I’ve just begun to read Harold McGee’s recent revision of On Food and Cooking: the Science and Lore of the Kitchen. The book covers a wide range of topics in detail – from how cheeses are made, to the science behind tempered chocolate. As you might expect, the explanations can sometimes become quite technical. But the writings I’ve read so far have been very clear and concise, and relatable to my own cooking. Hopefully this book will help me become a better cook. After all, who can question your cooking technique when it’s been scientifically proven to work?
While I’m on the topic of molecular gastronomy ('the science of deliciousness’), I thought I would compile a list of resources to help keep track of developments in this rapidly changing field. Posted below is what I’ve come across so far, and I’ll continue to add to the list as I learn more. Please feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me if you have anything to add, or if you feel that something that’s listed shouldn’t be there.
Index
Columns, Forums and Blogs
Tutorials
Books
Papers
Videos
Organizations, Companies and Events
People
Restaurants and Stores
Technologies
Ingredients
Columns, Forums and Blogs
eGullet: The Alinea Project
Food for Design
Hungry In Hogtown
www.lamargaritaseagita.com
Molecular Gastronomy and the Science of Cooking
Movable Feast
Pierre Gagnaire
Science-and-Food-uncation
The Guardian: Heston Blumenthal
The Times: Heston Blumenthal
Tutorials
BBC Radio 4: Kitchen Cornucopia (6/2001)
eGCI: Science of the Kitchen: Taste (4/2004)
eGCI: Science of the Kitchen: Texture (6/2004)
eGullet Q&A: Ferran Adrià (12/2004)
eGullet Q&A: Grant Achatz (3/2003)
eGullet Q&A: Harold McGee (11/2004)
eGullet Q&A: Heston Blumenthal (10/2002)
INRA: Recent Advances in Molecular Gastronomy (1/2005)
Books
Cookwise (Shirley Corriher, 1997)
El Bulli 1983-1993 (Spanish) (Ferran Adrià, Juli Soler, Albert Adrià, 2005)
El Bulli 1994-1997 (Spanish) (Ferran Adrià, Juli Soler, Albert Adrià, 2005)
El Bulli 1998-2002 (Ferran Adrià, Juli Soler, Albert Adrià, 2003)
El Bulli 2003-2004 (Spanish) (Ferran Adrià, Juli Soler, Albert Adrià, 2005)
Kitchen Chemistry (Ted Lister, Heston Blumenthal, 2005)
Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor (Hervé This, 2005)
On Food and Cooking (Harold McGee, 2004)
Sous-Vide Cuisine (Joan Roca, 2005)
The New Kitchen Science (Howard Hillman, 2003)
The Science of Cooking (Peter Barham, 2001)
What Einstein Told His Cook (Robert Wolke, 2002)
What Einstein Told His Cook 2 (Robert Wolke, 2005)
Papers
MG in Copenhagen (Thorvald Pedersen, 2004)
Molecular Gastronomy: a scientific look to cooking (Hervé This, 2004)
Workshop On Molecular Gastronomy (Harold McGee, 2004)
Videos
Eat This: Extreme Cuisine (Week 1, Episode 2)
Organizations, Companies and Events
AKWA
Alicia
Asociacion Argentina de Gastronomia Molecular
Enivrance
Firmenich
INICON
Innova Concept
International Workshop on Molecular Gastronomy
Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía
Molecular Gastronomy Discussion List
Monell Chemical Senses Center
Research Chefs Association
Seminar INRA on Molecular Gastronomy
People
Peter Barham (University of Bristol)
Davide Cassi (Universita' di Parma)
David Gray and Andy Taylor (University of Nottingham)
Nicholas Kurti (Oxford University)
Harold McGee
Thorvald Pedersen (Royal Veterinary and Agricultural Unversity of Denmark)
Jorge Ruiz (Universidad de Extremadura)
Hervé This (INRA/Collège de France)
Australia
Fenix (Richmond, VIC; Chef Raymond Capaldi)
Canada
DC Duby (Richmond, BC; Chefs Dominique and Cindy Duby)
Lobby (Toronto, ON; Chef Robert Bragagnolo)
France
Pierre Gagnaire (Paris, Chef Pierre Gagnaire)
Germany
Amador (Langen, Chef Juan Amador)
Remake (Berlin, Chef Cristiano Rienzner)
Italy
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni (Como Lake, Chef Ettore Bocchia)
Japan
Tapas Molecular Bar (Tokyo, Chef Jeff Ramsey)
Singapore
Saint Pierre (Chef Emmanuel Stroobant)
Spain
Alkimia (Barcelona, Chef Jordi Vilà)
Comerç 24 (Barcelona, Chef Carles Abellan)
