Young Foodies
Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 4:00AM 
Gen Z. Multi-tasking, digital generation born into technology. Bold. Hungry. Curious. They text, walk, talk and even eat simultaneously.
It never ceases to amaze me how much more advanced my kids’ palates are than mine when I was a kid. Truth be told, now they’re probably more discerning with nuanced flavors than Andrew and me.
Reality struck during dinner at a local restaurant known for its molecular gastronomy- inspired menu. Chef José Andrés blends the culinary arts and sciences at The Bazaar. It’s fun, whimsical and experimental…traditional Spanish tapas served alongside “modern” ones, which are molecular versions of small plates. Both traditional and modern tapas are prepared with such genius they can be shared bite by bite. Iberico ham, Manchego cheese and verdial olives are served alongside foie gras lollipops wrapped in spun ivory-colored cotton candy.
Chef José’s traditional and modern dishes inspired Ben and Nick to chronicle dinner, course by course, with iPhotos. For dessert, we moved from the dining room to the “Alice in Wonderland” Patisserie. The boys were so blown away by the sweets, presented candy store-style on ornate glass pedestals that they photographed each one. Their favorite, by far, was raspberry granita.
Raspberry granita is simple to make at home but will impress even your most discerning Gen Zs 
and their less-adept parents. It’s intended to be eaten as dessert but can also be served between courses as a palate cleanser. Serve the granita in tall glasses with a few chocolate cookies, or mix it up by serving with olive oil-laden rosemary focaccia.
These are exciting times for Gen Z foodies. Food has never been this fun, crazy and creative. Enjoy the sometimes bumpy, but always exciting culinary ride.
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Raspberry Granita
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Make a simple syrup by combining sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring, just until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Purée the raspberries in a food processor or blender and transfer to a large bowl. Whisk together the puréed raspberries, simple syrup and balsamic vinegar.
- Pour the mixture into a shallow pan, about 8 inches square, to a depth of about 1½ inches. Freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and quickly stir with a large spoon, being sure to scrape the bottom and sides. Smooth out the top. Return to the freezer and repeat the procedure at least 2 more times. Cover with plastic wrap and let freeze until firm, about another hour. Store in the freezer until ready to serve.
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