Technique, Tools , Ingredient

Dehydrating

 This method has been known and practiced since ancient times: people dried vegetables, fruits and mushrooms in the sun, during the warmer months, to make provisions for the winter. Nowadays it is possible to dehydrate food using other heat sources. Dehydration is preferable to other natural methods of storage, such as salting and cooking, as it allows you to preserve food for a long time, without significantly altering its organoleptic characteristics. In particular, dehydration allows you to maintain minerals and proteins. It is an alternative technique to storage in glass jars, or in the freezer.The flavour of dehydrated foods is generally stronger than that of fresh foods.Among the foods that are commonly dehydrated or dried we find legumes, fruit, tea, vegetables, aromatic plants and herbs such as basil, parsley, rosemary and sage.The ideal dehydration temperature varies depending on the amount of water contained in the food, but the temperature of 104 ° F can be considered as a reference value. A low dehydration temperature requires a longer process, but the nutritive properties of food will be better preserved. You can also leave the thermostat set to zero degrees and let the lamps in the oven be the only heating source.The foods you intend to dehydrate must be perfectly clean, mature and not bruised.Once dehydrated, they must be hermetically sealed in sterilized containers, to prevent them from reabsorbing water from the air.Keep in mind, as a rule, that fruit requires much longer average dehydration times (24-36 hours) than vegetables (4-8 hours) or aromatic plants and herbs (3-5 hours). Food should be subject to dehydration in the oven for several hours - up to 8 hours per day - for 3-4 days. Then you should let it rest each time for 12 hours. Dehydration times are greatly reduced if fruits and vegetables

are cut into slices or small pieces. For best results, cut the food in halves, or to pieces, or slice it up into thin slices, 0.39 inch thick at most. If your oven is not provided with the dehydration function, use an electric oven, preferably in fan-assisted mode. If your oven operates only in conventional, static mode, open the oven door to let the air circulate. You can also dehydrate food in a gas oven, but since it is unprovided with low temperatures, the oven lights and fan must be switched on only. Do not use a microwave oven, which does not have fan-assisted modes, except for the dehydration of herbs.Keep containers of dehydrated food in a cool, dark, dry place. You can eat dehydrated fruit for a whole year, while vegetables should be consumed within six months.

ICEYou may have heard this before, but ice is the key ingredient in almost every cocktail! Depending on the shape and size of your ice, your cocktail will reveal different flavor characteristics and dilute at the exact rate that you have intended. The ice sphere has grown very popular amongst bars around the globe, mostly because it allows you to enjoy a drink for longer, without the ice diluting it, thereby keeping your cocktail sharp. To hand carve an ice ball using specially designed ice picks from our range is a skillful performance which will bring a whole different level of entertainment and flair to your bar!

Pacojet

Pacojet is a dynamic professional kitchen appliance that makes it easy to prepare high-quality dishes while saving time, labour and reducing food waste. Tens of thousands of chefs worldwide rely on Pacojet to produce exquisite mousses, sauces and ice creams at the press of a button. No matter what the season, your culinary creations will be complimented for their intense, natural flavours.

Versatile: suitable for processing all types of foods with delicious results Economical

o Fast processing – 1 portion takes only 20 secondso Calibrated portionso Minimal food preparation requiredo No spoilage

Compact: fits in any kitchen Comprehensive: includes all the accessories you need Precisely Designed: powered by Swiss technology and ISO certified manufacturing

Smoking

Smoking is the quickest and most convenient way to apply cool natural smoke to food. The ability to expose food to smoke without heat opens new ways to create exciting flavors and unexpected combinations.

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The smoker is a heavy duty hand held food smoker that is great for commercial use in molecular gastronomy. It is constructed with strong metal parts and it disassembles for easy cleaning. The dual chamber allows you to aromatize the wood smoke with your favorite herbs or spices by heating them gently without burning them. At $300 it is a little overpriced for home use but it may be worth the investment for a molecular gastronomy restaurant that plans to use it daily.

How it work

The smoker has two chambers. The larger chamber on the top is the combustion chamber and is the one you fill with sawdust. The second inferior chamber allows the separation of the sawdust from the aromatics. Thanks to this clever design, the heat produced by the combustion chamber heats the inferior chamber with control and helps to release the aromatic substances without burning them.

The delicate aromas from natural essential oils of herbs, spices and flowers can be obtained directly from the ingredient, grating the skin, mashing the leaves or using directly essential oils. If using essential oils, they can be incorporated in absorbing products like dryer paper or volcanic stones before adding to the chamber.

