Homaru Cantu on ICA

[Mr. Delicious]

Last night was battle beets, and the challenger was Homaru Cantu from Moto in Chicago. It was great to watch, he had his polymer box, liquid nitrogen, corkscrew utinsels, even the class 4 laser. It was quite interesting, I was very suprised to see him win. Even Morimoto was usuing liquid nitrogen, it was great. Just curious what anyone else thought, and I am shocked that I am the first to post about this.

[chefAZ]

Actually there have been comments made on the Moto Thread....but yes It was probably one of the best ICA battles.

The funny thing about it was that Alton Brown's usual educational commentary was replaced with "wow...uh I have no idea what that is...oh my a laser!...oh look that looks like liquid nitrogen, I have no idea what is going on! just uh...oh Just watch them!!" LOL! that was great, I know Alton was totally geeking out.

[Vadouvan]

Cantu's food was riddled with gimmickry and just ridiculous.

Printed sushi, burning sugar with lasers.

It was intersting to watch but killed any desire to eat at Moto.

[newsgal]

Cantu's food was riddled with gimmickry and just ridiculous.

Printed sushi, burning sugar with lasers.

It was intersting to watch but killed any desire to eat at Moto.

←

Couldn't agree more. I almost fell out of my chair when he beat Morimoto. I didn't see one of Cantu's dishes that was about the food more than the show.

Maybe his stuff tastes great - I've never eaten at Moto - but I was just thinking he was all about being the culinary Mr. Wizard.

[Joisey]

I'm going to agree with the last two posters, I thought the gimmickry was absolutely ridiculous. The irony is that Morimoto beat Cantu on presentation, but Cantu beat Morimoto on taste. Obviously Cantu can cook, but it was like watching "Revenge Of The Nerds" in a kitchen.

[ariggsby]

Cantu's food was riddled with gimmickry and just ridiculous.

Printed sushi, burning sugar with lasers.

It was intersting to watch but killed any desire to eat at Moto.

←

Couldn't agree more. I almost fell out of my chair when he beat Morimoto. I didn't see one of Cantu's dishes that was about the food more than the show.

Maybe his stuff tastes great - I've never eaten at Moto - but I was just thinking he was all about being the culinary Mr. Wizard.

←

I'm always baffled by people who think they can judge the outcome of IC battles without actually tasting the food.

I have eaten at Moto once, and had versions of several of the dishes that he made on the show. In addition to all the flash, the remarkable thing was how tasty they all were (one exception: the utensils with the herbs wrapped in just didn't do much for me).

Andrew

[aliaseater]

I may be wrong but...

It seems Cantu won on presentation:

If you take the scores and flip the points for taste and creativity, leaving presentation intact, Cantu still comes out ahead...

Odd, or, what....

[rickster]

Whatever one thinks of Cantu's food, this was the most engaging Iron Chef's I've seen in a long time. I was facsinated by what they were doing.

[Joisey]

It was pretty interesting, but I just couldn't get past the dork factor. When Wylie Dufresne was on the show, I was actually rooting for him at the end. This time I was hoping Morimoto would hand Cantu his ass.

My all time favorite was the Flay/Tourondel goat cheese battle.

[Shalmanese]

Uh... Was I the only one who thought Cantu was Japanese before seeing it?

I liked the LN2 spheres, I thought they were a clever way of achieving their desired effect. I thought the laser was ridiculously useless though and the packing peanuts was just a dumb gimmick. I have a lot of respect for Cantu to be on the bleeding edge but it seems like sometimes they're too busy innovating to be reflective.

I like how Morimoto basically rolled up his sleeves and said he can play the same game too with caviars, iSi whippers, LN2 and sous vide. Morimoto didn't show off any groundbreaking techniques but he used molecular gastronomy where it made sense.

[inventolux]

WOW! I love a good debate. Lets begin...

