Recipes

I had a bunch of recipes here which are all basically good but not particularly mindblowing. Recently, I've been doing a lot more interesting food. You can see my new food at Habeas Brulee, a food blog run by my fiancee, or taste my food at Jack, our occasional restaurant.

I've also been doing some molecular gastronomy stuff. I'll probably post a few recipes here that don't make it to the blog for whatever reason. I'm focusing on the chemical ingredients and unusual preparations because they're the least well documented on the web. But what's important at the end of the day is that the food tastes good.

Vegan chocolate mousse

(light and airy, unlike all those other ones)

• 170 gm 70% chocolate
• 3.5 gm soy lecithin, ground fine
• 1/2 c water or coffee or liquor (frangelico is great)
  
  
• 110 gm water
• 40 gm sugar
• 2.1 gm versawhip 600K (other varieties may not be vegan)
• 0.5 gm xanthan gum

Melt together chocolate, lecithin, and water in a double boiler, stirring often.

Beat water, sugar, versawhip and xanthan gum in electric mixer until light and fluffy. Fold 1/4 of foam into chocolate to lighten, then fold in rest. You will lose tons of foam volume, but this is OK, because there's way too much foam.

Set in refrigerator for two hours.

This recipe works OK, but sometimes ends up a bit lumpy. Perhaps my chocolate isn't hot enough (but too hot will pop the bubbles in the foam), or I'm not using enough lecithin. Patches accepted.

Grapefruit crisps

• 100 gm grapefruit juice
• 4 gm Ultracrisp cs
• 1.25 gm Versawhip
• 0.25 gm xanthan gum
• 15 gm sugar

Spray oil onto silpat, then wipe off. Whisk together all ingredients except juice. Add to juice. Whisk in mixer on high about two minutes. Do not over-beat. Spoon tablespoons onto prepared silpat to make 16 or so 2" circles. Bake at 200 for 2 hours. Remove from oven and store in an airtight container

Roasted-barley barley

• 2 3/4 C water
• 1 large packet roasted barley rye tea (the kind intended to make 1 qt of tea; mine weighed about 8.5 gm)
• 1/2 c pearled barley
• 1 tbsp oil (to prevent foaming)
• 4 tbsp butter
• plenty of salt

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat, add teabag. After 1 minute, remove and discard tea bag. Add oil, barley, and salt and pressure cook 18 minutes at high pressure. It's OK to use quick pressure release. Meanwhile, brown butter in a pan. Drain barley and add butter.

Onion paper

• 500 gm yellow onions, cleaned and quartered
• 20 gm Ultra-crisp CS

Apple cake

• 2 C flour
• 2 C sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 C cooking oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 C grated apples
• 1/2 c apple jack