On June 24, 2008, version 2.1 of the hydrocolloid recipe collection edited by Martin Lersch was released. This excellent collection is a useful (and free!) resource for those of us interested in molecular gastronomy. See below for download links for the PDF of the current version as well as the previous two versions. A PDF reader is required to view or print this document. (Please see the note below about printing.)

Lersch describes this new version, excerpted from his blog post:

This new version includes corrections of typos, minor additions to the property tables, plus an important update in the gelatin section and a recipe for agar filtration.

Thanks to feedback from a reader there is also recipe now for agar filtration (based on a Spanish forum post). This works just like gelatin filtration, but is much faster. Apparently you get more or less the same results with regard to clarity, flavor and color.

If printing the collection, make sure the hydrocolloid properties table is rotated so it prints correctly. This table is presented in landscape format. The right most column of the first page is gelatin - if you don’t see it, try printing these pages again. The pages are optimized for printing on A4. If printing on Letter sized paper, make sure you check the “resize” or “fit to paper” option in your pdf reader.

Lersch, from the Forward of the new edition:

A hydrocolloid can simply be defined as a substance that forms a gel in contact with water. Such substances include both polysaccharides and proteins which are capable of one or more of the following: thickening and gelling aqueous solutions, stabilizing foams, emulsions and dispersions and preventing crystallization of saturated water or sugar solutions.

In the recent years there has been a tremendous interest in molecular gastronomy. Part of this interest has been directed towards the “new” hydrocolloids. The term “new” includes hydrocolloids such as gellan and xanthan which are a result of relatively recent research, but also hydrocolloids such as agar which has been unknown in western cooking, but used in Asia for decades. One fortunate consequence of the increased interest in molecular gastronomy and hydrocolloids is that hydrocolloids that were previously only available to the food industry have become available in small quantities at a reasonable price. A less fortunate consequence however is that many have come to regard molecular gastronomy as synonymous with the use of hydrocolloids to prepare foams and spheres. I should therefore emphasize that molecular gastronomy is not limited to the use of hydrocolloids and that it is not the intention of this collection of recipes to define molecular gastronomy.

Along with the increased interest in hydrocolloids for texture modification there is a growing scepticism to using “chemicals” in the kitchen. Many have come to view hydrocolloids as unnatural and even unhealthy ingredients. It should therefore be stressed that the hydrocolloids described in this collection are all of biological origin. All have been purified, some have been processed, but nevertheless the raw material used is of either marine, plant, animal or microbial origin. Furthermore hydrocolloids can contribute significantly to the public health as they allow the reduction of fat and/or sugar content without loosing the desired mouth feel. The hydrocolloids themselves have a low calorific value and are generally used at very low concentrations.

One major challenge (at least for an amateur cook) is to find recipes and directions to utilize the “new” hydrocolloids. When purchasing hydrocolloids, typically only a few recipes are included. Personally I like to browse several recipes to get an idea of the different possibilities when cooking. Therefore I have collected a number of recipes which utilize hydrocolloids ranging from agar to xanthan. In addition to these some recipes with lecithin (not technically a hydrocolloid) have been included. Recipes for foams that do not call for addition of hydrocolloids have also been included for completeness. Some cornstarch recipes have been included to illustrate it’s properties at different consentrations. Recipes where flour is the only hydrocolloid do not fall within the scope of this collection as these are sufficiently covered by other cook books.

All recipes have been changed to SI units which are the ones preferred by the scientific community (and hopefully soon by the cooks as well). In doing so there is always uncertainty related to the conversion of volume to weight, especially powders. As far as possible, brand names have been replaced by generic names. Almost all recipes have been edited and some have been shortened significantly. To allow easy comparison of recipes the amount of hydrocolloid used is also shown as mass percentages and the recipes are ranked in an ascending order. In some recipes, obvious mistakes have been corrected. But unfortunately, the recipes have not been tested, so there is no guarantee that they actually work as intended and that the directions are complete, accurate and correct. It appears as if some of the recipes are not optimized with regard to proper dispersion and hydration of the hydrocolloids which again will influence the amount of hydrocolloid used. It is therefore advisable to always consult other similar recipes or the table with the hydrocolloid properties. The recipes have been collected from various printed and electronic sources and every attempt has been made to give the source of the recipes.