So you take a laser and caramelaserize any non animal based food product. That produces an airborne extracted replication of the original product. One has maximum control over the energy transfer and as a result and can obtain uniquie flavor profiles. Next, one adds an airborne ingredient (secret for now) to the caramelaserized airborne product and it is then passed through a bath of liquid nitrogen. Now we have a product that go through sublimation (no pun intended toward another thread on this website). That frozen product can then be placed into a "MAP Package" or modified atmospheric package and can be held stable at room temperature. Then, when the user opens the package and mixes the caramelaserized product with and increased oxygen rich environment, it produces an interactive cloud that rapidly exits the package. Novelty........no. Instant consumer impact. This is just one of hundreds of mass applications that was witnessed on IC. All of these things and the goal still is and always will be sustainable, delicious food.

You know whats interesting, how many people on this thread have actually dined at moto and what was their opinion. Knowledge is power.

Where am I really going here???....

WWW.TRANSSTUDIO.COM

There is a finite amount of time left for humanity on this planet if we continue down this path. This is something I have spent nearly 5 years pushing for and now its nearly time to let the cat out of the bag. We need to move quickly, or our future generations will pay the price. I believe we are all eyes in the same head. These petty differences will only slow the evolutionary process. If you disagree with my goals, fine, then educate me and yourself with an actual experience. If you still dislike what I do, then fine slam it with 1000 bad reviews, be my guest, we deserve it.

Next,

If we don't find new ways to cook, we will continue to use up our natural resources and wind up like every other now extinct species.

Its not just Iron Chef the show, its the transmogrification of cooking as a whole which is one of the largest energy wasting activities we have. The ripple effects are everywhere and our population is only getting larger. It needs change, it needs funding, and we do not have a choice. All of you can help, or you can disagree, either way, science will tell us the truth and the future will be what we make it.

Allez Cuisine

Omar

Edited January 27, 2007 by inventolux (log)

[MikeM]

I will admit, I have been very skeptical of this "molecular" movement. The unknown can be difficult to embrace. Personally, my fear with this movement is the potential to eliminate and/or replace fresh product ie. organic produce and proteins in exchange for artificial product. But frankly, I saw the contrary in Cantu's cooking on IC. In my opinion, he took the essence of beet and transformed it into something completely new and exciting. However, my biggest concern was using technology for the sake of technology. For example was the edible paper really necessary? Was it critical to the food or to the experience? Probably not. On the other hand, it was Cantu's chance to show off his unique craft on IC. Can you blame him for going "over the top?" I have never dined at Moto, but I hope to very soon in order to experience his food first-hand. Really, if you can't taste the food, then is it fair for any of us to truly judge Cantu's unique cooking style?

[chefAZ]

WOW! I love a good debate. Lets begin...

So you take a laser and caramelaserize any non animal based food product. That produces an airborne extracted replication of the original product. One has maximum control over the energy transfer and as a result and can obtain uniquie flavor profiles. Next, one adds an airborne ingredient (secret for now) to the caramelaserized airborne product and it is then passed through a bath of liquid nitrogen. Now we have a product that go through sublimation (no pun intended toward another thread on this website). That frozen product can then be placed into a "MAP Package" or modified atmospheric package and can be held stable at room temperature. Then, when the user opens the package and mixes the caramelaserized product with and increased oxygen rich environment, it produces an interactive cloud that rapidly exits the package. Novelty........no. Instant consumer impact. This is just one of hundreds of mass applications that was witnessed on IC. All of these things and the goal still is and always will be sustainable, delicious food.

You know whats interesting, how many people on this thread have actually dined at moto and what was their opinion. Knowledge is power.

Where am I really going here???....

WWW.TRANSSTUDIO.COM

There is a finite amount of time left for humanity on this planet if we continue down this path. This is something I have spent nearly 5 years pushing for and now its nearly time to let the cat out of the bag. We need to move quickly, or our future generations will pay the price. I believe we are all eyes in the same head. These petty differences will only slow the evolutionary process. If you disagree with my goals, fine, then educate me and yourself with an actual experience. If you still dislike what I do, then fine slam it with 1000 bad reviews, be my guest, we deserve it.

