Madrid Fusión 2009 - Merged topic

[docsconz]

I was anxiously waiting at the exit of the Ferran-Heston debate (I had to conduct a wine tasting in an other room and couldn't attend), and then I saw docsconz and he gave me the terrible news: "They are still at a loss trying to find a name for their cuisine. But the 'techno...' word hasn't been uttered by anyone."

I was flabbergasted.

No. I was crushed.

←

Well Victor, I later discovered from Ferran that he did not use "technoemotional" in that discussion, because the discussion was directed more at removing the term "molecular gastronomy" from the lexicon. According to Ferran, "tecnoemocional" remains alive and well. Now, don't you feel better?

[vserna]

According to Ferran, "tecnoemocional" remains alive and well.

←

Ferran is revealing himself as a faithful reader of El Periódico, one of Barcelona's newspapers: it's the only one among the various media here, be it print or electronic, which uses the tecno word. Way to go!

[drosendorf]

I was anxiously waiting at the exit of the Ferran-Heston debate (I had to conduct a wine tasting in an other room and couldn't attend), and then I saw docsconz and he gave me the terrible news: "They are still at a loss trying to find a name for their cuisine. But the 'techno...' word hasn't been uttered by anyone."

I was flabbergasted.

No. I was crushed.

←

Has anyone discussed whether the idea of coining one name for all the various permutations of what different chefs are currently doing is a fool's errand? While many chefs may share *some* techniques and perhaps *some* philosophical approaches to food, it's unclear to me that they are all so closely aligned that one name could be applied to them all that everyone would agree upon - or that such a designation would serve much purpose. Maybe Adria likes "tehno-emotional," maybe someone else thinks that sounds too Kraftwerk-y for them.

The mainstream media seems to have latched onto "molecular gastronomy," and I understand and share the frustrations many have with that phrase. But if the world needs some label, what's wrong with a broad, general term like "alta cocina"? It makes me think of the early 20th century, when you had a quick succession of many different artistic "movements" - fauvism, cubism, expressionism, surrealism, dada ... but ultimately what is remembered and appreciated most is not the particular techniques or manifestos, but the skill and talent of particular artists.

[Lenski]

If you go to "www.informesemanal.tve.es" you will find a long video on the conference.

[AlexForbes]

VSerna, let's put the tecnoemotional thing to rest, shall we? Getting tired...

Doc, came here hoping to find some new MF posts (a little bird told me you were working on them - a bird called FB)

On a different note, forget the Brazil theme for 2010 I had said earlier - I now hear it's out of the question. Too bad...

[docsconz]

VSerna, let's put the tecnoemotional thing to rest, shall we? Getting tired...

Doc, came here hoping to find some new MF posts (a little bird told me you were working on them - a bird called FB)

On a different note, forget the Brazil theme for 2010 I had said earlier - I now hear it's out of the question. Too bad...

←

I am, Alex, though I have yet to get through the first day. I have been posting reports on my blog. I have been too busy to cross post here as I am having a hard enough time finding the time to put the posts together in the first place.

[drosendorf]

Doc (and others that attended the MF):

Last but not least, how could one summarize Elena

Arzak's presentation on colour?

Did I understand correctly that in some dishes the colour of, say,

a broth can be changed tableside, as the diner watches,

without altering the flavour of

the dish? Can someone please clarify this?

thanks!

←

I would summarize the presentation as one focusing on the value of color in enhancing a diner's response to a meal. In doing so, she presented several techniques used at Arzak to achieve color while either enhancing or not affecting flavor. I'm sorry, but I don't specifically recall what she may have said about color changing.

←

Just stumbled back across this post after having enjoyed a dinner at Arzak a couple weeks ago (about which I'll post more later). Color clearly was a recurring and prominent theme in our menu, and there was indeed at least one dish where a color-changing effect was produced tableside - a "rape bronceado" that had been plated with a light-brown translucent jus, which then had another sauce spooned over tableside, producing iridescent bronze "pools" in the sauce. Also accompanying the dish were "crackers" of origami-like folded paper also colored a bright shiny bronze, which I think Elena Arzak explained were made primarily with onion and colored using a product typically used in baking.