these materials in the kitchen then followed-up their words with actions. Xanthan gum, agar, guar gum, lecithin and other materials were deconstructed for the audience’s benefit. Falkner uses xanthan gum, for example, because it does not “sweat” which makes it a better binder than say, gelatin, and produces a finished product with more moisture. This naturally-occurring substance, made from the outer layer of the tiny inactive bacterium called Xanthomonas campestris, is familiar to those who cannot eat gelatin or eggs (vegans), and brings a new audience to Falkner’s restaurants.
Agar, derived from seaweed, another binder favored by practitioners of the movement, has been widely used in Asia for centuries as, similarly to xanthan gum, it can better withstand heat and humidity than binders traditionally used in western kitchens. These “new” products and a penchant for innovation enabled Falkner to deconstruct pastry and move the different elements of a dessert to new places on the plate. Falkner presented a dessert where the agar-blended caramel was firm enough to shape into tendrils atop her agar and sous-vide chocolate cake.
Sous-vide (“under vacuum”), another not-so-new cooking technique (invented in the 1970’s in France), was designed to maintain the integrity of the ingredients by heating them at low temperature over a long time period. It took until the 1990s for this cooking method to achieve wide use in American restaurants.
Every chef spoke to the idea that their craft – cooking - is fundamentally about connecting with customers. The new techniques of the Molecular Gastronomy movement help them to preserve the integrity of the ingredient and create a sense of specialness. It is possible for chefs to play with textures and techniques in a way that was not possible before while maintaining an ingredient’s integrity. The addition of an egg or of cream to a dish to achieve that silky texture is no longer required and the flavor is not dampened. It is lightened and made more delicate.
Foam, the essence of lightness and the eternal punching bag for customers who disparage the movement, is often nothing more than an emulsion. As Dommen said: “People just think that emulsions are foams.” Patterson further clarified: “Foam is a touchstone, it represents to many people that we have lost touch with our cultural traditions. But the reality is that sabayon (a light, frothy dessert made with egg yolks, wine and sometimes cream) [sic] is a foam.” Texture and taste will continue to drive what chefs put on their menus.
Perceived by many as labor-intensive and fussy, every chef mentioned that the addition of these techniques in their kitchen does not increase their staffing needs one iota. The foundation techniques of cookery are still the most important tools in a chef’s toolkit. Molecular Gastronomy adds a new dimension to that toolkit but does not replace it.
In sum, Molecular Gastronomy is not so new. It does have a new name and it allows chefs to create new textures and whisper-light flavors previously not seen – a boon to individuality and creativity. It is all about the cooking. It always has been.
May the Bay Area find room in its generous heart for this creative and fun movement!Labels: molecular gastronomy, SFPFS