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Hi, I am going to be in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in August for 2 weeks. What are the best restaurants to try? I like restaurants that are a experimental like minibar in Wash DC. What chefs are up and coming? Also what are some casual places for breakfast and lunch. I am going to be dining alone and price is not an issue. Thanks in advance.

My friend recently ate at Alinea (Grant Achatz's place) and described a dish he had that was a 'bubble' of mozzarella cheese that had tomato "air" inside. I'm guessing this a play on the classic salad. Any idea's as to how one would create a "Bubble" of mozzarella cheese? I can imagine a ghetto approach using a hair dryer and a turkey baster, but i'm sure the actual method is much more ingenious.

I'm a freelance writer based in Kuala Lumpur - at the moment doing some research on Indian snacks. I've just recently found a shop here that does chaat from 4pm onwards. And I've also been investigating Tamil shops that serve snacks like yogurt-soaked vadai (thairu vadai) and kolakkatta. From what I've been able to glean by talking to customers, these palagaram are eaten at any time of the day, breakfast to past dinner, whereas chaat are generally afternoon-to-evening foods. Is this correct? There is lots of info on chaat on the web (and there was that piece in the NYT recently), but not much on palagaram, other than that palagaram were originally festival foods, particular ones associated with particular festivals ... but that now they are considered everyday foods (snacks). Can anyone fill me in on palagaram (and correct any misunderstanding I may have of chaat and the role of chaat in the N Indian daily diet -- I have read the chaat thread, BTW) .... or direct me to a site or set me on the trail of a Tamil foodie who might be able to set me straight? Thanks in advance....

I've experimented a little with flavoured marshmallows (banana/parsley, mango). The flavour is a lot more intense when the mixture is still soft. Once it sets, the flavour get's locked up by gelatin. The other day I came to think about gellan, a gelling agent which is reputed to have an "outstanding flavour release". So I thought, perhaps it would be possible to make marshmallows with gellan. I tried the following recipe (which works OK with gelatin): 200 g sugar 65 g water 65 g mango purée 10 g gellan Sugar/water was heated to 115 °C. Once gellan was added, everything solidified so I added the mango purée and heated it all in a bain marie. This melted the gel again, but it all became very sticky and it was impossible to whip it. I tried to add more water, but it was of no help. Well - this first experiment was a disaster, but my question to you all is if you know about any recipe for marshmallows using gellan? Any suggestions on procedures and amounts are also welcome.

I have taken the plunge into molecular gastronomy! I ordered my chemicals today. I had eaten at Minibar last fall but I saw Bittmans Best Restaurants in the World on El Bulli this weekend and got inspired to learn. This hobby gets expensive*...I estimate I've spent at least 2 grand on equipment alone over the past 9 months or so. I've been interested in food and cooking since I was maybe 9 (I'm 41 now) but the interest has been rapidly accelerating. eGullet is an awesome place to get the enthusiasm going. I'm a competent conventional cook. I'm not a great baker but otherwise, I can work around a kitchen. I bought a sensitive (100 mg accuracy) digital scale, sodium alginate, sodium citrate, calcium chloride, lechithin, and xanthum gum. As a physician, I have ready access to syringes for making caviar. I also have quite a bit of experience in labs so I know a little about chemistry and know how to measure stuff. Can any of y'all provide some simple recipes for a first-time MG? ETA: I reviewed the entire sodium alginate thread from last year. I know that I should start with simple things like tea ravoli and caviar but was looking for more exact recipes. Thanks in advance! *ETA I re-read this and I wrote one part badly. I haven't dropped big money on MG equipment...it's mainly conventional cooking equipment. I see where some of the responses are coming from. My bad.

Just finished a new project by sous vide poaching banana bread batter. I don't have the exact recipe on the batter but I was able to accomplish an actual firm, slightly dense, and flavorful banana bread. This was my only first attempt but I have a feeling if I adjust the recipe and timing...I can come up with an even better product. The original idea was to create the "goo" of banana bread without having the extra waste of the outer edges of banana bread. Anyone have any ideas or input? ...oh and tell me if someone has already accomplished this. Here's the photo on my blog. (Also on my flickr account)

