Although it's sort of a product usage guide... and I'm not even sure if it is available for purchase... we were given the new DVD of '84 Recipes' featuring Albert and Ferran Adria (along with a lot of goodies to play with) by a great man from New Orleans. Watching product demos may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but when those products are the the Texturas, Ingenios, and Lyo-Sabores lines from the Adria brothers it's worth sitting down and paying attention. Class is in session.
Although much of the techniques are sort of a 'been there, done that' review, watching the demos has thus far proven to be a great way to re-align our thought process (sort of like running a defragmentation on your brain to get rid of unnecessary stuff). Since the beginning, we have purchased many powders on whims from many different sources. This has led to many many (and even many more) frustrations... recipes going into the garbage, things not doing what they're supposed to, etc. (there has been so much in the line of failure that has never been posted, although always learned from). We have never actually tried to purchase and utilize the Adria line of products (except for a few recently brought in by Fabian). It's like going back to school in many ways and refocusing. The DVD itself also contains pdf files with all of the 84 recipes demo'd on it. All measured amounts and temperatures are given and they showcase each and every product in the lines.
So, what a great impromptu way to begin a new year. Much thanks to Mr. Tim Koerner for opening this door for us. Having such a classic New Orleanian with his gab and stories in our Miami kitchen was a treat. Koerner is a name that every chef in that city associates with (mostly for baking supplies, but they have been revolutionary in their foresight to expand beyond... if anyone was at StarChefs ICC 2008 they will remember that very cool cold smoking device). What another example of things coming full circle for us. It does seem strange that all of these products are sold out of New Orleans, and I'm not aware of any chefs in that city utilizing such techniques and ingredients (or that the market there will allow for even a miniscule dabble into it). If I'm wrong, please let me know. It's been awhile since I've moved away. In fact, I would truly love to be wrong about it.
On a similar subject, here's a link to a 'Cooking & Science' lecture given at Harvard by Ferran Adria. It's over 2 hours long, so I actually haven't watched the full video.