El Bulli (Rosas, Chef Ferran Adrià)
Espai Sucre (Barcelona, Chef Jordi Butrón)
Mugaritz (Otzazulueta, Chef Andoni Aduriz)
Restaurante Arzak (San Sebastian, Chef Juan Mari Arzak)
United Kingdom
Anthony's (Leeds, Chef Anthony Flinn)
The Fat Duck (Bray, Chef Heston Blumenthal)
United States
Alinea (Chicago, IL; Chef Grant Achatz)
Antidote (Sausalito, CA; Chef Eric Torralba)
Café Atlántico (Washington, DC; Chef Jose Andres)
Cru (New York, NY; Chef Shea Gallante)
davidburke and donatella (New York, NY;Chef David Burke)
Gilt (New York, NY; Chef Paul Liebrandt)
Minibar (Washington, DC; Chef Jose Andres)
ONE.Midtown Kitchen (Atlanta, GA; Chef Richard Blais)
Restaurant L (Boston MA; Chef Pino Maffeo)
Room 4 Dessert (New York, NY; Chef Will Goldfarb)
Moto (Chicago, IL; Chef Homaro Cantu)
wd-50 (New York, NY; Chef Wylie Dufresne)
Venue (Hoboken, NJ; Chef James George)
Technologies
Clifton Food Range
Electrolux Cook Chill System
iSi Profi/Gourmet Whip
Pacojet
Rational SelfCooking Center
Techne Thermoregulator
Thermomix
Ingredients
L'Epicerie
Paris Gourmet: Cuisine-Tech
Texturas | Albert y Ferran Adrià
Will Powder
Last modified: October 1, 2006
Hi Clement, found your blog randomly while looking for a green tea cookie recipe on the internet. Love the pics of your food! Very stylish! :)
By the way, if you do hv any good green tea cookie recipes, pl let me know! Cheers!
Posted by: spots | November 21, 2004 at 08:37 AM
I have read most of this book (in the first edition) and I love it. The chapter on eggs really improved my custards - the way that eggs react to heat can be complicated, but McGee really spells it all out. Now I can comfortably second guess a recipe if it doesnt seem to be working. Have you noticed a big difference between the second edition and the first? Just wondering if I need to buy it again.
Posted by: Sasha | November 22, 2004 at 02:04 PM
Hi Spots - thanks for visiting. I don't have much experience with green tea, although I did make green tea macarons once. Just follow the recipe from my post on November 21st, and add 2 tsps of green tea powder to the batter, and 1 or 2 tsps to the buttercream. Also check out Sadaharu Aoki's website; he's a Japanese pastry chef in Paris, and his work might give you some ideas.
Hi Sasha - I haven't read the first edition of On Food and Cooking, but in the introduction of his latest revision, McGee says that he's expanded the book by two-thirds, and rewriten all the other chapters from the first edition. He also says that the second edition gives more emphasis to the diversity of ingredients and the ways in which they're prepared, and to the particular molecules that create flavours.
This is kind of unrelated, but I was wondering if you've had any experience with the Japanese Benriner mandolines. I don't think I need a fancy French model, so I am leaning towards buying a Super Benriner.
Posted by: Clement | November 23, 2004 at 11:42 PM
The Benriner is one of those things that after you've had it for two days, you just can't figure out how you ever got along without it. They work very well, but make sure you get the one with two adjusting screws (not one) to help prevent uneven slicing.
Posted by: ron oliver | December 10, 2004 at 03:10 AM
Thanks Ron - I will definitely try it out and keep your advice in mind!
Posted by: Clement | December 24, 2004 at 11:09 AM
Don't fail to get Harold's revised book...it has far more salient content and precision than the first pass. No one should even remotely consider cooking professionally without reading (and memorizing most of..) this book.
Posted by: Mark Stech-Novak | October 12, 2005 at 02:16 PM
http://www.brouwerskolkje.nl/menukaart.html
in the netherlands
Posted by: vera | February 06, 2006 at 02:20 AM
I am very interested in internationa cooperation in this field of advanced food knowledge.
Very cordially Paolo Manzelli EGOCREANET /dept.Chemistry Univ. Florence
Posted by: Paolo Manzelli | March 11, 2006 at 09:21 AM
Hello there
I have really enjoyed your page.
