Food as eye candy

[jgm]

OK, I'm going out on a limb here. Maybe it's just me.

One of the things I look forward to every morning, is pouring cold cream into my hot coffee. The swirls, the bloom of color... if my life ever flashes before my eyes, I hope that scene is prominent. For reasons I don't clearly understand, I cherish that moment because of the beauty of the two liquids mixing together. I almost hate to stir the coffee.

A couple of weeks ago, I was stirring a sauce with herbs floating in it, and I became mesmerized watching the lines and patterns made by the herbs on the surface of the sauce. It was an immensely satisfying moment.

I also like stirring something creamy and thick, when the surface deforms in lovely silky curls as the spoon goes through it.

Or maybe I'm waaaaaaaay too easily amused.

And you?

[annecros]

Pound cake batter. There is just something about it.

[hummingbirdkiss]

I love watching the whites of eggs cook

[chileheadmike]

Great topic. I have two.

I've been roasting my own coffee and brewing in a French press. When the hot water hits the freshly ground coffee in the morning and those grounds go crazy and the aroma is released, ahhh now I can go to work.

The other is adding hot liquid into roux, then whisking and waiting for that moment when the magic happens.

Edited November 5, 2007 by chileheadmike (log)

[gfron1]

oooh oooh oooh, how about when you're making your own ice cream and the liquid hits that point where it is smooth and flowing, but solid. Man! I always have to watch it for about 30 seconds then I shove a spoon in it, take a bite, and watch it some more.

[GTO]

All great, and they've gotten me thinking:

How about when you peel a banana and the skin tears off into tiny little threads, and if you have really ripe one, you can see shiny little beads on the flesh.

[LoveToEatATL]

Making Marshmallows - I adore mixing the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin/flavored mixture and turning the Kitchen Aide on high and just watching the whole thing whip into marshmallowy goodness.

[Endy']

great topic.

I love the visual contrast in a slice of rare steak. The striking reds and oranges of raw salmon.

the shape of restaurant Chinese rice bowls, with that perfect dome of rice coming out the top. Iconic.

less related, I like watching the condensation on the inside of the lid of a pot of boiling water. As it goes from clear to opaque to forming the tiniest beads of water, as they grow to drops and run down, to be replaced by new drops...

[Sony]

Seeing choux pastry come together entertains me immensely.

The emulsification of mayonnaise and hollandaise still fascinates me.

I love watching purple beans turn green when heat is applied. Or seeing how green vegetables take on a vibrant jewel-like tone when blanched.

When whipping cream is beaten to the soft peak stage- I adore that glossiness and pillowy smoothness.

There are so many more, but those just pop into my mind....I love cooking .

[Alchemist]

The way the yolk of an egg spreads across the plate when broken.

The way heavy cream floats on cold booze.

The lacy, smokieness of a highly sugared substance wafting down through a cocktail with crushed ice.

Flaming booze poured from one coupe to another.

A Guiness, full stop.

Bacon cooking, popping, dancing in a pan.

Spuds going from whole dry and flakey to, as you add butter and cream, ambrosia.

The bubbles that come from the bottom of a champange flute (God bless the rough).

Not sure if this counts, but room temp liquor poured onto very, very cold ice.

Bento flakes.

More to come, I'm sure

Toby

[Kerry Beal]

I love that point when you are making ganache and it goes from cream in chocolate to a shiny smooth emulsion.

[shellfishfiend]

Making gravy. A cast iron skillet with shiny fat in it, then flour stirred in that turns gray then brown. Stir, stir stir...then add the milk and in about a minute magic happens. Once I sprinkle in gobs of pepper, it looks like speckled goodness.

I also love to watch the changes in roux. Of course, the more worn out my stirring arm gets, the less entralled I become.

[Dianabanana]

I'm like a five-year-old sitting in front of the oven window, watching my baked goods rise.

[heidih]

Two come to mind. As the stick blender hits the simmered watercress and spinach for my green soup it just seems to explode into bright green that viscerally feels like spring and life. Second that magic moment similar to what others have mentioned with whipping cream- when the egg whites go from a bunch of pale pale yellow bubbles to a white mass and then with the addition of sugar in a meringue to a glossy pillowy clouds.