Forget molecular gastronomy and the haute cuisine style which has turned the world's most famous chefs into wild scientists. A new style of cooking is heating up as home chefs and the pros looked to the distant past for inspiration.
Avant-garde cooking is having a very good year. The cooking style was recently canonized in Nathan Myhrvold's lavishly photographed, six-volume tome Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. High priests of haute cooking, Ferran Adrià and Wylie Dufresne, best known for bringing laboratory techniques to the plate, traded in their whites for tweed and stepped into the classroom at Harvard. And on the Syfy channel, Top Chef alum Marcel Vigneron puts molecular gastronomy on display in Marcel's Quantum Kitchen.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Summer's Hottest New Restaurants
But there's another movement afoot in lay cooking circles, one that's looking backward rather than forward. Home cooks are finding inspiration in the past,...
Avant-garde cooking is having a very good year. The cooking style was recently canonized in Nathan Myhrvold's lavishly photographed, six-volume tome Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. High priests of haute cooking, Ferran Adrià and Wylie Dufresne, best known for bringing laboratory techniques to the plate, traded in their whites for tweed and stepped into the classroom at Harvard. And on the Syfy channel, Top Chef alum Marcel Vigneron puts molecular gastronomy on display in Marcel's Quantum Kitchen.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Summer's Hottest New Restaurants
But there's another movement afoot in lay cooking circles, one that's looking backward rather than forward. Home cooks are finding inspiration in the past,...
- 6/3/2011
- by Claire Saffitz
- The Daily Beast
Photo by Isabella Vosmikova/Syfy
Top Chef fans know him as the bad boy of the kitchen — often outspoken and difficult to get along with. But Marcel Vigneron has his own show now on the Syfy channel and in a recent conference call interview he said viewers will see a different side of his personality. On Marcel's Quantum Kitchen the chef opens the doors to his catering company as he prepares unique dining experiences using the unusual cooking techniques he has become known for. Here's ten things he had to say about the show, Top Chef and the popularity of food in general.
1. On Seeing the True Marcel
"Top Chef is a competition based show that tends to focus in on the most polarizing moments. One of the cool things about Marcel's Quantum Kitchen is, it's a show unlike any other TV show on television right now. You will get...
Top Chef fans know him as the bad boy of the kitchen — often outspoken and difficult to get along with. But Marcel Vigneron has his own show now on the Syfy channel and in a recent conference call interview he said viewers will see a different side of his personality. On Marcel's Quantum Kitchen the chef opens the doors to his catering company as he prepares unique dining experiences using the unusual cooking techniques he has become known for. Here's ten things he had to say about the show, Top Chef and the popularity of food in general.
1. On Seeing the True Marcel
"Top Chef is a competition based show that tends to focus in on the most polarizing moments. One of the cool things about Marcel's Quantum Kitchen is, it's a show unlike any other TV show on television right now. You will get...
- 4/12/2011
- by Pop Culture Passionistas
- popculturepassionistas
When it was announced that Syfy was going to have a cooking show on their network, the groans, moans and complaints about the idea were loud and long all over fandom. Fans were crying out that wrestling was bad enough, but cooking? How was that going to be anything remotely connected to science-fiction? Well, folks, as shocking as this statement is coming from me, it is a fact that Syfy found a way to make "Marcel's Quantum Kitchen" a fit, thanks to the genius of the show's star, Marcel Vigneron. Marcel, with the assistance of the team he assembled, has taking cooking into a whole new universe using things that you just would not imagine being used to prepare food. Marcel is no stranger to the television audience, having appeared in the second season of .Top Chef," winding up as ...
- 4/9/2011
- GeekNation.com
Fans of Top Chef know that Marcel Vigneron is more than just a chef: he's a scientist. And now he's taking his molecular gastronomy to the party circuit with his new series, Marcel's Quantum Kitchen, airing Tuesdays on the Syfy channel. Each episode revolves around a different event that Marcel and his company, Modern Global Tasting, is catering, from the brainstorming process to the finished food artistry. And unlike his "asshole edit" on Top Chef, Marcel mostly comes off as an entertaining magician. No wonder his unique talents are in high demand, from firefighters to the stars of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills... "I'm going into the cougars' den," Marcel laughed about...
