Molecular Gastronomy Day at the Horizon Cafe!
Tuesday, March 18th, 2014 -- 11:10 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. -- Prix Fixe: $3.00
MenuEntrees:
Sides:
Salad:
Dessert:
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Molecular Gastronomy? You want me to eat WHAT? At it's heart, molecular gastronomy (MG) is the combination of art, science and cooking to create thought-provoking meals using both traditional and innovative ingredients in novel ways. The process can be as simple as combining two ingredients that are out-of-the-ordinary and contrast sharply with each other, or as complex as using food additives to change the texture and shapes of foods to provide whole new opportunities for presentation and plating.
In many dishes that we will serve, "chemicals" are used. But in the final analysis, everything is a chemical. Water, carbohydrates and all other foods we eat are just different combinations of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, phosphorus and nitrogen. We add other elements for flavor, such as sodium and chlorine in sodium chloride (standard table salt), but if you're eating a steak, a baked potato and green beans, you're mostly eating just a few elements combined in a few different ways. With MG, we use some additional compounds comprised of these same few elements, just mixed together in a different way. The compounds that we've used are listed below. All of them are natural, safe to eat and in general, mostly tasteless. The use of these compounds allows us to change the texture of foods or combine flavors in ways that are not normally possible. This creates a new experience from familiar flavors. We hope that you'll enjoy our offerings, and that you'll learn something along the way, too! We welcome any and all questions or comments that you might have. |
Compounds Used
Agar
Agar is a carbohydrate that is most familiar to anyone who has ever used a Petri dish to culture bacteria. The "gel" in the bottom of the dish on which the bacteria grow is agar, dissolved in water and with nutrients added to encourage the bacteria to grow. Agar comes from the cell walls of certain types of algae, and is a polymer of galactose, which, along with glucose, makes up the lactose found in milk. It's important to note that those who are lactose intolerant will not have an adverse reaction to agar; it does not contain any dairy products. Much like Jell-O, the compound must be dissolved in water and then heated to boiling. When the solution cools, it will gel and become firm at room temperature. This allows us to turn foods that are otherwise liquid into solids.
Sodium Alginate
Sodium alginate can be used to create gels, as well, and also comes from the cell walls of algae, although a different species than those used to obtain agar. It is a polymer of another type of sugar. Chances are that if you've ever had a milkshake from a fast-food restaurant, you've already consumed sodium alginate. It's used widely as a thickener in milkshakes and other beverages, and even in the pimento of some olives to keep it solid! If sodium alginate is brought into contact with anything that contains a large amount of calcium ions, the calcium will cause the long polymer chains to link together and form a gel. This allows us to mix an ingredient, apple juice, for example, with sodium alginate, and then drop it into a water bath that contains calcium. The calcium interacts with the alginate on the outside of the droplets first, forming a firm outer layer, and leaving a liquid inside. It's a fascinating procedure that can create very unique textures.
Calcium Chloride
Calcium chloride is a type of salt that is often used in commercial ice melters. It's two calcium atoms attached to one chlorine, so when it dissolves in water, it dissociates and produce three atoms. Sodium chloride, regular table salt, only produces two atoms. So calcium chloride is a more effective ice melter. We use it in MG as a source of calcium. Calcium interacts with the longer molecules of sodium alginate, causing them to cross-link and form a gel.
Agar is a carbohydrate that is most familiar to anyone who has ever used a Petri dish to culture bacteria. The "gel" in the bottom of the dish on which the bacteria grow is agar, dissolved in water and with nutrients added to encourage the bacteria to grow. Agar comes from the cell walls of certain types of algae, and is a polymer of galactose, which, along with glucose, makes up the lactose found in milk. It's important to note that those who are lactose intolerant will not have an adverse reaction to agar; it does not contain any dairy products. Much like Jell-O, the compound must be dissolved in water and then heated to boiling. When the solution cools, it will gel and become firm at room temperature. This allows us to turn foods that are otherwise liquid into solids.
Sodium Alginate
Sodium alginate can be used to create gels, as well, and also comes from the cell walls of algae, although a different species than those used to obtain agar. It is a polymer of another type of sugar. Chances are that if you've ever had a milkshake from a fast-food restaurant, you've already consumed sodium alginate. It's used widely as a thickener in milkshakes and other beverages, and even in the pimento of some olives to keep it solid! If sodium alginate is brought into contact with anything that contains a large amount of calcium ions, the calcium will cause the long polymer chains to link together and form a gel. This allows us to mix an ingredient, apple juice, for example, with sodium alginate, and then drop it into a water bath that contains calcium. The calcium interacts with the alginate on the outside of the droplets first, forming a firm outer layer, and leaving a liquid inside. It's a fascinating procedure that can create very unique textures.
Calcium Chloride
Calcium chloride is a type of salt that is often used in commercial ice melters. It's two calcium atoms attached to one chlorine, so when it dissolves in water, it dissociates and produce three atoms. Sodium chloride, regular table salt, only produces two atoms. So calcium chloride is a more effective ice melter. We use it in MG as a source of calcium. Calcium interacts with the longer molecules of sodium alginate, causing them to cross-link and form a gel.