Next,

If we don't find new ways to cook, we will continue to use up our natural resources and wind up like every other now extinct species.

Its not just Iron Chef the show, its the transmogrification of cooking as a whole which is one of the largest energy wasting activities we have. The ripple effects are everywhere and our population is only getting larger. It needs change, it needs funding, and we do not have a choice. All of you can help, or you can disagree, either way, science will tell us the truth and the future will be what we make it.

Allez Cuisine

Omar

←

Omar, is this why you choose to cook the way you do? Because of your philosophy on the future and how cooking will affect it?

Do you teach this to your staff? How can people 'help' this cause?

Im very interested in this...and I am suprised other chefs have not talked about this.

*BTW that website is very cool.....that invisible trench-coat rocks !!!!!

[inventolux]

WOW! I love a good debate. Lets begin...

So you take a laser and caramelaserize any non animal based food product. That produces an airborne extracted replication of the original product. One has maximum control over the energy transfer and as a result and can obtain uniquie flavor profiles. Next, one adds an airborne ingredient (secret for now) to the caramelaserized airborne product and it is then passed through a bath of liquid nitrogen. Now we have a product that go through sublimation (no pun intended toward another thread on this website). That frozen product can then be placed into a "MAP Package" or modified atmospheric package and can be held stable at room temperature. Then, when the user opens the package and mixes the caramelaserized product with and increased oxygen rich environment, it produces an interactive cloud that rapidly exits the package. Novelty........no. Instant consumer impact. This is just one of hundreds of mass applications that was witnessed on IC. All of these things and the goal still is and always will be sustainable, delicious food.

You know whats interesting, how many people on this thread have actually dined at moto and what was their opinion. Knowledge is power.

Where am I really going here???....

WWW.TRANSSTUDIO.COM

There is a finite amount of time left for humanity on this planet if we continue down this path. This is something I have spent nearly 5 years pushing for and now its nearly time to let the cat out of the bag. We need to move quickly, or our future generations will pay the price. I believe we are all eyes in the same head. These petty differences will only slow the evolutionary process. If you disagree with my goals, fine, then educate me and yourself with an actual experience. If you still dislike what I do, then fine slam it with 1000 bad reviews, be my guest, we deserve it.

Next,

If we don't find new ways to cook, we will continue to use up our natural resources and wind up like every other now extinct species.

Its not just Iron Chef the show, its the transmogrification of cooking as a whole which is one of the largest energy wasting activities we have. The ripple effects are everywhere and our population is only getting larger. It needs change, it needs funding, and we do not have a choice. All of you can help, or you can disagree, either way, science will tell us the truth and the future will be what we make it.

Allez Cuisine

Omar

←

Omar, is this why you choose to cook the way you do? Because of your philosophy on the future and how cooking will affect it?

Do you teach this to your staff? How can people 'help' this cause?

Im very interested in this...and I am suprised other chefs have not talked about this.

*BTW that website is very cool.....that invisible trench-coat rocks !!!!!

←

Yes, this has been the goal from day one. My entire staff is taught the value of intellectual property and using it for socially responsible projects. The goal of Cantu Designs is NOT to own the world. Quite the opposite, it is to give back the lack of energy to those that need it. (The third world.) To further prove my point, I do not take a salary with CD and all of my profits that come to me personally that are generated from my intellectual property go to charities and socially constructive programs. This does not mean that we don't make money, it's just what drives me to drive the business and I know it is not a model for everyone.

Next,

Cooking MUST change, food processing must change, houseware production must change, business models are changing. Food Transmogrification must step in and change the way we percieve food. If we can embrace this change then we can evolve and hopefully slow the process of resource consumption... and give us enough time for an expedition to another planet.

There is a reason why Stephen Hawking announced that we will only evolve as a species if we learn to travel to other planets and form new civilizations.

