research lab in home

[chefette]

still more brain cells kicking in

refractometer - must have a refractometer for research

[Pam R]

Chefette I'm somewhat frightened by your list.

In a perfect world, it's the perfect list.

AKWA, to feed 30, it may be overkill. What kind of budget are you dealing with? What kind of things will you be testing? If you'll be doing a lot of baking, you'll require one set of things. If you're not, that eliminates a lot. Think through what you'll be doing and then you'll figure out your equipment list.

Important: Design your kitchen with enough space to expand.

Include lots of good work counters.

re pacojet- I want one - but I'd settle for a food processor and mixer at home. It's amazing what you are able to use when you don't have an expensive piece of equipment.

[chefette]

Someone who is remodelling their kitchen to facilitate research and apparently do it in front of - or with - 30 people three times a day

I have no fear in suggesting items - what is gained by holding out - they ask for ideas - I provide. Have plenty of ideas.

at the point of starting a kitchen research lab - akwa must have plans

think at least to the boundaries of the box if not outside it - no gain safely in the middle.

My assumption that Akwa would not lightly or lamely undertake meaningless reaseach but would establish a kitchen lab like Conticini or Adria to boldly go ... (you get it)

Research is testing new processes, procedures, combinations, styles, textures

requires ability to document, file, repeat, share, comprehend

must be able to accurately measure, alter

indicating up to 30 people will be there three times a day indicates requirement to facilitate them

been in kitchen research labs (not in homes) but assume if doing reseacrch expect to use it in some solid meaningful way - do it right - got to be competitive.

maybe akwa is fiddling around with brownie recipes - maybe something cooler

didn't specify so why limit?

akwa knows enough (more than most) what to get so assume this is also partually conversational - think outside the box

[jsolomon]

still more brain cells kicking in

refractometer - must have a refractometer for research

←

What, no solid-phase, temperature controlled, 2-d capable 600 MHz NMR spectrometer, or a MALDI-TOF spectrometer?

[chefette]

Maybe one of those DNA spinning devices from CSI, an electron microscope and a high powered telescope (for inspitation)

Probably need a fingerprinting kit and some RFID equipment to keep track of all the small hand tools. Lo-Jack your paring knife

[jsolomon]

Okay, I'll try to bring this back somewhat on track.

What things are you looking to do research on? Are you planning on researching proteins? Edible polymers? New recipes?

What do you want to find out?

[chefette]

Oh fine - one slight swing into the utterly magnificent and I have taken us off track? hah! Fine then...

Maybe the whole question is more about how you design your kitchen to accommodate 30 people (sitting?) working? watching? eating?

probably a good idea to have a direct entrance

probably need to consider parking

access to home (paved pathway?)

as prior - have to expect a few of them will need to relocate water and other commestibles from other locations so you need a serviceable WC with good plumbing and plenty of TP and paper towels

I am thinking having 90 guests in the kitchen every day would be annoying and expensive

why would as many as 90 people even want to come to the kitchen?

excellent flooring that will not show grime immediately, withstand wear and tear, easy to clean, easy on the feet

also anticipate how one would design a kitchen where there is the private side for personal use not open to scrutiny/observation, access of milling visiting hoards of guests

allow family members at home to obtain an egg salad sandwich and drink milk out of the carton from family fridge

need a partition

seperate family fridge and workspace

also able to keep family from eating research (in case it is a better brownie)

good lighting probably important

[Sarah Phillips]

I hate to be a "party-pooper", BUT..

You will have to check with local laws and regulations because there is something about zoning -- you may not be able to suddenly increase traffic in the neighborhood with trucks, cars, and increase problems with parking, noise -- the neighbors have a right to complain, and they'll call the police, and you'll have problems. The local zoning laws have to do with where your place of "business" is situated.

I remember way back when when I had my home kitchen certified by the Health Department to bake my Simply Sarah's Cookie Line for Bloomingdale's, Grace's Marketplace and other gourmet shops in New York Cuity, there was something about local zoning laws that said I couldn't have delivery trucks pull onto my street during certain hours, nor was my location zoned for public use. I couldn't have a showroom at my location, nor could I have tons of cars pulling up to my location (house) during all hours, nor was I allowed to block the public parking places on the street with people visiting me, etc. etc. I could bake the cookies as long as I kept with the "quiet of the neighborhood"....or something like that......

The local zoning laws had nothing to do with the Health Department's certification, but I couldn't get he certification unless I complied with the zoning laws. There are also laws, I think, about what you can put in your home in a neighborhood.....For example, I couldn't put a restuarant size pizza oven in my home kitchen because of zoning laws...it would be a safety hazard...

