Want to try your hand at wild fermentation? Ginger ale soda is an easy first step. Made from freshly grated ginger, lime zest and juice, sugar and water, fermented ginger ale works with wild yeasts and bacterias present on the ginger and in the air. Read more ›
With summer produce in full swing, now is the time to start preserving the harvest. One of my staples is kimchi. Many people are surprised to learn that fermenting kimchi from scratch is really easy. Read more ›
Sometimes I get stuck. I season and cook my dishes the same way every night, which, lets face it, leads to boredom. When it’s dark and cold outside on our long winter nights, boredom is a very bad thing. Enter, Sichuan, specifically hot, spicy, mouth numbing awesomeness that is hot chilis and Sichuan peppercorns. Read more ›
This year we celebrated the holidays with a proper holiday ham. The fresh pork leg came from a locally raised, pastured pig and was cured and smoked by yours truly. While there are lots of decent hams on the market, the satisfaction I get from curing my own ham with my own unique flavors makes processing my own pork well worth the effort. Read more ›
Minneapolis is looking an awful lot like Seattle this year. We’ve had 17 days of sun since April 1st. The rest of the days have been cloudy or rainy, heavy on the rain. My rhubarb could not be happier. The leaves are gigantic, the stalks, prolific. Read more ›
When I hear the word “pickle” I instantly think “dill” or maybe “bread & butter.” I don’t think “lime” or “miso” or “mango”. My idea of a pickle is the distinctly Euro-American kind that I grew up with. But there’s a world of pickles out there! The Indian Lime Pickle being just one. Read more ›
You know that feeling you get when the many places you’ve been and the many tastes and smells you’ve experienced suddenly collide in a single moment out of time? Mussaman Corned Beef is fusion deja vu. I was in Thailand many years ago and had the wonderful experience of eating Mussaman curry in a cafe overlooking the ocean on an island in the Gulf of Thailand. Read more ›
Grass-fed beef is perfect for jerky. Naturally lean, the rich mineral flavor of the beef shines through. Luck for me Santa left a fab new dehydrator under the Christmas tree. I fondly remember the venison jerky my Dad used to make. He would marinate the jerky in teriyaki sauce or red wine, then dry smoke-dry it over a low fire on the BBQ. Rich, tangy and chewy, the whole family loved it. It didn’t last long in my house. Read more ›