A few months ago, in a flurry of excitement after reading the various threads here, I ordered a bunch of the cool chemicals/additives for doing various food science experiments. I was thrilled with the spherification, I don't/didn't use it at the restaurant but still play around with it occasionally at home/for private jobs/etc. I still make some use of the tapioca maltodextrin, carrageenan and a couple other things as well. The methylcellulose (E50 if I remember correctly), I bought to try the "hot ice cream" thing with. After a little learning curve, it worked great but I wasn't too thrilled. I thought it was "neat" but it didn't make me think ice cream in any way other than appearance. So, after the initial fun of learning something new, I was no longer interested in that particular idea which left me with over 400 grams of the stuff. I was doing an inventory of the toy chest recently and almost tossed it when it occured to me to ask here about things to do with it other than trashcan it. Any ideas? If there's nothing that sounds interesting to do with it I'll send it to whoever wants it/asks first rather than throw it away. It's been kept in a tightly sealed glass jar in it's original, resealable bag in a dark, cool cabinet so it should be in good shape.

I got my sample of alginate, all I needed was some calcium chloride to make "ravioli", "caviar" etc. Stopped at a compounding pharmacy asked for Calcium chloride, got some, but was told not to ingest it as it could inflame mucus membranes? Anyone have a response, it is labeled Calcium Chloride USP.

As the indefatigable and amazingly accurate micropundit revealed on his blog, Blais and his team (known collectively as "Triail-Blais") have signed on to revitalize Element at 11th and West Peachtree. Here are some notes from a pre-opening party Saturday (19 May) night. Sous chef Jeff Sigler was shucking some sort of Pacific oyster, and serving it with carefully mounted garnishes of chorizo, beer reduction and microgreens. To do this, he had comandeered a section of the upstairs bar (ironically, a sushi bar when the property was known as Cherry, a couple of years ago). Similar to a shifting One concoction that sometimes featured mussels and sometimes oysters, these could only have been improved by a lower serving temperature, forgivable under the circumstances.<br><br> We sampled four other portions (one of them repeatedly): bay scallop with tortilla risotto and smoked tomato powder; "waffles and eggs": a cocoon of waffle batter, deep fried and served in a mini-tagine with a poached quail egg and a drizzle of maple syrup; A thin toast topped with beef marrow, bits of oxtail and wine reduction; and a mostly boneless half-quail, dipped in egg wash and panko, then deep fried. The quail was the winner. The mostly boneless part meant that only the thigh bone remained. The rest was flattened before frying, so the effect was that of a large, butterflied, deep-fried shrimp, with only the bone poking up as a handle. Nothing molecular about this, though the sweet/slightly hot mayonnaise that garnished it was reminiscent of other Blais romps through the emulsion garden. To give the scallop its due, I only had one small sample; it seemed promising. Likewise the bruschetta; I need to get better about hooking waitstaff elbows. The waffle and egg wasn't up to a similar dish I had at One, which used a bit of smoked sous vide belly to much better effect. In fairness, this sort of dish requires careful timing -- not a reasonable expectation in party circumstances. Still, it seems to me that the waffle component should be added to the egg and bacon, rather than substituting for the pork: breakfast in a bite.<br> Copies of a prospective new menu were circulated at the party. I found out today that there were actually several versions, accidentally publicizing the evolution of Blais's thinking. The fact is that the menu probably won't be set until Tuesday morning, and there's every chance that it will change by Wednesday dinner. The team took a bold but obvious step in closing the restaurant after the party; Sunday and Monday are being spent in staff training, menu finalization and prep. <br> Nevertheless, here are some of the ideas presented on the menu that I brought home: kampachi sashimi, ginger juice and soy caviar; chicken wing confit, barbeque carrot, celery dressing; lamb spare ribs, goya malta, sourwood honey; mozzarella, warm figs, olive oil marmalade; Riverview Farms pate, candied fennel, pistachio arugula emulsion; "Pot au Pho": shrimp noodles, shaved beef, spiced consomme; strawberries, whipped almond, cilantro sorbet. <br> The above notwithstanding, when I visited the kitchen this afternoon, I saw two immersion circulators full of sous-vide bags. I thought I recognized the contents, but asked director of cuisine Mark Nanna (most recently sous chef at Pura Vida and a former Blais colleague at One) anyway. "Yeah," he replied, "It's cool to think about what's in there: tails, feet, bellies. Nothing that you'd expect at a traditional restaurant. No steaks, no roasts . . ." I was right: pigs' feet, ox tails, pork belly. (An interesting aside: the belly, which had been given a quick cure in the morning, had been sealed up with an unmistakeable yellow smear of French's mustard.) A few minutes later, lamb rib sections (sans loins) were added. Clearly, the Tilia is working overtime. <br> As of today, anyway, Blais plans to include a "staff meal" special on the daily menu -- a gambit that might pay off big with the neighborhood clientele, which includes a fair number of business travellers looking for comfort food, as well as with the staff, who'd be less likely to dress up hot dogs with bottled Italian dressing if they knew it was going on the menu -- and that they have an opportunity to eat better themselves if the staff meal is subsidized at retail. <br> Blais has ambitious notions for Element (by the way, is there a better name for a molecular gastronomy restaurant? I haven't seen one). He's revived vendor relationships that lay dormant since his escape to Miami, and he's excited about local production -- the invocation of Riverview Farms, Sweet Grass Dairy and the legendary Dan Moore speak to this commitment. He talks about a menu that might change weekly or even daily, depending on what comes through the back door or what he can cadge from nameless sources. Kitchen shelves (what there are of them; it's a small space) are already stocked with methylcellulose, calcium chloride and a number of other reagents. There's a cannister of LN2 in the kitchen, and another at the downstairs bar. The Kennesaw initiative is still alive. In the meantime (my earliest estimate for opening Elevation is mid-July), this opportunity came along, and Blais grabbed it. A number of questions come to mind quickly: can Element overcome the reputation of the former Cherry as a singles-bar scene, and more recently, a middling lunch-dinner-brunch restaurant, and become a destination venue? Will folks from Virginia Highlands, Decatur and Druid Hills brave the parking challenges of the neighborhood? Two years after Blais the restaurant closed abruptly, is there a profitable niche for (in the adopted lingo of the new Element) a gastro lounge and food lab in the Atlanta market? Element opens for dinner Tuesday, 22 May. They're not on OpenTable yet; call 404.745.3001 for reservations.

