Feed Me Like You Mean It

Chilled Grains and "Resistant Starch"

2024-04-21T22:50:00.002-04:00

RiceIRRI Images, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons "Resistant starch" is in the news.There is evidence that cooking and then cooling starchy foods (rice, pasta, potatoes, legumes, etc.) transforms some of the starches into "resistant starch". Resistant starch is so named because it "resists" breakdown in the stomach and small intestine, instead being broken down by the "good"

Microbeasts

2024-02-17T10:34:00.005-05:00

From now on, I shall refer to microbes as “microbeasts”. You read it here first. Image by macrovector on Freepik

Salt

2024-01-04T23:38:00.001-05:00

Wilfredor, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>via Wikimedia Commons A recent article in the New York Times talks about the production and culinary use of different kinds of salt. It's a reasonable article, as far as it goes: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/02/dining/salt.htmlThe article doesn't discuss the potential health benefits of trace minerals.

Fermentation Workshop at Sanborn Mills, Aug 5 2023 All Day

2023-05-07T14:37:00.003-04:00

On August 5th I will be leading an all-day, hands-on workshop at Sanborn Mills in Loudon, New Hampshire, less than an hour and a half north of Boston.Advance registration is required. More information and signup here: https://www.sanbornmills.org/product/fermentation/Sanborn Mills is an amazing place. I don't say that lightly—I am not prone to hyperbole. But when I first visited in the course of

Fermentation Webinar with Marion Institute! Tuesday 1/17 noon ET

2023-01-16T13:36:00.006-05:00

Please join me Tuesday 1/17 at noon ET / 9am PT for an hour-long fermentation webinar hosted by The Marion Institute as part of their free 21-Day Reset program. I will do a brief demo of the easiest fermented food EVER, followed by a talk and Q&A.Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88928306445?pwd=MzBXQmkvRWwva3dJbWhrR0xISTJOUT09(What do you think I will choose to be the easiest fermented

Announcement: New Edition of Real Food Fermentation

2022-01-23T13:35:00.003-05:00

I'm excited to announce that the revised and expanded second edition of Real Food Fermentation is officially coming out THIS TUESDAY 25 January 2022! Click here to buy it on Amazon. (Amazon is not my favorite, but it is crucial for driving early sales.)Or share this link: https://amzn.to/3fRQ2hG .The first edition came out almost ten years ago. Many things have changed in the fermentation

Sour Cream and Onion Dip

2021-10-29T15:17:00.005-04:00

Do you ever find yourself craving sour cream and onion dip?I do.But store-bought sour cream and onion dip is exactly the sort of processed food that gives processed food a bad name. And rightly so.What do?Well, what is the essence of sour cream onion dip?UMAMI.No, I'm not talking about a family member. I'm talking about the Fifth Taste: yumminess. Or glutamate, if you want to be boring about it.

Why Natto?

2020-08-23T19:06:00.008-04:00

(obligatory natto "money shot")My latest Instagram project is #19DaysOfNatto.What is nattō? Why natto? And why 19 days?UPDATE (2021-09-17): Natto extract, a Japanese fermented soybean food, directly inhibits viral infections including SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8276596/(Note that this study came out A YEAR AFTER I made this blog post. Just sayin'.)

Sourdough Herb Crackers Update

2020-06-30T20:06:00.000-04:00

A while ago I wrote this: http://feedmelikeyoumeanit.blogspot.com/2020/05/sourdough-discard-math-and-crackers.html I've been refining my recipe since then. Top points I make these crackers in small batches, both because that suits my sourdough discard rhythm and because smaller batches cook more evenly in my oven. Use bigger batches if you like. I use soaked flax seeds because they're

Cauliflower Purée Soup

2020-06-06T18:54:00.000-04:00

Cauliflower is not my favorite vegetable. In fact, cauliflower and broccoli are near the bottom of my list. So why would I post a cauliflower recipe on my blog?The immediate answer is: I served some to a friend, and he asked me for the recipe. I figured I might as well share it here.The more general answer is:It's delicious!It's paleo, gluten-free, soy-free, and nightshade-freeIt can be made AIP

