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This is the first in a regular series of columns on home entertaining by Sebastien Centner, Director of Eatertainment, a Toronto catering and events company.

Molecular cuisine may have spread from Spain’s famed El Bulli restaurant to just about every city in North America, but it’s not going to become a standby of the home cook any time soon.
 
Still, the fact that you don’t have a can of nitrogen sitting around the kitchen doesn’t mean you can’t use a couple of gastro-techniques to create culinary drama of your own.
 
One of my favourite tricks is the process of “smoking,” not to be confused with smoked meat. In this case, the smoke itself is an aroma-infused ingredient that can be used to heighten the flavour of a dish or even a cocktail.
 
I use this process with brown sugar or green tea with great success. The home-smoking kit is dead simple: a candle and a large spoon. A tablespoon or so of loose green tea or brown sugar (enough for six or eight glasses) is placed on the spoon and held above the flame till it begins to smoke.
 
When smoking green tea, I add a bit of butter to the tea to create a grease-like mixture that breaks down more easily. I typically capture the smoke in an upside-down glass, which I then position over an amuse bouche matched to the ingredient I’m smoking. You need to work fast: The smoke dissipates in a few minutes, so you need to have the apps plated and someone to serve each one immediately.
 
When my guests remove the glass, they are treated to a burst of aroma. We show it here with seared beef on roast baby potato with wasabi mayonnaise, but you could also try it with seared tuna loin rolled in sesame seeds with a panzu drizzle.
 
Brown sugar can be smoked on its own or with a dash of vanilla extract. The smoke is denser and tends to coat the glass with a burnt toffee essence, which makes it work well for desserts. Once smoke has collected in the glass, you flip it and immediately pour in a mixture. One easy option is to puree a banana, then blend with 2 per cent milk and add a shot of Baileys at the end.
 
The possibilities are endless for smoking, so put on your lab coat and start experimenting. If you discover something new, I’d love to hear about it.
 
Recipes for amuses bouche along with more detailed smoking instructions are available at www.eatertainment.com/lifestyle/recipes