Everyone can help by assisting postmodern/avant garde establishments or whatever you want to call it. If we get the masses in the restaurant industry to embrace the change then we can learn to accept new innovative products on the market and yearn for environmentally safe products. Most trends begin at the high end level and then trickle down.

There are many organizations (I wont name names) in the food world that have not and refuse to admit that they and we, have it wrong. And WE have it wrong!

Just take a mild glance at any species and or civilization that is extinct. Its a simple rule of thumb....if a civilization runs out of resources, it becomes extinct. We are consuming at an alarming rate and we must investigate and seek the truth through science, not opinion.

I know I can come off as abrasive and cocky, but I am merely trying to get people to listen. My apologies if anyone gets offended but its our future generations that are going to pay the price. Its just something that can no longer go ignored.

Omar

[Reefpimp]

1) We are, as far as I know, the only species on the planet that can force its own evolution along.

2) Homo Sapeins plus technology (in particular, silicon technology) will eventually be a differently-evolved species than Homo Sapiens without technology

3) You are what you eat.

I still don't understand the furor over MG techniques. Is it the old-guard chefs afraid and insecure they are about to become obsolete? You see this sometimes in academia, where tenured professors in shouting distance of retirement become bitterly opposed to new reseach that will invalidate their lifetime's work. Look at how AB announced that episode: When Mr Morimoto was making "caviar," he explained it adequately and as if it were no big deal; when Mr Cantu's team was doing the same thing, he was scoffing and for all the world acting like the class hotshot when a new, smart, strong kid walks into class. For real. I lost a lot of respect for Mr Brown tonight when I finally got to see this episode. For somebody who does a food chemistry show, he really revealed the abyssal depths of his ignorance about food. And I say that with intent.

The science wonks tell us there is no such thing as cold--there is only more heat or less heat. Well, as somebody who has weathered his share of Minnesota winters, I'd take exception to that; still, from a thermodynamics POV, it's true. Why should it matter if the heat comes from a laser or a gas range? If you're looking to cool something down in a hurry, the difference between a blast chiller and LN2 is only efficiency and cost. All cooking ultimately comes down to chemistry--what's the difference between combining chemical compounds haphazardly as in what AB calls "soul cooking" and doing it more precisely by weighing ingredients and attempting to have a greater measure of control over the reactions?

I've said it before and it bears repeating: If no one ever said "Hey, what would happen if we...," we would all still be working with bearskin knives.

Learn. Advance. Grow. Evolve.

Edited January 28, 2007 by Reefpimp (log)

[NickLam]

The only gripe I had about this episode was that Chef Cantu described more about the gadgets and the way the dishes were made rather than the food. It occured to me that ICA might have edited the description of the dishes for its tech impact for audiences. However, more than one of the judges did mention about the lack of beet flavour in certain dishes. That wasn't the case in Morimoto's dishes, where he married tradition and modern-movements and as per the judge's own comments, achieved great beet flavour!

Putting MG and gadgets aside, the judge's comment told me one thing. They failed to capture, as the team at El Bulli would put it, the DNA, of the ingredient. Of course one episode of ICA with a incredibly short time limit cannot be used to judge an approach.

Those that have dined at Moto's have had great experiences, of which its gotta definitely be good. So my doubt is not in their cooking ability or their pursuit of taste and flavour coz to be good, its gotta have both!

However, it would be great if Chef Cantu could describe how he would've done a Beets themed dinner at home for close family and friends away from the gadgets, the laptops and everything. Imagine walking into grandma's kitchen, she's got a thing for beets and wants a full course beet meal....NOW!

Every battle I watch on ICJ (This was the first ICA for me), you can more or less see the love affair the chefs have with their food. Outside of the Iron Chef, one example would be Ferran Adria being amazed at Rafa's Restaurant, taking inspiration from the pure, simple flavours and interpreting them in El Bulli's style.

Would love for Chef Cantu to draw a personal parrallel with the Ferran Adria/Rafa story.

