Mexican food is characterized by an incredible range of flavors and techniques, and this grand diversity is nowhere more apparent than in the streets of Mexico City. From esquites – a corn and epazote broth – to multiple styles of tacos and deep-fried foods, one can experience the cultural diversity of Mexico in a couple of bites. At Pujol, Enrique Olvera has garnered acclaim for his talent for re-imagining these culinary treasures and placing them in a fine dining atmosphere.

Chefs have a unique opportunity to help America transition from an industrial agriculture economy to an ecological one – through their leadership and example, they could do for agriculture what they've done for gastronomy; that is to say, re-invent it. But it can be hard to balance multiple small farmers, keeping track of who is growing what, when. And Farmers say that chefs sometimes call with unreasonable expectations, asking for the wrong thing at the wrong time.

How can this disconnect be fixed? How can chefs access great local or artisan produce, and how can producers get their goods out there? How can the two form relationships that really work? In the spirit of greater understanding, these three chefs and two producers are coming together to talk about what they do, why they do it, and how they make it happen every day of the year. Miller and Barber, two of the best-known regionally-reliant chefs in the United States, will share their thoughts and experience. Gingrich, the producer of an artisan Wisconsin cheese, will share his success story. Brown and Matthews, New Zealand-based chef and deer farmer, respectively, will bring what is sure to be an exciting new perspective to the table.

Accordingly, Sommeliers have the responsibility to develop themselves as practiced tasters – aware of but detached from critical press and “the deal.” After all, “free” isn’t good enough if the wine doesn’t deliver! Whether tasting a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo or a wacky red blend from Paso Robles, as wine professionals, you should be able to spot the gems in a crowded field.

Triffon’s seminar will be an exercise in blind tasting, and identifying great wines based on a series of common qualifiers. Can you recognize a wine’s quality independent of any frame of reference? Can you spot a gem without knowing the wine’s cost, growing region or even the dominant grape variety? Are you able to successfully sell obscure wines from emerging growing regions? Do you taste with confidence in your practiced technique regardless of the category?

Whether a wine is a Napa Cabernet or an Assyrtiko from Santorini, its innate quality will speak volumes…if you speak its language. Balance, length, depth and fruit quality are some of the elements that define great wine. In this seminar, you will blind taste through 10 wines from around the world, some obscure, some not, with little concern for what it is, but intense interest in the answer to the question: “Is this good wine?”

Each of the StarChefs.com Rising Stars award winners has figured out for him/herself how to conquer the odds, finding success in their various pursuits, making it in one way or another. Of course, making it means different things for different chefs. For Josh Eden of Shorty’s .32, it means spending nearly a decade with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and then taking a sharp turn and opening a small, personal, no-reservation restaurant bursting with home-cooked flavor and soul. For Yoshinori Ishii of Morimoto Omakase Bar it might mean training extensively in Japan, and finding a home for his culinary style, his hand-made pottery, and his hand-caught fish behind the omakase bar of one of New York’s biggest restaurants. For Mixologist Somer Perez of The Royalton it might mean learning from some of the best, and putting her knowledge to the test, re-vamping the beverage program of a major hotel at the age of 26.

Their paths are different and so are their destinations; however, they all share ambition, an uncompromising palate, sense of culinary identity, pride in their work, and a timely concept – that’s why StarChefs.com named them all Rising Stars. A Rising Star is not a fixed concept: Rising Stars are future leaders with varying levels of current media attention and “success.” The StarChefs editorial selects them the old-fashioned way – that is, by actually meeting and tasting with every last one of them through a series of hundreds of tastings across the country. The resulting Rising Stars all have room to rise, and it’s our belief that they will only grow in their already impressive careers, further shaping their local culinary communities and the larger national culinary discourse.

The “How to Make it” panel is their chance to share how they got to be themselves, and what they learned along the way. In lieu of a clear roadmap to success, they’ll instead offer their humorous industry anecdotes, trying times, and passionate perspectives, leaving their audience inspired to get back to their kitchens and do what they do best: make it.

Norén and Arnold are constantly on the lookout for the next technological breakthrough to inspire them as they continue to push the boundaries of culinary creations. By applying technology to familiar ingredients they manipulate perceptions of texture, flavor, and presentation, awakening new and unexpected sensations.

