Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Sour Storm

I'm a culture killer. Sourdough starter, yogurt starter, kombucha SCOBYs, kefir grains, I've killed them all. 

Then I went to work for a company called Cultures for Health. I am atoning for my murderous ways by teaching people how to keep their cultures alive, and learning an incredible amount in the process.

I read a lot, everything I can get my hands on. I got a book called Wild Fermentation, by Sandor Ellix Katz. And I finally understood how easy this stuff can be. 

It takes some time to cut up vegetables and stuff. But once you're used to it, you'll find you save time, gas, and money. You can simplify your life and be healthier, without giving up the things you love. You have to plan ahead a bit in terms of your ingredients, but you can change it up on the fly and make it fun, too.

My skin has cleared up, and my digestion is better. However, sourdough is a monster, and if you feed it it will grow, Little Shop of Horrors style. I've been eating way too much wheat, and I'm gaining weight, which is NOT OK. I love to eat, and I'm not a fanatic about any particular diet, but I know a few things about how my body seems to work best. I'm learning more all the time, and the more I learn, the more I want to learn and experiment.

It seems like everyone I know has some weird dietary issue or another. So... Welcome to my adventures in "cultured cooking" with alternative flours, grains, and beans. In the posts to come, I'm going to talk about where I am today, where I've been, and you know, all that stuff. There will be recipes, and pictures, and I will go into ridiculous detail about what I'm doing. I'm a gardener, so there will be much fresh produce to ferment. I'll talk about that too.

But now I am being dragged away to cook. You're gonna love this. Homemade beef soup with homemade sourdough rye noodles, and homemade sauerkraut.

Stay tuned for my thyroid safe root and radish kimchi.

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