I just saw Hubert Keller's Secrets of a Chef on PBS (NJN). My god what a beautiful show! I drooled as I watched him prepare a new take on French Onion Soup with chopped tomato and fava beans, a classic alsatian dish and a pesto burger. I picked up a number of techniques and stared jaw agap as he created one show stopper after another. No question why he is one of the best. It is humbling watching someone at this level work. You watch him do something as simple as shape a hamburger and it make sense. Who needs food network, PBS is still the standard for real cooking shows.

Adria has been invited to the Documenta art show in Germany so is his work science... or art.... from the Independent today: Is food art? El Bulli chef creates a stir By Graham Keeley in Barcelona Published: 16 May 2007 Better known for his almost Surrealist creations in the kitchen rather than on canvas, Spain's best known chef, Ferran Adria, has created a stir after being invited to one of Europe's most influential art jamborees. The five-yearly Documenta art show in Kassel, Germany, is one of the biggest events in the contemporary art calendar. And Adria, whose artistic output so far has extended to dishes such as codfish foam and spherical potato gnocchi with consommé of roasted potatoes, is one of only two Spaniards invited to show off his talents this year. The chef, whose restaurant near Barcelona, El Bulli, was recently voted the best in the world for the second time, will rub shoulders with the likes of Britain's Tracey Emin. The invitation, however, has stuck in the throat of the Spanish art establishment, which condemned it as the "banalisation of art". One critic, Jose de la Sota, writing in the daily El Pais, said: "Adria is not Picasso. Picasso did not know how to cook but he was better than Adria [at art]. What is art now? Is it something or nothing?" The chef was unapologetic: "True, I am no Picasso, but what is art in times like these? Many people act as if I should apologise for participating. I am not going to. "I understand there might be people who are annoyed. It's tough to see a cook get invited to this. But what is art? If they want to call what I do art, fine. If not, that's fine too," the chef said. Roger Buergel, director of Documenta, shrugged off the controversy: "Why not? I almost always select things which seem strange to me," he said.

I want to buy some sodium alginate, transglutamase. calcium chloride etc. etc. does anybody know of any suppliers in ireland or england.

