Whipped Cream Chargers

I’m not saying you should go buy one, though they cost as little as $35. I mention them here to try and demystify the whole foam craze sweeping the fancy parts of the nation. Restaurants use chargers to aerate ingredients, which can create a pleasantly light texture—not unlike a dollop of whipped cream on your pie instead of a few glugs of heavy cream. But the real reason that chargers are ubiquitous in haute-cuisine kitchens is that they are a simple way to impress diners. I’ve never heard of a home cook busting out the charger for dinner, though it would be easy enough. Any liquid with a little protein and/or fat can serve as the basis for a foam, either on its own or with the addition of a stabilizer like gelatin. Just load the canister up, charge it with a couple nitrous cartridges, and you’re ready to get all molecular up in there, like Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet.