Comments on: episode 33 :: molecular http://www.mylifeasafoodie.com/2009/02/27/episode-33-molecular/ a podcast exploring food and food culture Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:18:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Adventures in Molecular Cooking [5] « my last bite… http://www.mylifeasafoodie.com/2009/02/27/episode-33-molecular/#comment-549 Adventures in Molecular Cooking [5] « my last bite… Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:53:26 +0000 http://mylifeasafoodie.com/?p=219#comment-549 [...] Check out My Life As A Foodie’s awesome Podcast of our class! [...] [...] Check out My Life As A Foodie’s awesome Podcast of our class! [...]

]]> By: Wine + Cheese « my life as a foodie http://www.mylifeasafoodie.com/2009/02/27/episode-33-molecular/#comment-548 Wine + Cheese « my life as a foodie Thu, 14 May 2009 02:15:05 +0000 http://mylifeasafoodie.com/?p=219#comment-548 [...] may recall the story I told in Episode 33 when, while in our Molecular Cooking class making apple caviar, Peter suggests making the caviar [...] [...] may recall the story I told in Episode 33 when, while in our Molecular Cooking class making apple caviar, Peter suggests making the caviar [...]

]]> By: G. Wheeler http://www.mylifeasafoodie.com/2009/02/27/episode-33-molecular/#comment-547 G. Wheeler Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:34:05 +0000 http://mylifeasafoodie.com/?p=219#comment-547 Molecular Gastronomy is a trip. Sounds like fun, Phil. The French Laundry is regarded by food critics as disputing with El Bulli in Spain for the best restaurant in the world. I have never eaten there and the food is doubtless richer than my cardiologist would approve. I don't think I will ever eat there since spending that much on a meal seems almost obscene and I don’t have a concierge credit card or a secretary to make reservations for me. Molecular Gastronomy is a trip. Sounds like fun, Phil.

The French Laundry is regarded by food critics as disputing with El Bulli in Spain for the best restaurant in the world. I have never eaten there and the food is doubtless richer than my cardiologist would approve. I don’t think I will ever eat there since spending that much on a meal seems almost obscene and I don’t have a concierge credit card or a secretary to make reservations for me.

]]> By: Drew Larson http://www.mylifeasafoodie.com/2009/02/27/episode-33-molecular/#comment-546 Drew Larson Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:58:01 +0000 http://mylifeasafoodie.com/?p=219#comment-546 Hey Phil, great show. Really enjoyed listening to some of the audio from the class too. The problem with the term "Molecular Gastronomy" is that it is linked to the fact that Gastronomy is commonly defined as encompassing the knowledge and techniques involved in cooking. Traditionally related to the table, it is quite difficult for the majority of people to see Molecular Gastronomy as only the science behind all this. Even though I believe that a distinction is due, I do not know how "easy" or better feasible, this shift in conception would be. It could be nice to start thinking at "molecular gastronomy units" as a duo of scientist + chef so that there won't be any need for a shift in understanding and using of the terms. Loved your recap of Top Chef too, Phil. It was a bit of a let down, but still a fun show to watch. Take Care, Drew. Hey Phil, great show. Really enjoyed listening to some of the audio from the class too.

The problem with the term “Molecular Gastronomy” is that it is linked to the fact that Gastronomy is commonly defined as encompassing the knowledge and techniques involved in cooking. Traditionally related to the table, it is quite difficult for the majority of people to see Molecular Gastronomy as only the science behind all this.

Even though I believe that a distinction is due, I do not know how “easy” or better feasible, this shift in conception would be. It could be nice to start thinking at “molecular gastronomy units” as a duo of scientist + chef so that there won’t be any need for a shift in understanding and using of the terms.

Loved your recap of Top Chef too, Phil. It was a bit of a let down, but still a fun show to watch.

Take Care,

Drew.

]]> By: Bill Ripley http://www.mylifeasafoodie.com/2009/02/27/episode-33-molecular/#comment-545 Bill Ripley Thu, 05 Mar 2009 05:03:30 +0000 http://mylifeasafoodie.com/?p=219#comment-545 Loved this show from start to finish, Phil. It sounds like quite an opportunity to learn so many new things to do with food. And it appears you were in good company as well. What about 1/2 chef and 1/2 scientist? Sorry, I don't think that it is possible. Being a chef is full time if you want to be good, and being a scientist is full time. On the other hand, I don't deny that there are some people trained in knowing the results of science, and able to contribute to cooking. One of my former colleagues created a company for that (probably Le Sanctuaire is an equivalent). Always this confusion between molecular cooking and molecular gastronomy. I could see how this confusion is slowing the technical progress of cooking : the "cutting edge techniques" that are sometimes shown (rotary evaporator, ice concentration, liquid nitrogen) were proposed more than 30 years ago! Instead, if one looks to what science is producing, then a lot of much more advanced ideas can come. Bill Loved this show from start to finish, Phil. It sounds like quite an opportunity to learn so many new things to do with food. And it appears you were in good company as well.

What about 1/2 chef and 1/2 scientist? Sorry, I don’t think that it is possible. Being a chef is full time if you want to be good, and being a scientist is full time.

On the other hand, I don’t deny that there are some people trained in knowing the results of science, and able to contribute to cooking. One of my former colleagues created a company for that (probably Le Sanctuaire is an equivalent).

Always this confusion between molecular cooking and molecular gastronomy. I could see how this confusion is slowing the technical progress of cooking : the “cutting edge techniques” that are sometimes shown (rotary evaporator, ice concentration, liquid nitrogen) were proposed more than 30 years ago! Instead, if one looks to what science is producing, then a lot of much more advanced ideas can come.

