Molecular Gastronomy Delivers Food Geek Porn

If I told anyone 20 years ago that  in 2012 I could take them out to a fine dining restaurant and be served an edible helium balloon that tasted of green apple, they’d probably have scoffed & asked me to say Hello to George & Jane Jetson.

Yet here we are.

Molecular Gastronomy itself has ballooned in popularity by elevating the dining experience to a new level of sensory indulgence. So exciting is the prospect of participating in a MG sitting, it’s been known to render a Foodie so giddy, it makes a squealing school girl seeing Justin Bieber at the Mall for the first time look lethargic.

While its origins can be traced back as far as the 60’s, it’s quickly become a predominant presence in the cooking world over the last decade.

If you’re new to the world of food re-imagined & are wondering what all the fuss  is about, you first must get edumacated on this high falutin’ concept that is rapidly making it’s way to the top of many Bucket Lists.

Peter Barham, Professor of Molecular Gastronomy, UK and author of  The Science of Cooking touches on the what MG strives to deliver to people seeking something outside the norms of standard three course meal mediocrity.

•  How ingredients are changed by different cooking methods
• How all the senses play their own roles in our appreciation of food
• The mechanisms of aroma release and the perception of taste and flavor
• How and why we evolved our particular taste and flavor sense organs and our general food likes and dislikes
• How cooking methods affect the eventual flavor and texture of food ingredients
• How new cooking methods might produce improved results of texture and flavor
• How our brains interpret the signals from all our senses to tell us the “flavor” of food
• How our enjoyment of food is affected by other influences, our environment, our mood, how it is presented, who prepares it, etc.

MG allows food to reach deity levels via deconstruction. It’s as if you took a standard restaurant offering, had Dr. Bunsen Honeydew work it over & then had Morpheus slip it the red pill. The presentation is limited only by the chefs imagination & training in this art.

Whether creating a foam that has been infused with the essence of asparagus piped into an heirloom tomato crisp nest, or whipping up a butternut squash flavored jello perched atop a sliver of black truffel, truly a chef well versed in MG is only limited by both genius & madness.

Regardless that it does have its many detractors, with high profile Chef’s referring to it as a bastardization of culinary norms while encouraging the bypassing of proper training, it appears that more and more people look at MG as a union of art, science & food and are clamoring for more thinking outside the box.

So if you’re sitting there still pondering why people will pay $300 for thirty, one bite courses, in a restaurant booked six months in advance, please enjoy a few Molecular Gastronomy Food Porn shots.

Even better news? Now you can practice and cultivate your MG skills in the comfort of your own home. So come Thanksgiving, you can show your Martha Stewart Living loving Mother-in-law what’s what.

Have at it Doctor, er I mean Chef Frankenstein.