Sous Vide

Sous vide cooking is used by the world's best chefs to achieve amazing flavor and texture. Sous Vide is a cooking technique that relies on a precise, temperature controlled circulator. Food is vacuum sealed and cooked at a gentle temperature in a precisely controlled water bath.

Achieve perfect, repeatable results every time. Ideal for delicate foods such as lobster or fish. Sous vide cooking is great for retaining vibrant flavor and texture in vegetables, and long cook times on secondary cuts of meat without drying them out. Many restaurants cook the perfect steak using sous vide cooking as the main component to the overall process.

Sous-vide is a method of cooking in which food is sealed in airtight plastic bags then placed in a water bath or in a temperature-controlled steam environment for longer than normal cooking times—96 hours or more, in some cases—at an accurately regulated temperature much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 55 °C (131 °F) to 60 °C (140 °F) for meat and even higher for vegetables. The intent is to cook the item evenly, ensuring that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, and retain moisture.

History

The method was first described by Sir Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford) in 1799 (although he used air as the heat transfer medium). It was re-discovered by American and French engineers in the mid-1960s and developed into an industrial food preservation method. The method was adopted by Georges Pralus in 1974 for the Restaurant Troisgros (of Pierre and Michel Troisgros) in Roanne, France. He discovered that when foie gras was cooked in this manner it kept its original appearance, did not lose excess amounts of fat and had better texture. Another pioneer in sous-vide is Bruno Goussault, who further researched the effects of temperature on various foods

and became well known for training top chefs in the method. As chief scientist of Alexandria, Virginia-based food manufacturer Cuisine Solutions, Goussault developed the parameters of cooking times and temperatures for various foods.

Essential features

As may also be done in traditional poaching, sealing the food in sturdy plastic bags keeps in juices and aroma that otherwise would be lost in the process.

By placing the food in a water bath, with the temperature having been set at the desired final cooking temperature of the food, overcooking can be avoided, because the food cannot get hotter than the bath it is in, as in bain-marie. In conventional high-heat cooking, such as oven roasting or grilling, the food is exposed to heat levels that are much higher than the desired internal cooking temperature; the food must be removed from the high heat prior to its reaching the desired cooking temperature. If the food is removed from the heat too late, it becomes over-cooked, and if it is removed too early, it is under-cooked. As a result of precise temperature control of the bath and the fact that the bath temperature is the same as the target cooking temperature, very precise control of cooking can be achieved. Additionally, temperature, and thus cooking, can be very even throughout the food in sous-vide cooking, even with irregularly shaped or very thick items, given enough time.

The use of temperatures much lower than for conventional cooking is an equally essential feature of sous-vide, resulting in much higher succulence: at these lower temperatures, cell walls in the food do not burst. In the case of meat cooking, tough collagen in connective tissue can be hydrolysed into gelatin, without heating the meat's proteins high enough that they denature to a degree that the texture toughens and moisture is wrung out of the meat. In contrast, with the cooking of vegetables, where extreme tenderness or softness is seen as undesirably overcooked, the ability of the sous-vide technique to cook vegetables at a temperature below the boiling point of water allows vegetables to be thoroughly cooked (and pasteurized, if necessary) while maintaining a firm or somewhat crisp texture. While the cell walls are generally not burst, the de-polymerization of the pectic polysaccharides that connect the vegetable cells together and/or the gelatinisation of starch in the vegetable can be achieved without overcooking.

Additionally, enclosed spices or ingredients added to the food item transmit their flavor more intensely than during normal cooking.

From a culinary viewpoint the exclusion of air is secondary, but this has practical importance: it allows cooked food to be stored, still sealed and refrigerated, for considerable times, which is especially useful for the catering industry; and it excludes oxygen from food that requires long cooking and is susceptible to oxidation, e.g., fat on meat, which may become rancid with prolonged exposure to air.

Temperature

The degree of accuracy and constancy of cooking temperature required varies with the food cooked. In some cases it is not critical; a 15 mm thick (0.59-inch) piece of fish will cook in 17 to 18 minutes at any temperature from 44 °C (111 °F) to 61 °C (142 °F); such food can be cooked

in a switched-off slow cooker filled with hot water and a thermometer. But for an egg, which has proteins that denature at different temperatures, it is much more critical.

Cooking times for normal cooking are determined by when the center of the cooked item reaches a few degrees below the targeted temperature. Then heating should be stopped immediately; while resting the food, residual heat will continue to cook it for a while. If the heating continues, the food will be over cooked. Sous-vide cooking continues until the center of the food has reached its target temperature; if it continues after this, the food will not be overcooked, and it will not cook more after it stops being heated. The time taken for the center of food to reach the target temperature depends on the initial temperature, the thickness and shape of the food, and the temperature of the bath.

