Beginners' Guide to Modernist Cooking

Jason logsdon headshot

Hi there! I'm Jason Logsdon and I'm here to help you get started down the road to modernist cooking! I know how intimidating "Modernist Cooking" can be, especially with so much of the focus on the amazing work done by Alinea, Ferran Adria, Modernist Cuisine and the other great chefs. But don't worry, modernist cooking doesn't have to be that hard or that fancy!

I'm really honored you choose me to assist you with your cooking journey. My goal is to help you get familiar with my website so you can learn everything you need to know about getting started with modernist cooking. Modernist cooking really doesn't have to be any more difficult than other styles of cooking. And most of all, remember to have fun!

What is Modernist Cooking?

From fancy liquid spheres to crazy foams and unqiue gels, people have a lot of different things in mind when they talk about modernist cooking. However, at it's most basic, modernist cooking is just using all the tools at your disposal to make great food.

At some point in the past, almost everything we use in our kitchen was considered modernist. Ovens were thought to destroy the flavors of hearth roasting and made cooking "impersonal". Things we take for granted like baking powder, a variety of spices, and pure salt and sugar weren't found in any but the finest kitchens. Even tomatoes were considered super-modernist and "unfit for eating" at one time.

Some of today's modernist ingredients are actually traditional foods that have been used longer than the tomato! Carrageenan has been used in Ireland to create puddings for centuries and is extracted from seaweed. Agar is just a natural vegetable counterpart to gelatin and has been used in Asia since the 1600s.

My Newsletter and Free Cheat Sheet

I'd like to invite you to join my newsletter. It's full of recipes, links, articles, and exclusive content and offers that you cannot find elsewhere. As a fun bonus, I'll also send you a free copy of my modernist ingredients cheatsheet!
Subscribe Now!

Where to Start

Because of the breadth of knowledge modernist cooking covers it can be intimidating to figure out where to start. I think the easiest place to begin is to focus on a single ingredient or technique and try it out several times until you feel comfortable with it, then move on to the next one. I suggest you first understand how to measure modernist ingredients for modernist cooking. I also recommend some of my favorite techniques and ingredients for beginners and highlight the most popular articles on my site. Or you can choose a specific one that interests you below.

Modernist Equipment

When it comes to equipment you can check out my guide to required modernist equipment and for a nice starter kit with modernist ingredients you can check out my modernist cooking kit reviews, one of which also comes with my comprehensive Modernist Cooking Made Easy: Getting Started book.

Modernist Recipes

For recipes, you can check out some of the easier recipes I have on the site. They will help demonstrate many of the techniques and ingredients with simple-to-follow directions. You can also view all of my modernist recipes.

Have Specific Questions?

Learning a new subject always leads to lots of questions so I've set up several places you can get help. I have a very helpful modernist forums that cooks of all levels contribute to. You also can contact me directly through email or by posting on my Facebook page.

Thanks For Your Support!

I really appreciate you letting me help you get started on your modernist cooking journey! I'm sure that working together we'll get you comfortable using the latest modernist tools, techniques, and ingredients when you're looking to add a bang to your cooking!

Thanks again and happy cooking!

P.S. If you have found this page helpful, please click one of the 'LIKE' buttons below. Thanks!

twitter icon Facebook share icon Google Plus share Icon
pinterest icon
reddit icon

Related Amazing Food Made Easy Articles

All tags for this article:


Jason logsdon headshot This article is by me, Jason Logsdon. I'm an adventurous home cook and professional blogger who loves to try new things, especially when it comes to cooking. I've explored everything from sous vide and whipping siphons to pressure cookers and blow torches; created foams, gels and spheres; made barrel aged cocktails and brewed beer. I have also written 10 cookbooks on modernist cooking and sous vide and I run the AmazingFoodMadeEasy.com website.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links on this site might be affiliate links that if used to purchased products I might receive money. I like money but I will not endorse something I don't believe in. Please feel free to directly go to any products I link to and bypass the referral link if you feel uncomfortable with me receiving funds.
placeholder image

Cookie Consent

This website uses cookies or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalized recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy