This month’s Wired magazine delivery included a nice little bonus publication — a Geekipedia. Along with your usual suspects like Steve Jobs, brain implants, and Twitter, there’s a food-related entry:

Molecular gastronomy: Ever since our primitive ancestors got the hang of fire, application of heat has been the primary way to prepare food. But today’s chefs are looking to the chemistry lab for new ways to surprise and delight diners. These mavericks take additives and processes developed for freeze-dried dinners and elevate them to the level of high cuisine. From gelling with sodium alginate to flash-freezing with liquid nitrogen and roasting with lasers, their innovations are bringing science to the culinary arts. Ferran Adrià of Catalonia’s El Bulli pioneered the movement; Chicago is another hotbed, with three top joints — Alinea, Moto, and Avenues. Our compliments to the chemist!