More than meets the eye

Colour influences our daily lives, whether we are aware of it or not. Sight is our main sense, a large portion of our brain is primed for visual stimuli. Finding and determining potential food is one of the uses for survival. In addition we don't want to eat poisonous plants or animals. Colours help us to find food "at first sight" since red berries between the green branches are easily spotted. It seems we perceive three primary colours, red, green and blue. The theory about the way we perceive colour is not completely elucidated, though. Since the eye and brain are almost inextricably linked it is clear that neurological and even psychological factors are not to be ruled out in the perception of colour.

It's a matter of taste

"Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love." - Charlie Brown (by Charles Schulz). Actually Charlie Brown is slightly mistaken here, but we can forgive him because we all know what unrequited love can do. I'm sure he can still taste his salty tears as he can the saltiness of his peanut butter. However, the apparent odour might be affected. Taste and smell are distinct senses, but they are easily entangled in common experience. Of course, it is our sense of smell that is impaired by our blocked nose, either from tears or from a cold, which affects the flavour. In this episode some background theory to the sense of taste. 

Five dimensions of perception

It has been a while since the previous edition, however there is a perfectly good reason for that. I have been absorbed by reading parts of the Modernist cuisine. A comprehensive work about almost everything you have ever wanted to know about preparing food, and couldn't even think of asking! It is a five part compendium of techniques and analysis of ingredients and preparation methods in order out find out why the things work the way they do in the kitchen. Former physicist Alan Myhrvold took it upon himself to develop this cookbook and with thousands of pages of stunning pictures and recipes it is absolutely gorgeous. I don't want to discuss the book, but rather take things one step further. The formalisation of the the art of cooking. It seems a rather daunting enterprise to describe the science of cooking in such a way, and it may not even be possible. When Bertrand Russell tried to formalise logic in the beginning of the previous century he encountered severe problems that changed views on logic forever. Nevertheless the journey often enlightens. Myhrvold took a right step, but it's possible to take one step more. Let's make a roadmap and see where we end up.

Gel

Did you ever wonder about how a wobbly pudding is wobbly, almost liquid, yet stays on your plate? When you shake it, wonderful waves go across its surface, as if it were a pool. But stop and it is a solid again. This wonderful crossing between a liquid and solid is called a gel. In this episode I hope to make you curious about what they are and how they are made.

Foam

Espresso crema

A nice espresso in the morning does wonders for a person. The golden crema over a strong caffeine rich liquid is the secret to a good espresso. The crema is a foam. Also cappuccino froth is a milk foam. Have you ever beaten egg whites? After some time a foam appears and when you do it long enough the foam is firm enough to stay in its given form. When baking bread or a cake with yeast or baking soda, the batter becomes a foam when it is heated in the oven as carbon dioxide is produced inside. Today I want to talk about foam.

Sustainability and food

At the Food Film Festival (in dutch) I was surrounded by friends and people I felt had a dash of idealism. I usually don't give much for -isms but the point of the festival was to appreciate food, where it comes from and where it's going to. I like food, I like optimistic people and I like to believe in a few good idea(l)s. The main idea(l) that the festival wants people to take home is the durability (or rather sustainability) of food. Do the production, transport and consumption help to create a sustainable world? I never really thought about it much, but this is an excellent opportunity to find out what it is all about.