Thomas Keller said that once you reach perfection, then it’s no longer perfect, because you can always improve on what you have. Chefs are always rethinking their dishes. They draw inspiration from history, art, world cuisines, as well as science, and each day brings new discoveries that translate into fascinating and inventive gastronomic discoveries.
In the CK Labs section of my site, I am going to experiment with different ingredients, procedures and flavor combinations. I hope to be able to demonstrate things you can replicate in your own kitchens at all levels, beginner through expert. I’m not a molecular gastronomist, but I’m not saying we won’t dabble.
I tend to get a little obsessed with making my own ingredients, especially when the store-bought versions are so comparatively expensive they border on criminal. What commercial food science has gifted us in convenience, it has taken from us in quality. Another problem of our own devising is that the food trend of locally-sourced products by definition can’t really give you access to the worldwide pantry of ingredients, and not everyone lives near a Whole Foods.
I have always decried using store-bought mixes, sauces, and blends because those taste the way someone else wants it to taste. Before the mid-twentieth century, most things were made at home, and it was only the most labor-intensive processed food staples – tomato paste, baking soda, chocolate – that were available for purchase. In some ways, this section is dedicated to the principle of reintroducing
You won’t find recipes in the Lab; I already have a small but (slowly) growing recipe section on the site. I will try to correlate items that I create in the Lab with recipes so that you find something interesting, you can enjoy the fruits of your labors practically, rather than letting it sit around with no purpose. If you would like to see a particular ingredient, let me know. I am open to teaching Lab classes on the things you find here.
It is also my intention that the items I create here will also be on sale through my site in the near future.
I’m not expecting to create anything completely new, but you never know!
Exciting stuff! I look forward to the items for sale, and for ideas about how to do my own thing. Since grocery prices keep going up, it pays to simplify.