(Xanthan Gum. Chemical model graphic used with permission from Dr. Martin Chaplin of the London South Bank University, London, UK) Molecular Gastronomy plays with established food identities to challenge the semiotics of food. It explores the use of chemicals and processes previously the domain of high-throughput industrial food producers and food scientists to deliver non-intuitive...

I am so excited to say that the details for the International Conference on Food Styling and Photography, June 1 – 4, 2007 at Boston University, have been finalized and are available at the Boston University Culinary Arts Program site. This should be an absolutely fantastic opportunity to network with food photographers and food stylists...

*See note at bottom of this page. My objective in writing this article is to present the facts about Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and let you decide if its as benign as the recent foodie hype over at the New York Times (China’s True Dash of Flavor by Fuchsia Dunlop) would have you believe. Introduction MSG...

You may have read recently in the New York Times an article, “China’s True Dash of Flavor” by Fuchsia Dunlop, that tries to sooth readers into a laconic gullibility around the use and consumption of MSG or monosodium glutamate. This article is so substatially unfortunate on various levels. It suggests that, as many “good” chinese...

You can find my latest article at The Well Fed Network and below. Fishing for some clarity One debate about the modern seafood industry focuses on heavy metals and other toxins in the fish we eat, especially large predators such as tuna. The press’s alarmist coverage suggests that we should all stop eating tuna salad...

It seems that there has been some discussion on prions over at eGullet recently. I found it interesting that there were so many eGullet regulars that are actually scientists. There are also a few people that seem to contribute to be contrary (and have knee jerk bias against any sort of warning against a food...