The Art and Science of Cooking

Cooking, also known as the Culinary Arts is the creative side of gastronomy. Using his artistic license a chef utilizes his pantry as a veritable palette of ingredients to create an endless variety of dishes that tantalize all of our senses.

Ok, but what does this have to do with science? The Science side of the culinary equation is when the culinarian wants to repeat the process. How do we cook various foods to specific levels of doneness, obtaining certain characteristics such as consistency, texture, and moisture content? Throughout human history certain cooking methods have been developed and recipes written which produce consistent results. Discovering why these methods work is the purview of science.

In times past food science has been mostly concerned with the industrial side of food production. Strictly speaking, in this vein, areas of concern such as chemistry, microbiology, physics, safety and more to do with the mass production of food rather than restaurant or home cooking.

Early in the 19^th century a famous French Chef Marie-Antoine Carême was perhaps among the first to utilize a scientific understanding of food – in stating that when making a food stock "the broth must come to a boil very slowly, otherwise the albumin coagulates, hardens; the water, not having time to penetrate the meat, prevents the gelatinous part of the osmazome from detaching itself."

The food industry uses scientific methods and research to bring food to market safely, efficiently, and in a cost effective manner. Scientific method utilizes procedures consisting of systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses.

Ok, but how does that relate to the home culinarian or the restaurant chef? Have you ever heard of a term called “Molecular Gastronomy”? This is a term coined in the early 90’s by Hungarian physicist Nicholas Kurti and French physical chemist Hervé This. It subsequently became the title for a set of workshops held in Erice, Italy that brought together scientists and professional cooks for discussions on the science behind traditional cooking preparations. Eventually, the term "Molecular Gastronomy" also became the name of the scientific discipline co-created by Kurti and This to be based on exploring the science behind traditional cooking methods.

Many professional chefs, including myself shy away from the term Molecular Gastronomy because it sounds a bit foreign and possibly elitist. Many also (mistakenly) believe that molecular cuisine relies too much on chemicals that it cannot possibly be either sustainable or healthy.

On the chemical side of the argument, the food industry has been using things for decades that sound foreign and unnatural. However, until relatively recently many of the food additives we commonly found in our foods had been either naturally occurring or extracted from food sources by mechanical processes. Take lethicin for example. This is a common substance traditionally extracted from egg yolk or seaweed that I learned about nearly 50 years ago that is used as an emulsifier in many foods. These days, the most common form of lethicin is soy-based and chemically extracted.

Culinarians concerned with sustainability should research the particular additives they use. Chemically extracted ingredients such as Soy Lethicin are at a minimum linked to food sensitivities in many consumers. Depending upon the chemicals used, who knows what other hazards or long-term effects may result from using these engineered substances.

Hot & Cold

Basically, the term cooking is concerned with applying heat to food. On the science side we are concerned with the effects heat has on various food products – at what temperature do the cellular structure of vegetables or connective tissue in protein break down. Understanding these characteristics of individual food types allows cooks to create dishes with repeatable methods that produce consistent results.

For the past few years I’ve been talking about a cooking process known as “Sous Vide.” Among other things, this method of cooking relies on precise temperature control. Researchers and professional chefs have developed charts that quantify the time and temperature for many food items. These charts usually also quantify the expected results such as level of doneness or texture.

The cold side of this scientific equation is becoming increasingly more popular as well. Scientists with NASA learned that applying extreme cold such as liquid nitrogen to prepared food items would “freeze dry” and preserve the food. These days many chefs are using liquid nitrogen, dry ice, and mechanical methods to quickly freeze foods. From making a quick ice cream or sorbet, to making chocolate powder, extreme cold can be a cool tool in your kitchen. Rapid chilling can also be a benefit when it comes to food safety. Time and temperature can be both friend and foe in your kitchen. Too much time at the wrong temperatures allows the growth foodborne pathogens. Many professional kitchens these days are utilizing devices called blast chillers which quickly freeze or reduce food temperatures to safe levels.

Objectives of Modern Food Science

According to Hervé This there are some specific objectives to this scientific approach to cooking (molecular gastronomy). Specifically, This defines current objectives as researching the mechanisms of culinary change (effects of various outside mechanisms – chemical and physical) and processes. These changes were to be observed in three areas:

1. the social phenomena linked to culinary activity
2. the artistic component of culinary activity
3. the technical component of culinary activity

The original fundamental objectives of molecular gastronomy were defined by This in his doctoral dissertation as:

1. Investigating culinary and gastronomical proverbs, sayings, and old wives' tales
2. Exploring existing recipes
3. Introducing new tools, ingredients and methods into the kitchen
4. Inventing new dishes
5. Using molecular gastronomy to help the general public understand the contribution of science to society

Though in culinary circles the term Molecular Gastronomy is becoming well known and often referred to as a method of cooking there is no professional consensus as to what we should call this scientific approach. Some terminology used to describe this genre of cooking include: Culinary constructivism, Avant-garde cuisine, Experimental cuisine, Modern cuisine, Molecular cuisine, Molecular cooking, Progressive cuisine, and Techno-cuisine.

