When Is Food More Than Just Food...

...When it's art. And Science. Combined into a delicious concoction that is called Molecular Gastronomy. My name is Steven Howell, I am a senior at BASIS Scottsdale High School, and I love to cook; and, more importantly, to eat. And when I found out that my love of food could be linked to my love of chemistry and physics, I was instantly hooked. Molecular Gastronomy has recently arisen in the culinary industry as a new avante guarde way of cooking. It is taking cuisine that people have come to love and expect, and turned it on it's head, dipped it in liquid nitrogen, and served it on a platter in tiny frozen pieces. It is as unexpected as the previous sentence.
During the course of my project over the next few months, I will investigate whether these lofty culinary ideas like Sous Vide and Spherification are actually viable and useful to a home chef. Some people have heard of Molecular Gastronomy, but how many average cooks have taken it upon themselves to try it out? The answer is not enough. In only the past few months, Nathan Myhrvold, the genius behind the paradigm shattering set of books Modernist Cuisine, released a new volume entitled Modernist Cuisine at Home, a book that intends to try to change the current stereotypes of cooking in the home and bring it into the true modern era of cooking.
In the coming weeks, I will address three main concerns that have been perceived as prohibitive to home chefs and Molecular Gastronomy: financial feasibility (Roto Stator Homogenizer, that sounds expensive!), necessary understanding of scientific concepts (there's a difference between Calcium Chloride and Calcium Lactate?), and difficulty of culinary preparations (there is a fine line between a chiffonade and julienne). I will explore, experiment, and explain how all of these can be overcome, so stick around, put your napkin in your lap, and Bon Appétit!