Also, you can't get liability insurance unless you are certified by the Health Department......

But, I would check with someone who knows because my knowledge on the topic was from years ago.

Edited May 19, 2005 by Sarah Phillips (log)

[akwa]

probably should clarify some things

lou lou is my daughter

i dont have pets

its not my house

so i have only chosen the toys not the bones

commercial fridge and freezer to follow

initially the house has to look like and smell like a house

but dont forget el bulli taller is retractable and appears to be a nice rambla apartment when the shades are drawn

regards to research i am looking to make a new direction

formerly muy adria as per my experience

i have been much more swayed from herve this lately

but am even more interested to find a new direction

how many more articles can we read re the same idea?

still finalizing equipment

who's used the gastrovac

(its a micro pressure cooker)

back soon

love to all

[akwa]

regards to all posters

one of the best feeds i have read

sorry to be so hit or miss, apparently i can live up to my reviews

great advice so far, the spirit is in the right direction, either more concrete or abstract is fine, i was unable to parry yesterday because my server was down.

chefette, i would say your list is more grand than mine, but consider the following criteria of mine,

less baking

less chocolate and sugar showpiece type work

fewer tool/technology based pieces rather than more smallwares,

in fact, smallwares are a fraction of the cost.

I would like to equip this kitchen for 38000

also aesthetically, where would sheet racks go in a home kitchen?

is it desirable to broadcast results initially or allow some momentum to build over the next decade or so?

where should the tip jar go? on what side of the piano?

and also, where does the monkey with the organ play in relation to the inductions?

ps has anyone seen the new hugentobler suites, probably the best looking island i have ever seen

[Steve Klc]

will, I spent a week in Conticini's research lab in Paris and there's one item he has that chefette didn't put on her list for you that I think you'll want to have: a really good juicer/extractor. Philippe used that thing all the time and my guess would be as you're going to explore new flavor directions, you'll use a juicer as much or more than a dehydrator to generate your raw liquid and powdered materials.

And I'm sure the lesson you took away from your visit to Adria is that chefs documenting and tracking their progress visually is key--be it video or digital images--so heed all the advice for appropriate computers, fast internet access, software, cameras, hard drive storage, displays, etc. If you are not strong in this area, better to ally with people who are and bring them into your project to do what they do best, which would free you up to do what you do best.

I think how you announce/release/relate to media/advertise/share/gain momentum will be a very personal decision. The perception of molecular gastronomy is catchy within certain media circles, the challenge I think for someone setting up a "lab" will be whether it can be viable apart from actually serving customers--like a chef serves dinner in a restaurant. If part of your business plan is to partner with other chefs/pastry chefs/scientists--or at least plan to have a roster of rotating inventive guest chefs and their scientist collaborators featured--I think your lab would be better positioned.

Unless you're able to attract corporate sponsorship, the conundrum for someone leaning toward a more pure research approach who wants to move his or her idea of MG forward--in the lab or in isolation--is that at the end of the day, there's still the core transaction between chef and diner to worry about--and then, no matter how literate and intelligent you are, you're back being a blue collar worker with tough margins serving a mostly unappreciative public. And that public--not to mention food media--still has a hard time realizing that there can be both good and bad traditional cooking, let alone good and bad avant garde attempts.

[akwa]

Steve

Thank you for your response. I am pleased to receive such thoughtful criticism. Please forgive my disjointed response.

I went old school on the juicer, with the Champion, as I have found it to be a warhorse.

Regards to documentation: I was fairly tech savvy in 1999 produced scores of photos and computer work, and was convinced at the time that this was the essence of discipline for creativity. I must say that I am no longer as sure. I feel that extensive documentation is essential, but I am sure that I will not be beaming streaming video, unless its of my daughter's first steps.

Much has changed in my life, and I think a new direction will reflect that, and having said that, what I take quite strongly from my El Bulli experience is that twenty years to be an overnight success is just fine. I think that my breathlessness upon the nerve center of the lab has evolved.

With regards to momentum/media, I expect to be largely ignored. I am pleased to continue to use this site because I think it generates useful dialogue and learning.

Imho, the vogue re molecular gastronomy has largely focused on technological applications of ideas, not real science. From Herve This I take this to mean that the traditional dynamic of the restaurant means that science cannot exist, since it is based solely on the pursuit of knowledge and the understanding of phenomena.

Finally, a slight paradigm shift may have allowed me to ignore the traditional relationship that you describe.

Regards partnerships, it would certainly be ideal to develop meaningful relationships.

But I've spent the last eight years getting ahead of myself, and I would like to begin being on target. Hopefully I will be able to generate value based momentum in time.

Warm regards

WG.akwa