Category — Fun With Food

Here’s a video of the chefs at moto restaurant electrically charging grains of kosher salt with a negative ion capacitor.  The salt jumps and bounces around in seemingly impossible ways. Crazy food of the future!  Oh by the way….this is where I work.

For more about moto restaurant, watch the video below!

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Back in April Popular Science published this article, titled “Bacon: The Other White Heat.” The accompanying video demonstrates how to melt through a steel pan using nothing but cured pork as the energy source. The creator of the “bacon lance,” Theodore Gray, actually used prosciutto, or what he calls “engineering grade bacon,” because it has more structural integrity and dries harder than conventional bacon. Watch the video and be amazed!

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Marshmallows are so easy to make. They can be flavored with just about anything too. These are vanilla marshmallows, flavored using whole vanilla beans.

Made from scratch, marshmallows are fluffier and more flavorful than anything commercially produced. And best of all, they toast incredibly well. Instead of becoming black and charred, the sugars in the marshmallows caramelize and create a crisp, créme brulée-like texture. Of course, the inside becomes warm and gooey. Here’s a simple recipe for marshmallows:

Marshmallows:

• 3/4 oz. gelatin
• 1/2 c (115 g) cold water
• 2 c. (415 g) sugar
• 2/3 c. (150 g) corn syrup
• 1/4 c. (57 g) water
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Flavoring, as desired
• Powdered sugar, as needed for dusting

Begin by blooming the gelatin with the 1/2 c. cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer. While the gelatin blooms, combine the sugar, corn syrup, remaining water, salt, and flavoring in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture to dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil. Add to the bloomed gelatin and whip on high speed for 10-12 minutes. The mixture should turn from a clear, viscous liquid to a thick, white, fluffy mixture.

Transfer the still liquid marshmallow to a plastic wrap-lined and greased container. Spread into an even layer using a greased offset spatula. Allow to set at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

Dust a cutting board with powdered sugar then unmold the marshmallow slab onto the cutting board. Dust the slab with powdered sugar and use either a greased or heated knife to cut into square marshmallows. Dust the marshmallows with powdered sugar and store in an airtight container.

The possibilities with marshmallows are endless. How about chocolate marshmallows or mint marshmallows? Want more bizarre flavors? How about sumac, basil, or celery marshmallows?

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Egg nog is a classic and delicious cold-weather drink. Unfortunately in today’s consumer society it has been relegated to the flabby, un-compelling, pre-packaged versions available next to the half and half and only during the holiday season. The original classic is incredibly simple to make and tastes infinitely better than any store-bought nog. Usually spiced heavily with nutmeg and cinnamon and combined with cognac, bourbon, or rum, egg nog is certainly a heavy drink. However, it’s delightful weight matches perfectly with the cold winter.

I knew I wanted to make some eggnog and share it with my internet audience, but every audience needs a show. I needed to finesse the presentation to make egg nog even more exciting. In the glass is a bit of cognac that is deeply infused with nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. The egg is nested on some toasted pine branches, which provide a delightful and apropriate egg nog-drinking aroma. “But what’s with the egg?” you ask. Well it’s filled with egg nog of course! What better way to surprise your guests than to crack what appears to be an egg into their fine cognac, only to reveal your sleight of hand when luscious egg nog spills from the cracked shell!

Want to know how to create this stunning presentation? This recipe is exclusively for Garrett’s Table newsletter subscribers. Signing up couldn’t be easier though! Simply click the link below and enter your email address to sign up for the free monthly newsletter. I will include the recipe and procedure for this egg nog in the next email newsletter (February 1, 2010). All email addresses are confidential and you can unsubscribe at any time.

These stunning photographs were taken by Mike Boehmer.

Mike is a Chicago-based photographer and a regular contributor to The Windy Pixel. Please visit www.mikeboehmer.com for more fantastic photography!

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I love popcorn. I always keep plenty of popcorn kernels, popping oil, and popcorn salt around so I can eat the warm, salty treat any time, day or night. Months ago I spent a day off from work playing around with popcorn in my kitchen and created a creamy and fluffy popcorn mousse. I thought hard about how I could use or feature the mousse in a dish.

