July 25, 2016

On a sizzling day well-suited to frying an egg on the sidewalk, a culinary-minded audience at the Kennett Library experienced the opposite end of the weather spectrum – with a warning about frostbite.

More than 30 people attended a workshop on Saturday, July 23, entitled “Science Snacks: Molecular Gastronomy,” an haute cuisine trend. Chefs blend physics and chemistry into their regular culinary ingredients to alter the taste, texture and appearance.

The task of transforming library patrons into cooking scientists fell to Justin Beatty, a chemist by day, and Pandora Young, a horticulturist by profession. Proof that they accomplished their mission occurred near the end of the session when someone asked how many times they had led similar programs. Acknowledgement that this was the “first ever” generated surprise and then appreciative applause – and that was before participants sampled the results, which prompted even more praise.

Beatty began with a literal ice-breaker as he took a hammer to a five-pound block of dry ice he bought at Giant supermarket for about $6, breaking it up into pieces. Young, wearing protective gloves, combined the ice with water and elderflower syrup – purchased from Ikea – in a standing mixer.

Within a couple of minutes, the pair had whipped up a batch of elderflower sorbet in a fraction of the time that it typically takes with an ice-cream maker. For some variety, they used a berry syrup to add another flavor. Beatty explained that the quick results occur because the dry ice is so cold that it can cause frostbite.

“You definitely don’t want that in your mouth,” Beatty said.

The simply way to prevent that risk is to let the treat rest for about half an hour, he said, providing a perfect opportunity for the pair to prepare lemon raspberry aquafaba foam, a frothy topping that started with chickpea liquid; and ginger rosemary syrup spherification, a process that mixed sodium alginate, a naturally-occurring sugar found in seaweed, with calcium lactate, to form flavored, liquid-filled balls and noodles with a thin gel coating.

Beatty said restaurants often use aquafaba as a vegan replacement for meringue or mayonnaise and spherification to add an unconventional texture. He said many online resources exist to help those who want to experiment more with molecular gastronomy. He said he got interested after receiving a start-up kit as a Christmas gift.

He said he couldn’t resist the fascinating intersection between food and chemistry. “The fact that someone was able to deep-fry panko-encrusted water was pretty neat,” he said, adding that even if the taste didn’t sound appealing, the ability to go beyond normal flavor and texture did.

After answering some questions about the various techniques and ingredients, Beatty and Young prepared for the culmination of the course: the taste test.

One of the first in line was Kathy Beatty, who proclaimed the results delicious. Of course, she admitted to some bias, being the chef’s mother; however, her reaction was universally shared by the rest of the participants.

Kathy Beatty said she and her husband, Chris, were delighted to attend the session, having just moved to West Chester from California. She said the presentation was completely consistent with her son’s longtime passions for cooking and science.

“This was so much fun,” said Eileen Grady of Pocopson Township. “I can’t wait to try some of this.”

Grady, an adjunct Spanish professor at Neumann University, said she could envision numerous ways to use her newfound knowledge. Grady also volunteers at the library, where she is finishing up the Cocinar y Charlar program, a beginner Spanish class that combines speaking and cooking. In addition, she serves on the board of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Chester County.

Library Director Donna Murray said she was pleased with the turnout and hoped to persuade the presenters to repeat the program, possibly in late fall.

Young told the audience that she’s not aware of any meat ice cream so perhaps that void could be filled by experimenting with a hotdog flavor, which could even be vegan. “I’m willing to try it if you are,” she said.