BryanZ

Honestly, the water bathed eggs are no trouble at all. You put them in a bath, thats it. If you have the bath and don't have anything else cooking in it, I see no problem whatsoever. It's much harder to do it on the stove because the temperature window is very small, within a couple degrees actually. The taste in significantly egg-ier.

I got my xanthan gum today and started playing with it randomly at lunch. I understand the clumping problem that others have mentioned now. I need to find a salt shaker so I can get more even dispersal. I also understand the slightly slippery quality that xanthan gives to liquids when used in large quantities, though I don't find it entirely unpleasant. The clumping/lack of even dispersal are what bothered me the most.

I know that he works extensively with the Ajinomoto USA people. They make a transglutaminase product called Activa. It's really only available commercially to the best of my knowledge. I would, however, like to keep this discussion on xanthan gum and its applications if at all possible.

Walking around in Durham at night is generally not that pleasant. The area is generally uncomfortably dead and muggings do happen, even right outside of Duke. Granted, crime horror stories should be taken with a grain of salt, but it's hard to imagine a significant revitalization with those kind of issues to be dealt with.

I also had a little bit of trouble getting the water bathed eggs cleanly out of the shell. I suggest cracking and peeling very, very gently and letting gravity do its thing once the you have a decent sized hole. The yolk wont rupture and the white should come out relatively whole. Edited to add: The pork belly looks bad ass.

Thanks for the flurry of information. In return I've got a little treat for you all. I've got a phone interview a certain well-known "molecular" chef tentatively scheduled for next week. What are some things you all would like to know about xanthan gum, transglutaminase, alginate, etc. I'm working on an article that will take a relatively in-depth science slant, so questions like, "Well your food is really, umm, chemical-ly isn't it?" aren't going to cut it. With that said, I trust that all you brilliant eG'rs will have some insightful questions that will help me direct some of my questions and the rest of my research. Keep the xanthan gum suggestion coming, too. I'd love to see pictures.

Well ol' Duke is pumping money into the American Tabacco Complex like no other. With that said, is there a rennaisance in the making? No. I'd love to be proved otherwise, however.

Dear Bryan, I am looking at the various Foodsaver models and like the V1505 for its ability to store the bag rolls within it. However, it doesn't have the extended vacuum, but something called the "pulse feature" instead. It seems that this pulse feature could be used for the same vacuum extending. Do you know anything about this? Here is the user guide: http://www.jardendirect.com/PDFs/QS.1505_G...%20T18-0096.pdf Pulse mode is explained under "Additional Features." Thank you for your help. Sincerely, Alan ← This 1505 looks pretty good. Likely more expensive than my 1205, but, as I mentioned just above, I was trying to save some money because I was buying a used water bath of unknown functionality on eBay and would only be experimenting for a few weeks before I had to go back to school. Anyway, if I really like this pulse feature. I hadn't seen it on the other units, and it simply seems like a useful feature. Having that control will, to a certain extent, be helpful.

Initially I was looking at that exact site, MX Hassett, but the prices were simply too high for something that was even going to be used all the time. I am inclined to prefer a noncirculating thermal bath, as they're least likely to breakdown. The accuracy may not be as precise (as +/- 1 degree as opposed to 0.1 degrees), but when I was researching circulators vs. noncirculating baths the simplicity of the bath seemed to win out.

It's funny that you suggest that we email Wylie. I actually just emailed his PR person last Friday for some research on my story and am awaiting a response. I'm also awaiting responses from a couple other people who should know what the heck we can do with this stuff. When I finally get my jar I'll start playing around. Unfortunately, I'm not at home so I don't have the time or access to ingredients and equipment that I normally would. Alas, we'll just have to see how it goes. I'm very interested to see how the rest of your experiments go cricklewood. As for the suspended air bubbles. I'm inclined to suggest a gentle stirring rather than a thrashing with the ol' stick blender. The slurry method might also help disperse the powder without clumping or aeration of your liqui-gel. I also thought I just read a thread here that was talking about Adria using a different type of gum so that he could achieve the literal liquid gel effect with none of the suspended air bubbles that might give a strange appearance and texture.

Count another for Starwich.

All of the applications I've found so far generally revolve around gluten-free baking. Not exactly the route I want to go. From what I can tell, about 1% of xanthan dissolved by weight seems to do the trick, though I can't guarantee that number. And when you say "retains the air" does that mean it becomes like a loose, airy gel?

Alinea's butter orb is essentially a butter "liquid ravioli". It's a really cool, almost alien effect for those who haven't experienced it.

The melted "butter orb" at Alinea is an example of the combo can be used in hot applications.

In solution the calcium chloride reacts with alginated fluids to form a gel that is able to withstand very high temperatures. That's the layman's way to explain it, at least.

I'm going to bump this to see if anyone has garnered any further experience using xanthan gum in high-end restaurant-style applications. I'm doing some research for an article I'm working on and managed to get some for pretty cheap. With that said, what cool stuff can I (a pretty decent home cook with a bent for experimentation) theoretically do with it? What are the big boys doing with it these days?

Some of the best pictures to grace this thread yet. And I like the inclusion of the "how-to's" for certain dishes. The unagi, foie gras, and maple injected egg dish looks ridiculous but also feasible to someone with my equipment and ability. I hope SK is back running by July or early August, I really really need to get there.

I love how they're selling calcium chloride and sodium alginate. It's rather difficult to find that stuff without sifting through obscure health-food websites. I haven't had the opportunity to try R4D, but I applaud them for merely offering said products.

I don't think we're talking about the "demise" of Babbo. I think Babbo was like this from the start. I think most of the criticisms being leveled at it in recent posts would always have been warranted. ← I would also agree with this. I know the discussion has kind of moved on since mikeycook's first post, but I would just like to say that Babbo does not become less satisfying because it is not subtle, nor does it become less enjoyable if one orders the right items. It may not be the "best Italian restaurant,"--that type of judgement is far too subjective--but it does certain things very well and stands out among its peers.

A very interesting and accurate account. The kitchen is probably best described as one that shouts rather than whispers. Regardless, even with Batali out of the picture (love him or hate him), Babbo puts out quality food that is, for me, deeply satisfying. I think gaf's take encompases that feel quite well.

The chances of getting salmonella or other food-borne illness from raw egg are almost neglegible. People eat raw egg all the time with no ill effects. It makes it taste better, so go for it with gusto.

Good demo. I like the in-the-oven shots.

I was going to ask the same thing, but it doesn't seem like the menu has changed yet. I'm very curious to see what will bring us from late winter into spring.

I've found diners at NYC's "fanciest" restaurants in only slacks and a blazer. With that said, I tend toward the suit or suit jacket with a tie simply because I prefer it. You might feel slightly underdressed in just a blazer but not obnoxiously out of place.

After a lot of research I found the FoodSaver v1205 to be the best of home cooks. It's much cheaper than their other models but still has extended vacuum and instant seal features. To me, this was the best of all worlds (price and features). Look online to see if you can find a pdf for a manual. Others have had the same problem and have figured it out.