Food Science

[franceslievens]

Recently I have enjoyed Heston Blumenthal's search for perfection on television. His methods are quite unique, and not always so handy in the kitchen (whatever he says he's trying to achieve with his work), but I liked the scientific he gave into the cooking process. Did you know why slowly roasted meat tastes better and juicier than the one that's got a quick stay in the oven o na higher temperature? Well, it's all about the molecules changing shape and texture. Now Science News has found out about scientific cooking.

Via Boing Boing

Comments

[comava.livejournal.com]

I would have liked to see the episode about chilli con carne... I love a good chilli. And the scientific backround sounds interesting as well, although I have to admit that's not really a side of cooking I occupy myself with!

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

What I liked about the program was that people say that cooking isn't science, it's pure gutt-feeling. Heston on the other hand was doing experiments in his kitchen. For example when making roast potatoes he put the common knowledge you need to cook potatoes in salted water to get hem crispy to the test. He roasted a load of salted and unsalted potatoes. The unsalted even looked disgusting.

Heston Blumenthal also puts a lot of stress on what food does to you. Tasts and smells work directly on the brain, and can transport you back to childhood memories in an instant, so that was always a big part of his search for perfection: it also had to be a perfect match with the good memories you have about it.