Our Third Pastry & Baking FOCUS...

[tan319]

I 'd like to know more about the antigriddle too.

Also, favorite 'cookbooks', pastry and non, of the last 2 or 3 years.

Thanks!

[WillieLee]

Two questions for will.........

Boxers or Briefs, and How is the new breakfast service going?

[tan319]

[chiantiglace]

I hate these focuses because whenever they come on I never know what to ask, just like a writers block.

exhausting my mind with legible questions I really only have one that is worth while I suppose.

Will, do you think the world is ready for this modern-pastry-savory fused cuisine to spread. I am just curious because I want it to succeed everywhere, not just locations of the experimental. People seem to fear eating across the border, what do you think?

[Bond Girl]

Two questions for will.........

Boxers or Briefs, and How is the new breakfast service going?

←

The thought and ensuing images of first question....very disturbing Yes, how is the new breakfast service going? And, can I get squash blossoms for breakfast?

[foodite]

there should be some incredible photos coming out in art culinaire fall issue

all based on colors

if someone can show me how to upload, i have some fun shots

otherwise just gots ta wait

wg

←

In the meantime, there are a couple pictures on flickr of some of Will's creations:

http://flickr.com/photos/tags/room4dessert/

[tan319]

Thanks for those photos, love 'em.

really like the "breakdown" on the chocolate dessert.

Also dig the "grosse meringue" on the 'infance' plate.

Is that a Ducasse/Roberts thing?

[Sugarella]

I enjoyed those photos very much; thanks for posting them foodite. I hope there will be more to come....

And thanks so much to Will for doing this. I'd have questions but wouldn't want to bore you with minutia, as I don't know the first bit about molecular gastronomy.

[tan319]

Thanks for posting , Sugarella.

One thing I think we should make clear and remind ourselves.

I think Will himself said that for every "el bulli 'alginated caviar", they're doing a pin de mie ( white bread) by Ducasse. or a sable based on a Hermes recipe and so on.

One of Wills favorite patissiers is Gerard Mulot, a classic pastry chef if there was ever one.

Theres a lot of traditionally influenced items on the menu too.

Guess what I'm trying to say is it would be pretty hard to bore him with anything, molecular science wise or not.

If you have a question, fire away, we're going to around for awhile.

[ruthie jewell]

Hi Will! I was in with my husband and his boss a few months back and now you are all Paul can rave about anymore! I can't wait to get back in....

Ric and I were trying to play around with the edible sheets/ listerstrips idea. Any tricks?

Thanks Ruthie

ps. how's the baby?

[foodite]

Hi Will,

Are you, or any of your fellow molecular gastronomes, going to be doing any appearances or seminars in the New York area any time soon? I'd love to see and hear more about the topic!

I recently saw Sam Mason and David Arnold play around with all that stuff at The FCI the day after you and he spoke at the NY Culinary Festival and it was really interesting stuff to watch (especially since the demo kitchen was much more organized and stocked than the one he had to deal with at the festival).

Cheers,

Gerald

[Sugarella]

Thanks for posting , Sugarella.

One thing I think we should make clear and remind ourselves.

I think Will himself said that for every "el bulli 'alginated caviar", they're doing a pin de mie ( white bread) by Ducasse. or a sable based on a Hermes recipe and so on.

One of Wills favorite patissiers is Gerard Mulot, a classic pastry chef if there was ever one.

Theres a lot of traditionally influenced items on the menu too.

Guess what I'm trying to say is it would be pretty hard to bore him with anything, molecular science wise or not.

If you have a question, fire away, we're going to around for awhile.

←

Well, ok you asked for it!

Actually I am most interested in the caviar..... when you say alginated I'm assuming it's a fruit puree thickened with sodium alginate? And by the photo "making the mango caviar" posted by foodite it looks as though it's dropped into (I assume iced) water. Am I at least on the right track???

[xdrixn]

In the June 26, 2006 issue of the New Yorker there is an article by Bill Buford (drummer from king crimson?) about Will entitled The Dessert Lab: An Obsessive Pastry Chef.

not available online.

sugarella, read http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=86839

Edited June 25, 2006 by xdrixn (log)

[Sugarella]

sugarella, read http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=86839

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Thanks, and someone else just directed me to that tread too. That's what I get for not venturing into the cooking forum often enough. Sorry to bring up something that's already being discussed in depth elsewhere; I should pay more attention. Sorry Will.

But.... I am so unbelievably excited right now just thinking about this stuff meeting cake tools. Ooooh the possibilities!

[chiantiglace]

sugarella, the sodium alginate laced mango puree is dropped into a calcium solution. Wether it would be calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium chloride or calcium lactate, that is what reacts with the sodium alginate to seal it shut. And it is preferably cold, maybe not ice cold.