Thanks.

Edited January 28, 2007 by NickLam (log)

[chefAZ]

Omar, is this why you choose to cook the way you do? Because of your philosophy on the future and how cooking will affect it?

Do you teach this to your staff? How can people 'help' this cause?

Im very interested in this...and I am suprised other chefs have not talked about this.

*BTW that website is very cool.....that invisible trench-coat rocks !!!!!

←

[inventolux]

I am unfamiliar with SS's comments at Madrid Fusion, so I have no opinion on the matter. I missed this past MF.

I tell my employees that if they want to make an impact then become a leader start their own business. I would suggest the same for you.

I also suggest exporing as much as possible in the field of energy conservation. When it boils down to it. Cooking is the transfer of energy. Extracted fron the planet and put right back into it.

The average restaurant in the US consumes as much energy as 8 single family homes in a single dinner service. That is remarkable statistic and should be addressed. In my restaurant I have put an entirely patent pending computerized system in place that saves energy and time. We no longer use paper and pencils. It also assists in elminating the accountability to human error and that is the core problem that has and will continue to plague our business with low wages and high turnover. So I eliminate the stress and reduce the time it takes to perform tasks and increase our ability to be creative.

It took creativity to bring us the lightbulb, it will take more creativity to keep the light on. Food will be essential for that journey.

Many think the end result will be when computers take over us. You can ask any employee at Moto or Cantu Designs if they have seen this trend. No way, not on my watch. What has been created is an environment that allows us to really enjoy and focus on the beauty of innovation. Computers controlling humans is science fiction. I can state with complete accurracy, most of our problems with starvation, business failure, high energy consumption (and most things in between) are mainly attributed to technological inequalities. A caveman cooking meat over a fire was "technologically" advenced at the time.

60,000 years ago the human race was a 2,000 person tribe living in africa. Today we are over 5 billion. That drastic shock on our planet will require major technological advances in how we eat. This is clearly is a technology problem. There are too many of us now and we need to focus our creative energy toward the non opinionated solution.

If we wait and squabble over small differences, this will allow the problem to grow and we may wind up as a speck on Earth's timeline. We will make mistakes just as those in the scientific community have before and that is what makes us human. Its the humanity part of the equation that drives us at CD and Moto to keep innovating.

Omar

Edited January 31, 2007 by inventolux (log)

[Reefpimp]

I do think Cantu Designs is being a little shabby in patenting some of these innovations. No, there's nothing wrong with making a little money if you can--nobody goes into business to hemmorage huge sums of cash. But still; it's antithetical to their philosophy, isn't it? The patent locks innovation out, while peer-review can keep innovation alive. Look at "fizzy fruit." Hell, man, I've been serving a composed fruit salad of supremes of citrus; or apple varietals in season; or peach and plum varieties--for years now. I throw the fruit in an old pressure cooker I have that I tapped a NPT adapter to, hook that up to the CO2 tank and pump 15 lbs in and hold it for 15 minutes. Out with the fruit, onto the plate, sprinkle it with Pop-Rocks and out the door it goes. I've used an iSi bottle and air-rifle cartridges before. Easy to use; warm water cleanup. Great as a starter or as a dessert. I do it because it's fun and a little different, and because I can charge at the rate of 8 bucks an apple that way. But patenting it? Horseshit. That shouldn't be why we cook.

Fleischmann and Pons were innovators too. They patented their innovation, and innovated themselves right into laughingstocks.

