02 Wednesday Nov 2011
Posted in blow shit up, uncategorized
When Scott called Eric “exactly the right kind of insane to become a revolutionary chef“, he was right on target. Here, Eric gives his best Robin Leach impersonation while describing the new HQ for his cooking explorations.
This proves once again you don’t need a luxurious, over the top space to create amazing creative food. Of course, he has access to one for his day job, but that’s beside the point.
Jethro
31 Monday Oct 2011
Posted in centrifuge, uncategorized
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This is effin cool. We centrifuged a can of pumpkin to yield a few tablespoons of a clear, orange pumpkin-flavored liquid. We saturated it with sugar and spiked it with pumpkin pie spice, then heated the mixture to 300F and cast it into hard caramel molds. Then, we spun the hard caramel in a cotton candy machine to make 2” puffs of pumpkin-flavored cotton candy. Then, we squeezed the puffs into the shape of a skull and cut out triangles for the eyes and nose. Finally, we put it on a stand with a candle behind it. Presenting the pumpkin cotton candy jack-o-lantern, as interpreted by Jet City Gastrophysics.
Happy Halloween!
26 Wednesday Oct 2011
Posted in blow shit up, that one time
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Jet City Gastrophysics, now in print
Last spring Scott was contacted about some pictures up on this web site. They were off of my posts, so he forwarded them to me. Turns out Gestalten, a German publishing company, was publishing a book on contemporary food culture and wanted to know if they could use the pictures. Hey, no problem.
24 Monday Oct 2011
Posted in blow shit up, i ate there, uncategorized
Crap Photo, But Proof Of My Attendence
I don’t do restaurant reviews. That’s not my thing. There’s something maddening about people blogging about their experience, hurling superlative after superlative – “mind blowing”, “forward thinking and innovative”, “absolutely amazing”, etc. Actually I have two favorite overused quotations. One is a phrase like “completely unique”. The word ‘unique’ cannot have a modifier. Either it is unique or it is not. There are not grades of uniqueness. The other is “quite possibly the best meal I ever had”. I love how the word “possibly” is always used. Just a little hedge. You know, not to offend anyone else who’s cooked for you in the past. Your mother-in-law might be reading, after all.
13 Thursday Oct 2011
Posted in blow shit up
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Eric left today for Chicago to start his new position as Culinary Liaison at Alinea. It’s bittersweet here in Seattle as we love this guy and miss him already, but we also know he is going to continue to forge ahead and keep blowing minds. We are excited for him and for Alinea. They have no idea the gift they’ve given themselves.
Continue reading
10 Monday Oct 2011
Posted in centrifuge, foams, gels, hyrocolloids, MC at home, pressure cooking, recipes, thickeners
This one is always touted as an easy introduction to Modernist Cuisine. It has two main ingredients: carrots and butter. It has two steps as well: pressure cook carrots in butter for 2o minutes. Then add carrot juice, puree, and season. Voila.
Strange thing is, well, my version, it took me most of the day.
29 Thursday Sep 2011
Posted in blow shit up, that one time
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Eric just accepted an offer to work at Alinea with Grant Achatz today. We here at Jet City Gastrophysics are SO PSYCHED it’s crazy. But sadly, he and his lovely wife Mindy must leave Seattle so he can continue to pursue culinary greatness. Windy City Gastrophysics is born.
GO ERIC! WHOOOOO!!!
29 Thursday Sep 2011
Posted in foams, liquid nitrogen, pressure cooking, recipes
Tags
Aki Kamozawa, cucumber, gelato, H. Alexander Talbot, ice cream, Ideas In Food, jalepeno, Popcorn, salmon roe, watercress
A few months back I bought the cookbook Ideas In Food: Great Recipes And Why They Work, but hadn’t cooked anything out of it yet. It has two sections: recipes for the home cook and recipes for the professionals. As I don’t believe in such restrictions (the point of this whole blog, really), I immediately turned to the “professional” section. What can I make with what I have on hand? I settled on the Popcorn Gelato. And I’m glad I did – this is a really cool recipe. Actually it’s really, really cold.
08 Thursday Sep 2011
Posted in blow shit up, uncategorized
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A headache and leftovers. If it sounds like last night was a lot of fun, then you would be correct.
Knife maker extraordinaire Bob Kramer was delivering a new custom knife to a customer and thought it would be fun to get the Jet City Gastrophysics crew together and make up a little meal. We were up for it and invited them down to Gastrophysics Labs for an impromptu meal. The customer? Matt Rudofker, the sous chef of Momofuku Ssäm Bar. The meal? Whatever was found at the market. Yeah, let’s do this.
31 Wednesday Aug 2011
Posted in emulsions, MC at home, recipes, sous vide, vacuum sealing
I’m beginning to think that the authors of Modernist Cuisine are evil. No, I’m not talking about the whole patent troll brouhaha. I’m talking about the recipes. Surely they are out to kill me. Why would I say such a thing, you might ask? Well, let me ask you: have you ever made their corn bread? No? And how about their bacon jam? I see. Let me try to explain.
Jet City Gastrophysics 