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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
A brilliant little book that needs to be on the shelf of every homestyle cook.
Katz does a wonderful job with breaking down what would seem to be difficult methods into very simple steps.
I also hadn't really thought of "fermenting" as a cultural temperament, so his nice note at the end was a lovely touch.
Katz does a wonderful job with breaking down what would seem to be difficult methods into very simple steps.
I also hadn't really thought of "fermenting" as a cultural temperament, so his nice note at the end was a lovely touch.
Very informative resource on fermentation as well as a meditation on illness, queerness, community and how foodways impact our health, wellness, the earth and connections.
Wild Fermentation is a book about how to ferment your own vegetables (and other produce) the way our ancestors have done for thousands of years; with salt water, a pot, a little time, and nothing else. Yes, it's that simple. I bought this mostly because Michael Pollan's book Cooked got me interested in experimenting with fermenting vegetables, as I hope to one day be growing my own greens and will need a way to preserve some of them. If you're also just interested in fermenting, the book will give you some very detailed and easy to follow recipes. But this new edition also tells a little about the history of fermentation, and the how and the why of its disappearance from our lives, and its social/ecological/health effect that has had (among other very interesting effects of mass food production). Katz also discusses why exactly we should try to bring it back into our lives. It's been known for a while now that we need bacteria to digest food and absorb all of the nutrients. Fermented foods aid this process, being full of live, healthy bactieria.
Katz writes all this in a easy to understand, informal language, and while he himself is a established fermenter, I appreciate that his tone isn't preachy, and he still advises the reader to use common sense when dealing with food, rather than just follow blindly. "If it looks or smells disgusting, feed it to the compost". Very wise words indeed.
I also appreciate Katz's earthly wisdom. He refers to several research papers to back up his arguments, but he mostly speaks from his experiences with fermenting and the health benefits of eating fermented foods, which he has been doing for years and years. All of his recipes are tested several times by himself and his friends. All in all a really interesting read if you're curious about fermenting, but also if you're just interested in cooking, food and health.
Katz writes all this in a easy to understand, informal language, and while he himself is a established fermenter, I appreciate that his tone isn't preachy, and he still advises the reader to use common sense when dealing with food, rather than just follow blindly. "If it looks or smells disgusting, feed it to the compost". Very wise words indeed.
I also appreciate Katz's earthly wisdom. He refers to several research papers to back up his arguments, but he mostly speaks from his experiences with fermenting and the health benefits of eating fermented foods, which he has been doing for years and years. All of his recipes are tested several times by himself and his friends. All in all a really interesting read if you're curious about fermenting, but also if you're just interested in cooking, food and health.
What an exciting book! The idea of fermenting foods as a way of preserving them (through anaerobic processes) isn't new. This book explains how you do it. As a result of my reading through to the end, this evening I now have three glass-jar/rigged pots filled with the beginnings of fermented foods: a sourdough starter with rye flour, a green/purple cabbage sauerkraut, and some fermented oats that won't take as long as the other two for me to eat.
I enjoyed how this book is written. Accessible, and very flexible. The emphasis is put back onto the reader in a constructive way. Taste is a way of gauging fermentation experiments, as well as the other senses.
Katz sees the rise of fermentation not only as something that will bring more nutritious food, but also as a way to revive community and to restore our role in the production and cultivation of our food.
For what is basically a short cookbook, this was a really fascinating read. I can't wait to get started on his more recent (longer) work on the same topic, [b:The Art of Fermentation: An in-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World|13598307|The Art of Fermentation An in-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World |Sandor Ellix Katz|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334185796s/13598307.jpg|19188832].
I enjoyed how this book is written. Accessible, and very flexible. The emphasis is put back onto the reader in a constructive way. Taste is a way of gauging fermentation experiments, as well as the other senses.
Katz sees the rise of fermentation not only as something that will bring more nutritious food, but also as a way to revive community and to restore our role in the production and cultivation of our food.
For what is basically a short cookbook, this was a really fascinating read. I can't wait to get started on his more recent (longer) work on the same topic, [b:The Art of Fermentation: An in-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World|13598307|The Art of Fermentation An in-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World |Sandor Ellix Katz|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334185796s/13598307.jpg|19188832].
This is a pretty neat book and got me excited about trying some fermentation. There's something deliciously nerdy and compellingly simple about just putting a bunch of stuff in a container and letting it ferment for a week or more.
I started a batch of sauerkraut within a day or two of starting the book and really enjoyed the whole process. I think I used too much salt, but am looking forward to trying a new batch soon. Also it has prompted me to sign up for a Miso class next month.
I checked this book out from the library but I think I will just buy a copy.
I started a batch of sauerkraut within a day or two of starting the book and really enjoyed the whole process. I think I used too much salt, but am looking forward to trying a new batch soon. Also it has prompted me to sign up for a Miso class next month.
I checked this book out from the library but I think I will just buy a copy.
I enjoyed this book, but I read the whole thing and made a batch of sauerkraut using one of the recipes, all in less than an hour. In retrospect, I think the review that recommended I get Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz as an easy intro to fermentation was actually thinking of his *other* book by that title (with a different subtitle and a co-author) that he published a couple of years later. It looks like the other edition is much expanded and probably more worth the price tag. Kinda confusing for the uninitiated....
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
This had a nice chilled approach, not requiring scientific measuring instruments, and very much ideas to inspire!
It was full of many different types of recipes to try, but was also full of hippy dippy concepts. To back up is assertions, he sites other hippy dippy books instead of actual studies in reputable journals.