aside of pizza I am also a keen "molecular" chef and Pastry maker
Marco,
I also am very keen on the "molecular" movement. I know you are a strict traditionalist when it comes to pizza, but have you ever tried or heard of molecular gastronomy applied to pizza? I did two experiments this summer with varying degrees of success. In one experiment, I cooked whole tomatoes
sous vide - vacuum sealed in a plastic pouch and put in a water bath at 180F for 36 hours. The resulting tomatoes - still very intact, very tender, and very sweet - were great on pasta, but did not do good things when exposed to a 900F+ oven. I also tried making foams with the tomatoes (and basil) which were great on starters and desserts.
The most successful was the
sous vide treatment on fresh porcini mushrooms (48 hours at 180F). Many, but not all of the cepes, came out with the texture of a jello and full of a deep flavor. I used these as a topping after the pizza came out of the oven. I need to experiment with the temp and cooking time to get all of the mushrooms completely softened. I fear going below 180F for safety's sake.
Thanks for letting us know about Blumenthal's series. I'll keep an eye out for it.
Bill/SFNM
