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Demonstrations of Modernist Techniques

ParkerCook_66639

Alright, I need some help/inspiration here guys. My friend who is a professor in the culinary arts program at my school asked me if I would help them plan and facilitate a demonstration of modernist techniques to showcase their new food science degree. What I know about the event is that it will be 5 hours long and that it's going to be more of a booth/people come as they please rather than a demonstration with an audience. Ideas that I had that would work include:
- Pre-cooking eggs at different temperatures to show yolk consistencies.
- preparing some type of meat to show effects if sous vide
- carbonated fruit
- using sodium citrate to emulsify cheese sauce.

Does anyone have any other ideas for easy but effective ways to demonstrate modernist cooking techniques?

Referring to carbonated fruit; my professor wants to try to make carbonated grapes using dry ice and a pressure cooker. Would this be effective to make a larger batch of carbonated fruit than a whipping siphon?

Any help would be greatly appreciated everyone!

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Comments

Mark_Kalynchuk_34927

An idea you might enjoy is "pressing" fruit. It usually involves alcohol but a champagne pressed watermelon with mint, a scotch pressed apple, or a gin pressed cantaloupe can be quite delicious. It's quick and easy, requiring only 24 hours to press, though you can leave it to marinade for longer, and can be a very basic introduction into the majesty of modernist cookery. Hell, you could even serve a sous vide scotch apple pie.

Damn, I really want to try a scotch pressed apple pie now.

Brendan_Lee_56950

If you have access to some of the modernist ingredients I think it would be cool for you to do some thickening with hydrocolloids. I could see you taking something simple like carrot juice or some other liquid and adding xanthan while in a blender or with a stick blender to show that these "crazy chemicals" have important uses when applied and understood correctly. Maybe even pre-cook some egg yolks and make blender hollandaise.

ParkerCook_66639

@Johan unfortunately we don't have access to a chamber vacuum. That'd be if we had one!

seijoed

I'd pre-cook something like asparagus too, not only is the color cool and awesome, the texture is quite different from

normal cooking methods. I have to say that veg was one of the big eye-openers to me when it comes to sous vide.

Compression?

Infusion/pickling?

ParkerCook_66639

@michael, I don't know why I didn't think of spherification!

Tim_Sutherland_52834

As it is a booth, another simple task is to have people measure a cup of flour, then weigh it. Keep a record of the weights to highlight how inconsistent volumetric measuring is vs weighing.

michaelnatkin

Reverse spherification would work really well; you'd have your alginate bath all prepared and one or more flavorful bases ready to go, then you can make the spheres in seconds as a demo. (I think you've already seen it but, course and kits here: http://www.chefsteps.com/courses/spherification)