molecular gastronomy

My mother has been a cooking teacher for the past decade. Her philosophy is: fresh ingredients, simple techniques. She hates when chefs mask the taste with complicated sauces and seasoning. She would probably frown at the dishes of El Bulli's Ferran Adria: mango cavier and carrot foam. I, on the other hand, am facinated. Ferran worked his way up from a dishwasher in the 80s to one of the world's most famous chef. He is sort of a mad food scientist, specializing in molecular gastronomy. In his lab, he experiments with altering the texture and shape of foods we're all familiar with. The result? Pea essence with the consistency of an egg yolk, freeze dried bananas, and fried fish wrapped in cotten candy. What marvelous adventure it sounds.

--Ray