Since recipes can neither be patented nor copyrighted, every reader should feel free to download, print, use, modify, and further develop the recipes contained in this compilation. The latest version will be available for download from this page and will also be announced on Khymos blog. I would like to thank readers for giving me feedback and suggestions on how to improve the collection. Feedback, comments, corrections and new recipes are always welcome to webmaster at  khymos dot org.

Download:

• Texture - A hydrocolloid recipe collection (version 2.1, June 2008) - 1.6 Mb
• Texture - A hydrocolloid recipe collection (version 2, May 2008) - 1.8 Mb
• Hydrocolloid recipe collection (version 1, August 2007) - 433 kB

I earned my Certified Culinarian!

We’re heading toward the end of our BASIC COOKING 1 class at Cincinnati State Technical & Community College’s Midwest Culinary Institute… We just finished the 1st night of the 8th week (out of 9 weeks), which means we’ve got three more class meetings ahead of us before the end of the term.

Last night I lectured on Sandwiches (Chapter 22 in Gisslen’s PROFESSIONAL COOKING 6th Ed, for those of you following along at home) and we executed our labwork for that chapter as well. My students made Club, Hot Ham & Cheese, and Submarine sandwiches, and all of these sandwiches rated between “good” and “awesome”. The students continued their focus on presentation of their food with some nice presentations arriving at the chef’s table.

This Thursday, we’ll be performing a “dry run” of our practical final exam to get the students ready for that exam (which occurs a week from Thursday). During their “dry run”, I will also quiz them with questions to help them prepare for their written final (which happens next Tuesday).

This has been a good class because of the good people in it. Last night, they presented me with an engraved silver fork. There is a story behind this — in culinary school, we mandate the “two spoon tasting method” for tasting products. The explaination of the “two spoon” method is pretty simple… Imagine two spoons, one in your left hand and one in your right hand. The spoon in your right hand goes into the food being tasted and then carefully transfers the food to the spoon in your left hand, which goes in your mouth. This preserves the sanitation of the food items and minimizes use of tasting spoons.

Well, I understand the “two spoon” concept completely, but for some reason am unable to reliably coordinate my left & right hands, so I tend to (loudly) mess up and use the wrong spoon fairly often – grabbing food with the right spoon and putting it into my mouth, for example, much to the delight of my students. I jokingly said, “someone needs to get me a nice fork or spoon for tasting to help me remember”, and my students thoughtfully gave me the fork (which is engraved, “Yes Chef”) to help me remember them (and to properly execute the “two spoon method”). A very nice, thoughtful gift.

I will be teaching BASIC COOKING 1 again in the Spring term, and look forward to teaching BASIC COOKING 2 in the Summer term.

I haven’t blogged about this because I’ve been too darned busy with it, but wanted to talk about the fact that I’ve been hired as an adjunct culinary instructor at the Midwest Culinary Institute (”MCI”) at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. After shadowing for several terms and in several classes, Winter 2008 is my first term solo teaching COOKING 1.

There is a fair amount of behind-the-scenes lecture development, syllabus development, test preparation, grading, requisitions, writing, etc. involved with getting a first-time class up-and-running, so I’ve been very busy with that. It will be much easier when I teach this class again in subsequent terms as these materials will be recyclable into the new class.

We’re almost 5 weeks into the term, and I’ve got a good class of students who are willing to work hard and embrace the methods we teach at MCI. Some students have been using knives “incorrectly” (not to school’s standard) for years, and we work to un-learn those habits and to develop good habits for setting up stations, using knives, preparation for class, sanitation, and cooking.

So far, I am staying far ahead of the instructional preparation curve for the class, though being sick (with the flu) and being out of town (Las Vegas) recently has made it necessary for me to scramble a bit. I believe that, with a few hours of work this weekend, I should be completely caught up.

I am very much enjoying teaching, and look forward to continuing to teach classes at MCI.

 
One Night, Twelve Kitchens
April 29, 6-9 pm
Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State College 

Top regional chefs showcase the eleven state-of-the-art kitchens at Midwest Culinary Institute to benefit the Cincinnati State College Foundation culinary scholarships.

I have participated in this event for the last few years and was very happy to work it again this year. I was assigned to Chef Neace, representing the Summit Room, the restaurant at Cincinnati State. The event was very well attended — I would estimate more than 400 guests.

