Jonathan Benno

Not long ago, I demonstrated a per se recipe at the Culinary Institute of America. A lamb dish, it included wedges of fennel, artichoke hearts, lamb cheeks, and lamb leg, each of which had been cooked sous vide. Afterward, there were a lot of questions about so-called molecular gastronomy, a catch-all phrase for unconventional cooking, including sous vide techniques. I often get asked about molecular gastronomy by young cooks. I tell them, “When you know everything there is to know about the chemical NaCl, come back and talk to me about ‘molecular gastronomy.’” Meaning this: Before you can move into experimental territory as a cook and a chef, you have to understand the fundamentals of cooking, which begin with how to use salt (NaCl), how to make a stock, and how to cook a green vegetable.