THE FUTURE OF FOOD Molecular Gastronomy for the Masses

by Todd Huffman Todd Huffman

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If you're bored of everyday kitchen chemistry and are hankering to bust out the big guns of molecular gastronomy, your ordinary cookbook probably won't cut it. Fortunately, PopSci has you covered. Check out our favorite high-tech recipes-courtesy of International Cooking Concepts-perfect for rounding out any gastronomer's oeuvre. All can be made using your run-of-the-mill, restaurant-quality Gastrovac,
the $4,000 machine revolutionizing haute cuisine at the world's most cutting-edge eateries.

For a little food-technology magic you can try at home, launch our gallery for a step-by-step guide to high-tech cooking's DIY guru Dave Arnold's [see our profile of Arnold here] mojito-strawberry salsa. Note that the commercial vacuum sealer isn't strictly required. But man, it's cool.

Recipes for the Gastrovac can be found below and on the following pages:

Lettuce Sauted With Smoky Bacon

Pascal Barbot, l'Astrance, Paris

Preparation

Place the following ingredients in the Gastrovac: the meat stock, bacon, onions, carrots, rosemary, savory and lettuce hearts. Cook for 55 minutes at 50 C. Allow to cool and drain well.

Cut the lettuce hearts in half. Place a little melted butter and the sugar in a frying pan. Place the Romaine lettuce hearts in the frying pan with the flat side down and fry until golden brown. Season with fleur de sel, freshly-ground pepper and the orange zest. Serve with sauted chicken liver, deglazed with vinegar, or with a slice of grilled foie gras.

Ingredients(Serves 4)

4 Romaine lettuce hearts

2 strips fried bacon

8 new onions

Fleur de sel

Ground pepper

4 new carrots

2 liters white meat stock

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 sprig of fresh savory

25g butter

1 tablespoonful sugar

Zest of 1 orange