nickrey

I'm in the process of making up the Pastrami that Nathan mentioned in an earlier post. Instead of the recommended Wagyu beef cheeks, I'm using the Australian cut of topside (back part of round in US cuts). It's just gone into the brine/cure. Will sit there for 7 days, then be smoked, then cooked sous vide. I'm not really worried about using a substitute meat as the book explicitly covers how to deal with different types of meat. Will report back at the next stage.

What are you using now Merredith? Why did you swap/cease using it?

Having reread the appropriate section in the book, you do place the pizza directly on the metal plate to cook. It's an extension of the technique described in the quest for perfect pizza reported in Heston Blumenthal's "In search of perfection." This is not a surprise because Chris Young, who is one of the co-authors of this book, assisted Heston Blumenthal in development of the original technique (something that is acknowledged in the text of Modernist Cuisine). In the Modernist Cuisine book, they recommend using a steel or aluminium plate 2cm (3/4 inch) thick for the process. Another alternative they mention is to use an inverted cast iron pan as your cooking base. Before you go out and buy expensive equipment, it may be worthwhile checking the book for substitutes.

Oh no, does that mean the those of us in the Southern Hemisphere need to stir it in the opposite direction from those of you in the Northern hemisphere?

My understanding is that the metal is a heat sink in the oven. You don't actually cook on it. If it doesn't come into contact with the food and doesn't melt or release noxious chemicals when heated there shouldn't be a problem. Maybe I'm misguided but this makes more sense to me.

Some of us are scientists as well as avid cooks. One thing about scientists is that they are very cynical of claims that have to be taken on faith. The authors of this book have taken a very rigorous approach to finding out and expaining why things work as they do. They are bringing the cooking processes that have made some people famous within the reach of interested cooks. As you will know, no amount of philosophical debate can convey the experience of a well executed dish. Unless you try it you will only be limited to phrases such as "I wonder" "I can't see how" and the like, which really are personal statements backed with nothing but restricted exposure. Sure you may have tasted others using the approach but they, like us all, have been without a definitive reference work until the publication of this book. And in some cases the technique is more important to these people than the outcome. That is definitely not the case with the authors of this book and the outstanding exponents of the technique you referred to above. There also may have been times where you ate cuisine prepared in a modernist manner and registered that it was very well executed and flavorsome but were unaware of its provenance. The authors would see this as a good thing because the technique has been used to improve the eating experience rather than for it's own sake. I'd love to continue the discussion but how about we do it after you've tried some of the techniques for yourself? That brings it in to the realm of opinions based on experience rather than theory, which is a much more solid foundation for a dialogue.

For those who are looking in Australia, Red Spoon has a starter kit containing: Spherification: 200g Sodium Alginate 250g Calcium Chloride 250g Sodium Citrate 150g Calcium Gluconate Emulsion, Stabilise and Thicken: 200g Xanthan Gum 180g Lecithin Powder 180g Methylcellulose 250g Guar Gum 200g Locust Bean Gum Texture 180g Maltodextrin 250g Isomalt Gelling 200g Agar Agar Powder 180g Kappa Powder 180g Iota Powder It is $207.65 at the moment. Link here.

You can mix it with salt to use for toothache. It also used to be a primary ingredient in styptic pencils to stop bleeding from shaving cuts. Not sure I'd like to use it in pickles though. It still has a question mark over it as a causative factor in developing Alzheimer's. Although I'm not big on correlational research, why risk it if you don't have to?

I also use a wok as a home made smoker, predominately to tea-smoke duck breasts. Unlike the post above, however, I only use the contents of a tea bag for the smoking, which gives a very tasty result.

Although I don't have access to the book anymore, I read that section with interest. Let's see how good my recall is... The reason that ovens retain heat is because the sides of the oven heat up. The air in the oven is mainly incidental and will heat up fairly rapidly when the door is shut. Hence opening and closing the door causes less damage than most would think (eg. in the questions about basting). Using a sheet of metal means that you add another source that effectively absorbs and radiates heat, thus making the heat sources in the oven more stable. So in answer to your specific questions: any steel should do as long as it can store and release heat. Secondly, it should be good for bread because of its contribution to the overall heat profile within the oven.