I understand the following series of Elbulli books in english are; 1) Elbuli 1994-1997 2) Elbulli 1998-2002 and 3) Elbulli 2003- 2004 I wanted to buy to buy just one book and with lots of instructions and picturesexplaining a recipe and hence seeks your recommendation. Thanks n good days!

hello, i have a great interest in molecular gastronomy and have performed numerous experiements, similar to a lot posted on here. regarding sferification i was wondering if anyone knew exactly how the reactions work on a molecular level. i have done a great deal of research but am still yet to find molecularly how sferification works. thank you for your help and once i get a camera i will start posting pics

New Italian in Stamford that typifies Fairfield County dining. Nice space, lots of kissing on both cheeks, an owner that everyone seems to know from a previous venture with a terrific wine list and an enticing menu. The owner here is Lenny Lorando, ex-head waiter at Nello in NYC, famous for receiving a $16,000 tip one night. But it is mediocre at best and quite expensive. Wine service is a joke. They raise expectations with nice decanters but then plop the decanter in different locations (first on our table, then on the table behind us, then with Dick Cheney in a secret undisclosed location). Starter of seared sea scallops with aged balsamic vinegar with shredded endive in a non-descript vinaigrette was 4 smallish sea scallops seared well but mushy (probably wet scallops) with an ordinary balsamic vinegar on top. Endive was sort of soggy. Then, Snapper Livornese included a droopy, sad filet in a satisfactory sauce. Also, Papardelle Bolognese which was way too tomatoey (should be a word if it isn't), Spaghetti Carbonara that had almost no bacon flavor and some other pasta that was so unmemorable I don't remember what it was. The place is packed and everybody seems to be saying "If this dinner just cost us $225, it must have been good." It wasn't.

Does anyone know of the Ecole Gregoire Ferrandi program, specifically pastry? I would like to know the length, the quality and the curriculum. Do we learn to make cakes like the ones in the USA but French style? I'm talking about like genoise or gateaux, not the creamy, solidified ones. What is the cost to live in Paris? Any other valuable and insightful information is greatly appreciated!

I've been reading up on sous vide and I'm hearing about how precise accurate temperatures are of utmost importance ie. "one degree can change the taste completely!" or botulism risks (which is pretty serious actually). Has anybody created any rigs or set ups to cook safe, accurate, precise, and easy sous vide without buying expensive water bath tanks, automatic circulators and thermometers and the like?

Has anyone tried the sugar caviar method from Paco Torreblanco 2? I've only tried it once and it didn't work at all. The sugar syrup while in the oven just kind of melted and formed blobs. I tried a mixture of 50/50 vodka and Chambord. I'm thinking that maybe I need a higher percentage of alcohol. Anyone tried it with any success?

Is there anywhere in Seattle that is dabbling in this? I'm terribly interested in this but can't quite afford dinner and a plane ticket. Anyone know of anywhere? Thanks, Marc

Hello, new member here although I have been a long time browser. I managed to get a reservation at El Bulli thanks in part to advice that I gained from these pages so firstly I would like to say thank you to everyone. The big day finally came on Wednesday of last week (4th April), I, my wife and four good friends had a wonderful meal, the reservation coincided with my birthday). I am unable to post any pictures as my camera managed to 'disappear' somewhere on the journey between Cadaques where we stayed for the week and home (London). One of my friends took also took pictures so I will try and get hold of them and post them at a later date. Our taxi driver arrived at our apartment late but we still arrived at El Bulli with plenty of time to spare. Cadaques apparently only has two regular taxi drivers and only one of them has a people carrier type vehicle. We had already asked to driver to come and collect us after the meal and asked him if he had any idea what time we were likely to finish, he told us not to worry, he would go and visit his friend in Rosas then go to the cinema and would then return and wait for us. On arrival we were given a tour of the kitchens which were very different from ant restaurant kitchens that I have ever been in before, considerably larger, brighter and much quieter than any others. We were then lead to our tables and asked a few questions in order to confirm our eating preferences, when I received the initially good news that our booking request had been successful Luis had already asked us about these (six people, one vegetarian who eats fish one omnivore who doesn't eat chocolate or mushrooms, four who will eat anything). We were then advised that there were a couple of dishes which contained ingredients that may not appeal to the more squeamish (more details later) and were given the opportunity to have alternatives. While this was going on we were brought a welcome drink of Gin Fizz which managed to be both hot and cold at the same time. What followed was, from what I have gleaned from reading previous reports, a mixture of greatest hits from menus of the last few years along with a number of dishes which I hadn't previously seen reported. In order not to spoil too many surprises I will just list the dishes from the menu I had without too much in the way of descriptions: Spherical olives Mango leaf with tagete flower Pineapple frits Beetroot and yoghurt meringue Salty catanias Rice and parmesan cookies "Tile" - curing cheese Flowers cotton Tangerine bon-bons, peanut and curry (a dish which delighted one of my friends so much that he chuckled out loud, probably the truest spontaneous sign of appreciation of a dish that I have ever come across) Raspberries fondant with wasabi and raspberries vinegar (my personal highlight) Liquid croquette 2006 Horchata truffle Won-ton Fried brioche Shanghai (everyone else's highlight) Parmesan frozen air with muesli "Quebearn" egg Raisins of PX with anchovy and cardamon brioche Tomato soup with virtual iberian ham Asparagus in different cooking times Zucchini risotto with curry Razor clams in vinegar sauce The sea Crab Marrakech Pita of Iberian ham fat and veal bone marrow Lamb Brains with their own juice Sheep - the cheese and the wool Piquillo peppers and banana tatin Apple Morphings ....... To drink (between 6) we had a bottle of Manzanilla (Pasada Pastrana), a bottle of Cava (Gran Claustro B.N. 04) then asked to be brought a section of spanish wines which would be suitable for the dishes that were to be served. We were brought two further whites, a red and a desert wine, I know very little about Spanish wines but according to the bill they were: Pardas Xarel LO 05, Augustus Chardonay 05, D. Valdepusa Cabernet 02 and MR 05. All delicious, all paired well with the dishes ther accompanied and all reasonable value (between 20 and 45 euros a bottle). In summary the meal was exceptional (although that is to be expected) as was the service. This was our first visit and we were not disappointed.

