Episode 4 : Director French

This is Food?

Watch Episode 4

Written by Marcy Cuttler

When I first started working on this documentary, the term “molecular gastronomy” scared me. Actually any term that includes the word “molecule” scares me. I imagined test tubes, beakers, complicated solutions---and of course a test at the end of it all. Science was never my forte. Of course when I saw images of molecular gastronomists donning goggles, thick rubber gloves, setting food afire, I was even more nervous. If I were in that kitchen, it would not end well.

So it was with awe and some trepidation that I followed a 15 year old boy in Montreal prepare for a molecular gastronomic party. It was for his pals, and I actually thought I should get them to sign waivers before entering the house. However Yohan Desjardins isn’t your typical teenager. He’s always loved being in the kitchen, a trait he inherited from his chef father. Still, becoming a molecular gastronomist takes some skill. Yohan had some boning up to do.

The day we joined him, Yohan was preparing for the party. He went to L’Academie Culinaire, where chef Erik Ayala gave him some of the equipment he’ll need, like a pressurized canister that can turn solid foods into silky mousses. Next he went to a medical supply store—not your typical place to go when hosting a dinner party! There Yohan chose his goggles, bought his protective gloves, and picked up a tank of liquid nitrogen. Now I don’t even like being near propane barbecues. And even though liquid nitrogen—I’m told—is completely safe, my lack of chemical savvy made me suspicious. Let’s just say, he was at one end of the room, I was at the other.

At home, the party soon began. Yohan’s friends, more used to fast food than haute-cuisine, were pretty amazed. He started off with a drink—cream soda filled with these little balls created by a process called spherification. It’s like taking a food in one natural state and turning it into another. This was once a liquid created from rose extracts and turned into these solid tangible cylinders. Am I making any sense here? Even the language of describing molecular gastronomy can be challenging.

Finally, the dessert. Bananas dipped in liquid nitrogen, then dipped into a crème anglaise sauce. Yohan opened the tank and poured the liquid nitrogen into a bowl. Dry smoke enveloped the space. It kind of reminded me of that opening scene from Macbeth when the three witches were standing around the cauldron singing “Double, double, toil and trouble..” What happened next was quite amazing. In a matter of seconds, the bananas became solid, absolutely frozen. It was like eating a banana ice cream. Yohan’s friends had eyes as wide as saucers. They couldn’t believe that a food was transformed right in front of them.

As for me, my moment of truth soon arrived. I was challenged to put a finger into the bowl of liquid nitrogen. This was not part of any agreement I signed when starting to work on this shoot. But in the interest of journalism I tried. It was very cold.

My finger is still attached to my hand. I have a new found respect for molecular gastronomy. But first I better learn how to use my gas barbecue.