We prepared a smoked duck breast salad with cherry caponate quinoia, microgreen salad with peach vinagrette, and a drizzle of poppyseed yogurt dressing alongside. We sliced the duck breast thin and put it in a ring mold (okay, PVC pipes), pressed in a bit of the quinoia, then topped with the dressed microgreens. It was a very nice looking dish and our guests enjoyed it very much. We ’sold out’ fairly early, so I was able to get cleaned up and walk around to see what was going on at the other tables.

After working at my day job, I headed down to Jean-Robert at Pigall’s to work a party with Raymond in the third-floor kitchen. The atmosphere in the main kitchen was very different than when I work on Saturdays. Saturday nights are very busy at the restaurant, and everyone is extremely focused. On Wednesday, we’re not quite as busy so the mood and tone are a bit lighter; still focused, but lighter.

I enjoyed working with Raymond and having the chance to converse with folks in the kitchen — Mike, Amanda, Sarah, Abby, Karen, Rob(bie), Jeremy, Emily, Luke, and Raymond. Did I forget anyone? I don’t think so… Ah yes! The two guys in the dish tank. That’s everyone. I’ve mentioned everyone.

I finished the party and hung around for a bit before heading home for the evening. It was still early — only 9:30.

Tonight’s meal was just scraps of items left from the recreation at Cincinnati State of the last meal aboard the Titanic. I was the sous chef for this party, and it went pretty well. Dinner was leftover chicken, fish, beef, and vegetables.

On Sunday, November 12, 2006, a few days of involvement on my part (and many, many additional days involvement on the part of Chef Neace and other employees of Cincinnati State) came to fruition with the serving of a recreation of the last dinner served to first class passengers on the Titanic.

I participated with preparations on Friday, Saturday morning, and Sunday through service of this complex meal. 100 guests, all decked out in tuxedos and fine dresses, enjoyed the event. Our menu was slightly modified from the original, and is below the fold.

The First-Class Menu
As served in the first-class dining saloon of the R.M.S. Titanic on April 14, 1912

First Course
Hors D’Oeuvres
Oysters on the half-shell
Shrimp Butter Canapes

Second Course
Consommé Olga

Third Course
Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce, Cucumbers

Fourth Course
Filet Mignons Lili
Saute of Chicken, Lyonnaise
Vegetable Marrow Farci

Fifth Course
Rack of Lamb, Mint Sauce
Confit of Duck, Apple Glaze
Sirloin of Beef, Potatoes Anna
Minted Green Peas
Creamed Carrots

Sixth Course
Punch Romaine

Seventh Course
Roast Squab & Cress
Cold Asparagus Vinaigrette
Pate de Foie Gras
Celery

Eighth Course
Waldorf Pudding
Peaches with Chartreuse Jelly
Chocolate & Vanilla Eclairs
French Ice Cream

The original menu can be viewed here. 

This evening, I participated in the ONE NIGHT, TWELVE KITCHENS event at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. This is the second annual occurance of this fundraising event. The monies raised benefit the students in the Culinary program. Read more about the event at AroundCinci.COM by clicking this link.

I arrived at school at 3:00 and reported to the kitchen. I was assigned to work with the gang from Jean-Robert at Pigall’s, Chef Meg Galvin, and a few other students. The dishes we were serving were a red wine risotto with provincal vegetables and basil cream sauce; and a vichyssoise (made with watercress and cauliflower) with jasmine rice and spring vegetables. We got started making vegetable stock, prepping vegetables and other ingredients for those dishes. A couple hours later, a few of the guys from Pigall’s arrived and we kicked it into high gear and finished our preparation in time for the ‘beauty shots’ of the prepared dishes and the meet-and-greet with guests who filed through our kitchen to watch us working.

Finally, we moved up to the serving floor (the savory dishes were set up on the first floor, pastries and other sweets were on the second floor) and got set up for the onslaught of the 400+ guests. Seeing that the crew had our station well-staffed, I was re-assigned to help the chef from Brown Dog Cafe who was working alone serving Flank Steak with Roasted Red & Golden Beets, Goat Cheese, and Red & Gold Beet Vinaigrette. Once I got him out of the weeds, I was able to wander around and sample some of the other dishes before we wrapped up, broke down our station, and moved back to the prep kitchen to clean up and call it a night. I arrived home around 11:00, tired, sore, but happy to have participated in this event.