Atlanta Hospitality Exchange

2012-01-11T18:29:00.001-08:00

2011-11-21T08:35:00.001-08:00

2011-11-21T08:17:00.001-08:00

My Fathers BDay Menu I did Sunday

2010-10-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

Geoffrey P. Raymond

67^th Birthday Celebration!

Kusshi &Kumamoto

Cucumber/Sake Mignonette/Wasabi/Flying Fish Roe/Hijiki

Schramsberg, Brut Rose, 2005

WNC Tastes

Local and House-Made Goat Cheese Flavors/Honey/Frog Jam

North Country Smoked Cheddar/Horseradish Jam/Lusty Monk Mustard/

Natural Bison Summer Sausage/Alon's Artisan Breads

Chablis Premier Cru, Montee de Tonnerrs, 2008 &

Trenel, Saint-Amour, 2007

Blue Mussels & Manila Clams

Leeks/Fingerling Potatoes/Celery/Bacon/Parsley/Smoked Corn

Cakebread, Chardonnay, 2009

Berkshire Pork Belly

Roasted Green Apple/Fried Pickle/Jefferson Reserve-Shallot Sauce

Ramspeck, Pinot Noir, 2008

Sea Scallop

Pipoerade/Riouille/Chorizo Oil/Chorizo-Almond Crumb/Rust Foam

Santa Margherita, Pinot Grigio, 2009

Northstar Grassfed Bison

Blue foot/Smoked Pork Belly/Hibiscus/Roots/Zinfandel

Turley Zinfandel, Duarte, 2008

Peanut S’more

Peanut Butter Powder/Smoking Meringue/Compressed Graham Wafer

Sandeman, 2000, Vintage Porto

Smoked Local Pork Butts

2010-08-02T14:51:00.001-07:00

From Farm to Fork
Chef Kaighn Raymond

The Tomato Vourney

2010-07-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

Started the morning @ Waynesville Farmers Market
Then Folk Moot Fest
Then made it home just b4 the rain to make heirloom BLTs with avocado on ciabatta!
Perfect!

kokumi

2010-02-23T10:20:00.001-08:00

“Kokumi” is a term used in the flavour industry to describe characteristics such as continuity, mouthfulness, richness and thickness. In contrast thereto, the sensory terms for the basic tastes are salty, sweet, sour, bitter or umami, the last-named being the taste of monosodium glutamate (MSG). Kokumi is a distinct taste quality, or rather a taste-enhancing quality, which can be easily detected and differentiated by sensory tests by a trained panel. Compounds that provide a kokumi taste are usually tasteless in water, but enhance the taste in combination with other tastants in respect of the above-mentioned qualities.

In addition to the desired organoleptic properties, compounds should preferably have one or more of the following characteristics: they should be inexpensive to produce, stable during long periods of storage and to processing conditions that may comprise elevated temperatures and humidity, and extremes of pH.

Applicant identified compounds according to formula I that belong to the group of esters of S- or O-carboxyalkylated gamma-glutamyl and beta-asparagyl peptides which are able to provide a “kokumi” flavour to consumables and fulfill the above requirements.

Whereas no literature information is available on sensory properties of beta-asparagyl peptides, certain gamma-glutamyl peptides are known to provide or change flavour properties. Gamma L glutamyl dipeptide-derivates of Phe, Val, Leu and His are known to reduce the bitterness of the original amino acids (Phe, Val, Leu, His) (Suzuki et al., J. Agric. Food Chem. 2002, 50, 313-318).

Various sulfur-containing peptides including alliin ((+)-S-allyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide), cycloalliin ((3-(S)-methyl-1,4-thiazane-5-(R)-carboxylic acid 1-oxide), MeCSO ((+)-S-methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide), GACSO, (gamma-L-glutamyl-S-allyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide), GAC (gamma-L-glutamyl-5-allyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide), and GSH (Glutathione, Gamma-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine or γ-Glu-Cys-Gly) are known to impart a “kokumi” taste to aqueous umami solutions containing monosodium glutamate (MSG) and ribonucleotides or to an aqueous model beef extract (Ueda et al. Agric. Biol. Chem. 1990, 54, 163-169; Ueda et al., Biosci. Biotech. Biochem. 1997, 61, 1977-1980). GSH and other compounds containing free SH groups are less stable as they tend to form disulfites which provide a less intensive kokumi taste and as they can react with compounds present in flavour compositions or consumables. Further, GSH reacts acidic when added to aqueous solutions and the flavour composition or consumable needs to be adjusted in pH accordingly.

There remains a need for alternative or improved compounds to provide a “kokumi” taste to consumables.

umami research

2010-02-23T10:17:00.001-08:00

Givaudan reappraises umami to create new approach to taste

Dübendorf, Switzerland, 19 August 2009: Givaudan is conducting new and extensive scientific and culinary research into umami through its TasteSolutions^TM programme.

Combining culinary knowledge of umami, together with scientific expertise in receptor research and taste analysis, Givaudan has developed an extensive palette of natural taste ingredients which focus on umami. This enables its flavourists to create flavours which provide a new level of deliciousness and authenticity in foods without having to rely on the addition of declarable taste enhancers.

The move to label declarations that consumers can readily recognise and understand is a trend which continues to grow in importance linked to health and wellness concerns. This translates into requests from food manufacturers who wish to reduce the number of ingredients on the label declaration to the minimum and find natural alternatives to artificial or chemical-sounding ingredient names.

At the heart of this 'clean label' movement is the desire to remove taste enhancers such as MSG (monosodium glutamate). MSG is widely used in savoury and snack foods to provide an umami sensation which enhances the overall flavour intensity. Umami is a Japanese term that directly translates into 'delicious taste' and provides the body, mouthfeel and succulence to foods which consumers find highly desirable. Developing successful products which are not reliant on adding MSG is a significant technical challenge for food manufacturers.

Through their creation and application expertise in umami and the extensive palette of ingredients at its disposal, Givaudan is providing customers with flavours that are tailored to creating the perfect umami taste profile for their product.

“It is important to understand how the balance and harmony of taste affects the eating experience,” explains Matthew Walter, Givaudan’s EAME group leader for the culinary center of expertise. “Taste is not just about commonly used enhancers such as MSG or IMP/GMP* alone - it is a much more complex phenomenon. Understanding the contribution that other taste ingredients make and using them in the right balance is essential to creating deliciousness. The Japanese refer to this taste complexity and balance as kokumi, which is a term still poorly understood outside of Japan.”

Givaudan has committed substantial resources to discovering more about umami and kokumi through its TasteSolutions™ programme, undertaking receptor research and sensory understanding programmes to unravel the complexities of taste. Significant effort is currently focused on how umami can be measured in terms of both its strength and its temporal effects and to distinguish between the taste characteristics of different umami ingredients.

Working with its in-house chefs and trained sensory panelists, Givaudan also focuses on understanding what makes food taste great. Givaudan has discovered a wealth of new molecules through the analysis of traditional fermentation processes, cooking techniques and artisanal ingredients that are used in cuisines around the world to impart taste.

Furthermore, the company’s network of industrial and academic partners provides unmatched opportunities for future taste development. In 2008-9, 70% of the patents Givaudan filed related to taste perception and modulation.

Givaudan’s deep and holistic knowledge of taste has led to a reported double-digit growth in the number and value of the company’s taste projects over the last 18 months

smell vs flavor

2010-02-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

Smell

Smell flavorants, or simply, flavorants, are engineered and composed in similar ways as with industrial fragrances and fine perfumes. To produce natural flavors, the flavorant must first be extracted from the source substance. The methods of extraction can involve solvent extraction, distillation, or using force to squeeze it out. The extracts are then usually further purified and subsequently added to food products to flavor them. To begin producing artificial flavors, flavor manufacturers must either find out the individual naturally occurring aroma chemicals and mix them appropriately to produce a desired flavor or create a novel non-toxic artificial compound that gives a specific flavor.

Most artificial flavors are specific and often complex mixtures of singular naturally occurring flavor compounds combined together to either imitate or enhance a natural flavor. These mixtures are formulated by flavorist to give a food product a unique flavor and to maintain flavor consistency between different product batches or after recipe changes. The list of known flavoring agents includes thousands of molecular compounds, and the flavor chemist (flavorist) can often mix these together to produce many of the common flavors. Many flavorants are esters.

