Xanthan Gum
[oyster Jell-O, anyone?]
Want to make stiff gelatin balls out of anything? Then this stabilizer should be in your spice cabinet. The chemical tools of the modern cook can turn olive juice into a sphere, like they do at the Bazaar, and make foams and shards à la Michael Voltaggio. Surfas carries all manner of futuristic powders, from guar gum to calcium chloride. If you skipped chem class, the shop offers courses on molecular gastronomy.