For those of us who enjoy knowing why things work in the kitchen, what we call it is not as important as the results our scientific approach to food produces. Whether we are utilizing hi-tech equipment such as immersion circulators, evaporators, and ultrasonic devices, or more traditional devices such as an oven or bain-marie, it is the knowledge of how food interacts with various outside influences that makes this such an interesting subject.

So, I'm sitting in Norton Sound Restaurant in Anchorage International Airport having breakfast, reading facebook, and come across an article posted by a friend regarding my least favorite company -- Monsanto. My blood starts to boil and my fingers tingle with words just itching to type out into the ether. OK, I admit I'm here for another four hours waiting for a flight, but this is serious stuff. Read on...

The worlds health is being put at risk because of Agribusiness Greed

The power of big agribusiness is frightening, and I believe that the world's health is being put at risk because of agribusiness greed. According to a recent study reported by the Huffington post ; regulators knew that the world's best selling herbicide causes problems, especially when used in conjunction with Roundup-Ready crops.

Researchers found that genetically-modified crops used in conjunction Roundup contain a pathogen (glyphosate) that may cause animal miscarriages. Don Huber, an emeritus professor at Purdue University commented on the herbicide itself, saying: “It is well-documented that glyphosate promotes soil pathogens and is already implicated with the increase of more than 40 plant diseases; it dismantles plant defenses by cheating vital nutrients; and it reduces the bio-availability of nutrients in feed, which in turn can cause animal disorders.”

The study concludes that "the current approval of glyphosate and Roundup is deeply flawed and unreliable. Additionally,  "we have learned from experts familiar with pesticide assessments and approvals that the case of glyphosate is not unusual."

Proponents of biotechnology are quick to minimize risks associated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). But, far from being ubiquitous, GMOs such as Roundup Ready soy, wheat, corn, etc., deserve serious review. Demand that your legislators push for review of GMOs, pesticides & herbicides  in our food-chain -- especially Roundup. According to the article Roundup is not scheduled for a full review until 2030 -- not acceptable!

GMOs such as Roundup Ready soy, wheat, corn, etc., deserve serious review.

Thirty minutes and three cups of coffee later I've had my cathartic moment and feel I've done my part for the day in protecting our food chain. Now it's your turn. Spread the news about pesticides and GMOs.

Chef Callahan

Read Full Huffington Post Article: Roundup Birth Defects: Regulators Knew World’s Best-Selling Herbicide Causes Problems, New Report Finds

BTW; Monsanto is not the only GMO demon, DOW and others are in the game as well. My motto is "Just Say Know." That is KNOW what you're eating! Lobby your legislators for reviews of GMOs & associated pesticides. It is unconscionable that things in our food chain like Roundup slip through regulatory loopholes.

For a few years now culinarians been hearing a bunch about a cooking technique called Sous Vide – this is French cooking terminology meaning “under pressure". This cooking technique is becoming very popular among higher-end restaurant chefs. However, this cooking technique has now moved beyond the state of experimental cuisine into the mainstream. My tool of choice for Sous Vide Cooking is the Sous Vide Supreme form Poly Science. For home use try the Sous Vide Supreme.

The principles of sous vide cooking require utilizing reduced oxygen packaging (vacuum sealing food in bags), and controlled low temperature cooking – usually lower than the boiling temperature of 212°F. The basic process is simple: seal food in a vacuum bag, and then immerse it in a circulating water bath held at a specific temperature for a certain amount of time. Devices such as the Sous Vide Professional (for professional kitchens) or the Sous Vide Supreme (the home model) are both a bit pricey. However, they both guarantee cooking temperature accuracy.

I have been experimenting with the Sous Vide Professional for a few months now and have had very good and consistent results. Most dramatic results have been with steaks and fresh vegetables which have been on the menu for quite some time now. The precise temperatures involved with this style of cooking produces foods with superior flavor and texture. Steaks cooked in this manner are done edge-to edge to the desired doneness, not just a thin strip of “medium” for instance. With a bit of experimenting with Sous Vide you can precisely control the texture of your veggies – with a setting of 189°F most vegetables attain a very nice Al dente texture,  retain their bold colors, flavors and nutritional value.

Vacuum sealing really pulls flavors from seasonings and marinades into the food. Additionally, reducing the amount of air in the bag helps to insure that the water temperature is transmitted efficiently to your food throughout the sous vide cooking process.

Sous Vide Salmon is one example of a menu item we’ll be doing at Café YK in this particular style. With this dish I’ll start off by lightly salting each fillet, add a pinch each of lemon and lime zest, and then seal them in a special vacuum bag. The water bath will have the Sous Vide Professional set to 125°F. Next I’ll drop the bagged and seasoned salmon into the water. In fifteen minutes the salmon will be done to perfection, tasty and tender. I’ll then seer the salmon with a kitchen torch and serve alongside a quinoa tabouleh.

The cost of getting into sous vide cooking may still be a bit prohibitive except for the most ardent home culinarians, and professional chef; but, if you enjoy going for that “wow factor” with your cooking, this technique is unbeatable.