The Heston Blumenthal books arrived today! It's like Christmas except the present came from me. I could hardly contain myself as I tore open the Amazon box. When I first heard of it, molecular gastronomy blew my mind. Synonymous with molecular gastronomy is Heston Blumenthal. I became aware of him when he was featured on Gourmet magazine's TV series, "Diary of a Foodie". His signature creations include "Nitro-Scrambled Egg and Bacon Ice Cream" and "Hot and Iced Tea" (in which the beverage is simultaneously hot and cold within the same cup, without any physical partition). For more, just take a look at his current tasting menu at The Fat Duck. Is it any wonder that the restaurant has earned three Michelin stars every year since 2004?
Now that I finally have access to the Food Network, I'm able to catch his weekly BBC series, "In Search of Perfection". This show is like crack cocaine for me. I love Blumenthal for the same reasons I worship Jacques Pepin: he is a master of his craft but isn't above sharing his knowledge with the average joe. Furthermore, he is a fantastic teacher because he can make the culinary arts accessible to all. He explains techniques and his thought processes as a discerning chef in the clearest language possible. He comes across as genuine, thoughtful and unpretentious. Best of all, he's open about his mistakes and various kitchen disasters -- this helps me feel less afraid to experiment, to try something daring because it just might taste good.
His two books, "In Search of Perfection" and "Further Adventures in Search of Perfection" are companions to the TV series. In great detail, he recounts his travels, research and experiments in pursuit of the perfect steak, the perfect hamburger, the perfect pizza, the perfect meal. I was astonished the first time I leafed through the pages in the bookstore: this guy wrote a lot about food in a very short time. And it's all quality material that makes my mouth salivate even just looking at the text, never mind the pictures. How does he do it???
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1 comment:
Great write up. You amaze me. As someone who seriously respects and cherishes your wisdom, I am looking to get inspired by your thoughts, opinions, and comments. I tuned into Heston Blumenthal's show during Prison Break Season 3 (sorry dudette, I feel indebted to see it to the end since I was there from the start and it gave me some pleasure) and he is serious about what he is trying to achieve. Too feel strongly about something and make the steps towards it and towards mastering it to perfection ;-), is where I would like to be with those things that spark my interest. Now to move on it.
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