- 4/5/2011
- E! Online
Comparing Top Chef and Marcel's Quantum Kitchen is like apples and oranges. One's a competition show and the other, a candid series chronicling Marcel Vigneron working his molecular gastronomy magic in his catering business. But there is no doubt which show allows the two-time Top Chef-testant to flex his culinary muscles more.
Marcel's Quantum Kitchen is "like Entourage" with foam
"I'm looking forward to [fans] getting ...
Read More >...
Marcel's Quantum Kitchen is "like Entourage" with foam
"I'm looking forward to [fans] getting ...
Read More >...
- 3/29/2011
- by Joyce Eng
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Filed under: TV Replay
A cooking show on Syfy? Sure, it may seem a bit of a weird fit but wrestling already hasa home here, so why not? 'Marcel's Quantum Kitchen' (Tue., 10Pm Et on Syfy) even promises to spotlight Marcel Vigneron, the 'Top Chef' runner-up's techniques with cool gadgets in the kitchen.
Well, it does that but for the most part it's like every other cooking-based show. In fact, all the fancy gadgets in the world won't help if you miss fundamentals like making sure you verify the oven is empty before you turn it on. That's Cooking 101, folks.
Even worse, Vigneron told his chef to check the oven when he turned it on. So not only did he miss a basic, he failed to listen, even though he said, "Okay."
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
A cooking show on Syfy? Sure, it may seem a bit of a weird fit but wrestling already hasa home here, so why not? 'Marcel's Quantum Kitchen' (Tue., 10Pm Et on Syfy) even promises to spotlight Marcel Vigneron, the 'Top Chef' runner-up's techniques with cool gadgets in the kitchen.
Well, it does that but for the most part it's like every other cooking-based show. In fact, all the fancy gadgets in the world won't help if you miss fundamentals like making sure you verify the oven is empty before you turn it on. That's Cooking 101, folks.
Even worse, Vigneron told his chef to check the oven when he turned it on. So not only did he miss a basic, he failed to listen, even though he said, "Okay."
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
- 3/23/2011
- by Jason Hughes
- Aol TV.
"Top Chef" alum Marcel Vigneron is back and headed to Syfy with a brand new show called "Marcel's Quantum Kitchen," debuting Tuesday (Mar. 22). The show will feature elaborate and over the top food as Vigneron shows off his unique brand of molecular gastronomy, which combines science and cooking.
Now leading his own catering company, Vigneron will face challenges as demanding clients require him to put forth extraordinary dishes for some lavish events. The chef will need to dream up not only a menu, but dazzling executions as well.
"It's all about creativity, imagination, teamwork and catering some pretty cool parties," Vigneron tells Zap2it of his new show. Adding, "It's pretty grandiose-o."
For the premiere episode, Vigneron will pull together an event aimed at increasing awareness for the Wildlife Waystation, an exotic animal refuge and sanctuary. Naturally, his team puts together a safari-themed party complete with an edible map and "Himalayan Tiger's Breath,...
Now leading his own catering company, Vigneron will face challenges as demanding clients require him to put forth extraordinary dishes for some lavish events. The chef will need to dream up not only a menu, but dazzling executions as well.
"It's all about creativity, imagination, teamwork and catering some pretty cool parties," Vigneron tells Zap2it of his new show. Adding, "It's pretty grandiose-o."
For the premiere episode, Vigneron will pull together an event aimed at increasing awareness for the Wildlife Waystation, an exotic animal refuge and sanctuary. Naturally, his team puts together a safari-themed party complete with an edible map and "Himalayan Tiger's Breath,...
- 3/23/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Filed under: Features
When I published my interview with molecular gastronomy chef Marcel Vigneron yesterday, almost immediately, someone posted a comment asking "What is a cooking show doing on Syfy?"
Good question. SyFy has suffered from channel drift lately, and since its infamously inside-the-box name change has gone away from pure science fiction programming. And, while it's hard to classify 'Marcel's Quantum Kitchen,' it's most assuredly not a cooking show. Marcel and his crew are not trying, for instance, to instruct you in the fine art of making a 30-inch long noodle made of wine or how to make a tree trunk out of beef tenderloin, braised short ribs and some meat glue.
If you take the show for what it is -- a reality show about a very unusual chef and his crew -- and bring with it a "how did they do that?" attitude, you will likely find 'Quantum Kitchen' entertaining.
