Lots to chew on in the New York Times food section today. Harold McGee on using gelatin to concentrate the flavors of nearly anything into consommé-like essences: "It’s ingenious. As the jelly freezes, the water in it begins to form solid ice crystals, while the gelatin, the solid food particles, the droplets of fat and the flavors are concentrated in the remaining liquid. The long gelatin molecules bond to each other to form an invisibly fine net that traps everything else in its crevices." A poignant and pointed take on the difficulties of opening a restaurant in the Big Apple: "Murphy's Law rules the insane world of New York City restaurants. Community boards can kill a liquor license. City codes...
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