Molecular Gastronomy Desserts at the 2013 World Science Festival Gala - NYC

The 2013 World Science Festival Gala in New York City paid a very unique musical and culinary tribute to science.  The discoverer of DNA himself- Professor James Watson and Alan Alda of T.V show M*A*S*H were among the notable attendees at this year's event.

Held this year at The Allen Room of Jazz at Lincoln Center, musical performances were set to a dramatic clear glass backdrop overlooking Columbus Circle.

Broadway performers sang catchy tunes about DNA and ended with a Happy Birthday song to James Watson, who turned 85 this week and was sitting right in the middle of the audience!

The night ended with a molecular gastronomy Dessert Feast with plenty of desserts that can only be made possible with the magic of modern science.  

We knew we were in for a treat when we saw these beautiful smokin' cocktails.  The bartenders create this effect by pouring libation over dry ice

If there was a witch's brew that was the most beautiful of them all, this is it!

 Homaru Cantu, chef and owner of ING Restaurant in Chicago carbonates fruit!  This is fruit that  IS Fruit Soda.  Fruit is pressurized with carbon dioxide in large metal cans and you get fruits that pop in your mouth like Pop Rocks.

Chef Justin Hilber and Owen Clark of the Brooklyn restaurant Gweynnett St. made these fermented cranberry foam desserts topped over soft caramel white chocolate barks and creamy toffee.  This dessert tantalized the senses with many contrasts in taste and texture.

Mixologists from Booker and Dax serve their Banana Justino - Scotch with a hint of Banana.  They are in one of the Momofuku restaurants in town.

A Razor, A Shiny Knife presents gala attendees with their Popcorn Ice Cream.  These are also the same guys that held a luncheon on the L train subway not too long ago.  We were a bit confused by what Popcorn Ice Cream was at first too, but this is actually ice cream made not with ice, but with liquid nitrogen.  As you can see, the appearance you get with this technique is ice cream that looks like popcorn, and here it's drizzled with caramel sauce.