Bill

]]> By: Lambda http://www.mylifeasafoodie.com/2009/02/27/episode-33-molecular/#comment-544 Lambda Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:53:51 +0000 http://mylifeasafoodie.com/?p=219#comment-544 Was so exciting to hear you speak of the wonderful food of Syria. We have travelled quite a bit, and my favorite food was in a restaurant that served some of the best Middle Eastern food where a simple order of scrambled eggs brought something between an omlette and a souffle, and the small bakery near Martyr Square with the most wonderful cookies ever experienced. I recall the saffron potatoes. I wonder how they were made. Was so exciting to hear you speak of the wonderful food of Syria. We have travelled quite a bit, and my favorite food was in a restaurant that served some of the best Middle Eastern food where a simple order of scrambled eggs brought something between an omlette and a souffle, and the small bakery near Martyr Square with the most wonderful cookies ever experienced. I recall the saffron potatoes. I wonder how they were made.

]]> By: Phil http://www.mylifeasafoodie.com/2009/02/27/episode-33-molecular/#comment-543 Phil Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:24:25 +0000 http://mylifeasafoodie.com/?p=219#comment-543 Mary and Matt, thank you both for your comments. It means a lot that you're listening, and that you enjoyed the content. Sur La Table should be commended for making courses like this available to the home cook. Without hands on laboratory classes in Molecular Gastronomy like this, we're left to what few video clips we see online, and recipes in books. Nothing replaces the hands-on knowledge that we received that day from Chef Michael Young. Thanks again! Mary and Matt, thank you both for your comments. It means a lot that you’re listening, and that you enjoyed the content. Sur La Table should be commended for making courses like this available to the home cook. Without hands on laboratory classes in Molecular Gastronomy like this, we’re left to what few video clips we see online, and recipes in books. Nothing replaces the hands-on knowledge that we received that day from Chef Michael Young.

Thanks again!

]]> By: matt http://www.mylifeasafoodie.com/2009/02/27/episode-33-molecular/#comment-542 matt Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:11:59 +0000 http://mylifeasafoodie.com/?p=219#comment-542 Yo Phil, great episode - I'm also really digging the slide show, well done! Keep on cookin'... Yo Phil, great episode – I’m also really digging the slide show, well done! Keep on cookin’…

]]> By: Mary http://www.mylifeasafoodie.com/2009/02/27/episode-33-molecular/#comment-541 Mary Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:32:14 +0000 http://mylifeasafoodie.com/?p=219#comment-541 Phil, As the District Manager for Sur La Table in Southern Cal, I have to say I absolutely love your blog, not only for the publicity on our Farmer's Market store, but also because, as a new resident to LA, I'm glad to see there are people as passionate as you are about food culture in LA. I've gotten a lot of great info from your blog, and the links to other blogs, that will help me get to know my new city, and I hope to find out that LA has as much to offer as big foodie cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland. If you have any feedback for our store, or if we can support you and your blog in any way, please let me know. Phil,

As the District Manager for Sur La Table in Southern Cal, I have to say I absolutely love your blog, not only for the publicity on our Farmer’s Market store, but also because, as a new resident to LA, I’m glad to see there are people as passionate as you are about food culture in LA. I’ve gotten a lot of great info from your blog, and the links to other blogs, that will help me get to know my new city, and I hope to find out that LA has as much to offer as big foodie cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland.

If you have any feedback for our store, or if we can support you and your blog in any way, please let me know.

]]> By: Phil http://www.mylifeasafoodie.com/2009/02/27/episode-33-molecular/#comment-540 Phil Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:52:22 +0000 http://mylifeasafoodie.com/?p=219#comment-540 JeffreyT, thanks for listening, as always. Glad I could be there in the car with you on your long drive. The Good Beer Show has more than gotten me home from work on more than one occasion as well, so I know the feeling. :-) Sorry about the beer links. I'm trying to re-organize everything right now, and I'm playing with the idea of moving the show in a direction without beer, concentrating only on food, food issues, and food culture. After the "drunk show" with Don, I thought I'd move away from drinking on the show for a while. It was quite embarrassing for me that we got that loose, but it was fun getting there! :-D Dave, thank you for your comments as well. I totally understand where you're coming from. It's not for everyone, but it is one more way to spruce up your vegetarian lifestyle. You can only do so much with vegetables, fruit, and cheese. To take them out of their natural form and do something like this with them is fun and different. And yes, fresh is best - always! Never forget that. Regardless of how strange we get with chemistry, or technique, it's always about the food. That's the bottom line here. JeffreyT, thanks for listening, as always. Glad I could be there in the car with you on your long drive. The Good Beer Show has more than gotten me home from work on more than one occasion as well, so I know the feeling. :-)

Sorry about the beer links. I’m trying to re-organize everything right now, and I’m playing with the idea of moving the show in a direction without beer, concentrating only on food, food issues, and food culture. After the “drunk show” with Don, I thought I’d move away from drinking on the show for a while. It was quite embarrassing for me that we got that loose, but it was fun getting there! :-D

Dave, thank you for your comments as well. I totally understand where you’re coming from. It’s not for everyone, but it is one more way to spruce up your vegetarian lifestyle. You can only do so much with vegetables, fruit, and cheese. To take them out of their natural form and do something like this with them is fun and different. And yes, fresh is best – always! Never forget that. Regardless of how strange we get with chemistry, or technique, it’s always about the food. That’s the bottom line here.

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