Recently, the cover of Gourmet Magazine featured Hamaro Cantu, a local Chicago chef. His super-trendy, nationally famous restaurant, Moto, boasts molecular cuisine, that most advanced of trendy gourmet cooking styles. While molecular cuisine is based soundly on hard-core food science, menu items are often prepared table-side, using such startling equipment as lasers or cryogenic systems. Edible menus feature color photos of sushi printed on rice paper. Dining in Moto is truly a “Willy-Wonka-like” experience, as Hamaro is a world-class culinary innovator. Many of chef Cantu’s techniques are actually patented. However, what most American foodies do not realize is that the chefs at Moto are standing on the shoulders of giants. The cutting-edge kitchens of Spain have created most of the concepts upon which molecular cuisine is based. Using those techniques in upscale restaurant kitchens first began over 10 years ago. This new gourmet culinary science was born not in America; it was created in Spain. Molecular cuisine is Hispanic cuisine!
During this year’s WOF conference, a number of these pioneering Hispanic innovators came to the CIA at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif., where the meeting was held. Through interpreters, they lectured on the science, theory and philosophy of molecular cuisine and prepared wonderful dishes. What is the secret to this success? Flavor, texture and aroma must come first and foremost, they all agreed. Beauty, presentation and showmanship must come next. Science and engineering must be thought of as a tool, a means to achieve the final result. Too often in the past, efficiency in manufacturing was the goal, with specifications adjusted to accommodate equipment or process limitations. During the numerous workshops and lectures, three clear trends were brought to light. Understanding the philosophy and techniques of molecular cuisine and creating new products built on that foundation will give today’s food developers “the chef’s edge.”