Ferments for Justice: Workshop to Benefit Atlanta Solidarity Fund and Black Visions Collective

2020-06-05T18:52:00.001-04:00

Be the change you want to ferment! This Saturday (tomorrow!) at 9am PDT / noon EDT, 90 minutes total. Proceeds benefit Atlanta Solidarity Fund and Black Visions Collective. More details here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CA-qRS2pthn/ <-- multiple="" p="" pictures="" right="" scroll=""> <-- multiple="" p="" pictures="" right="" scroll="">Ask if questions!

Sourdough Opportunity

2020-05-25T20:33:00.001-04:00

Don't call it "sourdough discard". Call it "sourdough opportunity".

Sourdough Starter Porridge

2020-05-19T20:45:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of keeping it simple, here's another thing you can do with your extra sourdough starter. Eat it! (Well, more or less. Read on for the details.) Recipe: Sourdough Starter Porridge For one serving, mix 1/4 cup sourdough starter with 3/4 cup water in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Stir constantly over medium low heat until it thickens. Continue to stir and cook for a few more minutes.

Echoes of the Bread-Beer Spectrum

2020-05-17T16:47:00.002-04:00

Why did humans start growing wheat? The "obvious" answer is "so that they could make bread". But that might not be the right answer--and it's certainly not the whole story. Bread is not the only fermented grain food. Beer is another. Which came first? You can make a case for either. But I'm not looking for a definitive answer, even if there is one, which there might not be. What's

Sourdough Discard, Math, and Crackers

2020-05-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sourdough is trending in a big way: Here are some thoughts that helped me get my head around the life cycle of sourdough starters. Typical sourdough instructions tell you to discard half your starter before feeding it. A lot of people have a hard time with this. I myself hate the idea of wasting food. But what happens if you don't discard any starter? The amount you need to feed it is

Covid Cabbage

2020-04-20T23:36:00.002-04:00

…also known as sauerkraut. One of the simplest and most universal ferments. All of a sudden, buying vegetables is not a sure thing. So gather ye cabbages while ye may…and ferment them! To topic of sauerkraut has been beaten to death, but I can add some advice on jar selection. Here goes: Cabbage.Green round cabbage is great. Red cabbage is great too…it may be a little sweeter and ferment a

The Iconic Pickle

2020-04-12T20:54:00.002-04:00

When you say "pickle" in the United States, people assume you mean "pickled cucumber". It is the iconic pickled food. Across the world, people enjoy pickled cucumbers in a variety of styles, from crisp and slightly tart to mouth-puckeringly sour; from the microcucumbers of South America and the diminutive cornichons of France to the fat deli cucumbers of New York City. They can be eaten as a

Backyard Foraging: Nasturtiums

2020-04-07T20:47:00.000-04:00

Special guest blogger Carol Emert talks about nasturtiums! April 2020 Nasturtiums have been growing in wild abundance in my backyard for years, but I’ve never taken full advantage of them until Covid-19 started gobsmacking my usual notions about our food supply. As the Bay Area’s incidence curve climbs, my family’s Trader Joe’s habit has come to a screeching halt. Instead, we’re sequestered at

Brew Yer Own Part 2

2020-04-04T19:48:00.003-04:00

Here are some photos as a follow-up to my Brew Yer Own post from a few days ago! 1. 2. 3.

Brew Yer Own

2020-04-01T22:05:00.001-04:00

UPDATE: I added some step-by-step photos here. Today is April 1, "April Fool's Day". My Facebook feed is full of jokes about governments banning sales of alcohol. It must be a joke, because it could never happen, right? Wrong. It can happen, and it is happening in some places. And in other places, alcohol production and distribution are being deemed "non-essential". (Beer production and