Chemical	Odor
Diacetyl	Buttery
Isoamyl acetate	Banana
Benzaldehyde	Bitter almond
Cinnamic aldehyde	Cinnamon
Ethyl propionate	Fruity
Methyl anthranilate	Grape
Limonene	Orange
[[Ethyl- (E,Z)-2,4-decadienoate]]	Pear
Allyl hexanoate	Pineapple
Ethyl maltol	Sugar, Cotton candy
Ethylvanillin	Vanilla
Methyl salicylate	Wintergreen

The compounds used to produce artificial flavors are almost identical to those that occur naturally, and a natural origin for a substance does not necessarily imply that it is safe to consume. In fact, artificial flavors may be safer to consume than natural flavors due to the standards of purity and mixture consistency that are enforced either by the company or by law.^[4] Natural flavors in contrast may contain toxins from their sources while artificial flavors are typically more pure and are required to undergo more testing before being sold for consumption.^[4]

Flavors from food products are usually the result of a combination of natural flavors, which set up the basic smell profile of a food product while artificial flavors modify the smell to accent it.

[edit]Taste

While salt and sugar can technically be considered flavorants that enhance salty and sweet tastes, usually only compounds that enhance umami, as well as other secondary flavors are considered taste flavorants. Artificial sweeteners are also technically flavorants.

Umami or "savory" flavorants, more commonly called taste or flavor enhancers are largely based on amino acids and nucleotides. These are typically used as sodium or calcium salts. Umami flavorants recognized and approved by the European Union include:

Glutamic acid salts

This amino acid's sodium salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is one of the most commonly used flavor enhancers in food processing. Mono and diglutamate salts are also commonly used.

Glycine salts

A simple amino acid that is usually used in conjunction with glutamic acid as a flavor enhancer.

Guanylic acid salts

Nucleotide salts that is usually used in conjunction with glutamic acid as a flavor enhancer.

Inosinic acid salts

Nucleotide salts created from the breakdown of AMP. Due to high costs of production, it is usually used in conjunction with glutamic acid as a flavor enhancer.

5'-ribonucleotide salts:

Certain organic acids can be used to enhance sour tastes, but like salt and sugar these are usually not considered and regulated as flavorants under law. Each acid imparts a slightly different sour or tart taste that alters the flavor of a food.

Acid	Description
Acetic acid	gives vinegar its sour taste and distinctive smell
Citric acid	found in citrus fruits and gives them their sour taste
Lactic acid	found in various milk products and give them a rich tartness
Malic acid	found in apples and gives them their sour/tart taste
Tartaric acid	found in grapes and wines and gives them a tart taste

[edit]Dietary restrictions

Food manufacturers are sometimes reluctant about informing consumers about the source from where the flavor is obtained and whether it has been produced with the incorporation of substances such as animal by-products glycerin (note that glycerin is also available from vegetable sources), gelatin, and the like, and the use of alcohol in the flavors. Orthodox Jews, Jains, Hindus, and Muslims adhere to religious laws, and vegans to personal wants and needs, restrict the use of animal by-products and/or alcohol in foods unless subject to oversight and inspection by their respective religious authority or less-strict or circumstantial moral belief. In many western countries, some consumers rely on a Jewish Kosher Pareve certification mark to indicate that natural flavorings used in a food product are free of meat and dairy (although they can still contain fish). The Vegan Society's Sunflower symbol (which is currently used by over 260 companies world wide) can also be used to see which products do not use any animal ingredients (including flavorings and colorings)

[edit]Flavor creation

Most food and beverage companies do not create their own flavors but instead employ the services of a flavor company. Food and beverage companies may require flavors for new products, product line extensions (e.g., low fat versions of existing products) or due to changes in formula or processing for existing products.

The flavor creation is done by a specially trained scientist called a "flavorist." The flavorist's job combines extensive scientific knowledge of the chemical palette with artistic creativity to develop new and distinctive flavors. The flavor creation begins when the flavorist receives a brief from the client. In the brief the client will attempt to communicate exactly what type of flavor they seek, in what application it will be used, and any special requirements (e.g., must be all natural). The communication barrier can be quite difficult to overcome since most people aren't experienced at describing flavors. The flavorist will use his or her knowledge of the available chemical ingredients to create a formula and compound it on an electronic balance. The flavor will then be submitted to the client for testing. Several iterations, with feedback from the client, may be needed before the right flavor is found.

