Jason Logsdon - Modernist Cooking Made Easy: The Whipping Siphon: Create Unique Taste Sensations By Combining Modernist Techniques With This Versatile Tool

FOREWORD:
Why The Whipping Siphon?

While I was working on my first book, Modernist Cooking Made Easy: Getting Started , I had the opportunity to play around a lot with a whipping siphon. I loved the different foams it could create and how easy it was to make flavored whipped creams. The more I looked into it, the more uses I found, including carbonating and infusing.

I was amazed at all the different ways a whipping siphon can be used to create unique taste sensations. From thick, rich foams to thin, flavorful froths and from fizzy grapes to highly-nuanced alcohol infusions, the whipping siphon can create food that plays with all of the senses. Plus, it was an awesome way to easily wow my family and friends!

However, while researching the whipping siphon I was struggling to find good, easy to follow information about how it works. There were numerous recipes but no explanation of how or why they worked. Once I finished with Modernist Cooking Made Easy: Getting Started I decided that my next book would be on the whipping siphon.

In this book, Ive created the resource I wish I had last year when I was researching whipping siphons. It focuses on presenting the three main techniques the whipping siphon is used for: Foaming, Infusing, and Carbonating. It delivers the basic information you need to understand how the techniques work and provides you with numerous recipes to illustrate these techniques while allowing you to create dishes using them. Plus, these techniques can produce an amazing array of dishes that anyone can easily use to blow their diners away!

You can either go through this book from start to finish to gain a comprehensive mastery or you can use it as a handy reference and flip around to different chapters and techniques that currently interest you. I do recommend reading the Introduction to the Whipping Siphon section first since it will provide you with a foundation of knowledge required to understand the remainder of the chapters.

I have provided images of many of the dishes. For larger, full color images you can go to:

www.modernistcookingmadeeasy.com/whipping-siphon

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Most importantly of all, remember to have fun!

The whipping siphon is a fun piece of equipment that adds many different textures to your cooking arsenal. At its most basic, a whipping siphon is a metal container used to pressurize liquids, typically with nitrous oxide (N2O). This pressurization can be used for many different effects from foams and froths to carbonated foods and liquid infusions.

When a pressurized liquid is forced out the nozzle of the whipping siphon, the gas escapes from the liquid, aerating the liquid and turning it into a foam. The foam can range from a quickly dissolving froth to a heavy duty, dense foam through the addition of thickeners and stabilizers.

This same pressurization can also be used to infuse liquids with flavors or to marinate ingredients. Carbon dioxide (CO2) can also be used in place of N2O to carbonate liquids, sauces, or even fruits and vegetables.

How To Use a Whipping Siphon

It is surprisingly easy to use a whipping siphon. Place a liquid or fat into the whipping siphon. Seal the siphon by screwing the lid on, making sure all the pieces needed, such as the gasket, are in place.

Charge the siphon by screwing in a gas cartridge or charger. The charger holder can be left on or removed, whatever you prefer. Shake the siphon to help distribute the gas in the liquid.

The final step depends on the preparation you are making. For foams you turn the whipping siphon upside down, with the nozzle facing directly down, and pull the trigger to dispense the liquid through the nozzle for a foam or froth.

When making foams, some foam stabilizers will need to be heated or chilled before they are ready to be dispensed. This is covered in more detail in the Foaming Ingredients chapter.

For infusions and carbonation you vent the gas from the whipping siphon and strain the liquid remaining. To vent the whipping siphon, place the siphon upright, with the nozzle facing up, and place a towel over the top. Slowly pull the trigger and the gas should escape with a minimal amount of liquid.

Once you are finished with the whipping siphon make sure to clean it thoroughly. Most siphons come with good directions for how they should be cleaned. In general, take the siphon apart, wash the siphon and its parts in warm, soapy water, and use the scrubbing brush on the nozzle. Once the parts are clean, dry them well.

Nitrous Oxide vs Carbon Dioxide

The two main types of gas used with a whipping siphon are nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Nitrous oxide is typically used to create foams and infuse foods while carbon dioxide is always used for carbonating.

N2O is more readily absorbed by fats and liquids. It also escapes from the liquid much faster and doesnt leave any trace that it was there. Conversely, CO2 becomes trapped in the liquid and escapes slowly, resulting in carbonation that adds a slightly sour or bitter flavor and a fizzy texture. Sometimes these effects are wanted and other times they are not.

While most CO2 and N2O is the same, some people have reported an off-taste in some gas chargers purchased through China. I always purchase my chargers through US or European companies where the restrictions are slightly higher.