Once it reaches the target temperature, there are still three factors determining when to stop applying heat to the food, in order to:

Inactivate the enzymes which may cause a mush-like texture in chicken after about 4 hours, and even less for fish.

Tenderize tough meats, for example beef brisket and short ribs, which benefit greatly from very long cooking (48 to 72 hours).

Pasteurize the food. If the food will not be eaten within 4 hours, it is beneficial to cook until the food is pasteurized. Both time and temperature are critical in this process. Pasteurization is not always essential for safety if fresh uncontaminated food is cooked and eaten immediately; fresh raw foods such as sushi and steak tartar are widely eaten without ill effects. Food cooked below 55 °C (131 °F) will never be pasteurized, so the recommendation is to stop the cooking when the target temperature is reached.

One limitation of sous-vide cooking is the fact that browning (Maillard reactions) happens at much higher temperatures (above the boiling point of water). The flavors and "crust" texture developed by browning are generally seen as very desirable in the cooking of certain types of meat, such as a steak. The flavors and texture produced by browning cannot be obtained with only the sous-vide technique. In many cases, meats and other foods cooked with the sous-vide technique will be browned before and/or after being placed in the water bath, using techniques such as grilling or searing on an extremely hot pan. This secondary browning is done briefly, and sometimes at higher heat than normally used, so as to affect only the surface of the food and to avoid overcooking the interior. Similarly, the skin of fish can be cooked at high temperatures after the sous-vide to make the skin crisp.

Safety

Food safety is a function of both time and temperature; a temperature usually considered insufficient to render food safe may be perfectly safe if maintained for long enough. Some sous-vide fish recipes, for example, are cooked below 55 °C (131 °F). However, pasteurization of the food to be eaten by people with compromised immunity is highly desirable. Women eating food cooked sous-vide while pregnant may expose risk to themselves and/or their fetus and thus may choose to avoid unpasteurized recipes.

Clostridium botulinum bacteria can grow in food in the absence of oxygen and produce the deadly botulinum toxin, so sous-vide cooking must be performed under carefully controlled conditions to avoid botulism poisoning. Generally speaking, food that is heated and served within four hours is considered safe, but meat that is cooked for longer to tenderize must reach a temperature of at least 55 °C (131 °F) within four hours and then be kept there for sufficient time, in order to pasteurize the meat.

Pasteurization kills the botulism bacteria, but the possibility of hardy botulism spores surviving and reactivating once cool remains a concern as with many preserved foods, however processed. For that reason, Baldwin's treatise specifies precise chilling requirements for "cook-chill", so that the botulism spores do not have the opportunity to grow or propagate. Pasteurized food can then be stored for up to two weeks at around 3 °C (37 °F) sealed within the vacuum pack.

The plastic used must not leach endocrine disruptors. Many plasticizers used in plastics have these properties.

Espuma / Charger

Food whippers allow anyone to create amazing ‘molecular’ garnishes. With a food whipper you can give your dishes a modern edge - create ‘espumas’ (foams) to add delicate but intense flavour and a spectacular visual effect to a dish.

The use of foam in cuisine has been used in many forms in the history of cooking. For example, whipped cream, meringue, and mousse are all foams. In these cases, the incorporation of air or another gas creates a lighter texture and/or different mouth feel. More recently, foams have become a part of molecular gastronomy technique. In these cases, natural flavors (such as fruit juices, infusions of aromatic herbs, etc.) are mixed with a neutrally-flavored gelling or stabilizing agent such as agar or lecithin, and either whipped with a hand-held immersion blender or extruded through a whipped cream canister equipped with N2O cartridges. Such foams add flavor without significant substance, and thus allow cooks to integrate new flavors without changing the physical composition of a dish. Some famous food-foams are foamed espresso, foamed mushroom, foamed beet and foamed coconut. An espuma or thermo whip is commonly used to make these foams through the making of a stock, creating a gel and extruding through the N2O canister.

Creating culinary foam

To form a stable foam and emulsion, a surfactant, such as lecithin, monoglycerides or proteins, must be present to reduce the interfacial tension between the air/oil phase and the aqueous phase. If the surfactants are at equal concentrations at the interface, proteins are generally less effective than small surfactants, such as lecithin or monoglycerides, at decreasing the interfacial tension.

Foams consist of two phases, an aqueous phase and a gaseous (air) phase. Foams have been used in many forms in the history of cooking, for example: whipped cream, ice cream, cakes, meringue, bread, soufflés, mousse and marshmallow. It has a unique light texture because of the tiny air bubbles and/or a different mouth feel. In most of these products, proteins are the main surface active agents that help in the formation and stabilization of the dispersed gas phase. To create a protein-stabilized foam, it usually involves bubbling, whipping or shaking a protein solution and its foaming properties refers to its capacity to form a thin tenacious film at the gas-liquid interface for large amounts of gas bubbles to become incorporated and stabilized.

