Excuse me but there is foam on my plate.

OK...I gotta know. Am I the only one in the world that is TOTALLY grossed out by anything "Foam" on my plate. I mean I love culinary creativity as much as the next person but something that has all the appearance of an infant spitting up carbonated Infamil on my plate just does NOT get it.

OK...I gotta know. Am I the only one in the world that is TOTALLY grossed out by anything "Foam" on my plate. I mean I love culinary creativity as much as the next person but something that has all the appearance of an infant spitting up carbonated Infamil on my plate just does NOT get it.

ok....tell us the story.....haha...(yeah, the foam you describe doesn't sound too appetizing)

I haven't ever made the infant vomit analogy, but to me the foam looks like that junk that those parasitic bugs in trees spew (I don't know what they are called), I always fear at the bottom of the foam is a creepy crawly...

Where are you getting foam in this town? I've seen it on some competative cooking shows but actually have not had it locally that I recall. It's a molecular-gastronomy fad.

[Robin Garr]

Where are you getting foam in this town? I've seen it on some competative cooking shows but actually have not had it locally that I recall. It's a molecular-gastronomy fad.

The Oakroom guys were doing it pretty aggressively when Todd and Duane were here and really into molecular gastronomy/El Bulli. I've also seem some foams at 610 Magnolia. And of course our own Stephen D might be the master of the mixologist foam. You're right, though, it's not real common locally.

Where are you getting foam in this town? I've seen it on some competative cooking shows but actually have not had it locally that I recall. It's a molecular-gastronomy fad.

Mark,

I wasn't really commenting specifically about it as a local trend, although I have ran into it a couple of times around here...most recently (I think it was) at Z's Fusion. Actually what precipitated the post was a dish I observed on one of the Iron Chef shows (Battle Blue Cheese). I suppose I'm just a bit too "meat and three sides" when it comes to dining because this whole "molecular-gastronomy fad" is totally lost on me.

That's not foam, Steve. You're just drooling.... again.

But seriously, I think the main purpose of culinary foam is to present flavor without the expected texture of the ingredient. It's just another aspect of food as "art", and I think it's okay if used correctly. Otherwise, it just makes the meal seem pretentious.

By the way, you're not the only one who isn't crazy about it.

Where are you getting foam in this town? I've seen it on some competative cooking shows but actually have not had it locally that I recall. It's a molecular-gastronomy fad.

Mark,

I wasn't really commenting specifically about it as a local trend, although I have ran into it a couple of times around here...most recently (I think it was) at Z's Fusion. Actually what precipitated the post was a dish I observed on one of the Iron Chef shows (Battle Blue Cheese). I suppose I'm just a bit too "meat and three sides" when it comes to dining because this whole "molecular-gastronomy fad" is totally lost on me.

Blue cheese foam=wow

It's tough for me to say this but, allow me to attempt to get you to believe in such a thing as foams.

I'm just gonna tell you about the very first of them and hope you get it, as many chef's have.

Ten years ago, at the birth of what is called the 'molecular revolution' /sigh, this foam was one of the dishes on the menu at elBulli:

Locally-sourced whitefish (literally, from the harbor below) was accompanied by a fish/sea water 'foam.'

The idea was that the foam would express the seafoam that would remind the diner of the freshness of the pesce and its purity.

Like the tide washing in on the very soul of the guest. Beautifull.

Many of these techniques have been adapted by chefs who do things to it that are not necessarilly the original intention. The lords on high (are somewhat) pleased with what has been done with thier works. As it should be. Your prodigy should always step outside your box...

Think seafoam, Steve, then it all falls into place!

Steve - In your case maybe you should think "pork-foam".

Steve - In your case maybe you should think "pork-foam".

<huge painful sigh> THANK YOU Mark...That helped. As Emeril always said "Pork Fat Rules"

Think seafoam, Steve, then it all falls into place!

Stephen...OK, I'll TRY

Think seafoam, Steve, then it all falls into place!

Stephen...OK, I'll TRY

Promise, you know I love you to death... meybe we just make an offline an I'll cook for you and the brethren. Ferran Adria I am not, but I swear I can express thier works on the plate and in the glass.

They don't even spend thier time on a lot of what you consider 'molecular.' This is the house that produces jambon serrano so thin one must pick it up with a pair tweezers.

Truly, it is about expression- the game of flavor, of joy, of love.- with the playfull wink of consideration.

Foams, dehydrated, of-the-top-of-the-roof-double-back-flip. Never cared. Does it make you happy, like it does us?

I was wondering about this myself. It seems we are discussing an aspect of food that is way beyond the usual "food as nourishment" idea and well into the "food as an experience" realm.
Foam is the new hashish.

Foam is the new hashish.

Best line on LHB in weeks.

Foam is so 2005.