I think it’s a safe bet that most Americans associate buttered popcorn with the movie theatre. So I thought of other treats that we enjoy when we go to the movies. I always get a cherry coke with my popcorn and when I want something sweet I reach for the Sno Caps or Sour Patch Kids. I wanted to incorporate all these elements into a cohesive dessert. The popcorn mousse is covered in a mixture of chocolate powder and white sprinkles (Sno Caps). There’s a red carpet of tangy raspberry puree with Sour Patch raspberries and blackberries. Finally, a grenadine foam tops the mousse and adds the Cherry Coke element.

Popcorn Mousse:

• Popcorn Milk:
  • 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
  • 2 Tb. popping oil
  • 1 tsp. popcorn salt
  • 1 quart whole milk
• Mousse:
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 30 g sugar
  • 40 g cocoa butter
  • 3 sheets gelatin
  • 200 g sweetened whipped cream

  Begin by making the popcorn milk. Pop the kernels with the oil and salt. Bring the milk to a simmer and add the popcorn. Simmer for 5 minutes then blend the mixture. Pass through a chinois or fine mesh strainer. Discard the remaining solids

  Measure 250 g of this popcorn milk and to it add the egg yolk and sugar. Cook over low heat until slightly thickened. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon. Remove the mixture from the heat and begin blooming the gelatin in cold water. Slowly whisk the cocoa butter into the popcorn mixture. Finally, add the bloomed gelatin and whisk until completely dissolved. Pour the mixture onto a sheet pan and cool in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until set.

  When the mixture has set, transfer it to a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and whip to a smooth consistency. Carefully fold in the whipped cream.

  To form a tube of mousse, lay a large piece of plastic wrap onto a clean work surface. Pour about 1/6 of the popcorn mousse in the middle and fold the plastic over the mousse. Carefully pinch the mousse between the plastic while tapering and twisting the ends of the plastic wrap. Roll the tube forward, holding the plastic by the ends while firmly rolling up the remaining plastic. The air trapped inside with create a perfectly round log of mousse. Freeze the logs.

  Chocolate Powder:

  • 100 g dark chocolate
  • 40 g unsalted butter
  • 100 g tapioca maltodextrin*
  • Pinch salt

  Carefully melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth. Add the tapioca maltodextrin and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Turn the processor on and drizzle the chocolate-butter mixture into the tapioca maltodextrin. Scrape the sides of the bowl to loosen any unincorporated chocolate or maltodextrin. The powder should be very light and fluffy, not grainy at all.

  Grenadine Foam:

  • 100 g grenadine
  • 3 g Versawhip*

  Combine the grenadine and Versawhip in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip for 2 minutes on high or until the mixture reaches stiff peaks.

  Raspberry Puree:

  • 1 cup fresh raspberries
  • Pinch salt
  • Sugar, to taste

  Puree raspberries until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and any sugar if the raspberries are not sweet enough. The puree should be slightly tangy. Pass the puree through a chinois or fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds.

  Sour Patch Berries:

  • 3 Tb granulated sugar
  • 1 Tb. citric acid
  • Cooking oil spray, as needed
  • Fresh raspberries and blackberries

  Mix together the sugar and citric acid. Lightly spray the berries with a bit of vegetable oil. Dredge the berries in the sugar-acid mixture to create a light coating of granules.

  To Assemble and Serve:

  • Frozen popcorn mousse
  • Chocolate powder
  • 1/4 c. white sprinkles
  • Raspberry puree
  • Grenadine foam
  • Sour Patch berries

  Carefully remove the plastic from the frozen mousse. Place the chocolate powder into a loaf pan or onto a plate. Lightly roll the mousse in the chocolate powder, creating an even coating of powder. After the chocolate powder, coat the mousse in white sprinkles in a similar manner. Cut the mousse logs into 1 inch long pieces and place on a sheet pan. Place in the refrigerator to thaw.

  Lay a broad line of raspberry puree on the plate. Place 2 mousse sections on top of the puree and top with some grenadine foam. Finally, scatter the sour berries on the plate. Serve and enjoy!

  *Versawhip and tapioca maltodextrin can be purchased from a variety of online retailers, including Willpowder and L’Epicerie.

  

  Photos by Justin Kern.

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