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It's hard to listen to news reports in the last year without mention of the acronym MRE. If it doesn't ring a bell, perhaps this will: Think back to that 30-second kicker, or even quicker sound bite, extracted from Operation Iraqi Freedom where a U.S. soldier sits on his kevlar helmet embracing a rare personal moment, fork in hand. It's hardly enough time to choke down the new-and-improved, high-energy, vacuum-packed MEAL READY-TO-EAT. Detailed instructions (courtesy the U.S. government) included: Just add water and stir.

Admittedly, the military-issue MRE is not the kind of cuisine the staff at Art Culinaire would commonly consider feature material, but certainly the concept of pouch-cooking is one for contemplation. The very idea that food can be packed in sealed bags, then simmered (or steamed) in a temperature-controlled environment while still retaining the flavor, texture, and nutrients--just as well, or even better than conventionally-cooked methods--is one that seems improbable, if not impossible. A specially-secured vehicle where food is locked away for use at a subsequent hour solicits both the reasoned and recreational mind to muse at the potential. Surely this presents a special challenge for a chef of invention. And we happen to know a few of those ...

From one battlefield of sorts, to another, the back of the house, the MRE in conclusive culinary form is AKA "sous vide." Georges Pralus is credited with having first worked sous vide-style in 1974 while at Troigros in Briennon, France. AC first got our hands dirty with the subject in Issue 15. Fifty-six issues later, the times beg to reintroduce a topic more on the forefront than ever before--re-evaluated, reinvented, revised and remade--VIVA SOUS VIDE!

IT'S 2:30AM: DO YOU KNOW WHO'S COOKING THE HALIBUT?

Art Culinaire decided to search for sous vide in Las Vegas, Nevada and Manhattan, New York. Both of these cities are ultimate examples of highly-concentrated metropolitan areas with a very diverse clientele, where anything (and any request) is possible.

Ponder this hypothetical: 2:30am. A guest exits a Las Vegas poker table. He's hungry after a very profitable (unfortunately, not for him) losing streak. Refueled, he might net the casino an extra few chips. Does one really expect a chef, in his namesake restaurant cooking to order at such inhumane hours? Don't bet on it. These fast-paced 24/7 cultures demand the very best food served 'round the clock. So we wondered how those special signature dishes are made available? How can our hungry poker player at 8am, 8pm or any time in between, dine on Alessandro Stratta's Pork Belly with Marscapone Polenta from Renoir's kitchen, or our famished New Yorker stroll into the W hotel and taste Paul Sale's Saddlerock Oysters and Jelly Sampler at Blue Fin?

Why limit sous vide to such megalopolises like Las Vegas and Manhattan? Go to Alexandria, Virginia, and you'll find Cuisine Solutions/Five Leaf, a company dedicated to the redefinition of sous-vide. Gerard Bertholon, President of Five Leaf and Corporate Chef for Cuisine Solutions, speaks intensely about the subject. This is a man dedicated to making the technique accessible across the board, or as he says, "To perfect the consistency of the product," so that, "Wherever you are, whatever the time, you can have the experience."

Now that's consistent branding.

The Sous Vide Advisory Committee defines its trade name as such: "'Sous vide (also known as 'Cuisine en Papillote Sous Vide') is an interrupted catering system in which food is sealed into a vacuumed-laminated plastic pouch or container, heat treated by controlled cooking, then reheated for service after a period of chilled storage." A perspicuous, but archaic classification? Perhaps. The word, "container" opens itself up to interpretation. Let's not forget, sous vide also encompasses those ancient methods of "pouch cooking," be it husk or paper or leaf. The concept is akin.

Time to move away from the systemic and adopt a more modern slant. Sous vide is about the union of science and sensuality. In order for the process to work best and garner appreciation, a natural harmony between the two must exist. Bertholon, whose company has partnered with some of the highest-caliber chefs in America, says each chef has his own way of looking at sous-vide.

On Thomas Keller's approach: "Precise like a Swiss clockmaker."

Charlie Trotter? "He's modifying sous-vide all the time, striving for never-ending perfection."

How about Mark Miller? "He enhances bold flavors, creating that multi-layered taste."

Finally, Daniel: "Daniel takes classic dishes and asks, 'How can I control this?'"

A brief pause in our phone conversation heightens my inquisitiveness. Gerard senses my suspended curiosity and ardently explains, "... Control comes by longer cooking times ... that can mean dissolving connective tissue." (As with Daniel's signature short ribs that are cooked for 30 hours at precisely 66 degrees Celsius, bagged, then held, and reheated for five minutes.) Talk about tender to the bone.

Quickly accepted in Europe, the sous-vide technique spread throughout France, to the string of Michelin stars. More recently, sous vide has shown up in Carrefour's brand of international hypermarkets (there are over 730 stores worldwide.) There, individually-packed items sell right alongside other butcher or vegetable products for preparation at home.

As universal time and demand speeds up, those same factors have multiplied for American chefs who have only recently begun to take a second- and more serious look at sous-vide. Why has the United States, usually a technical innovator, not embraced the technique earlier? It's been proven sous vide items aid in portion control on-the line by reducing prep time and minimizing shrinkage. Flavor, color and nutrients hold, rather than evaporate, and juices are trapped inside the bag with no place to go. Aren't those the precise qualities most important--and the last ones--a customer remembers? No doubt sous vide has the stuff to stir up those special emotions a dish can seduce.

Probably, the answer is a more practical one. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made attempts to block sous vide technology. As cooks in America are given- then are taught by strict guidelines, they are also regulated by those same ones. In explicit terms, cooks are told just how long, at what temperature, and what health codes to follow. When cooking temperatures drop, the USDA raises an eyebrow. When sous vide isn't prepared in its own separate kitchen space (as it is in France), the other eyebrow goes up.

But only as American chefs begin to experiment more with--and prove that sous vide is an integral part of the cooking chain, will the USDA and the traditional customer (unaccustomed to an unfamiliar cooking process) give it a fair trial.

AN ACCIDENTAL BIRTH

We touched on the patriarch and birthplace of sous vide, but such teasers only cry for further investigation. The story goes that George Pralus was approached by Pierre Troigras to offer council over a troubled goose liver pate with shrinkage close to 40%! Pralus suggested the foie gras be wrapped in three separate layers of film and then baked. In hindsight, he described the test as such, "When I took the terrine out of the oven, two of the wrappings had burst but the third had held. Three days later, we unwrapped the terrine. Troigras turned out the contents, cut it in half and the presentation had an extraordinary quality--weight loss of 5% and the foie-gras color was unforgettable; sous vide was born."

And so it was.

BAGGING THE FUTURE

Looking forward, sous-vide has a rare opportunity to improve the quality of life for chefs around the world. With the chef profession in jeopardy, losing talent due to a combination of social and economic circumstances, (Michelin star restaurants have resorted to the 'Help Wanted' sections to find candidates--unheard of until recently.) sous vide offers itself as a vast resource. But as more chefs sign on to the concept, incorporating their own trademark, it will gain the same clout as other cooking crafts.

Just as important, is the experience sous vide bequeaths to its final critic. It must be conducive to the customer, still providing that ultimate singular experience without losing anything in the translation and final presentation, maintaining both aptitude and artistry.

Certainly, sous vide is going through a revolutionary stage. And what does advocate Gerard Bertholon think of sous vide's long-range forecast? "The future is first to cook the product, then reheat it. Those final minutes before the dish is delivered--that's when a chef (or cook) has an opportunity to add his signature. Just a touch or two to finalize."

Sealed, signed and delivered for sure.