SEATTLE—
Science is on the menu at one Seattle restaurant. Molecular gastronomy fuses science and cooking, and it's a trend that has been heating up in professional kitchens around the world over the last two decades.At Spur in Belltown, Brian McCracken and Dana Tough are on the cutting edge of this new cuisine.
"We play with things, and try things out," said McCracken. "We try new techniques to see what we can come up with."
The chefs say they're dedicated to traditional food and techniques, but with a twist. Sometimes that twist includes utilizing a tub of liquid nitrogen. They drop in powdered peanut butter for just a few seconds, and what comes out tastes like a Reese's treat, but when you bite into it, smoke comes billowing out of your mouth.
Tough says they use familiar ingredients that, "end up exciting and different when they come out on the plate."
Some in the culinary world call molecular gastronomy a gimmick, but the chefs at Spur say it's just another way to enhance a dish, and it's helped create a buzz around their restaurant.
"We have restraint," said Tough, "but we're not afraid to try something new here."