I have no clue in the world where this thread should go, but I figure the sweet tooths would be generally more familiar with lecithin as an ingredient than anyone else, so here goes. In its liquid form, lecithin sticks to everything. Soap and boiling water do absolutely nothing for my steel measuring spoons, and they are only marginally effective with Pyrex. If I get it on my hands, my only recourse is to wipe them on my jeans until they no longer appear nicotine stained or feel sticky. What (preferably non-toxic substance) gets this stuff off?

A deep purple color with meaty/herbal aromas leads into a medium weighted palate with very pleasant fruit and drying, nicely integrated tannins, finishing long and dry with plum, liquorice and rasberry lingering for a good amount of time. A very good food wine. (89 Points)

Can anyone provide a source of tapioca maltodextrin in the UK? Idealy in amounts under 5kg. - I've done a lot of online searching but no joy....

I've been messing around w/ "ordinary" spherification ala the "adventures in sodium alginate" thread (http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=86839) (thanks for the suggestions and help, btw!), and am considering ordering some of Ferran's "Gluco" product. Has anyone played around w/ Gluco or similar chemicals? My big question is: Why hasn't "inverse" spherification completely replaced "ordinary" spherification? The inverse method works for foods w/ and w/o calcium (properly adjusted, etc.), is supposed to be more stable with acids, and the product stop "cooking" when removed from the algin bath (unlike ordinary spherification where the skin gets thicker even after the item's been rinsed). So what are the downsides of the inverse process? Why isn't it the standard process now? I'm hoping to get some feedback before I commit to the cost / time / energy of trying it myself. Jonathan

Now that we have a number of home cooks who have invested in various levels of sous vide technology, I'm wondering how often we use our machines and for what purpose. Sure, it's great that we can make those 48 hour short ribs and salmon mi cuit and all that, but these aren't the kinds of projects one is likely to do on a weekly basis. Lately, I've been using my rig (Lauda digital recirculating water bath heater, 5 gallon stock pot, FoodSaver Professional III) to make lunchmeat for the week. I'll pick up a turkey or chicken breast, a pork loin, a brisket, beef roast, or whatever looks good and is on sale, vacuum bag it with salt and whatever other flavorings suit my fancy, cook it in the water bath as appropriate, toss the bag into an ice bath to cool down and then into the fridge. I usually do this on Sunday evenings, and on Monday morning I pull the bag out of the fridge, slice up the meat, and I have incredible sandwich meat for the rest of the week. This is not only a huge savings over buying sandwich meat at the deli counter, but there's just no way Boar's Head can ever compete with what I can make at home. What's nice also is that it's a complete snap to do sous vide -- easier than any other method, really. Anyone else use their sous vide setup for mundane everyday stuff like that?