Thank you
Posted by: Duncan | June 28, 2006 at 05:25 PM
Dear a la Cuisine!,
My name is Shirley Hall and I am the marketing manager at Paris Gourmet, a manufacturer/importer/distributor of specialty food ingredients serving the professional food trade. I really enjoyed
your coverage of molecular gastronomy and
wanted you to know that Paris Gourmet has a
COMPLETE molecular gastronomy ingredient product line called CUISINE-TECH. It is available through our national distributors.
Visit us on line at www.parisgourmet.com (search BRANDS droplist on home page for CUISINE-TECH). We really enjoy your web site
and all the effort put into this exciting new
trend of cuisine.
Sincerely,
Shirley Hall
Tel. 800-727-8791 ext. 202
Posted by: Shirley Hall | September 22, 2006 at 02:23 PM
how can cuisine tech use the trademarked and copyrighted names of the texturas line without punishment?
best regards
will goldfarb
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Posted by: 10/325 | October 24, 2006 at 03:45 PM
would you know of any colleges/universitys that teach molecular gastonomy?
Posted by: jordan | February 27, 2007 at 03:15 PM
Hi There
We just found your web-site and were wondering if any one could direct us to "Molecular Gastronomy" ingredient suppliers, distributors in Toronto or Canada. Any unlikely suppliers you would suggest Ie, Health food stores and pharmaceutical co.'s in the GTA.
Thanks much, have just purchased the ebulli 2003 and 04 books and dying to use them.
Posted by: Steffan Howard | March 01, 2007 at 02:36 PM
Im currently attending school at the cooking and hospitality institute of chicago, i a have a passion for molecular gastronomy, can you please send me more feedback on the subject? Thank you Otoniel R.
Posted by: Otoniel Roldan | March 30, 2007 at 10:37 AM
Im currently attending school at the cooking and hospitality institute of chicago, i a have a passion for molecular gastronomy, can you please send me more feedback on the subject? Thank you Otoniel R.
Posted by: Otoniel Roldan | March 30, 2007 at 10:40 AM
under the title restaurants and stores
Remake (Berlin, Chef Cristiano Rienzner)
Cristiano Rienzner has just opened Taller berlin in partnership with juan sole producer of ferran adrias textures
check out the website
www.sole-graells.com
Posted by: miles watson | July 19, 2007 at 10:54 AM
I am looking for someone to teach a 4 day course on molecular gastronomy at my cooking school in guatemala, 50% demo 50% practical, if anyone is interested please contact me, gracias
[email protected]
Posted by: jorge jorge lamport | September 01, 2007 at 10:22 PM
Hellow
i saw on alinea web site that they use smokes in food presentation.do you know any think about it or maybe you know wich product used to get smokes.Thank ypou
Posted by: Vytautas Samavicius | December 13, 2007 at 04:05 AM
Chef Johnny Kirk has brought "molecular gastronomy" to Memphis, TN at his downtown eatery, Stella.
Posted by: cynthia riley | September 14, 2008 at 03:40 PM
The Fat Duck in Bray is a wonderful molecular gastronomic experience! I have started experimenting with it too ever since watching and experiencing Heston's food! Thank you for your great list of resources!
Posted by: Gregory Schaad-Jackson | October 01, 2008 at 07:19 PM
hello,
amazing pages around this topic !
I also suggest to visit the website of a french company www.gastronomie.kalys.com where you'll find not only ingrdients but also kits containing ingredients and whatever necessary to make crazy stuff. I have seen their kits have been selected as trendy and innovative during last SIAL in France.
Interesting !
Enjoy
Celine
Posted by: Celine Vilquin | October 28, 2008 at 11:47 AM
hello,
amazing pages around this topic !
I also suggest to visit the website of a french company www.gastronomie.kalys.com where you'll find not only ingrdients but also kits containing ingredients and whatever necessary to make crazy stuff. I have seen their kits have been selected as trendy and innovative during last SIAL in France.
Interesting !
Enjoy
Celine
Posted by: Celine Vilquin | October 28, 2008 at 11:48 AM
hi i ust found this page and im still reading at 3.46am after an 18hours shift in my kitchen,.........great stuff.......love it
Posted by: james | January 31, 2009 at 10:48 PM
This article is simply amazing. It's the best launching point for anyone interested in Molecular Gastronomy. I refrenced this post in one I just put up on Dining Hall Digest:
http://dininghalldigest.blogspot.com/2009/04/molecular-gastronomy.html
Check it out and let me know what you think!
Posted by: Michael Karelis | April 05, 2009 at 02:09 AM