When protein concentrations are increased to their maximum value the foaming powers and foam formation are generally increased. Often to compare foaming properties of various proteins, the foaming power at a specific protein concentration is determined.

A protein will always have certain stresses that it must over come, such as gravitational and mechanical, it’s the proteins ability to stabilize foam against these stresses that determines the foams stability. The foams stability is usually expressed as the time required for 50% of the liquid to drain from foam (a 50% reduction in foam volume).

Liquid nitrogen

The culinary use of liquid nitrogen is mentioned in an 1890 recipe book titled Fancy Ices authored by Mrs. Agnes Marshall, but has been employed in more recent times by restaurants in the preparation of frozen desserts, such as ice cream, which can be created within moments at the table because of the speed at which it cools food. The rapidity of chilling also leads to the formation of smaller ice crystals, which provides the dessert with a smoother texture. The technique is employed by chef Heston Blumenthal who has used it at his restaurant, The Fat Duck to create frozen dishes such as egg and bacon ice cream. Liquid nitrogen has also become popular in the preparation of cocktails because it can be used to quickly chill glasses or freeze ingredients. It is also added to drinks to create a smoky effect, which occurs as tiny droplets of the liquid nitrogen come into contact with the surrounding air, condensing the vapour that is naturally present.

Safety

Because the liquid-to-gas expansion ratio of nitrogen is 1:694 at 20 °C (68 °F), a tremendous amount of force can be generated if liquid nitrogen is rapidly vaporized. In an incident in 2006 at Texas A&M University, the pressure-relief devices of a tank of liquid nitrogen were malfunctioning and later sealed. As a result of the subsequent pressure buildup, the tank failed catastrophically. The force of the explosion was sufficient to propel the tank through the ceiling immediately above it, shatter a reinforced concrete beam immediately below it, and blow the walls of the laboratory 0.1 -0.2m off their foundations.

Because of its extremely low temperature, careless handling of liquid nitrogen may result in cold burns.

As liquid nitrogen evaporates it reduces the oxygen concentration in the air and can act as an asphyxiant, especially in confined spaces. Nitrogen is odorless, colorless, and tasteless and may produce asphyxia without any sensation or prior warning. A laboratory assistant died in Scotland in 1999, apparently from asphyxiation caused by liquid nitrogen spilled in a basement storage room. In 2012, a young woman in England had her stomach removed after ingesting a cocktail made with liquid nitrogen.

Oxygen sensors are sometimes used as a safety precaution when working with liquid nitrogen to alert workers of gas spills into a confined space.

Vessels containing liquid nitrogen can condense oxygen from air. The liquid in such a vessel becomes increasingly enriched in oxygen (boiling point 90 K; −183 °C; −298 °F) as the nitrogen evaporates, and can cause violent oxidation of organic material.

EMERGENCY OVERVIEWWarning! Extremely cold liquid and gas under pressureCan cause rapid suffocationCan cause severe frostbitePOTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS INFORMATIONRoutes of Exposure:Inhalation Simple asphyxiant. Nitrogen is non-toxic, but may cause suffocation by displacing the oxygen in air.Exposure to oxygen deficient atmosphere (<19.5%) may cause dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting,excess salivation, diminished mental alertness, loss of consciousness and death. Exposure to atmospherescontaining 8% to 12% or less oxygen will bring about unconsciousness without warning and so quickly thatthe individuals cannot help or protect themselves. Lack of sufficient oxygen may cause serious injury ordeath.Eye Contact Tissue freezing and severe cryogenic burns of eyes.

Skin Contact Tissue freezing and severe cryogenic burns of skin.

Inhalation Persons suffering from lack of oxygen should be removed to fresh air. If victim is not breathing,administer artificial respiration. If breathing is difficult, administer oxygen. Obtain prompt medicalattention.Eye Contact In case of splash contamination, immediately flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes. See aphysician, preferably an ophthalmologist immediately.Skin Contact Remove any clothing that may restrict circulation to frozen area. Do not rub frozen parts as tissuedamage may result. As soon as practical place the affected area in a warm water bath that has atemperature not to exceed 105°F (40°C). Never use dry heat. In case of massive exposure,remove clothing while showering with warm water. Call a physician as soon as possible. Frozentissue is painless and appears waxy with a possible yellow color. It will become swollen, painfuland prone to infection when thawed. If the frozen part of the body has been thawed by the timemedical attention has been obtained, cover the area with dry sterile dressing with a large bulky protective covering.

