Talenti

Talenti Gelato e Sorbetto, an artisan gelato and sorbet maker. The brand originated in Florentine in the mid 1500's by Bernardo Buontalenti. The gelatos and sorbets are made from all natural ingredients of the highest quality. So...I was at the store the other day and was in the market for ice cream. I came across this brand that I have never heard of or tried before. So I go ahead and pick up a pint. It actually has a very nice mouthfeel. A little airier than what I expected from a typical gelato, but overall very nice. With a price point of nearly $7.00 a pint it is the most expensive brand that I have ever come across (probably $4 worth of packaging). The picture above is the lid and below is the container and the rest of my order. God I love ice cream.

Curtis Duffy

www.Curtisduffy.com (must see)

Modernist Cuisine

A line of books coming March 2011. I cannont wait until this series is released. Authors, Dr. Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young, and Maxime Bilet have put together what looks to be an outstanding volume of books. The 6 volumes will have a pricetag of $500.00. You can begin to pre-order your books on amazon. With chapters like: Microbiology for Cooks, Heat and Energy, The Physics of Food and Water, Cooking Sous Vide, Thickeners, Gels, Emulsions, Foams, etc. these books will be a highly sought after item for cooking professionals. From what I have seen the photography is phenomenal. I am going to start saving now for this book

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Two Tone Pate de Fruit

Quite possible the coolest Pate de Fruit I have ever seen. The two flavors I used for this Pate de Fruit are Verjus Blanc, and Verjus Rouge. Verjus translates to "green juice". It is basically the liquid taken from white and/or red wine grapes before they undergo fermentation. The grapes are broken down and harvested when the natural sugars in the fruit are at there peak. The Pate de Fruit is a pretty standard confection when it comes to the pastry kitchen. It is basically a gel that is set with pectin. In this recipe I used high methoxyl pectin, sugar, glucose powder, and a citric acid solution. I scaled both recipes, both a little different than the next taking into consideration solids content, natural sugars, and acidity. I began by cooking the Pate de Fruit that required the higher temperature first, pooring it on a silpat with confectionary bars as a frame. Directly after pooring the first batch I began cooking the 2nd. Before pooring the 2nd batch on top of the 1st I used a heat gun to warm the top layer of the 1st. (ensuring a solid adhesion between the two) I think the two tone is a more modern take on the classic confection. Not to mention it looks really cool and tastes great.

COI

Above: Pastry Chef Bill Corbett and myself. Below is a picture of one of the Pastry Chef Bill Corbett's summer desserts. It is Caramelized White Chocolate Namelaka, Raspberries, and Sorrel. It was very refreshing and artfully presented. I really enjoyed the short time I had working alongside Chef Corbett. They are doing some really great things at COI. I highly recommend making a stop in and eating if you are in the Bay Area anytime soon. I also hear that Daniel Patterson and Bill Corbett have big plans for Plum, a new Oakland restaurant as well. I look forward to eating there the next time I make it to California.

New iSi Product

It is called the "Twist and Sparkle" It is basically a more affordable soda siphon. Williams and Sonoma are selling it for $49.95. From what I can tell you would add your liquid or anything that you wish to carbonate into the plastic bottle, insert a Co2 canister into the top, and screw the top on to add carbonation. It seems like it could come in handy when making cocktails, or any other carbonated beverage. I wonder if the little wand has to be submerged into the "liquid" or if the entire bottle would be carbonated upon the C02.

Hydrocolloids- Agar

Agar is another example of a phycocolloid (a colloid extracted from seaweed). It was actually discovered years before the other 2 phycocolloids (carrageenan, and alginate). Agar is a very versatile gelling agent. It forms thermo-reversible gels that gel when cooled and melt upon reheating. When using agar it is good to know that even the smallest concentrations (.2%) can create a stable gel. When used as your sole gelling agent agar forms brittle gels with a very short texture. I have used agar for a variety of different applications in the pastry kitchen. One of the biggest uses that I have come across is "fluid gels". Basically a fluid gel is a gel that has been set and then reblended to form a "thickened" sauce or puree. Agar can also be used in conjuction with other hydrocolloids to form a wide range of textures. One of the most common synergies is the agar/ locust bean gum (LBG) concentration. By adding a small ammount of LBG to your recipe you can vastly change the outcome of the gel. The gel strength will be increased, and the texture of the resulting gel will become more elastic. This can provide a better mouthfeel when eating the gel. Agar gels also have the ability to become heat stable to a point. Gels made using agar can be held at temperatures up to ~80 C before remelting. This can be a desired property if your trying to make a "hot gel". Below is a basic fluid gel recipe using agar.

Fluid Gel
350 liquid
1.5 agar
.5 ascorbic acid
1.5 gelatin
tt sugar

Method
Bloom gelatin in ice water
Sheer agar, ascorbic, and sugar into liquid
Bring the liquid to a boil while whisking
Simmer for 1 minute
Take off heat, and add bloomed gelatin
Poor out and leave to set
Vitaprep the gel smooth
Pass
Enjoy