Building a Meal: From Molecular Gastronomy to Culinary Constructivism

153 Pages·2009·8 MB·English

by  Hervé This

0.6563 in
bulk
Jacket
Je PRAISE FOR BUILDING A MEAL: FROM MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY TO CULINARY CONSTRUCTIVISM T
a This
n-Pierre M “oHf ehravpép Tinheiss’ss. mBuajioldri ncog nat rMibeuatli oisn t hise t hbaoto fko oodf ai s‘ baonn a vctiv oafn lto’ vaen da npdr oivs ildinesk eadn teox ctheell epnutr suit his BCuoinldtainctg: La iMsae Halamm
artin antidote to despair and depression. Its pages celebrate food and life.” Columbia University Press
/C Jeanine P. Plottel, Hunter College 212 459 0600 x 7105
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e “Hervé This takes what some might think of as cliché dishes and tells you what scientifi c trim: 6 x 8
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e F principles go into their successful preparation. His book, while erudite, allusive, precise, 4-color process
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nc and full of cultural insights, also has charm, wit, and brevity.”
e
Albert Sonnenfeld, translator of Massimo Montanari’s Food Is Culture and Giovanni all art is live and in position
Rebora’s Culture of the Fork: A Brief History of Everyday Food and Haute Cuisine in Europe
PRAISE FOR KITCHEN MYSTERIES: REVEALING THE SCIENCE OF COOKING
An internationally renowned chemist, popular
“Another tour de force for the French scientifi c chef.” Choice television personality, and bestselling author,
Hervé This heads the fi rst laboratory devoted to
“An exuberant paean for the role of science in cooking.” Times Higher Education
molecular gastronomy—the scientifi c exploration of
“Should be in every kitchen.” Toronto Star cooking and eating. By testing the recipes that have
guided cooks for centuries and the various dictums
and maxims on which they depend, This unites
HERVÉ THIS is a physical chemist on the staff of the PRAISE FOR MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY: EXPLORING THE SCIENCE OF FLAVOR
the head with the hand in order to defend and
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in
“For anyone who relishes the debunking of culinary myths.” Saveur transform culinary practice.
Paris. He is the author of Kitchen Mysteries: Reveal-
ing the Science of Cooking and Molecular Gastronomy: “Taking kitchen science to a whole new (molecular) level, Hervé This is changing the way
With this new book, Hervé This’s scientifi c project
Exploring the Science of Flavor, among other books. France—and the world—cooks.” Gourmet
enters an exciting new phase. Considering the
preparation of six bistro favorites—hard-boiled egg
M. B. DEBEVOISE has translated almost thirty works
with mayonnaise, simple consommé, leg of lamb
from French and Italian in every branch of scholar-
with green beans, steak with French fries, lemon
ship, including Hervé This’s Molecular Gastronomy
meringue pie, and chocolate mousse—he isolates
and The Columbia History of Twentieth-Century
FFrroomm MMoolleeccuullaarr GGaassttrroonnoommyy the exact chemical properties that tickle our senses
French Thought, edited by Lawrence D. Kritzman.
and stimulate our appetites. More important, he
ttoo CCuulliinnaarryy CCoonnssttrruuccttiivviissmm
connects the mind and the stomach, identifying
methods of culinary construction that appeal to
ARTS AND TRADITIONS OF THE TABLE: PERSPECTIVES ON CULINARY HISTORY
our memories, intelligence, and creativity. By
Jacket photos: Veer (meat and fork), istock (potato), and Isaac Tobin (egg) showing that the creation of a meal is as satisfying
Jacket design: Isaac Tobin
as its consumption, Hervé This recalibrates the
Printed in the U.S.A.
balance between food and our imaginations. The
ISBN: 978-0-231-14466-7 result is a revolutionary perspective that will tempt
Columbia University Press / New York COLUTraMnsBlatIedA b yU NIVERSITY PRESS Hervé This even the most casual cooks to greater fl ights of
www.cup.columbia.edu 9 780231 144667 Columbia M. B. DeBevoise experimentation.
Building a Meal
arts & traditions of the table
Hervé is
Building
tr ans lated by
Malcolm DeBevoise
a meal
f r o m m o l e c u l a r g a s t r o n o m y t o
c u l i n a r y c o n s t r u c t i v i s m
columbia university press • new york
Columbia University Press
Publishers Since 1893
New York Chichester, West Sussex
Construisons un repas copyright © Odile Jacob, 2007
Translation copyright © 2009 Columbia University Press
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
This, Hervé.
[Construisons un repas. English]
Building a meal : from molecular gastronomy to culinary arts and
traditions of the table / Hervé This ; translated by M. B. DeBevoise
p. cm. — (Arts and traditions of the table : perspectives on culinary history)
Includes index.
isbn 978–0–231–14466–7 (hard cover : alk. paper) — isbn 978–0-231–51353–1 (e-book)
1. Cookery. 2. Gastronomy. 3. Food habits—France. 4. Cookery, French.
I. Title II. Series.
tx651.t36813 2009
641.5—dc22
20080406268
Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper.
This book is printed on paper with recycled content.
Printed in the United States of America
c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
References to Internet Web sites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing.
Neither the author nor Columbia University Press is responsible for URLs that
may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared.
book design by vin dang • jacket design by isaac tobin
Dedication
It is common for authors to dedicate their books to people whom they
love or admire. But what if books were to be dedicated to their readers?
To you, my friend, I dedicate this book, with only one regret, that
today’s science is imperfect—as I am well aware.
Hurry, it’s time to get back to work!

C o ntents
Menu
Preface xi
Introduction • Culinary Construction 1
The Complexity of the World 2
Aetizers
1 • Hard-Boiled Egg with Mayonnaise 5
Heresy! 7
Renewing a Heritage 9
The Birth of Molecular Gastronomy 11
Return to the Kitchen 12
How to Make a “Good” Hard-Boiled Egg 13
Culinary Dictums by the Thousands 14
At What Temperature Is an Egg Cooked? 20
Understanding Phenomena 26
To Be a Cook or a Chemist? 28
And Now for the Mayonnaise 32
A Science for Cooking: Molecular Gastronomy 36
2 • Simple Consommé 39
A Site for Sharing New Ideas 40
How to Make a Bouillon 41
A Technical Question 44
Cooking Has Really Changed! 47
Constructing and Learning 51
viii • Contents
Main Course
3 • Leg of Lamb with Green Beans 55
Flavor and Culture 55
Culinary Innovation 56
To Grill or to Braise 60
The Color of Green Beans 61
Transmitting Knowledge 64
Moderation in All Things 68
4 • Steak and French Fries 71
Constructing a Dish 71
The Question of Steak 73
Should Meat Be Salted Before, During, or After Cooking? 74
Science and Diet 77
Good for Your Health? 78
Preparing French Fries 80
Desserts
5 • Lemon Meringue Pie 83
On Love in Cooking 84
What Do Humans Eat? 88
Pies, Fats, and Sugars 89
The Lemon Custard Filling 93
The Meringue 94
The Art of the Lecture 96
6 • A New Kind of Chocolate Mousse 99
Chantilly Chocolate 101
Novelty: Between Desire and Fear 103
What Will We Eat Tomorrow? 105
Health, Food Safety, and Flavor 108
ix • Contents
Looking Ahead 109
Note-by-Note Cooking 110
Reforming Education 111
Culinary Constructivism 113
Constructing a Menu 116
The Unending Conversation 118
Artisans and Artists 119
Index 123