I am curious Will, what do you prefer to use; calcium chloride or calcium lactate?

[tan319]

The calcium lactate helps with a thinnershell?

I've only used calcium cholride

[chiantiglace]

Oddly enough, Sam will be at CIA tomorrow hosted by yours truly. You can check it out on my diary in the general food topic section in a couple days.

Hopefully one day I can get Will up here, that would be wonderful.

[akwa]

Thanks for those photos, love 'em.

really like the "breakdown" on the chocolate dessert.

Also dig the "grosse meringue" on the 'infance' plate.

Is that a Ducasse/Roberts thing?

←

sorry to be gone for so long\

the new yorker article really slammed us

hope the thread will stay alive as long as i do

who is roberts?

grosse meringue is definitely a nod to ducasse

wg

[akwa]

I enjoyed those photos very much; thanks for posting them foodite. I hope there will be more to come....

And thanks so much to Will for doing this. I'd have questions but wouldn't want to bore you with minutia, as I don't know the first bit about molecular gastronomy.

←

what's molecular gastronomy?

an understanding of the processes of cooking

used to analyze old wives tales throughout history and the instructions they generate

it is not a style or a philosophy

but it is a useful tool if you want to get people to pay you to make stuff

thesedays it seems to be just an intellectual buzz word, used in place of

avant garde or cutting edge or ... insert unnecessary adjective here

i think that the underlying reasoning behind the science will remain (by definition it has to)

and technological advances derived from better understanding will influence cooking, but I would feel very misunderstood if someone couldnt post a question out of fear that it wasnt

"molecular" enough

cheers

wg

[akwa]

Thanks for posting , Sugarella.

One thing I think we should make clear and remind ourselves.

I think Will himself said that for every "el bulli 'alginated caviar", they're doing a pin de mie ( white bread) by Ducasse. or a sable based on a Hermes recipe and so on.

One of Wills favorite patissiers is Gerard Mulot, a classic pastry chef if there was ever one.

Theres a lot of traditionally influenced items on the menu too.

Guess what I'm trying to say is it would be pretty hard to bore him with anything, molecular science wise or not.

If you have a question, fire away, we're going to around for awhile.

←

Well, ok you asked for it!

Actually I am most interested in the caviar..... when you say alginated I'm assuming it's a fruit puree thickened with sodium alginate? And by the photo "making the mango caviar" posted by foodite it looks as though it's dropped into (I assume iced) water. Am I at least on the right track???

←

yes

its actually a calcium chloride bath

my dishwasher usually does it

[akwa]

sugarella, the sodium alginate laced mango puree is dropped into a calcium solution.  Wether it would be calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium chloride or calcium lactate, that is what reacts with the sodium alginate to seal it shut.  And it is preferably cold, maybe not ice cold.

I am curious Will, what do you prefer to use; calcium chloride or calcium lactate?

←

i am working to convert to calcium lactate

due to the (i believe correct) advice of Wylie

[akwa]

The calcium lactate helps with a thinnershell?

I've only used calcium cholride

←

dont confuse the recipe and technique with the product

the calcium lactate is more commonly used in the reverse spherification which is what creates a thinner shell because the "coction" cannot penetrate as in the traditional spherification

[akwa]

Oddly enough, Sam will be at CIA tomorrow hosted by yours truly.  You can check it out on my diary in the general food topic section in a couple days.

Hopefully one day I can get Will up here, that would be wonderful.

←

no fee is too big

no tip is too big

[akwa]

thanks to all the participants for a great forum

i appreciate the understanding as last week

i celebrated by 2nd fathers day, 2nd anniversary, and 31st birthday

was profiled in the new yorker, and got 10 best, and also ny rising stars within a five day window

needless to say it took my these three days just to get back on line to wrap

i will return to check all the questions

and cheers to the hosts for helping mediate a great forum

thanks ted

will goldfarb

[tan319]

Thanks for those photos, love 'em.

really like the "breakdown" on the chocolate dessert.

Also dig the "grosse meringue" on the 'infance' plate.

Is that a Ducasse/Roberts thing?

←

sorry to be gone for so long\

the new yorker article really slammed us

hope the thread will stay alive as long as i do

who is roberts?

grosse meringue is definitely a nod to ducasse

wg

←

Frederic Roberts, Ducasse's (former) longtime Exec Pastry Chef.

With that, we're going to close this Third FOCUS.

Can't thank Will Goldfarb enough, especially in light of all that's been going on for him.

And thanks to ALL of you participants and folks who helped behind the scenes ( you know who you are).

Thanks again!