If you are interested in learning more about molecular gastronomy — cooking with scientific processes — check out Spanish chef Jose Andres'
explanation of spherification. It's the process of reshaping liquids into edible spheres that burst when you bite into them. — Star Chefs
Xanthan Gum
A stabilizer that is produced from fermented corn sugar. It's used as a thickener for things such as salad dressings or dairy products and is a key ingredient in molecular gastronomy (think of all of the foams you're seeing on menus).
Xanthan gum is also often used as a substitute for wheat gluten in order to add volume to bread and other gluten-free baked goods.