Norén and Arnold have done a great deal of work with heat related technology, however they have recently set their sights on the effects of cold. Utilizing the precision and consistency of the Randell’s FX Series refrigerated drawer chilling system, the duo will demonstrate the fascinating array of textures and flavors that can be introduced through elemental changes in the coldness of familiar foods and beverages.

Poor stock status, pirate fishing, bycatch, habitat destruction – these are some of the major issues plaguing popular seafood (Atlantic cod, Chilean seabass, tuna, and scallops, to name a few) around the globe. This year’s drastic decline of West Coast salmon has driven home the fact that habitat destruction is an immediate and pressing problem – and made it clear that it’s time for chefs to start effecting change.

Three of the culinary industry’s most well-known characters will come together to discuss and debate the above and much, much more. Anthony Bourdain is a well-spoken and irreverent chef-turned-culinary adventurer, with a finger on the pulse of the culinary world and enough perspective to laugh at it. Marco Pierre White defined the term “bad boy chef,” and caused a stir when he relinquished his Michelin stars because he was no longer behind the stove every night. Michael Ruhlman is a seasoned culinary writer, with the savvy and sangfroid to sit between the two as they discuss, with passion, the role of a chef.

Billings is not abandoning the tools and techniques he grew to know and love at Clio – he still has his old purveyors on speed dial, he says. But he feels that a chef’s duty is to create something special, regardless of what tools are given to them. He never wants his favorite tools (agan, carrageenen, xantham gum) to become a crutch for his cuisine. In this spirit, he will highlight some techniques he has worked with during his time at L’Atelier, and will trace their creation from start to finish – with no crutch to stand on, but the natural textures and ingredients.

McClain will discuss each of the concepts, and present a dish from each. Each of the three restaurant concepts will be discussed as well as a signature dish from each. He’ll delve into his culinary style, as well as the specifics of multi-unit culinary operations: management structure, investor strategies, corporation structures, marketing and PR, leases and locations, communication, and media relations. And he’ll offer tips on how to stay true to your culinary style…and have fun in the process!

In her workshop, Saunders will discuss the various merits of gin, and specifically why to choose gin over vodka. Gin’s botanicals cut through the sweetness of liquors and sugar, enlivening the palate and keeping it fresh and clean. This flavor profile pushes other flavors forward, much in the way a squeeze of lemon or sprinkle of salt on food adds dimension to the other players on the plate.

Saunders will lead a blind-tasting of 4 gins and a discussion of the various styles, flavors, mouth feels, brands, and uses. Drinks will be discussed (Tom Collins, Negroni, and various Martinis), and drinks will be made – and chances are, gin converts will be made, too.

There are 3 phases to a restaurant venture – the deal, the build out, and operations. During phase 1, the deal phase, the restaurant entrepreneur addresses questions such as: How much money do I need to raise? How much working capital do I need? How much equity do my investor(s) require? Do I have the right team? Can I afford the lease payments? Do I have a good location? Should I select a concept that I am familiar with or a concept that is today’s trend?

Phase 1 has 4 elements – team, concept, real estate and funding. If these 4 elements are properly developed, you will increase the odds of success. Your concept must have a tightly defined target market and differentiating characteristics. Your real estate must be in concert with your concept, and you must have a capable team who can execute the strategy. Lastly, you must be properly financed and have the right investment group.

All this, and more, is what Sweeney will discuss in his presentation – Raising Capital for Your Next Restaurant. The information covered will allow you to engineer out the majority of risk in your entrepreneurial venture; the discussion will be, essentially, 2 years of business in approximately 70 minutes.

In 2007 B.R. Guest Restaurants became the first national multi-concept restaurant group to be certified green by the Green Restaurant Association. As part of the certification, each of the 12 B.R. Guest restaurants took steps to get green not only on the plate, but to reduce its environmental footprint and increase sustainable practices, including recycling and water and energy reduction steps.

So what does it mean to "green" a restaurant? And is it worth it? Organic greens, and sustainable beef are excellent ideas that have opened people’s minds to green food service; but the biggest opportunities to reduce the environmental footprint of the restaurant are behind the kitchen doors, in the form of energy and water conservation.

Laurel Cudden, one of the people spearheading B.R. Guest’s green program, and Richard Young, one of the foremost experts on equipment efficiency, will discuss the various ways in which restaurants can pursue a more sustainable future. The two will serve up practical resources for the sustainable kitchen along with examples of cost savings and performance benefits. The discussion will be a feasible – and inspiring – primer on going green, in the kitchen and beyond.

