Ferran Adria is gonna stop for some time

That's true, a genius still remains a human being, then even a genius must rest sometimes. This is the case of Ferran Adria, the Spanish molecular gastronomy genius who invented the spherification method and the spherification kit.

Praised by many and put down by many others, he lately decided he will need a couple of years for his culinary research, more precisely from 2012 to 2014. During this period his restaurant El Bulli will stay closed, while he be working at El Taller laboratory.

Now, who else in the world, as a chef, can afford to stop for 2 years?? I guess no one else then Ferran Adria.
In the last few years his work has been sometimes strongly criticized, especially because of some doubts about hygiene and toxicity. Doubts that eventually came out to be groundless.

Besides any opinion, it's still amazing to see a man who lives his passions in such a strong way that he even parts with money, a lot of money. That's why I respect him.

It's Valentine's Day! Any ideas?

Every year it's the same story: Valentine's Day is coming and I still have no idea what to buy my partner as a gift. A jewel? A watch? Flowers? Woah, it all sounds so boring... How could I tell him/her "Happy Valentine's Day" without being repetitive?

Well, let me give you an nice idea for Valentine's Day: make some love chocolate and cakes with your own two hands! Don't buy them, just make them by your own! Your partner, wheter a boy or a girl, will surely appreciate it, 'cause it'll come from your heart, not from your wallet.
In order to make everything simplier here are some heart-shaped moulds and cake tins to create your 'sweet' moment of love for Valentine's Day.
Want to make the atmosphere even more romantic? Put this Valentine's Day candle on the table and make your candlelight dinner special!

Ice Bag - No more ice buckets

You and your woman go out to a good restaurant for a romantic dinner. You order a bottle of Champagne. The waiter brings the bottle into a big, heavy, grey ice bucket... Hey wait a moment! Big, heavy, and grey??? Where's the romance in all that?!?!? For sure, there MUST be something better than these things!

Well, yes, actually there IS something better. Way much better: the Ice Bag.

Ice Bag is a brand new product that works as a common ice bucket, but that's better than it: lighter, smaller, much cheaper (around 20€-30$ an ice bucket, no more than 3.60€ the Ice Bag, according to the model), and foldable and space-saver, which means that when you don't need it you can store about 10 of it in the same place of only one ice bucket. You don't believe it? Then check the Ice Bag video.

The Ice Bag is also much more pleasant to see, since it can be added with some special features, like decors or bright glow ice cubes.
Believe me, I've seen girls and ladies who went shopping with the Ice Bag and bottles of water in it!

Spherification: first step

If you're not a professional of the spherification technique, nevertheless you want to try it and make your own experiments, maybe this Spherification mini kit can help: it contains special tools and 5 packs of different Texturas.
Furthermore, the Spherification mini kit ain't that expensive!

Spherification: let's talk about it

Spherification in a brand new technique coming from the molecular gastronomy, made popular by Ferran Adrià. It is a very impressive cuisine.

The goal is creating "ravioli" (big spheres obtained by a particular spoon) or "caviar" (little spheres similar to salmon eggs) having a stiff texture outside and a liquid one inside. Once you crush the caviar against the palate, the inside humor will come out.

Spherification is made by tre dry elements: alginate, calcium and citras.

Alginate is to be mixed with the main product to be spherificated at the avarage of 2 grams per 250 grams of product. Calcium is to be mixed in water at the avarage of 2.5 g per 1/2 liter, in order to create a calcic bath. Immerse the raviolis with a spoon or drop the alginate product with a big syringe into the calcic bath. After being immersed into this solution, ravioli and caviar will have to be "rinsed" in another bath of neutral water using a siever.

Spheres will become hard and solid after 8-12 hours after their preparation.

The kit includes all the tools required for the spherification process.

There are two different spherification types:

• Basic
  If the food is basic, it has to be helped with some acid (citras). This way you will obtain spheres with a very thin membrane.
• Reverse
  Very well served, it allows to create spheres using almost any kind of ingredients.

Recipe example:

Salmon with melon

• 250 g melon juice

• 2 g alginate

• 500 g water

• 2.5 g calcium

Mix the alginate with 1/3 of juice and whisk. Mix the other 2/3, strain and leave aside. Dissolve the calcium in water. Fill the syringes with the melon-alginate mix. Pour it drop by drop on the calcim base. Withdraw the spheres after one minute, strain and rinse in cool water.

Mandarin caviar

Put 250g of filtered mandarin juice into an electric mixer and add 2 g alginate, let all rest for 1 hour. Fill a plastic 200 cc. syringe with the mixed liquid. Prepare a calcic bath using 1/2 liter water and 2.5 dry calcium. Pour drop by drop the mandarin juice gently using the syringe; drops will become spheric oce into the calcic bath.

Withdraw the spheres after one minute, strain, rinse and immerse them in a neutral water bath.

Rinse them again. The caviar is ready.