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Natura


docsconz

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A couple of thoughts spring to mind.

One is that Polyscience or a company like them will be offering a "lower" priced freeze dryer to the public inside of a year.

One might see freeze dryers ( I think they're used in botanical/flower business) on ebay. much like immersion circulators were in the "old' days.

Pacojets, well,I still think they're worth it but...

I haven't received my copy of Natura yet but if it's like "Los Postres de El Bulli" or the other books, I'll look at it as a springboard to new ideas rather then exact replication.

Edit.

I had to run out earlier so just to finish a though or two, books like El Bulli are, as you know, a thorough documentation on their process's and even though the techniques themselves I don't feel are that weird or hard, many if not most of them are designed for, appear to be designed for ala minute service.

When I get Natura finally delivered to me hopefully I will get on the same page as you folks that are already drooling on it!

Edited by tan319 (log)

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tan319, have you got any further info on the freeze driers?

No, just that I'm seeing them mentioned more & more.

In October '08's Food Arts mag, a piece on Chef Laurent Gras' new Chicago restaurant L20 mentioned a company called the Freeze Dryer Co.

That company did a mod on a "Floral Dehydrator" to get it to meet NSF standards.

It looks like a washing machine with trays in it.

I think the blog Chadzilla mentions their restauranr getting into freeze drying.

So, what I was saying in the above post was that if books like Natura, Alinea ( yes?) mags, all start talking about freeze drying, some body is going to develop a restaurant version, and soon.

In the meantime, here is a link for the freeze dry company Maybe it's all here?

Good Luck!

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Hello All,

I just made some "chocolate powder" by following the recipe in the "Mint Cloud" I froze the chocolate mixture in an ice cube tray overnight then blended it up in a carafe that was in a freezer for an hour or two for my RPM blender. Came out looking like dirt....very similar to how it appeared in natura (thought without the curling effect the pacojet seems to give).

Just thought I'd share. Oh, and I didn't need to use any dry ice. Also, please be sure that you have a high powered blender (and still under warranty) I don't want to share a technique and have someone loose their blender,

Cheers

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I received my copy of Natura yesterday, wow!

The thing I probably enjoy the most is reading about the process, the writing of the book, etc.

It's such a bonus having this published in English.

I actually wrote Juli Solter years ago about doing a translation of Los Postres de El Bulli, asking if I presented a list of interested buyers, etc.

This more then makes up for it.

Alberto has a cool sense of humour, a sensitivity that's deep and I like that this project , it seems for him, is all about enjoyment .

The flavor profiles are often quite similar to "Los Postres...", bitter almond, yogurt, lime (gelatin) mandarine, too many to mention.

The technique is wild but reachable, at least as far as equipment goes.

The croquanter kit from Texturas, Lyo fruits, ditto, .

Influence prediction: Here comes the sponge cakes "m" :biggrin:

scout: what is the RPM blender?

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Well, they simply said flour sugar, egg whites (powdered?) ground almounds, I think.

I wouldn't feel comfortable putting it up here or PMing it.

The book just came out, man!!! :laugh:

it's cheap for an El Bulli book, 75 euros.

Doesn't get better then that

Good luck!

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Or if you want to be  real cheapskate, you can find the original version of the recipe, from way back in 2005, in Ferran Adria's chapter in The Cook's Book. It's  $23.40 on Amazon.

The Cook's Book is WELL worth $23 - a steal, even, at that price.

John DePaula
formerly of DePaula Confections
Hand-crafted artisanal chocolates & gourmet confections - …Because Pleasure Matters…
--------------------
When asked “What are the secrets of good cooking? Escoffier replied, “There are three: butter, butter and butter.”

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Just a warning...the concise edition does not have the chapter from Ferran Adria.  You have to click on the "Also available in...  Hardcover" to get the full book.

Cheers

Whoa, good tip! I didn't know that there was an alternate version.

John DePaula
formerly of DePaula Confections
Hand-crafted artisanal chocolates & gourmet confections - …Because Pleasure Matters…
--------------------
When asked “What are the secrets of good cooking? Escoffier replied, “There are three: butter, butter and butter.”

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One minor annoyance. :angry::smile:

The recipes on the CD are only available in "english" / "español". Prior el bulli books had both UK and US English, which meant that it was possible to access English-language versions of the recipes expressed in grams rather than teaspoons, ounces, etc.

There's a simple solution, of course: print out both versions. The Spanish one to obtain the quantities in grams, and the English one to be sure you understand what the ingredients are.

:sigh:

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I was surprised to see how many of the recipes use the "sponge cake-m" technique. I counted nine different dishes. A technology that most of us have in our kitchens (for once).  :cool:

Yes, will be trying that one... :wink:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Interesting note here....

I just purchased the DVDs of the DVD pages ICC Pastry Presentations '06/'07 and Albert Adria demoed not only "The Colibri" ( Hummingbird) but "Rock" also on the '06 DVD ( the first year of the ICC).

So Natura was well into production at that time.

Many slides presented of perhaps early platings of many of the dishes.

A lot of interesting technique here and a lot of it not "uber" sci fi.

Except for what looks like freeze drying the main component in the "Rock" it's just real solid technique.

Maybe a Paco freeze job or two in the latter recipe.

Edited by tan319 (log)

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  • 5 weeks later...

Ahhhhh, the first "homage" to Albert Adria and his book "Natura", courtesy of Laurent Gras of

L2o, a very good ( but technical , for the food and architecture obsessed) blog.

Yes, Chef says it's a technique Ferran showed in Belgium and etc. but this sure looks like the strawberry "mi"out of "Natura".

I think it's great that influences creep in & out of all of these immensely talented people.

Which reminds me, some of the Natura work reminds me, in the "nature" aspects of the items, of Pastry chef Jordan Khan, who drove New York City crazy with delight and angst at the short lived Varietal( '06 ).

check this out!

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Ahhhhh, the first "homage" to Albert Adria and his book "Natura", courtesy of Laurent Gras of

L2o, a very good ( but technical , for  the food and architecture obsessed) blog.

Yes, Chef says it's a technique Ferran showed in Belgium and etc. but this sure looks like the strawberry "mi"out of "Natura".

I think it's great that influences creep in & out of all of these immensely talented people.

Which reminds me, some of the Natura work reminds me, in the "nature" aspects of the items, of Pastry chef Jordan Khan, who drove New York City crazy with delight and angst at  the short lived Varietal( '06 ).

check this out!

FYI, if you didn't know, Jordan is now doing his thing in LA at XIV, Michael Mina's new restaurant.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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Yes, incredible looking restuarant and in yet another "Natura" infuence, there is a dessert by Chef Kahn features a "WHISKEY BARREL ICE CREAM" which i think would be more like the "Kentucky Whisky Cask Ice Cream " of Adrias.

Cask wood is infused into the dairy in Adria's version.

Where can I get some? :biggrin:

BTW, All of Kahns menu looks swell...XIV Restaurant

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Maybe they will but in the meantime try a Michaels hobby joint or a specialty shop for cake decorating?

Even a chocolate mold section of JBPrine.com or Chefrubber.com, etc.?

Good Luck

Edited by tan319 (log)

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Yes, incredible looking restuarant and in yet another "Natura" infuence, there is a dessert by Chef Kahn features a "WHISKEY BARREL ICE CREAM" which i think would be more like the "Kentucky Whisky Cask Ice Cream " of Adrias.

Cask wood is infused into the dairy in Adria's version.

Where can I get some?  :biggrin:

BTW, All of Kahns menu looks swell...XIV Restaurant

Don't know about Kentucky whiskey casks, but they sell chips made from Jack Daniels casks.

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