The recipe will be Pan Dolce, and it will be made in 5 different ways based on manipulation of the proofing times, baking temperatures, shaping, and fillings. While making the bread, Falai will discuss the best storage practices, the differences between dry and fresh yeast, production scheduling, ingredient choices, and time management. The goal is to make everyone feel more comfortable with bread in general, and understand the benefits – and feasible reality – of implementing an in-house bread program.

Waxman and Forgione will reflect on those early days of American cuisine – the diners, the characters, the ideas, ingredients, and more – and contextualize the current state of American food in a way that few chefs can. Mitchell Davis, VP of the James Beard Foundation and culinary history buff, will bring his own perspective to the plate as they take a look at how we got to where we are today, and where we’re headed. We've come a long way, baby.

Dufresne will lead the group through the different phases of the preparation: the egg, the hollandaise, the English muffin, the bacon, and the chives. While executing the various components, he will discuss the history of the dish and the creative process, and the ways – obvious and otherwise – that it differs from your typical Eggs Benedict.

It was not always thus. For over two hundred years, from the grim days of Oliver Cromwell’s Protectorate to sometime in the middle of Queen Victoria’s long reign, whenever social-minded English gentlemen convened it was standard practice for them to cluster around a large China bowl and ladle out the liquid it contained into fancy little glasses, which would then be emptied until each of the partakers was deeply, even swinishly drunk. Punch, the intoxicant in question, inspired poets, provided novelists with their plots, and fueled an unknowable – but very large – number of jolly afternoons and riotous evenings. This session will uncover the history and culture of this rather dangerous and delightful beverage, and give practical tips on its composition.

Pairing beer with food is one of the major culinary trends sweeping the nation – from a British coffee stout paired with a hazelnut-chocolate dessert at a 4 star fine dining restaurant in Chicago to a great artisan beer collection at a chic upscale casual restaurant in New York. Bottom line is – beer pairings aren’t just for Belgian cuisine anymore. And they aren’t just for pilsners either – current trends in beer range from high gravity, high strength beers made in small batches to organic beers, and rejuvenation of old styles and recipes.

This interactive workshop will offer an engaging, in-depth exploration of re-fermented craft ales from La Brasserie Unibroue (Chambly, Quebec, Canada), each paired with one or more small bites of selected specialty foods, ranging from cheese and charcuterie to chocolate. It will be a crash-course in beer pairing, with the help of Unibroue, whose craft beers deliver sensory satisfaction that is unparalleled in the craft brewing industry. The presenters will share stories about the brand name inspirations and describe the sensory attributes of each sample and pairing, then invite participant comments and opinions about how and why Unibroue’s complex, effervescent ales amplify the flavor of many foods when presented in a culinary context.

Emphasizing temperature, texture, and aesthetic, and spanning both Scandinavian and African cultures, Samuelsson will demonstrate Sea Urchin Flan with Seared Watermelon and Yogurt Sorbet, as well as Cassava-Stuffed Shrimp with Green Curry Sauce and Pickled Green & Yellow Papaya and hopefully introduce new flavors, philosophies, and techniques in the process.

Sous vide cooking can be defined as a method of airless, low-pressure cooking in a closed container which allows us to cook ingredients that would otherwise become oxidized, at a lower temperature. This is thanks to the effect of pressure, which induces changes in food which are not possible otherwise. It thus makes it possible to preserve or improve the intrinsic aroma of food, or add new flavors to cooking ingredients.

According to Roca, the advantages sous vide offers, both in gastronomic and economic terms, are the reasons for its unprecedented success in comparison with other recent techniques, like nitrogen, minerals, freeze-drying, and so on.

Sustainability has been the hot-button culinary topic of the past three years; while “eat local, eat seasonal” is one part of the picture, there’s a big world of sustainable farming practices out there that are impacting food on a global level; this workshop is a look into one of fine dining’s most popular sustainable meat products. The workshop will give a first-hand understanding of what a New Zealand deer farmer actually does to keep his animals and farmland in the best possible condition: contributing to Cervena venison’s long-standing reputation as the highest quality red meat in the world.