Edited January 31, 2007 by Reefpimp (log)

[inventolux]

I do think Cantu Designs is being a little shabby in patenting some of these innovations.  No, there's nothing wrong with making a little money if you can--nobody goes into business to hemmorage huge sums of cash.  But still; it's antithetical to their philosophy, isn't it?  The patent locks innovation out, while peer-review can keep innovation alive.  Look at "fizzy fruit."  Hell, man, I've been serving a composed fruit salad of supremes of citrus; or apple varietals in season; or peach and plum varieties--for years now.  I throw the fruit in an old pressure cooker I have that I tapped a NPT adapter to, hook that up to the CO2 tank and pump 15 lbs in and hold it for 15 minutes.  Out with the fruit, onto the plate, sprinkle it with Pop-Rocks and out the door it goes.  I've used an iSi bottle and air-rifle cartridges before.  Easy to use; warm water cleanup.  Great as a starter or as a dessert.  I do it because it's fun and a little different, and because I can charge at the rate of 8 bucks an apple that way.  But patenting it?  Horseshit.  That shouldn't be why we cook.

Fleischmann and Pons were innovators too.  They patented their innovation, and innovated themselves right into laughingstocks.

←

Remember,

I patent innovations that have mass market appeal. If I do not file for a patent, someone else will. That someone else may or may not wind up being the next Enron or Worldcomm. Either way, the goal has been to do what is never followed through with. Making it all open source while making it a commercially successful product. First we get the patent, make it a commercially viable product (advanced search and design human behavior software is our current one) and then give it away to those who need it to grow. The computerized age WILL infiltrate the restaurant business. This is not to say that we will be cooking with printers, this is to say the current state of computers is essentially outdated when compared to this:

and especially this:

So lets see....patents + morals + technology + gastronomy = increased revenue for the poor + open source technology for those that cant afford to join the rest of us bloggers + examples like Fizzy Fruit replacing soda with all natural fruit so obesity rates go down + we gain a deeper understanding of what really lies beneath the actions we take whenever we fire up that gas burner.

Why wouldn't one at least give it a shot? Many lawyers have given it a bad name and refuse to simply allow the inventors to have the most important right of all. The right to revenue. That usually goes to the lawyers. Mine is different and sees my challenge. We aren't stopping this anytime soon and many employees of Moto will be picking up the torch. Hopefully bloggers will too.

If the old way of creating in a kitchen suits you then fine, keep on going. I still support that, I wouldn't be doing what I do if it weren't for Paul Bocuse, Fernand Point, Jean Banchet etc.. I simply have decided that tapping into IP revenue streams makes everyones lives in the restaurant business better. My people have decided that getting paid for their ideas is in their best interest as we are not just investing in our futures, but we are investing in the big picture. The rest of the world (except communist and extremist states) have decided that as well.

Also, lets get something correct, I do not hold the patent for Fizzy Fruit, The Fizzy Fruit Company in Portland Oregon does. I am just assisting them in getting their product to more demographics.

Finally, the Chefs of the old world were not scientists. They could have never foreseen the implications of what using huge cast iron flat tops would have on the environment. So its really simple, follow science and tradition collectively, or follow extinction.

It may sound extreme, but then again, extinction is the most extreme subject we will be confronted with. Its an inevitable debate.

Omar

[chefAZ]

I tell my employees that if they want to make an impact then become a leader start their own business. I would suggest the same for you.

←

Thats ultimatley what I think a lot of chefs are stiving for.

The stats on energy use is alarming indeed. I would really love to visit your restaurant and see how you have it set up, it must be a dream to work in that type of environment. All day I struggle to try to squeeze in at least and hour to 'play' with ideas...and most times that never happens. *sigh*

This is definaltey what keeps me motivated to open my own business, I just feel the need to learn more. And now after you have turned me on to this issue of waste and energy, I feel as though that restaurant dream of mine is getting further and further away! I think I may need to take a trip to chicago, perhaps you have room for a stage? I would love to learn more, especially in your kitchen.

As far as the Santi comments here is what he said in an interview:

"There are two kinds of experiments: good ones and stupid ones. I think we’ve entered a phase of theatre, searching for scientific explanations for all we eat. I don’t get it. I don’t ask myself, every time I eat, how that was made. This scientific cuisine is crippling the essence of cooking. We cooks humanize products when we cook them, which means we cook something to make it more pleasing to the palate and also healthier. That is the origin of cooking. The emotional side is very important, too, to transmit happiness to others through our food. But when we convert artisanal cooking into something industrial and introduce the mechanical repetition of machines into the formula, we are removing the emotional and human essence of cooking."