When I published my interview with molecular gastronomy chef Marcel Vigneron yesterday, almost immediately, someone posted a comment asking "What is a cooking show doing on Syfy?"
Good question. SyFy has suffered from channel drift lately, and since its infamously inside-the-box name change has gone away from pure science fiction programming. And, while it's hard to classify 'Marcel's Quantum Kitchen,' it's most assuredly not a cooking show. Marcel and his crew are not trying, for instance, to instruct you in the fine art of making a 30-inch long noodle made of wine or how to make a tree trunk out of beef tenderloin, braised short ribs and some meat glue.
If you take the show for what it is -- a reality show about a very unusual chef and his crew -- and bring with it a "how did they do that?" attitude, you will likely find 'Quantum Kitchen' entertaining.
- 3/22/2011
- by Joel Keller
- Aol TV.
Top Chef bad boy Marcel Vigneron brings his culinary chemistry set and perfectionist attitude to the Syfy cooking show Marcel's Quantum Kitchen, which premieres Tuesday at 10/9c.
So how does a cooking show wind up on a science-fiction network? "It's mainly about understanding the science behind cooking," he tells TVGuide.com. "We're creating a lot of the things people haven't seen before and have never done before, so that's where you get the fiction."
Read More >...
So how does a cooking show wind up on a science-fiction network? "It's mainly about understanding the science behind cooking," he tells TVGuide.com. "We're creating a lot of the things people haven't seen before and have never done before, so that's where you get the fiction."
Read More >...
- 3/22/2011
- by Hanh Nguyen
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Filed under: Features, Celebrity Interviews
Marcel Vigneron is a busy guy these days. When I spoke to him last week, the controversial 'Top Chef' contestant was in the middle of his promotional push for his new Syfy series 'Marcel's Quantum Kitchen,' and he was in a limo from his New York hotel to another appearance. But even in his rush, he can appreciate some irony.
"It's kinda funny. I'm driving by two tanks of liquid nitrogen in the middle of midtown [Manhattan] right now," he interrupted one of his answers to tell me, "and they're actually billowing out smoke." The extraordinarily cold liquid is one of Vigneron's favorite cooking tools, as he specializes in a cuisine commonly known as molecular gastronomy, a method where chefs like Vigneron use science to transform foods into other forms. The goal is to give diners a unique sensory experience, where their...
Marcel Vigneron is a busy guy these days. When I spoke to him last week, the controversial 'Top Chef' contestant was in the middle of his promotional push for his new Syfy series 'Marcel's Quantum Kitchen,' and he was in a limo from his New York hotel to another appearance. But even in his rush, he can appreciate some irony.
"It's kinda funny. I'm driving by two tanks of liquid nitrogen in the middle of midtown [Manhattan] right now," he interrupted one of his answers to tell me, "and they're actually billowing out smoke." The extraordinarily cold liquid is one of Vigneron's favorite cooking tools, as he specializes in a cuisine commonly known as molecular gastronomy, a method where chefs like Vigneron use science to transform foods into other forms. The goal is to give diners a unique sensory experience, where their...
- 3/21/2011
- by Joel Keller
- Aol TV.
Like a lot of competition shows, Top Chef has pretty much lost me at this point. It seems the contestants come to the show already owning more and more restaurants, and the panel of judges never seem to reach the plateau of finding themselves interesting. But, whether you're still a big fan of the show or not, who can forget Marcel? His wild "molecular gastronomy" ideas and personality clashes made him one of the most memorable competitors the show ever had, and he's coming your way as Syfy kicks off a cooking show, Marcel's Quantum Kitchen.
If it's on Syfy, you know this isn't going to be just another cooking show. In fact, it's more in line with things like Ace of Cakes, as we find ourselves following along with Marcel's new catering company. Each week will find new clients, demanding new and bizarre masterpieces that push limits of the possible.
If it's on Syfy, you know this isn't going to be just another cooking show. In fact, it's more in line with things like Ace of Cakes, as we find ourselves following along with Marcel's new catering company. Each week will find new clients, demanding new and bizarre masterpieces that push limits of the possible.
- 3/16/2011
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Filed under: Contests and Giveaways
Marcel Vigneron might've packed his knives and left 'Top Chef All Stars' a few weeks ago, but the 30-year-old won't be gone from our TV screens for long.
