Word: molecular
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...disputation, one of those deep discussions in which 13th-century theologians debated the finer points of monotheism. In a highly anticipated panel discussion earlier this week at the international culinary conference Madrid Fusion, Ferran Adrià, Heston Blumenthal, and Andoni Luis Aduriz took on the pressing question of whether molecular gastronomy is for real. Considering that the three chefs are widely considered to be the leading practitioners of molecular gastronomy, it came as something of an ontological relief to learn that it - and thus they - do exist...
...three men spent over an hour discussing different aspects of innovation, and what part science plays in helping chefs in their everyday work. "Molecular gastronomy is the movement that studies the chemical-physical processes of cuisine," said Adrià, hazarding a definition. (See the Top 10 food trends...
...only it were that simple. Known for its blood orange foams, and 'spherified' croquettes made from ham broth - as well as for bringing the likes of centrifuges and hydrocolloids into the kitchen - molecular gastronomy has been more reviled than any style of cooking since a handful of chefs thought stacking a few undressed pea pods on the plate and calling it nouvelle cuisine was a good idea. That might account for why the trio sounded ever so slightly defensive as they protected the role of science in their kitchens. Brandishing a loaf of bread like an amulet, Adrià, chef...
...owner of The Fat Duck in Bray, England, agreed. "We all use sugar. And sugar - sucrose - doesn't grow in the form of white grains. It has to be processed. Yet sugar is okay. Sucrose is okay. It's only when you get to maltodextrin (a group of low-molecular-weight carbohydrates produced by the hydrolysis of starch) that people start saying, 'Wait a minute, that's going too far.'" (Read a TIME story about Blumenthal's perfect day in London...
...back. Broken up into topical essays, it's easy to jump back and forth between an explanation of how the Department of Homeland Security stinks to an argument in favor of a new National Energy Council. And while much of the book delves into government bureaucracy to an almost molecular degree, all Americans (even those who don't lean left) should flip through. You'll learn about your government (you'll re-learn all that stuff you picked up in high school and quickly forgot) and you'll have a guide for how the next four to eight years might...