Playing with your food is not only ok, but encouraged.

I've always been a nerd. In fact, I enjoyed chemistry in school when I wasn't terrified of blowing myself up with Bunsen Burner - so it shouldn't be a surprise that after eating at Minibar when we lived in DC, I became a fan of Molecular Gastronomy. It's a fun way to experiment with food, but I've never tried it at home. When Brett showed me an ad for this "Molecular Gastronomy Kit" in the MIT Technology Review last night, I was smitten.

The kit looks rather clinical, but I still can't resist the ability to make red fruit caviar for my friends at a party. It's silly I know, but there's something enjoyable about juicing a fruit, and then placing the juice droplet by droplet into a mineral solution that gives the droplets a thin shell like little balls of caviar. Then when you eat them, the little balls snap apart so you enjoy a rush of fresh flavors in a unique way. Yes, it's a lot of work just to drink juice - but I think it's fun. If this experiment goes well, I might just have to buy a foamer. Cheddar cheese foam anyone?