On 'Marcel's Quantum Kitchen,' which premieres next Tuesday, March 22, at 10Pm on Syfy (yes, Syfy), the polarizing chef will use his signature technique of molecular gastronomy -- the fusion of science and cooking -- to create dishes for clients of his new catering and event company.
Yes, we're pretty sure there will be foam involved.
In honor of the new series, TV Squad and Syfy are giving one lucky reader a brand new iPad along with a gift card to purchase top food-related apps. Yes, an iPad. Find out how to win after the jump!
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
Marcel Vigneron might've packed his knives and left 'Top Chef All Stars' a few weeks ago, but the 30-year-old won't be gone from our TV screens for long.
On 'Marcel's Quantum Kitchen,' which premieres next Tuesday, March 22, at 10Pm on Syfy (yes, Syfy), the polarizing chef will use his signature technique of molecular gastronomy -- the fusion of science and cooking -- to create dishes for clients of his new catering and event company.
Yes, we're pretty sure there will be foam involved.
In honor of the new series, TV Squad and Syfy are giving one lucky reader a brand new iPad along with a gift card to purchase top food-related apps. Yes, an iPad. Find out how to win after the jump!
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
- 3/15/2011
- by Jean Bentley
- Aol TV.
You may remember Marcel Vigneron from Top Chef and Top Chef All-Stars. His big thing: molecular gastronomy (aka foam). Marcel returns to TV in Syfy's new series Marcel's Quantum Kitchen where each week he'll take on challenging clients with high demands. With a team behind him, Marcel will get to use the science and toys he loves so much to create a unique menu.
- 3/15/2011
- by editor@buddytv.com
- buddytv.com
Syfy will be debuting a new show called Marcel's Quantum Kitchen on Tuesday, March 22 and the network has generously partnered with us to offer a TVOvermind reader the opportunity to win a high-end cooking kit worth $215!
The kit includes: canvas tote bag, herb garden set, herb seeds (parsley, Oregano, basil), shell digital scale, bamboo cutting board, kitchen utensils (whisk, spatula, spoon), oil/vinegar bottle, salt & pepper shakers, branded Moleskine recipe journal and apron.
Here's some details about the new show. Below that are the details to enter the contest.
Syfy unveils the future of food with a daring new hi-tech cooking series for the modern age, Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen, featuring Marcel Vigneron, one of America’s most notorious chefs on the cutting edge of the culinary field, on Tuesday, March 22 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt. Chef Marcel pushes the limits of imagination with his bold style of cooking referred to as molecular gastronomy,...
The kit includes: canvas tote bag, herb garden set, herb seeds (parsley, Oregano, basil), shell digital scale, bamboo cutting board, kitchen utensils (whisk, spatula, spoon), oil/vinegar bottle, salt & pepper shakers, branded Moleskine recipe journal and apron.
Here's some details about the new show. Below that are the details to enter the contest.
Syfy unveils the future of food with a daring new hi-tech cooking series for the modern age, Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen, featuring Marcel Vigneron, one of America’s most notorious chefs on the cutting edge of the culinary field, on Tuesday, March 22 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt. Chef Marcel pushes the limits of imagination with his bold style of cooking referred to as molecular gastronomy,...
- 3/14/2011
- by Clarissa
- TVovermind.com
Whether single or taken, everyone has their idea of what the perfect Valentine's day should be. While some romantics prefer a lavish, over the top affair, others are drawn to an intimate, low-key evening. Zap2it caught up with a few celebs over the past month to find out what they deem a perfect V. day.
One common thread we found? Food!
"Pretty Girl Rock" singer Keri Hilson tells us her ideal Feb. 14th includes, "A lot of heartfelt conversation, honest conversation. A bottle of wine, a private chef... something very intimate."
She also tells us contrary the color theme of the day, she won't be enjoying any Merlot. "I'm a white wine girl," she says. "Riesling preferably, or a sweet Chardonnay."
Of course it stands to reason that chef Marcel Vigneron of "Marcel's Quantum Kitchen" would have some pretty fabulous meal ideas for that special day.
"I think that...
One common thread we found? Food!
"Pretty Girl Rock" singer Keri Hilson tells us her ideal Feb. 14th includes, "A lot of heartfelt conversation, honest conversation. A bottle of wine, a private chef... something very intimate."
She also tells us contrary the color theme of the day, she won't be enjoying any Merlot. "I'm a white wine girl," she says. "Riesling preferably, or a sweet Chardonnay."