Steps to Be Taken if Material is Released or Spilled: Evacuate all personnel from the affected area. Shut off source ofnitrogen, if possible without risk. Ventilate enclosed areas or remove leaking containers to a wellventilatedlocation. To increase rate of vaporization, spray large amounts of water on to the spillfrom an upwind position. If leaking from container or its valve, contact your supplier.

Precautions To Be Taken In Storage: Store and use with adequate ventilation. Do not store in a confined space.Cryogenic containers are equipped with pressure relief devices to control internal pressure. Undernormal conditions these containers may periodically vent product. Some metals such as carbonsteel may become brittle at low temperatures and will easily fracture. Prevent entrapment of liquidin closed systems or piping without pressure relief devices.

Precautions To Be Taken In Handling: Never allow any unprotected part of the body to touch non-insulated pipes orvessels that contain cryogenic fluids. The extremely cold metal will cause the flesh to stick fast andtear when one attempts to withdraw from it. Use a suitable four-wheel hand truck for containermovement. Containers shall be handled and stored in an upright position. Do not drop or rollcontainers on their sides. If the user experiences any difficulty operating container valvediscontinue use, and contact supplier. For additional precautions in using liquid nitrogen see OtherInformation, e.g. CGA (Compressed Gas Association), EIGA (European Industrial gas Association),etc.

ENGINEERING CONTROLS:Ventilation Natural or mechanical to prevent oxygen-deficient atmospheres under 19.5% oxygenRespiratory Protection:General Use None requiredEmergency Use Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or positive pressure airlinewith mask are to be used in oxygen-deficient atmosphere. Air purifyingrespirators will not function.Protective Gloves Loose fitting thermal insulated or cryogenic glovesEye Protection Full face shield and safety glasses are recommended.Other Protective Equipment Metatarsal Safety shoes when handling containers. Long-sleevedshirts and trousers without cuffs and protective coverall.Exposure CAS Number 7727-37-9Exposure Limit Simple asphyxiant

Physical and Chemical PropertiesMolecular Weight 28.01Boiling point at 1 atm -195.8°CMelting point at 1 atm -209.9°CDensity of the gas at 70°F (21.1°C) and 1atm 1.153 kg/m3Density of the Liquid at b.p and 1atm 808.5 kg/m3Specific Gravity (air=1) at 70°F(21.1 °C) and 1 atm 0.967Vapor Pressure @ 20°C Not applicableSolubility in water vol/vol at 32°F (0°C) 0.023

Expansion Ratio (for Liquid at b.p to Gas at 70°F (21.1°C) 1 to 696.5Evaporation Rate(Butyl Acetate =1) Not availablepH Not applicableAppearance, Odor and State Colorless, odorless Cryogenic LiquidOdor Threshold Not applicablePhysicExposure

Rotating Vacuum Evaporator

The PolyScience Rotary Evaporation System provides virtually unlimited possibilities to evaporate, distill, separate and purify liquids. You can now easily concentrate, capture and infuse flavors in your own kitchen.

This kitchen breakthrough utilizes a vacuum pump to reduce atmospheric pressure allowing liquids to move to a vapor phase at low temperatures.

Simultaneously, a rotating flask creates greater surface area of thin film facilitating rapid evaporation. That vapor is then condensed by coils cooled by a recirculating chiller and collected in a receiving flask. As a result, you can capture and preserve an amazing array of even highly volatile aromas and flavors to use in your next recipes.

The Rotary Vacuum Evaporator has been customized for culinary applications. Want to add the fresh, concentrated essences of your favorite herbs or combine the flavors and aromas of fruits and vegetables? Anything is possible.

1 Gallon - 100% pure lab-grade Propylene Glycol anti-freeze for use with the LM6 mini-chiller. Dilute with 50% water. FDA rated as "food-grade."

PLEASE NOTE: While Propylene Glycol is considered food grade this is not meant to suggest that it is safe for consumption. Always check your chiller and rotary evaporator for leaks. In case of consumption please contact your local Poison Control Center immediately for instructions.

While most chefs are familiar with regular distillation process, this technology adds another dimension: it works under reduced pressure, which lowers the boiling point to as low as 95°F/35°C. By remaining at such low temperatures, valuable flavor compounds are preserved and will add to complexity of the result.

At Alinea Restaurant in Chicago the rotary evaporator is used to extract herb aromas like basil. Another innovative application by Alinea is to distill the pure chili's essence. During that process the chemical capsaicin, responsible for the heat, is left behind. A unique flavor experience is guaranteed