For over 30 years, deer farmers of New Zealand have understood that the long-term sustainability of the farming industry is inextricably linked to the health of their farming environment. They manage their farms knowing that consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare and the environmental impact of farming practices; yet at the end of the day, the meat must taste good above all else.

After a guest deer farmer’s talk, Chef Graham Brown of The Cookhouse in Christchurch, New Zealand, will demonstrate the basic cuts of Cervena venison and lead you through a hands-on preparation of a Cervena venison dish.

This new outlet is an egalitarian one – everyone can have a part in the choose-your-own-adventure that is blogging. Each blogger does it differently. Ideas in Food is part personal journal, part recipe log, and part lab report, based on the educational and experimental exploits of its founders, Alex and Aki. Laiskonis, pastry chef of Le Bernardin, has a lovely, thoughtful blog where he muses on everything from leadership styles to the best use for greengage plums, supplementing his ideas with plenty of simple but beautiful photos and detailed recipes along the way. Des Jardins blogs for Epicurious.com – she uses her blog as a forum for personal reflections on dining, traveling, cooking, and more. Strong is all about dining – and her blog and newsletter have, in the recent past, become a full-time occupation. Each will share some wisdom and advice, and all will make it clear that once a chef decides to embrace the web, the opportunities are endless. (As long as you can make the time, that is.)

Beyond these three fundamentals lie a world of other options and crucial cocktail decisions – shaking versus stirring, for one. Difford will discuss when to deploy each method, and how to execute the exact results you desire. And no cocktail technique workshop would be complete without muddling; Difford will delve into the how, what, and why, and finish with an overview of the 100 essential cocktails that every bartender should know. This workshop is for both novices who want to learn infallible technique, and experts who want to re-visit each step, asking “why” and “how” along the way.

There is a simple, but not necessarily obvious, fact about building a restaurant: every decision you make has global implications. From choosing flooring and wall coverings to the origin of your microgreens, all elements matter, and deserve thoughtful consideration as more than simply matters of taste.

The restaurant industry effectively uses only 11% of the energy it consumes – this means that 89% is wasted, or cannot be captured with our current methods of operations. But there are methods and new technologies that can change this statistic.

Will you be remembered as another great cook with another cookbook or two, or as a pioneer in changing the landscape of foodservice? Our industry is an influential one; it’s possible that a watershed change in the material nature of restaurants could inspire our country to begin rethinking its priorities and needs.

It’s not just about money - it’s about priorities. It’s about changing preconceived notions about how things need to be done, not just for reasons of cost or tradition or taste, but for the sake of the planet.

Join food photographer and host of the insatiablycurious.com video podcast, Jamie Tiampo, and Antoinette Bruno, CEO of StarChefs.com, as they share Secrets of Digital Food Photography for Chefs. This workshop will help you understand perspective, how to control light, and how to manipulate food to create your own spectacular images. You will learn the basic settings required to unleash the power of your digital SLR camera, including shutter speed, aperture, white balance, ISO, and resolution. The seminar will feature a tethered computer and a projector to show the effects of correct and incorrect technique in a live shooting demonstration. Essential lighting, cameras, lenses, and computer equipment will be discussed, with special attention paid to portable location kits suitable for restaurant use.

Several food photographs will be shared and analyzed for composition, technical quality, and food styling. Learn what works and what doesn’t, so that you can take better pictures of your best plates.

Boulud will present a cooking demo based on the theme of mentoring, with the help of three of his protégées: Executive Chef Jean François Bruel of DANIEL, Executive Chef Damian Sansonetti of Bar Boulud, and Executive Chef Olivier Muller of DB Bistro Moderne. Each chef will work with one main ingredient – pork! – preparing it according to three very different interpretations, which will represent the range of their culinary styles, and of the cuisine of Boulud’s varied restaurants. The demo will be supplemented with a family tree of young chefs who have worked with Boulud in the past, and gone on to pursue successful culinary careers.

Along with the main dish, Cracco will demonstrate the creation of a variety of different fish sheets, including a sheet of scallops, green asparagus and black truffles, as well as his black and white squid “tagliatelle,” which is similar to pasta in shape and texture, but made of squid.

