Blog

July 9, 2015 • Nathan

The Incredible Legacy of Juli Soler

Every great restaurant has both a front and a back of the house. Juli Soler personified the front of the house in one of the most influential restaurants in history. In 1983, he was managing an unassuming seaside bar and grill that was part of a miniature golf course when he hired a young chef […]

June 23, 2015 • Nathan

Inside the Wonderbag

When we think about innovation in food, we often think about expensive, high-tech gadgets that introduce novel ideas or technologies into our kitchens. The most innovative tools, however, are sometimes the ones that apply traditional techniques in a new way—and they can have the most extraordinary impact on lives. Some of the best ideas are […]

April 16, 2015 • Nathan

Remembering Homaro Cantu

We lost an extraordinary voice on Tuesday, one that inspired his guests to think, imagine, savor, and smile. I first connected with chef Homaro Cantu in 2003 through discussions on eGullet forums, although I didn’t realize it at the time. I met a member who used the handle “inventolux”; all I knew about this person […]

March 31, 2015 • Caren

Dinosaur Bone Broth

Bone broth is in. Technically it has been for a really, really long time. The resurgence of bone broth inspired us to create a Modernist Cuisine spin on the trend. When people try to describe the Cooking Lab, and the building it’s housed in, you hear a lot of comparisons to a certain fictional chocolate […]

February 12, 2015 • Caren

A Confection Dissection: Love and Tonka Beans

Love is a particularly difficult emotion to define. If you ask 10 people what love is and how it makes them feel, you’re likely to get 10 different answers. It’s an abstract concept that wraps up any number of emotions we feel because of another person. We soar and then fall. We gain wisdom and […]

February 10, 2015 • Modernist Cuisine Team

Sweet Tips to Melt Their Heart and Your Chocolate

Spending time with your sweetheart is lovely, but the best part of Valentine’s Day is the chocolate. At least, it can be. Working with chocolate can be tricky, so we’ve compiled a few tips (and an easy step-by-step recipe) from head chef Francisco Migoya that will make creating homemade chocolates a little easier—no tempering necessary. […]

January 8, 2015 • Modernist Cuisine Team

Keeping it Fresh: Make Your Juice Last Longer

Jack LaLanne was the world’s first fitness superhero, the “godfather of fitness.” He also really loved juice. The Jack LaLanne Juicer turned juicing into a mainstream practice and juicers into common kitchen equipment. Research studies have yet to validate claims that juicing is more beneficial than eating whole fruits and vegetables, with some studies suggesting […]

December 18, 2014 • Modernist Cuisine Team

A Gingerbread Tribute to Antoni Gaudí

The idea was simple enough—build a gingerbread house for the holidays. Less than a month later, our house transformed into a gingerbread homage to Spanish Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and Casa Batlló, his kaleidoscopic masterpiece in Barcelona, Spain. Everything about the structure is edible, from the luster on each chimney and spire to the blanket […]

December 11, 2014 • Modernist Cuisine Team

Gift Guide 2014: White Christmas Edition

It’s that time of year: gift-guide season has arrived and there’s no shortage of ideas for cooks—we all love indispensable kitchen tools, after all. In previous years, our gift guides encompassed our favorite equipment and tools, including suggestions for photographers. This year, however, we decided to take some of our favorite seasonal songs literally. We’re […]

December 4, 2014 • Caren

Eight Days of Modernist Cuisine Sweepstakes

This holiday season, we’re sharing the love—of Modernist Cuisine, that is. Mark your calendars and set your alarms: starting December 8th, we’re giving away a different Modernist Cuisine gift every day for eight days. We’ll offer a new item each morning at 12:01 A.M. (PST), so check our website daily to see what we’re giving […]