Recipe Quest: Shear-Thickening Starch Noodles

by Paul Adams Last week, the landlord of this blog spotted an intriguing video online of a man in China making noodles. Look at that. The guy’s got a big bowl of white non-Newtonian goo. When he smacks it or squeezes it, it’s as firm as clay, but when he leaves it alone, it’s fluid […]

Patent Pending: the Searzall

by Paul Adams [UPDATE: Now on Kickstarter!] Finishing a dish by convecting the hell out of it with a blowtorch is so primally satisfying — thousands of degrees, high-velocity open flame, instant gratification as the food transforms in seconds before your eyes. Raw power! But, apart from the thrill, a torch is kind of limited […]

Spin Cycle: Homestyle Centrifuge

by Dave Arnold Good news! I’ve found a home friendly centrifuge, the Champion E-33 from Ample Scientific. Dunno why you’d want a centrifuge? See my posts here, here, here, and here; or read Modernist Cuisine. The Good: It costs a shade more than $150 brand-new and is available on amazon.com ,shipped free with a prime […]

How to become a Seafood Anesthesiologist and Kill your 4th of July Lobster

By Dave Arnold Years ago, when I first learned that knocking fish out could improve their taste, the scientist who sent me my first batch of Aqui-S brand anesthetic told me to try it on lobsters. “Makes ‘em taste better,” she said, and she was right. Over the years, Nils and I performed many side […]