Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Joseph Wanek
“Molecular gastronomy made us joyful and perplexed in equal measure,” writes Kat Kinsman in F&W’s recent look back at the top 25 restaurant trends of the past 25 years. Molecular gastronomy’s most headline-grabbing years may be in the rearview mirror, but its best ideas have settled into the broader language of modern cooking. In this collection, chefs including Grant Achatz, Wylie Dufresne, José Andrés, and Ferran Adrià use techniques like spherification, emulsified foams, and hot-and-cold contrast to build big flavor and surprising texture. You’ll find playful drinks and desserts alongside savory dishes that lean on pantry-accessible ingredients as much as specialized stabilizers. Start simple — a foam-topped cocktail or a quick set pudding — then work up to the recipes that turn the table into a conversation.
01 of 12
Caramel Popcorn Shooters
Credit: Chris Court
2002 F&W Best New Chef Grant Achatz turns movie-theater nostalgia into a warm, sippable dessert: buttery popcorn broth poured into glasses and topped with a light caramel froth. Soy lecithin helps the foam float, so each taste lands like caramel corn in liquid form.
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02 of 12
Egg and Potato Chip Tortilla
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Joseph Wanek
Chef Ferran Adrià swaps sliced potatoes for crushed potato chips, letting them soften into beaten eggs for a tortilla that’s plush, salty, and ready fast. Serrano ham and piquillo peppers add savory depth, and a quick broil finishes the top with bronzed color.
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03 of 12
Salt Air Margarita
Credit: Tina Rupp
Chef José Andrés keeps the base classic with blanco tequila, Cointreau, and fresh lime, then finishes the drink with a briny “salt air” foam. Sucro emulsifier turns lime water and salt into a cloudlike cap that perfumes every sip.
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04 of 12
Root Beer-Date Puree
Credit: Chris Court
2001 F&W Best New Chef Wylie Dufresne simmers pitted dates in root beer until they’re meltingly soft, then blends the mixture into a silky puree with dark caramel notes. “They both have dark, opulent caramel flavors that play off each other,” he says.
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05 of 12
Goat Cheese Puddings
Credit: Stephanie Foley
Pastry chef Dana Cree folds tangy fresh goat cheese into a vanilla-scented pudding base sweetened with honey and brightened with lemon zest. Chill until set, then serve with fresh raspberries and an extra drizzle of honey.
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06 of 12
Hot Potato, Cold Potato
Credit: Chris Court
Achatz leans into contrast with a chilled Yukon Gold potato soup enriched with black truffle juice, cream, and white truffle oil. Each bowl gets hot butter–poached potato balls plus Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, chives, and — if you’re going all in — shaved black truffle.
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07 of 12
Coffee-Baked Squash with Crème Fraîche
Credit: Michael Turek
1997 F&W Best New Chef Daniel Patterson buries small winter squash in a deep layer of coffee beans, perfuming the flesh as it bakes until tender. A cool spoonful of crème fraîche, plus salt and pepper, turns the coffee aroma into something hauntingly savory.
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08 of 12
Almost-Instant Soft-Serve
Credit: Greg DuPree
This recipe was inspired by Adrià, who made an ingenious ice cream by blending frozen fruit with sugar and fromage blanc — no ice cream maker needed. Justin Chapple blitzes frozen fruit with sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt for a soft-serve that eats like sherbet.
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09 of 12
Fried Rice Pizza with Shiitakes and Edamame
Credit: Christina Holmes
Achatz presses sushi rice into a skillet until the bottom turns crisp, then bakes it under a tangle of soy-glossed shiitakes, tofu, edamame, sprouts, and Manchego cheese. “Think fried rice meets pizza,” he says.
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10 of 12
Fruit Meringue Kebabs
Credit: Quentin Bacon
Adrià coats skewered fruit in glossy meringue, then browns it in a flash under the broiler — or with a blowtorch — for a caramelized shell. He calls these “Chupa Chups Julio Verne” or “Jules Verne Lollipops.”
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11 of 12
Roast Chicken Thighs with Tomato-Tapioca Porridge
Credit: Antonis Achilleos
Dufresne pairs crisp-skinned roast chicken thighs and tender roasted carrots with a savory porridge of tomato and pearl tapioca. A shower of pistachios adds crunch.
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12 of 12
Cheshire Yorkshire Puddings with Sage and Black Pepper
Credit: Abby Hocking
Grant Achatz bakes these in hot beef fat or butter so they puff like popovers, but stay custardy at the center, like Yorkshire pudding at its most indulgent. Cheshire (or aged cheddar) cheese, sage, and black pepper run through the batter and melt over the top for a savory finish.
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