Redzepi takes traditional methods of cooking, local produce, and Nordic food culture legacies and subjects them to an innovative gastronomic approach, challenging himself to bring forth a regeneration of Nordic culinary craft in the process. He has traveled around the Nordic region to find the best indigenous produce it has to offer – he’s found Horse mussels, deep-sea crabs and langoustines from the Faeroe Islands (kept alive until the moment they are served); halibut, wild salmon, cod and seaweed and curds from Iceland; lamb, musk ox, berries, and pure drinking water from Greenland.

In his presentation, Redzepi will discuss these ingredients, and others, as well as the ways in which he has sought them out – often creating venues of distribution that didn’t exist beforehand – and the techniques he uses in the kitchen. Noma is as technique-driven as it is produce-driven; Redzepi smokes, salts, pickles, dries, and grills and bakes on slabs of basalt stone. He prepares his own vinegars and distilled spirits – and at the same time, employs the most up-to-date kitchen appliances and cutting edge techniques.

Each of the panelists have branched out from their well-loved and acclaimed fine dining restaurants and gone the casual route. And they’ve done so by taking a style of cuisine they’re passionate about – either through travel or heritage – and running with it. Paul Kahan is in the process of opening an American meat-focused beer hall in the same Chicago location where his father had a smokehouse. Traci Des Jardins recently opened Mijita, a casual restaurant in San Francisco’s Ferry Building, inspired by her roots in regional Mexican cuisine. Anita Lo’s logical casual step was in the dumpling direction, with Rickshaw – and now she has also opened Bar Q, an Asian barbecue restaurant in New York’s West Village. Ken Oringer turned his passion for Spanish food and culture into Toro, a tapas-focused restaurant in Boston.

Learn about the philosophy, the economics, the execution of concepts, and more, from these fine dining chefs who have opened successful casual restaurants.

In a twist, not each of Norén and Arnold’s creations necessarily hinge on using the latest culinary technologies. The point is, rather than using the newest and coolest, to take equipment technologies that have been in use for quite some time and using them to create new results. Think a pressure cooker is just for stew? Think again; it can also be a time saver, used for rapid flavor modification.

Cocktails are the perfect playing ground for combining flavors with technology, and carbonation is one of the arenas the pair have been exploring. Norén and Arnold like the taste and feel of carbonation in drinks; normally, a pre-made a mixer is used to achieve the carbonation effect, but this can ultimately dull the flavor of the drink. So why not carbonate the drink a la minute, without any added ingredient?

Flash-carbonization, flavor modification, distillation, and more, from the culinary-techno experts of the French Culinary Institute.

Each of the four layers of the cocktail uses a different technique and results in a different density, texture, and sensation. The first layer starts with the classics: a whisky base with a bit of muddling and shaking, with ginger and fresh mint enlivening the whiskey, and a texture of pure liquid, smooth and lightly chilled. The second layer implements a more modern approach with chilling results: tequila is blended with aloe, lime, rose and ice; it’s icy with the tiny bits of ice for a slightly crunchy texture which floats on the ginger julep. The third and fourth cocktail layers are molecular: Merino blends Pastis with cantaloupe and pineapple juices, a bit of lecithin and xantham gum. The concoction is put into an ISI foamer, and out comes a Pastis Espuma that’s creamy and airy but loaded with fruit flavors. The final layer: hibiscus salt air bubbles. The flavor is salty and floral to open the palate, but the texture is so delicate it’s almost hard to perceive – in a “less is more” kind of way.

In his hands-on pastry workshop, he will demonstrate how both classic traditions and new ideas can combine to create exciting tastes, textures, and presentations with petit fours. He will also explore how time-honored flavors can be shown in a contemporary light, and how familiar presentations can be updated with unexpected combinations of ingredients.

Over the course of the workshop, Laiskonis will demystify chocolate work and ganache, as well as touch upon the basics of a few simple doughs and batters. He will cover a handful of “of-the-moment” ingredients and techniques (agar agar, tapioca maltodextrin, and more), demonstrating practical applications of increasingly popular ingredients and how to most effectively utilize them.

Attendees will both have a hand in the creation of base components as well as the assembly of a variety of petit fours, concluding, of course, with the tasting of their labors!

From the southern olive groves of Andalucía to the northern region of Catalonia, Spain (the world’s #1 producer of olive oil) offers the largest variety of unique oils with distinct flavors and characteristics. Expert Jeffrey Shaw will educate on the history, production methods, and quality standards that have long been associated with Spain olive oil. He will present three varietals of Spanish oil that range in flavor and body to highlight the quality and complexity of the oils, and will guide the group through the flavor characteristics, and the words used to describe the flavor and body of the oils.

