Cooking/Science Question

[Bicycle Lee]

I know it's silly to follow trends, but I have been toying around with foams using many different methods. If for nothing more, than just to understand the process of fusing the science into the cooking. I have used fatty liquids (cream, milk, butter) and non-fatty liquids (with agar). The ones with fat tend to hold better, but what I really want to do is have a foam that holds it's airiness without the use of fat. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[elyse]

Have you seen the threads on foams? Sorry I can't help you, but you can do a search....

Welcome!

[Bicycle Lee]

I searched the forum for foams and didn't get anything of use...if you (or anyone) could allude to a particular thread then please do so. THANKS!

[fresco]

Here's one:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...t=19423&hl=foam

[Bicycle Lee]

that thread doesn't say much in the way of producing fat-less foams....

that was actually the thread that led me here in the first place....hehe

I'm just wondering about concentrations of agar...how much is too much to foam? How much per how much liquid is a good starting point? is really the question I'm asking.

[vengroff]

Here are a few to get you started:

foams, let the arguments begin

Ferran Adria's coconut foam recipe, in english

How do you make an Emulsion!?!?!

Foams and Gelees, Valid? Good? Interesting?

[MatthewB]

Doesn't the El Bulli Cookbook contain foam recipes?

[elyse]

vengroff's da man. At least it might give you an idea of who might be interested in a discussion on the matter....

[jackal10]

gelatin

[Bicycle Lee]

yes, but in what concentrations?

I used about a tsp of agar flakes to 3/4 cup reduced pear juice infused with lavender and it still did not retain its bubbly airiness....

What I am going for is a large volume, airy, intensely flavored addition.

And when someone says "silver gelatin" what is that referring to?

Edited September 6, 2003 by Bicycle Lee (log)

[Jinmyo]

You could PM inventolux and ask him to post here. He's your go-to guy for this stuff.

[Steve Klc]

How soon they forget who the go-to guys are around here.

Gelatin sheets come in different strengths, bloom and weight. Silver is one of the standard formats.

Gelatin works a lot better in eggless, dairyless espumas than agar-agar. A very basic fruit puree espuma--say with a Boiron or Ravifruit puree-- is 4 or 5 sheets gelatin to a L of puree--sweeten to taste. The more you experiment, the more you will find out little tricks about preserving or enhancing flavor, using fresh juice, herbs, etc. but usually gelatin gets you that fluffy volume--a volume which holds its shape for a while. Reduce the gelatin, reduce the charge, you get something lighter, more ethereal, quicker dissipating.

But, if you are after "bubbly airiness" rather than foam--you don't use the iSi you do it other ways--usually with an immersion blender--and then spoon of the bubbles.

The base recipes for hot and cold espumas by Adria in the booklet which accompanies the iSi are excellent starting points. Learning is the real trend, not foam.

[Suzanne F]

How soon they forget who the go-to guys are around here.

Oh, Steve, you're just so sweet, sometimes people forget you know anything . . . savory.

[Bicycle Lee]

The base recipes for hot and cold espumas by Adria in the booklet which accompanies the iSi are excellent starting points. Learning is the real trend, not foam.

Is there an online version of this booklet? Cuz I got a Liss not an iSi....

Thanks for all the help, yall. I'll keep you posted on the outcomes...

oh one more question: I've seen varying conversions of gelatin sheets to powders...anyone know the real conversion?

[jango]

Learning is the real trend, not foam.

What a gem.