"We don’t have to be doctors to understand that certain foods have certain effects on our bodies and well being. So why would we need to know science to make good food?"

"I like to interpret nature though the products. Nature gives us so much, we should protect it, not destroy it. "

"I was not afraid to say what I think at the Madrid Fusion. The purpose of a food forum is to allow for the discussion of different philosophies. My ideas are renewable, and changing. None of us knows the full truth."

"There are many professionals that think like me, that want to search for the best products and see that as more important than scientific advancements. I received a very affectionate reaction from the audience, they gave me a 5 minute standing ovation, and I took that as a show of solidarity. This had never happened before in the history of the Madrid Fusion.

I’ve been treading a bit of a solitary path, by not being aligned with the scientific movement. It’s a bit like crossing a desert. "

"I didn’t see what the other chefs presented at the event. I did my own workshop and left. I’ve heard of machines and techniques, but don’t have an opinion on them. I don’t want to have an opinion on machines. We are robotizing too much our profession, substituting humans for machines, and once we go in that direction, cooking loses its humanity."

I would really like to hear your thoughts on this........

regards,

andrew

[Reefpimp]

patenting it?  Horseshit.  That shouldn't be why we cook.

Fleischmann and Pons were innovators too.  They patented their innovation, and innovated themselves right into laughingstocks.

←

←

Remember,

I patent innovations that have mass market appeal. If I do not file for a patent, someone else will. That someone else may or may not wind up being the next Enron or Worldcomm. Either way, the goal has been to do what is never followed through with. Making it all open source while making it a commercially successful product. First we get the patent, make it a commercially viable product (advanced search and design human behavior software is our current one) and then give it away to those who need it to grow. The computerized age WILL infiltrate the restaurant business.

Hell, I didn't know the plan was open-source. Perhaps you should refine that on the webpage. I'm just sayin'.

So lets see....patents + morals + technology + gastronomy = increased revenue for the poor + open source technology for those that cant afford to join the rest of us bloggers + examples like Fizzy Fruit replacing soda with all natural fruit so obesity rates go down + we gain a deeper understanding of what really lies beneath the actions we take whenever we fire up that gas burner.

I don't know that morality and technology will necessarily and therefore lead to a reduction in poverty rates. Although I think your goals are laudable, I'm not sure its as productive an avenue as (say) Michel Pollan's book, or the collective impact of Slow Food. Still and all, I'd like to repeat what I said above: If no one had ever said, "Hey, why don't we...." we would all still be working with bearskin knives.

Why wouldn't one at least give it a shot? Many lawyers have given it a bad name and refuse to simply allow the inventors to have the most important right of all. The right to revenue. That usually goes to the lawyers. Mine is different and sees my challenge. We aren't stopping this anytime soon and many employees of Moto will be picking up the torch. Hopefully bloggers will too.

See above statement.

If the old way of creating in a kitchen suits you then fine, keep on going.

I will. But I'm also interested in learning new techniques. I don't think technology is out of place in the kitchen. Induction cooktops are one hell of an improvement over coal-gas ranges and wood-fired ovens. (as a sidebar, my brother-in-law does blacksmith work as a hobby. He recently bought an induction forge. He can now take a 2.5X2.5cm bar of steel to welding heat in under two minutes. Induction is fucking cool.)

I could see that on the show. You can't disguise great chops.

I simply have decided that tapping into IP revenue streams makes everyones lives in the restaurant business better. My people have decided that getting paid for their ideas is in their best interest as we are not just investing in our futures, but we are investing in the big picture. The rest of the world (except communist and extremist states) have decided that as well.

I hope this is a paradigm that becomes predominant; professional cooks are woefully underpaid as craftsmen. Hell, just getting wages up to the level a journeyman plumber makes would be cause for ecstasy.

