Years ago I saw a TV science/cooking programme in which a meringue was cooked in a partial vacuum, making it extra light.
However, by whisking your meringue mixture in a helium atmosphere, then cooking in a vacuum, it should be possible to make a meringue that was buoyant in air - floating meringues!
Given that diffusion would eventually bring them down-to-earth, you could launch them before the first course of dinner, have them bumping around the ceiling while you eat, and have them touch-down delicately at dessert time.
Or you could use hydrogen, and have them explode when they drifted too close to the candles.-- Frankx, Feb 23 2004 Fat Duck restaurant http://www.fatduck.co.ukGreat food cooked through the power of science [hazel, Oct 17 2004] Sure would come in handy here: http://www.halfbake...Gallon_20Restaurant [k_sra, Oct 17 2004] Perhaps an easy way to do this would be to use Helium as a propellant in an aerosol can of meringue mixture. Nice idea.
<aside> we went to a restaurant at the weekend where they squirt a green tea and lime mousse out of an aerosol can then 'cook' it at your table in liquid nitrogen - nice! </aside>-- hazel, Feb 23 2004 I was thinking they might go down (or up) well at The Fat Duck - I've just got to make some now.-- Frankx, Feb 23 2004 "Hold that thought, Bob. The waiter is floating me an air biscuit." So would eating them cause the pitch of your voice to go up, like sucking on a balloon? Either way, I like! +1.-- MuddyBuddy, Feb 23 2004 It was the Fat Duck we went to. Totally amazing. If you ever got it working I'm sure they'd be interested.-- hazel, Feb 23 2004 I'd like them to be counterweighted a little bit, just to neutral buoyancy, so instead of floating up to the ceiling they stay in the air in front of me and I can bounce them around. Very good.
Actually, now that I think about it, I'd like large, wearable helium tanks that could do the same thing to me...add an air tank with a bicycle pump for variable-weight ballast, so I can float up and down. Never need a ladder again.-- Etymon, Feb 23 2004 [hazel] er...sounds delightful (yack).
Neutral bouyancy croissant for the idea.-- squeak, Feb 24 2004 Neat idea, welcome to the bakery. (WTAGIPBAN)-- krelnik, Feb 25 2004 Thanks Krelnik...pleased to be here - brilliant site all round-- Frankx, Feb 27 2004 (+) Neutral buoyancy in air will usually get my vote.-- st3f, Feb 27 2004 random, halfbakery