samedi 28 novembre 2015

No mustard in a mayonnaise !

The true history of mayonnaise is the following. Already in the Viandier, by  Guillaume Tirel ("Taillevent", at the beginning of the ,  15th century, cooks were preparing sauces called "rémoulade", based on mustard, with a hot or cold liquid.
Later, cooks added egg yolk, because we know how such food ingredient is improving the flavour.
Then, in the 18th century, and we don't have details, someone forgot the mustard, and got an emulsion similar to the cold rémoulade based on mustard and oil, but with a much more delicate flavour, because the mustard is somehow acrid. The sauce mayonnaise was created, and it was a wonderful discovery!

Alas, at the very beginning of the 20th century, the  book entitled Guide culinaire (which was written by Philéas Gilbert, Emile Fetu and Auguste Escoffier, but the last one was alone on next editions) proposed to used mustard in the mayonnaise, whereas Gilbert correctly said that there should be no mustard in one of his own book published in 1934. This was a real mistake, and this is why I hate this wrong book, showing the utmost ignorance (mayonnaise is not the sole mistake). Worst,  M. Grégoire and M. Saulnier, students of Escoffier, popularized the mistake... so that, today, many cooks confuse rémoulade and mayonnaise.

But it's not difficult! In order to make a mayonnaise, you need one egg yolk, one teaspoon of good wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and oil that you add drop by drop while whisking.

But no mustard, otherwise you get a rémoulade, not a mayonnaise !

vendredi 13 novembre 2015

From our friends in NYC

Hello all,
 
The November meeting of the Experimental Cuisine Collective will take place Friday, November 20, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the  food studies department at NYU (35 W. 4th Street, room 1080 on the 10th floor).
Make sure to note: different time, different place!

Marion Nestle will give a presentation on the subject of her latest book, Soda Politics. You will also partake in a blind soda tasting. 

Please RSVP at ecc112015.eventbrite.com. A link is also posted on our website. If you RSVP and can no longer make it, please let me know right away so that your seat can be released---thank you!  

And you'll find below what we sent in October, for those of you who missed it then. 

Our ninth (!!!) year of programming takes place amidst a changed landscape, with more food and food+technology events and meetups than ever. We look forward to fostering the unique community of the ECC for many more years to come, with programs that continue to interrogate the intersections of science and food, but focusing on fewer meetings each year: two in the fall and three in the spring. Of course, if timely programming ideas come along (a great book is released, a great organization offers an opportunity to co-host an event), more will take place, so don't hesitate to be in touch with those!
 
All my best,

Anne 

----
Anne E. McBride
Director, Experimental Cuisine Collective 

mercredi 4 novembre 2015

News from the Molecular Gastronomy Group in Lebanon

Dear all
This is a announcement from the Molecular Gastronomy Group in Lebanon (in charge: Pr Reine Barbar)


In the scope of the project entitled “Preservation and development of Lebanese Culinary Heritage by Molecular Gastronomy”, the Holy Spirit University and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie would like to invite you to a series of workshops on the theme “New Kitchen Stories from the lab”. Chef Marijana Pedovic (Serbia) and Chef Sasa Hasic (Croatia) will be delivering these workshops (cf biographies below).

Workshop number
Public
Date
Time
Location
Workshop 1
Food engineering students
November 9, 2015
1-5 pm
Cordon Bleu Kitchen, USEK
Workshop 2
Food engineering students
November 10, 2015
9 am-1 pm
Cordon Bleu Kitchen, USEK
Workshop 3
Culinary Schools students
November 11,2015
9 am-1 pm
Cordon Bleu Kitchen, USEK
Workshop 4
Professional Chefs
November 12, 2015
9 am-1 pm
Cordon Bleu Kitchen, USEK
Demonstration
All public
November 13, 2015
11:15-12:15
Workshop topic of Mrs Marijana Pedovic: Illusion on a plate
1:45-2:45
Workshop title of Mr Sasa Hasic: Sea Bites
Cooking Festival- Biel, Beirut

About Chef Sasa Hasic :
A bright, talented and self-motivated Chef with a track record of various delicious meals and creative decorative food displays from different parts of the world and cuisines. Sasa is reliable, trustworthy and flexible chef as well as team worker, experienced in planning, directing, and supervising of food preparation and cooking activities in a busy environment.

About Chef Marijana Pedovic:
Chef Marijana Pedovic is born in 1988 in Novi Pazar, Serbia, living in Novi Sad. MSc Molecular Gastronomy, graduate with honors. She made the first master thesis in Balkan about Molecular Gastronomy. She is a PhD student in Food Technology.
She is Executive Chef, President and one of the founders of Serbian Association of Molecular Gastronomy.
She has professional practice in 4* and 5* hotels and restaurants in Balkan from commis to Executive Chef.
She has two contracts on cruisers  around the world as Executive Sous Chef/step up Executive  Chef.
Over 20 trained Chef under command, free education for students.
Science award for achievement, professional award from WACS for team leader.
She is a fighter and dreamer.






Dr Reine Barbar
Chef du département des Sciences Médicales Fondamentales
Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences Médicales
Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik
P.O. Box 446 | Jounieh | Lebanon
www.usek.edu.lb