molecular gastronomy

[cookingranny]

Hi - new to site and have burning ?s about molecular gastronomy.  Serious home foodie here and quite accomplished for a home chef.  Would love to try molecular gastronomy - where might I find actual cookbooks on it as well as equipment for the home chef.  Kits seem rather high priced and w/ science background, have access to things like syringes as well as several generic chemical compounds.  However, where might I find the "dingus" used to make foams? etc.  I am in southeastern WI but can (with effort) find my way around the 'net.

 

[gunnar]

hello and welcome.  I don't do any MG (although I would like to try a foam or two) but after a quick search around here I found several threads already started.......and among them

http://www.cheftalk.com/forum/thread/55784/molecular-gastronomy-supplies

http://www.cheftalk.com/forum/thread/58516/molecular-gastronomy   this one has some posted links from various members and suggestions for books

See you around and best of luck.

 

[mezzaluna]

Hi Cookingranny! I'd like to add my welcome to Gunnar's.

I'm in the same vicinity (as you can see by my location); I don't know of anyone doing MG around here, at least on the same scale as, say, Grant Achatz in Chicago at Alinea. My husband and I had dinner there with Nicko and his wife, Colleen, a few years ago. I think there's a review here somewhere on this site....

I don't know of any local sources for the equipment, either. If you find any of it, I'd be interested in hearing about it.

Welcome to the community!

Mezzaluna

 

[cookingranny]

I found soy lecithin at the great price of $5.10/lb at Milk and Honey - a health food store in Wauwatosa (GNC price of $10.- and best on line price I saw was $20.-/lb.) and CaCl2 at Laabs - approximately 27th and Wells in Milwaukee.  I ordered a couple of other things from chef rubber - also - syringes can usually be found in the animal dept of Fleet Farm or Farm and Fleet stores (they sell supplies for LARGE animals - cows, horses, etc and have those without Rx. 

Did play with a gremolota foam using the lecithin - really enjoyed that - did not have the "bite" that gremolota may have.  Will try some spherification this evening using lemon to top a schnitzel.  We are enjoying the experimentation and having a great time in the kitchen - and that's what all this went for...

Hope your holidays are all you could wish for.  Thanks for the welcome and I truly am enjoying the forum.

 

[cookingranny]

Found some chemicals locally and ordered others on line.  Tried a "gremolatta foam" yesterday and served it along side traditional gremolatta on osso bucco - found the foam quite nice, did NOT have the bite   the traditional may have.  Will play w/ spherification tonight - using lemon juice and serving on schnitzel. 

We are certainly having fun in the kitchen - enjoying the experimentation and the results as well.  Since that was my whole purpose, I'd say mission accomplished.

Thanks for your support - see ya 'round

 

[gunnar]

sweet, keep it up.

 

[bazza]

Hi cookingranny take a look at these recipes, you will have more fun with these. Some of the ingredients can be sourced from health food stores or Asian supermarkets.

http://khymos.org/hydrocolloid-recipe-collection-v2.3-screen-res.pdf