Liquid nitrogen and cooking

The chef we watched on Friday night prepared a number of dishes with liquid nitrogen, taking cooking as chemistry to a whole new level. It was my first exposure to molecular gastronomy - an interesting field! I was surprised by how little protective gear he wore, given that most people are so paranoid about working with it. In fact, he scooped his hands through it several times and then dumped the bowl's contents onto the counter, to the surprise of the people directly in front of him. It immediately separated into droplets and harmlessly evaporated on the floor.

Watching people as they tried the hyper-frozen food was quite amusing. They were warned to keep their mouths closed and to chew quickly, with hilarious results.