Thanks for the offer, it sounds great. Same applies to you if you're ever in Sydney. On Modernist Cuisine, sadly my access to the book has now finished. Guess we'll all have to wait for it to arrive in it physical form.

This is a really interesting discussion. When I made osmazome from mince as an experiment (see this post), the resultant extract gelled marvellously. It was cooked at the relatively low temp of 56C. Subsequently when making it from the juices of intact pieces of meat such as long, slow cooked brisket, I've observed that it doesn't gel. The mince had no salt or acid added to it during cooking.

Thanks Leslie. Great blog, quirky humour. It's been a while since I was in Wellington. Seems there are some nice foodie places to visit there. I was impressed with what you did with the products. Looking at your ice cream has inspired me to make some up with the leftover marinated figs that I made for the tagine dish from the Modernist cuisine book.

It would be good in sausages.

The signs are already out to expect traffic delays. But hey we're rated the tenth most congested city in the world so it's actually business as usual.

I used to coagulate the solids out and use the juice for sauce. Looking at the coagulate, I realised that it could be subjected to heat to give an approximation of the maillard effect that you get on pan residue when frying. The process I use is: 1. heat juices to coagulate solids 2. strain off clear juice (osmazome) 3. Put solids in saucepan and heat until maillard effect occurs 4. deglaze pan with alcohol of choice 5. add some stock 6. add osmazome from step 2 7. add veal demi glace 8. boil to thicken/use potato starch mixed with water as a thickener 9. adjust seasoning 10. add an acid (sherry vinegar or similar) to taste before serving The sauce is delicious. If I have any left over, I freeze it in ice cube trays and use one cube per person as a sauce on steak. Variation: sautee some sliced mushrooms in butter, add sauce and serve. Enjoy playing around with it but please don't tip all that taste down the drain.

Only a few minor ones of the type identified by the others. It seemed to have been very thoroughly proof read to me compared with other book sets I've seen of that size.

Lovely looking food Leslie, thanks for sharing. I know people have been commenting on the cross fertilisation of Australian and New Zealand food to the extent that the lines are often blurred as to which style fits which country (and don't even mention the debate over the Pavlova's origins). Have you found similarities between the two country's restaurant foods, particularly "modern Oz" and "modern NZ" when you've travelled?

If I might chip in on this one. Australians and Kiwis are notorius early adopters. I well remember my US colleagues' incredulity at everyone having mobile phones in the mid to late 1990s. If something works well and is useful, it is typically well received no matter what was in place before. The screw cap was subjected to some pretty heavy scrutiny in terms of its effects on preserving and maturing wine when it first came out. Although there are some slight disadvantages in using it, the screw cap won hands down over cork. I know there is "tradition" to think of but would you really adopt a closure that suffered around a 1 in 20 spoilage rate if it was not in place already?

Fireworks foods has some fantastic ones. Names include "satan's blood" "mad dog revenge" "widow - no survivor" and last, but not least, "Chilliwillies - Smack my ass & call me Cindy"

No Mexican beans then? Are Bluff oysters in season? They are one of my favourite NZ foods.

Looking forward to the blog Leslie. Funny how the wind doesn't show in those pictures though... Wellington's the only place where entering a hotel is like going through those doors on the bridge of the Enterprise. I've often mused that it must be a good way to get rid of your older citizens .

As promised, my second foray into cooking from the book is a repeat of the first. Having worked out all the procedural variables and substituted where appropriate, I decided to do a "cheffy" version of the dish. Here is the result: This time I used poussin rather than chicken and made the plate less crowded [although on eating, more of the food was added ]. Also, I was building a computer today and forgot to do the flatbread (bows head in shame); the bread is store-bought "Turkish bread." The recipes are achievable with a bit of substitution. As for last time, the flavour and texture combinations were delicious. When you get the book, please try the plated recipes out rather than making this one of the best recipe books that you have not cooked from. The dishes really are special.

Is it LeslieC?

A vegan post modernist. Think that says it all folks.