TASTE 101: BIOLOGY BASICS
To understand the Molecular Gastronomy “movement” its best to start from First Principles. To begin, its useful to re-introduce ourselves with the physiological basis of taste. This means – let […]
TASTE 101: BIOLOGY BASICS – PART 2
The nose is a sensory organ crucial for sensing what we eat. Whereas with the mouth we speak of “tastants” when we talk of the chemicals that excite our tastebuds, we […]
LECITHIN & CULINARY FOAM
Lecithin is ideal for making airs, foams, mousses and emulsions. Most commercial lecithin is extracted from soybeans making it both vegetarian and vegan friendly. Lecithin contains both hydrophobic (water-hating) and hydrophilic […]
SODIUM ALGINATE & SPHERIFICATION
Update: for a practical step by step guide to our reverse spherification recipe of oyster infused dashi click here. THE THICKENING AGENT – SODIUM ALGINATE Sodium alginate (a food product derived […]
DANIEL GOLEMAN TALKS WITH HBR
My article entitled “Go with the Flow” is largely based on a concept that Daniel Goleman talks about in his book; Emotional Intelligence. In this interview with Harvard Business Publishing […]
OCCUPATIONAL STRESS IN THE CHEF PROFESSION
I recently came across this paper entitled ‘Occupational stress in the chef profession’ which is part of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. The following is the synopsis of […]
MODULAR KITCHEN DESIGN
A group of designers; unveiled their creation on modular kitchen design. The kitchen set consists of these awesome features: 1. microwave and electric oven, 2. cool refrigerator, 3. dishwasher, 4. […]
SIX COMMON MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT TEAMWORK
In his article entitled ‘Six Common Misperceptions about Teamwork’, J. R Hackman – a Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology at Harvard University – brings to light a number of […]
STRESS MAKES PEOPLE STUPID
“A management consultant once said; stress makes people stupid… when emotionally upset, people cannot remember, attend, learn or make decisions clearly” (Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, Bloomsbury, 1996). Stress is an […]
GO WITH THE FLOW
Most chefs would find it difficult to agree with a ‘go with the flow’ mentality in the kitchen, as professional kitchens require an organised, structured and well coordinated effort by […]