Additional work may also be done by the flavor company. For example, the flavor company may conduct sensory taste tests to test consumer acceptance of a flavor before it is sent to the client or to further investigate the "sensory space." The flavor company may also employ application specialists who work to ensure the flavor will work in the application for which it is intended. This may require special flavor delivery technologies that are used to protect the flavor during processing or cooking so that the flavor is only released when eaten by the end consumer.

solubility

2010-02-23T09:39:00.000-08:00

The molecular basis for flavor

	Vocabulary
	receptor stereochemistry

If you've ever fumbled with a ring of nearly identical keys, you understand that a subtle difference in an object's shape can make a large difference in the way it functions. Living things recognize molecules in much the same way that locks "recognize" keys- by shape. Altering a drug molecule's shape changes the way it fits into receptors. If the drug molecule binds too tightly, or if it isn't shaped in a way that allows cleanup enzymes to pull it from the receptor, it may be much more potent than the natural molecular key it imitates.

A similar lock-and-key type of model has been used to explain why different substances have different flavors. The stereochemical theory of odor suggests that a molecule that fits into an olfactory receptor can fire nerve cells, ultimately producing a particular odor perception.

Five basic odors were associated with different molecular shapes. Football shaped molecules fit in to a "camphoraceous" receptor, and smell like mothballs. Necklace-shaped molecules have a musky odor because they fit into a "musky" receptor. Wedged-shaped molecules have a pepperminty odor, tadpole-shaped molecules smell like flowers, and long thin ether molecules are, well, ethereal.

Putrid and pungent smells were explained on the basis of partial charges on atoms within the molecule, rather than by shape alone. Putrid molecules have a buildup of negative charge somewhere in the molecule that's strongly attracted to a partially positive site on the "putrid" receptor. Pungent molecules (like acetic acid, in vinegar) are just the opposite: they have an electron-deficient region that is strongly attracted to an electron-rich site on the "pungent" receptor.

These seven receptors were believed to be the only letters in the olfactory alphabet in Amoore's version of the theory, published in the early 1970's. Molecules that can lock into more than one receptor have more complex odors. For example, Amoore explained the almondy odor of benzaldehyde by showing that it could fit comfortably into the postulated shapes for the camphoraceous, floral, and pepperminty receptors.

Amoore's stereochemical theory is now known to be an oversimplification, but it's still useful in relating smells to molecular shapes. There are over a thousand olfactory receptors, not just seven. The molecule's ability to move through tissue containing layer after layer of receptors also determines how its odor is perceived. For example, attaching a hydrocarbon tail to a molecule improves its solubility in fats and alters its behavior at cell membranes. Perfume chemists have long known that adding a hydrocarbon tail to some perfume molecules increases their potency.

Let's look at some specific examples. The vanilloids (vanillin, eugenol, zingerone, and capsaicin) are molecules with distinctive flavors but obviously similar molecular structures. All contain a six-sided hexagonal ring of carbons (called a benzene ring). Subtle changes in the sizes or positions of groups of atoms attached to the ring dramatically change the compound's flavor.

Vanillin

Vanillin has a soothing, pleasant aroma. Its molecular weight is relatively low, and it is fairly volatile. Cooking with vanilla vaporizes some of the vanillin molecules and fills the room with its aroma.

Molecules containing only carbon and hydrogen are mostly insoluble in water. The oxygen-containing groups attached to the ring in vanillin can form strong hydrogen bonds with water, making it water soluble (about a gram of vanillin can be dissolved in 100 mL of cold water). Vanillin's solubility in water is responsible for the "finish" acquired by wines aged in oak casks. Vanilla present in the wood lignin of the wine barrels slowly leaches into the wine over time.

Eugenol

Eugenol is found in bay leaves, allspice, and oil of cloves.

Eugenol has a short hydrocarbon chain attached to the ring, which makes it much less water-soluble than vanillin. Although it is practically insoluble in water, it freely mixes with fats and oils. Its fat solubility allows it to penetrate tissues and bind more tightly to the vanilloid receptor, which is believed to have a fatty side chain. The tail gives eugenol a stronger odor than vanillin has. One bay leaf is enough to season a pot of soup; more than one or two ground cloves overpower a pumpkin pie.

