These Culinary Thymes

Someone once told me that no matter what we do we never stop learning.  I would have to agree with them.  The moment you stop looking for the answers is the moment you stop growing.  At the age of 28 I took a chance and went to culinary school.  I think that I was destined to become a chef because I graduated in the top five percent of my class and I never studied once.  I am now on the other side of the text book shall we say.  I am an instructor at the Viking Culinary Center at Loaves & Fishes Cookshop in Garden City NY.  Although the classes are more recreational than professional it still doesn’t change my demeanor.  No matter what, where or why I still teach my students how to cook.  This being said, the teacher still needs to be the student from time to time.

For about a year or so I have been into the whole molecular food science thing, but with no real luck in achieving any real training.  The closest thing so far was making some “airs” with soy lecithin or powdering some nutella and peanut butter.  I really had no idea where to turn until my boss handed me this piece of paper a few weeks ago.  On this said piece of paper was information about a class being held right here on Long Island.  The class I signed up for was being taught by Chefs Aki Kamozawa & H. Alexander Talbot of www.ideasinfood.com and it is the first in a series on different food additives.  Today’ class was on hydrocolloids and I have to be honest…I had a blast.  Hydrocolloids are used to thicken liquids (ie. water based liquids, hence the hydro) such as gelatin and corn starch.  These were among the very first ones.  To work they need to be dispersed in the liquid, given time to hydrate and then they will gel.  Today we went beyond those common items and moved on the Agar, Carageenan and Xanthan gum.  I don’t want to give anything away but all I can say is that with these new methods and products there are endless possibilities ahead.  For those of you out there who think that these “new methods” are more science fiction and magic tricks think again.  Most of the things that are “cutting edge” have been used for centuries.  The next time you are in the store, pick up a carton of ice cream, or Good Season dressing mix or even an egg.  You just might be shocked to find out that you have already been exposed to Xanthan gum, or Carageenan or Sodium Chloride.  For all that it’s worth, going back to school can be a great thing.

Until next time…have a good one.