Introduction: Garlic and Cedar Wood Smoke Filled Mozzarella Balloons
Impress your guests with these garlic and cedar wood smoke filled mozzarella balloons, or even just air filled mozzarella balloons, if you don't have a whipped cream maker, which you could use for injecting the smoke.
Step 1: Stuff Needed
In the easiest version you just need Mozzarella, some hot water and some pump (it can even be one of those simple balloon inflation pumps or a bicycle pump)
In the more advanced version you need a whipped cream dispenser + nitrous oxide cartridge, fresh garlic, cedar wood plank and a torch.
You burn the garlic on the cedar plank with the torch and then place it in the whipped cream dispenser. Screw in the NOx cartridge and you are ready to proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Preparing the Mozzarella
Place the ball of Mozzarella in a pot of hot boiled water.
After letting it sit there for 2-3 minutes and it softens, take it out and start kneading it with your hands. If it starts hardening up, immerse it again in the hot water. Continue doing this, until the cheese gains a uniform bubble-gum type consistency with no lumps/curds.
Step 3: Making the Balloon
Form a ball out of the Mozzarella with a deep opening on one side for filling. This is easiest to accomplish, by forming it on your thumb. To make sure the cheese is sufficiently pliable to inflate it, you can dip the ball part again in the hot water.
Now place it over the dispenser nozzle (our your pump outlet), seal off the sides by squeezing with your fingers and gently inflate to the desirable size.
You might not succeed at first, if blowing too quickly/too hard, you will have the balloon pop. But that is no problem, just return the mozzarella to the hot water, re-kneed, reform a ball and try inflating again.
Once inflated, squeeze the opening to seal off the ballon and then remove the excess cheese, which you can use to make the next ballon.
Step 4: Serving Suggestions
The mozzarella balloons look the best if glazed with a few streaks of thick balsamic sauce and freshly ground black pepper. They can be served along with some salad, asparagus, or even watermelon.
Enjoy and shine with your newly gained culinary skills at the next party!

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12 Comments
3 years ago
Oh....
I had sooo much fun making these
Thanks for the ibble
5 years ago
So artsy!!
5 years ago
It looks so tasty and nice!
5 years ago
Can they be stored / refrigerated for a day or two?
Reply 5 years ago
I’m afraid not, as a matter of fact they should be consumed as quick as possible, otherwise the cheese dries out and it’s taste degrades.
5 years ago
You had me at "garlic and cedar wood smoke fulled mozzarella balloons". Must try. I can't imagine anything more satisfying than popping a giant cheese bubble with my teeth.
Reply 5 years ago
It really adds to the dish. Molecular cuisine is all about giving you this complete multi-sensory experience. Besides the obvious taste, you get the visual stimulus of the unusually looking dishes, often being surprised by something looking different than what it tastes like, the aroma and here smoke is a great flavor enhancer, the texture, and even sound - e.g. a hard crust shell with soft filling which you cracks open. Remember those pop-rocks candies from the 80's (actually invented and patented in 61 and marketed for the first time in 1975) which would pop and fizzle on your tongue - this was probably one of the first "molecular cuisine" foods before anyone even thought about this concept. It wasn't until 1988 when Herve This and Nicholas Kurti coined the term "Molecular and Physical Gastronomy", which was then later shortened to "Molecular Gastronomy" after Kurti's death in 1998 (Wikipedia)
5 years ago
lol is nitrous oxide (aka laughing gas) safe to consume??
Reply 5 years ago
every store bought can of whipped cream has it - and you really don't consume it, most of it dissipates, but true it can be harmful if inhaled - that's why those whipped cream containers usually state that deliberate concentration and inhalation can be harmful, as it can lead to brain damage.
5 years ago
OMG, That looks so fun! I love it!
5 years ago
That's a whole new level of playing with your food! I love it!
Reply 5 years ago
Because cooking should first of all be fun. :)