Of course it stands to reason that chef Marcel Vigneron of "Marcel's Quantum Kitchen" would have some pretty fabulous meal ideas for that special day.
"I think that...
- 2/14/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Jamie Lauren packed her knives on this week's episode of Top Chef: All-Stars, but fellow contestant Marcel Vigneron thought the elimination was long overdue.
"My friends and I were watching the episode last night, and one of the persons in the room was like, 'Who is she sleeping with?'" he told TVGuide.com Thursday while promoting his upcoming Syfy show, Marcel's Quantum Kitchen, at the Television Critics Association's winter previews.
Top Chef's Jamie: I Got a Bad Edit
"It seemed like she was dodging bullets constantly:
Read More >...
"My friends and I were watching the episode last night, and one of the persons in the room was like, 'Who is she sleeping with?'" he told TVGuide.com Thursday while promoting his upcoming Syfy show, Marcel's Quantum Kitchen, at the Television Critics Association's winter previews.
Top Chef's Jamie: I Got a Bad Edit
"It seemed like she was dodging bullets constantly:
Read More >...
- 1/14/2011
- by Hanh Nguyen
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Top Chef All-Star's Marcel Vigneron is not an "asshole." No, really. Many reality-show stars complain about their "bad edits," but Marcel—whose own new reality cooking series, Marcel's Quantum Kitchen premieres March 7 on Syfy—has a good reason to gripe... Full disclosure: We've always been Marcel superfans—and he is a charming, cool dude in real life. That's why we expected to see him portrayed more positively this season. So did Marcel. "They totally were like that," he just told us about the way producers said he would be depicted. "Which is funny, but you know how Bravo is. They have the ability to show whatever they...
- 1/14/2011
- E! Online
Marcel Vigneron is perhaps best known to "Top Chef" fans as the guy with the Wolverine-inspired hair and a penchant for making food into foam.
Now the upstart chef is traveling to Bravo's sister network Syfy for his upcoming culinary show "Marcel's Quantum Kitchen," and Zap2it got a front row seat for his cooking demonstration Monday (Oct. 11) at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Fla.
The concept of his show is pretty simple: Vigneron will be a mad scientist caterer, creating a menu to fit a particular event's theme using his creativity and wand of choice -- molecular gastronomy, the application of scientific principles to cooking. For the Syfy Digital Press Tour, Vigneron's alchemy is tested with the Harry Potter theme, appropriate since we'll later visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter after the demonstration. (Check back with Zap2it for the Potter report.)
"They didn't actually tell...
Now the upstart chef is traveling to Bravo's sister network Syfy for his upcoming culinary show "Marcel's Quantum Kitchen," and Zap2it got a front row seat for his cooking demonstration Monday (Oct. 11) at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Fla.
The concept of his show is pretty simple: Vigneron will be a mad scientist caterer, creating a menu to fit a particular event's theme using his creativity and wand of choice -- molecular gastronomy, the application of scientific principles to cooking. For the Syfy Digital Press Tour, Vigneron's alchemy is tested with the Harry Potter theme, appropriate since we'll later visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter after the demonstration. (Check back with Zap2it for the Potter report.)
"They didn't actually tell...
- 10/13/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Top Chef season 2 runner-up and resident villain cum douche bag Marcel Vigneron will find himself and his hair back on the small screen soon after SyFy picked up Marcel's Quantum Kitchen, a sort of geeky cooking show that follows his new catering and events company as it takes a scientific approach to cooking via molecular gastronomy technology, which is supposedly the hottest thing now.
Vigneron, now 30, was runner-up behind Ilan Hall on the sophomore run of Top Chef. He's not exactly a fan favorite, and he can be whiny and annoying. Apparently, he is also a molecular gastronomist, which, says trusty Wikipedia, studies the physical and chemical process that happen in the process of cooking. For instance, how different cooking temperatures affect eggs.
Vigneron, now 30, was runner-up behind Ilan Hall on the sophomore run of Top Chef. He's not exactly a fan favorite, and he can be whiny and annoying. Apparently, he is also a molecular gastronomist, which, says trusty Wikipedia, studies the physical and chemical process that happen in the process of cooking. For instance, how different cooking temperatures affect eggs.
- 5/31/2010
- by editor@buddytv.com
- buddytv.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.