21st century eggs, bacon, chips and beans Chris Heathcote interesting2007

Hello. I like food. A lot. I want to make things taste better. Some of this involves some chemistry.

I like food.

A lot.

I want to make things taste better.

Some of this involves some chemistry.

(Western) food We’ve conquered pretty much every taste from around the world. We’ve pushed current techniques, textures and combinations as far as possible. How can we make things taste more of themselves?

We’ve conquered pretty much every taste from around the world.

We’ve pushed current techniques, textures and combinations as far as possible.

How can we make things taste more of themselves?

Deconstruction We can deconstruct ingredients into flavours and textures. Memories. Some ingredients are about the idea or preparations behind it.

We can deconstruct ingredients into flavours and textures.

Memories.

Some ingredients are about the idea or preparations behind it.

Reconstruction Then we can put them together in new combinations. Food = taste + texture + presentation.

Then we can put them together in new combinations.

Food = taste + texture + presentation.

An example

EBCB

My notes.

Eggs Eggs are difficult. Hard to amplify the flavour, often used for texture changes. (if anything, an egg yolk sauce). But what about the idea of an egg?

Eggs are difficult.

Hard to amplify the flavour, often used for texture changes.

(if anything, an egg yolk sauce).

But what about the idea of an egg?

Deconstructing eggs Yolk, white, shell. Raw, whipped whites, meringue, boiled, fried, poached, scrambled, omelette.

Yolk, white, shell.

Raw, whipped whites, meringue, boiled, fried, poached, scrambled, omelette.

Cyberegg

El Bulli

WD50

Bacon Bacon: Fat, protein. Fried.

Bacon: Fat, protein.

Fried.

Bacon Bacon powder, bacon jelly, bacon grease, bacon jam, bacon toast, bacon leather, bacon air, bacon crisp.

Bacon powder, bacon jelly, bacon grease, bacon jam, bacon toast, bacon leather, bacon air, bacon crisp.

Powders Fat + maltodextrin. Ground crispy bacon.

Fat + maltodextrin.

Ground crispy bacon.

Chips Taste: potato, fat. Texture: crispy/fluffy.

Taste: potato, fat. Texture: crispy/fluffy.

Potato Potato bread, pommes puree, potato crisp, fried potato slice, mash, potato foam.

Potato bread, pommes puree, potato crisp, fried potato slice, mash, potato foam.

Foams Dairy + liquid + Nitrous oxide = foam.

Dairy + liquid + Nitrous oxide = foam.

Beans Beans meanz Heinz. (I don’t really like beans). Where is the taste? Mainly in the juice. (it tastes of tomato soup).

Beans meanz Heinz.

(I don’t really like beans).

Where is the taste? Mainly in the juice. (it tastes of tomato soup).

Spherification Invented by the food processing industry. Discovered by Ferran Adria. Calcium salt + sodium alginate = jelly.

Invented by the food processing industry.

Discovered by Ferran Adria.

Calcium salt + sodium alginate = jelly.

Inverse spherification Flavoured liquid + calcium gluconate and calcium lactate + xanthan gum. Bath of water + sodium alginate + sodium citrate. “ Poach”.

Flavoured liquid + calcium gluconate and calcium lactate + xanthan gum.

Bath of water + sodium alginate + sodium citrate.

“ Poach”.

Reconstructed EBCB Potato “white” + baked bean “yolk”. Bacon “salt and pepper”.

Potato “white” + baked bean “yolk”.

Bacon “salt and pepper”.

Forkbot & thanks Me: chris@ anti-mega .com Food: forkbot.org (soon, soon) Chemicals: texturas.com, infusions4chefs.co.uk Books: El Bulli cookbooks, Ferran Adria et al Egg, Lyndsay & Patrick Mikanowski Websites: Hungry in Hogtown Egullet Ideas in Food

Me: chris@ anti-mega .com

Food: forkbot.org (soon, soon)

Chemicals: texturas.com, infusions4chefs.co.uk

Books:

El Bulli cookbooks, Ferran Adria et al

Egg, Lyndsay & Patrick Mikanowski

Websites:

Hungry in Hogtown

Egullet

Ideas in Food