Also, lets get something correct, I do not hold the patent for Fizzy Fruit, The Fizzy Fruit Company in Portland Oregon does. I am just assisting them in getting their product to more demographics.

Well, see, I didn't know that. I was operating on incomplete information, man.

Finally, the Chefs of the old world were not scientists.

I respectfully disagree. All cooking is chemistry, albeit most people don't see it that way. Recipe development is applied scientific theory. Although it's more akin to alchemy than it is to molar-fraction research or whatever.

They could have never foreseen the implications of what using huge cast iron flat tops would have on the environment. So its really simple, follow science and tradition collectively, or follow extinction.

It may sound extreme, but then again, extinction is the most extreme subject we will be confronted with. Its an inevitable debate.Omar

←

I agree. Let's hope that the powers-that-be can quit the infighting and bickering and shameless pandering to special interests and at least open a dialogue.

Sorry for the f-ed up code parsing.

[Vadouvan]

I'm always baffled by people who think they can judge the outcome of IC battles without actually tasting the food.

I have eaten at Moto once, and had versions of several of the dishes that he made on the show. In addition to all the flash, the remarkable thing was how tasty they all were (one exception: the utensils with the herbs wrapped in just didn't do much for me).

Andrew

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Andrew Riggsby

ariggsby@mail.utexas.edu

We arent judging the outcome of ICA, we are expressing our distaste for the gimmickery.

If you believe it's easier or better to caramelize chips with a laser then I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.

The japanese have made nori for hundreds of years, if printing sushi rolls is the future of cooking, then it's a sad day.

Edited February 5, 2007 by Vadouvan (log)

[Reefpimp]

I'm always baffled by people who think they can judge the outcome of IC battles without actually tasting the food.

I have eaten at Moto once, and had versions of several of the dishes that he made on the show. In addition to all the flash, the remarkable thing was how tasty they all were (one exception: the utensils with the herbs wrapped in just didn't do much for me).

Andrew

--------------------

Andrew Riggsby

ariggsby@mail.utexas.edu

We arent judging the outcome of ICA, we are expressing our distaste for the gimmickery.

If you believe it's easier or better to caramelize chips with a laser then I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.

The japanese have made nori for hundreds of years, if printing sushi rolls is the future of cooking, then it's a sad day.

←

Actually, some of us are doing what you say.

I think new techniques should have a role in the kitchen. As with any pioneering effort, there will be some false starts. But the cowards will never get started, and the weak will die on the way (To paraphrase Heinlein).

Don't presume to speak for me. No one speaks for me but me.

[inventolux]

Now we are getting somewhere. This is where the explanation of innovation and the rules of intellectual property converge. Yes, caramelaserizing chips with gas forms of heat are easier. So is using a gas guzzling 57 chevy. Are they cheaper? NO. Does it produce less CO2 emissions to use gas? NO. Is utilizing more focused forms of heat transfer (cooking) going to hold off the big picture? (Global Warming) You better believe it! So I guess it may be easier if one chooses not to investigate. I have the engineering experts to prove it.

Vaudovan, you seem to have more of a moral dilemma with what I do. There is one component missing. Scientific innovation. There is a reason why the wealthiest person in China is the worlds largest solar panel and silicone chip manufacturer. If there is no innovation or nothing added to the problem that balances the equation, then the problem still gets worse.

What I do is NOT for everyone. I understand this. But opinions can take a back seat and join FEMA.

So first a patent is in order because I refuse to wait for another politically incorrect, fiscally uneducated, special interest driven group make that decision for me, you and everyone else. After the patents issue, then I will do whatever serves the interests of those that are in need of the technology and want to lower energy consumption across the board.

Finally, we are the "powers that be". I know it sounds ridiculous and overly stated, but thats the most difficult part of the equation to solve... convincing ourselves we can and will make this happen. And we WILL make this happen.

Omar

Edited February 5, 2007 by inventolux (log)