The Fat Duck Cookbook

The Fat Duck Cookbook by Heston Blumenthal

I love how obsessive Heston is with his approach to scientific cooking. Some sections can be 'dork talk' overload, but he values cooking tradition, tweaks it, and is taking his craft to the next level. Not only self taught, the chef also has a three Michelin star restaurant which is where these recipes are inspired from...The Fat Duck.
My favorite recipe right off the spoon is the 'Nitro-Poached Green Tea and Lime Mousse'. Liquid nitrogen! word. Luckily enough for me, my friend acquired the nitrogen in a liquid state to make some eggnog ice cream. Like a witch's cauldron, I stirred the pot while the liquid nitrogen was poured in. Soon enough our dinner party audience were blown away by the spectacle. Can't forget cooking scrambled eggs at -321 F. (definitely a first)
Thanks to Heston's passion I have a new perspective of cooking with science. Hell, the oven that sits in most households today is not that old...why not some new toys for the kitchen. Heston has opened the door to science and technology, while keeping his traditional cooking roots and making way for....the nouvelle cuisine.




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Wild Rose Oven

The Wild Rose Oven was built in the Chilcotin region of British Columbia (Sept 2009). The design was inspired from old Russian fairy tales which gave me the idea for the ogive style arch. All materials where salvaged locally except for the fire brick for the hearth. The door was made by a local blacksmith named Darren from Mountain Shadow Metals (www.msmetals.ca). I gave him some dimensions and discussed some artistic ideas for the door. A week later he hammered together this arched door with a beautiful rose on the front...the man has serious skills.
The oven was finished with Keanu's (two years of age) hand print on the right hand side of the oven. With an abundant supply of pine wood in the Chilcotin, wood fire cookery will be happening in this gorgeous part of British Columbia.