Bring chemistry to the kitchen

If you've watched cooking shows over the past couple of years, you've probably seen at least a few of the tricks used by chefs practicing molecular gastronomy: chemicals and special utensils that allow them to create foods that have never before been seen in the kitchen. But most of those supplies aren't available on the shelves at the local grocery store. Until recently, if you've wanted to try out the dishes created by molecular gastronomy, you had to find a restaurant that served them. The Molecular Gastronomy Starter Kit, from ThinkGeek, lets you experiment in your own kitchen.

The kit includes a variety of chemicals: sodium alginate, calcium salt, agar-agar, carrageenan, ascorbic acid, citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, and xanthan gum, along with recipes on how to use them. It also offers a whole selection of utensils: a syringe, silicone tubing, pipettes, measuring spoons, a bored spoon, and a conversion table. You may feel like you're back in chemistry class with all these unique ingredients to play with. Your only problem may be finding a source for some of these chemicals and utensils once you've gotten to try them out--finding them at your grocery store is still tough. The kit is available for $69.99.