Chef Michael Tuohy will share his expertise on olive oil tasting menus that comes from 6 years of featuring them in his restaurant. Tuohy opened Woodfire Grill in Atlanta in 2002 with a tasting of 3 oils heading up his appetizer list, and the offering remains there today. Featuring artisan oils – as an appetizer, as a dish finisher, and as merchandise sold in the front of the restaurant – is both a revenue boost and an added draw for customers. Tuohy's olive oil tasting appetizers are comprised of three different varietals, and his staff walks the diner through their origins and flavor profiles like a sommelier educates on wine. Tuohy has found great success in offering this program, adding value and profitability to his restaurant. By the end of the workshop, participants should be well-versed in a variety of artisan oils, and ready to implement an artisan olive oil program into their own restaurant.

Scher and Kadis will show how to use future projections in your budgeting for more effective planning and increased profitability. By taking note of upcoming conditions, operational trends, events and other factors restaurants can make real time adjustments that impact the bottom line every day.

By planning each week ahead, the forecasted budget plan allows managers to see estimated goals and goals achieved. It is a highly effective and organized way to manage the accounting in your restaurant!

Shrinkage is often what makes meat tough; Richard’s favorite thing about what he calls “this new way of cooking” is that the proteins don’t shrink. The proteins retain the collagens, which give a moist and succulent aspect to the meat. What’s more, the moisture stays inside, and the meat will stay rare, so the color is wonderful. “It’s almost like eating meat with the sauce inside already,” says Richard.

His demonstration will focus on one specific use of the sous vide technique: his 72 hour short ribs. He cooks the meat a few days in advance, and when the order is placed, he re-warms the meat at the same temperature at which it was cooked. The short ribs are then sautéed to achieve a nice, crispy caramelization on the outside, cut against the grain, sprinkled with olive oil and seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. The end result is so tender that it tastes and feels like Kobe beef – but at 1/5 the price!

PS 41 reached out to Anthony and Gramercy Tavern in 2007. The relationship began with tours of the restaurant for the first grade classes, complete with hands-on cooking demonstrations led by Anthony and his kitchen team. The children took what they had learned about the importance of using local, seasonal ingredients back to the classroom, and creatively retold that story using pictures, words and song.

In 2008, Gramercy Tavern took on an even greater role in PS 41's curriculum: in addition to continuing the tours and cooking demonstrations, Anthony and pastry chef Nancy Olson began visiting PS 41 classrooms. They taught the children lessons on farmers' markets, especially the Union Square Greenmarket, and the collaborative, symbiotic relationship between chefs and local producers. They introduced them to the fundamentals of taste, and the skills that are vital to cooks and dining room servers.

This coming year, Anthony will search for ways to help fundraise for the GELL Project, PS 41’s ambitious roof-garden plan, where they hope students will learn to grow their own produce, as well as other ways for the restaurant to play an increasingly active role in the school's lesson planning and to incorporate the entire staff into the restaurant’s educational activities.

By helping educate the first graders of PS41 about restaurants and farms in the community, cooking, and the farm-to-table movement, Anthony is nurturing their understanding of the importance of local agriculture, as well as the simple, delicious pleasures of well-grown food.

When Achatz collaborates with Martin Kastner of Crucial Detail design studio, the chef and sculptor take three elements into account: function, aesthetic, and mechanics. The following service pieces are examples of each. In his presentation, he will discuss the philosophy and use of these pieces, along with others (including the wax bowl in “Hot Potato/Cold Potato”).

The Eye is a functional form that keeps food cold while in transit from kitchen to table. The bite is delivered frozen and instantly melts on the palate. If the bite was transported by conventional means – a spoon or plate – it would thaw before it got to the diner.

The Squid is all about aesthetics. It holds bites with natural handles (a vanilla bean, a bay laurel branch, a cinnamon stick) in a stainless steel wire structure, allowing the bites to be served upright, and combining the organic nature of the food concept with industrial design elements.

The Antennae breaks the monotony of the mechanics of consumption. It eliminates the fork and spoon as the tools used to transport the food from the table’s surface to the mouth, and in the process brings new emotions into play: intimidation, humor, anxiety, embarrassment, and excitement.