Eugenol has a numbing, analgesic effect. It is used as a dental antiseptic (it's one component of that strange smell some dentist's offices have). Why is the molecule an antiseptic? Apparently the hydrocarbon tail in combination with the polar OH group on the ring make eugenol rather soap-like, and it can disrupt the cell membranes of bacteria the way soap disrupts a spot of grease.

Zingerone

Zingerone puts the zing in ginger and is also a flavor ingredient in mustard oil.

The hydrocarbon tail attached to its vanillin foundation ring doesn't lower the solubility of zingerone much because it contains a carbonyl group (C=O) that can form strong hydrogen bonds with water molecules. Zingerone is sparingly soluble in water, but also freely soluble in fats and oils.

The higher molecular weight of zingerone in combination with the polar side-chain carbonyl group makes zingerone molecules attract each other more strongly than eugenol and vanillin molecules do. As a result, zingerone is less volatile than either eugenol or vanillin. The odor of ginger isn't strong, but the hydrocarbon tail gives it a more intense flavor when it does come into contact with its receptor.

Ginger root is a popular folk medicine. Some of the beneficial medicinal qualities claimed for ginger may stem from zingerone's effectiveness as an antioxidant. Zingerone reacts with free radicals that can cause tissue damage and inflammation. Studies by researchers at Case Western University show that a topically applied extract containing zingerone may help prevent some skin cancers.

Capsaicin

Most (though not all) of the hot in hot peppers comes from capsaicin and a closely related compound, dihydrocapsaicin. It occurs in much lower quantities in oregano, cinnamon, and cilantro.

The compound's molecular weight is the highest of any of the vanilloids we've looked at so far, and the side chain contains a polar amide (-NHCO-) group. That makes capsaicin's volatility very low, and it is completely odorless. (A very good thing!)

Even without a telltale fragrance, capsaicin's presence in foods is hard to miss. A solution that contains only 10 parts per million produces a persistent burning sensation when placed on the tongue. It is tasteable at much lower concentrations. The intense flavor results from the molecule's long hydrocarbon tail. The chain allows it to bind very strongly with its lipoprotein receptor, which has some hydrocarbon side chains of its own (like dissolves like!) The fatty tail also allows the molecule to slip through lipid-rich cell membranes, making the burn more pervasive and persistent.

Several capsaicin-like compounds found in chiles have slight structural variations in the hydrocarbon tail, which changes their ability to bind to the receptors and their ability to penetrate layers of receptors on the tongue, mouth, and throat. That may explain why some chiles burn in the mouth, while others burn deep in the throat.

The perception that peppers are "hot" is not an accident. The capsaicin key opens a door in the cell membrane that allows calcium ions to flood into the cell. That ultimately triggers a pain signal that is transmitted to the next cell. When the cells are exposed to heat, the same events occur. Chile burns and heat burns are similar at the molecular, cellular, and sensory levels.

One expects that the long hydrocarbon tail will make capsaicin less water soluble than vanillin. This is indeed the case. Capsaicin is insoluble in cold water, but freely soluble in alcohol and vegetable oils. This is why drinking water after munching an habanero pepper won't stop the burning. A cold beer is the traditional remedy, but the small percentage of alcohol will not wash away much capsaicin. For relief from a chile burn, drink milk. Milk contains casein, a lipophilic (fat-loving) substance that surrounds and washes away the fatty capsaicin molecules in much the same way that soap washes away grease.

High concentrations are toxic. Exposure is painful and even incapacitating. Capsaicin prevents nerve cells from communicating with each other by blocking the production of certain neurotransmitters; at high concentrations it destroys the cells! Capsaicin's toxicity makes chiles more than just a food- they're also a weapon. The Mayans burned chiles to create a stinging smoke screen, and threw gourds filled with pepper extract in battle. Nowadays, capsaicin is the active ingredient in pepper sprays, used to ward off attacking muggers, dogs, and bears.

Paradoxically, capsaicin's ability to cause pain makes it useful in alleviating pain. Exposure to capsaicin lowers sensitivity to pain, and it is applied as a counter irritant in the treatment of arthritis and other chronically painful conditions.

People that eat lots of spicy capsaicin-rich foods build up a tolerance to it. The incentive: a small jolt of capsaicin excites the nervous system into producing endorphins, which promote a pleasant sense of well-being. The endorphin lift makes spicy foods mildly addictive (and for some, an obsession).

2010-02-12T08:13:00.001-08:00