Chef Michael Voltaggio of
The Greenbrier
Tavern Room – White Sulfur Springs, WV
Adapted by StarChefs.com
November 2006
Chemicals:
Substances used or made by chemistry: substances used in or produced
by the processes of chemistry. Chemicals have a defined atomic or
molecular structure that results from, or takes part in, reactions
involving changes in their structure, composition, and properties.
Chemistry: Study
of transformation of matter: a branch of science dealing with
the structure, composition, properties and reactive characteristics
of substances, especially at the atomic and molecular levels.
Hydrocolloids:
Hydrophilic polymers of vegetable, animal, microbial or synthetic
origin. They are naturally present or added to control the functional
properties of food including viscosity, emulsion, stabilization,
thickening, gelling, foam stabilization, and the prevention of
ice crystallization. Here are a few examples of hydrocolloids:
» Agar: Extracted from red algae and used
as a gelling agent in Japan since 1859. It is a source of fiber
and can form gels in very small proportions. Once gelled it can
withstand heat of up to 80ºC. Mix it in cold and bring to
a boil.
Suggested Uses: Warm gelatins/terrines
» Alginate: Extracted from brown algae,
it gels in the presence of calcium chloride. Dilutes while cold
with strong agitation.
Suggested Uses: Reacts with calcium
chloride to create liquid center textures
» Methylcellulose: Extracted from the
cellulose of vegetables, it gels when heat is applied and when
cold it acts as a thickener. Mix cold and rest in the refrigerator
for a few hours for complete hydration. Apply temperature of 40º
to 60ºC. When product cools it loses its gelling capacity
and begins to melt. Great for adding cling to sauces and regulating
viscosity during processing stages.
Suggested Uses: Hot ice cream, fried
hollandaise, noodles and gnocchi
» Gellan Gum: Obtained from the fermentation
of Sphingomonas elodea bacteria. Gels when heat is applied. Mix
cold in liquid and bring to simmer. Pour into desired mold to
set. Can be reheated to 70ºC and served warm.
Suggested Uses: Eggless custards that
can be served warm, “noodles,” “pasta”
» Gelatin: A translucent, brittle, solid
substance, colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and
odorless, which is created by prolonged boiling of animals skin,
connective tissue or bones. It has many uses in food, medicine
and manufacturing.
Suggested Uses: Sponges, Gelées,
Mousses
» Starch: A complex carbohydrate which
is insoluble in water; it is used by plants as a way to store
excess glucose. Starch (in particular cornstarch) is used in cooking
for thickening sauces. In industry, it is used in the manufacturing
of adhesives, paper, textiles, and as a mould in the manufacture
of sweets such as wine gums and jelly babies. It is a white powder
and is tasteless and odorless.
Suggested Uses: Glazing, Powders
» Xanthan Gum: Obtained from the fermentation
of corn starch with bacteria found in cabbage. This gum has great
thickening power. Soluble cold or hot. Can thicken alcohol. Used
in a lot of grocery store marinades, sauces and salad dressing.
Suggested Uses: Fluid Gels, Mousses,
Relishes, Sauces
» Pectin: A heterosaccharide derived
from the cell wall of plants. Pectins vary in their chain lengths,
complexity and the order of each of the monosaccharide units.
It was first isolated and described in 1825 by Henri Braconnot.
Under acidic conditions, pectin forms a gel, and it can be used
as an edible thickening agent in processed foods. This effect
is used for making jams and jellies.
Suggested Uses: Jams, Jellies, Pate
de Fruit
