Counter Cultures
My kitchen is overrun this week with fermentation experiments. Now, just like Tom T. Hall, “I like beer” … but that’s not what I’m talking about here. No, this is the little crock filled with salted cabbage that looks to be well on its way to becoming sauerkraut. And the jar of soy milk that unfortunately doesn’t seem as inclined to turn into yogurt as it should be. And the glass of sprout-soaking water that may soon bubble into rejuvelac. (The sprouts themselves are doing well on top of the fridge, serenely growing above all the ferment on the counters below.)
The book that inspired all this is Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz. I had been eyeing it for years - it was published in 2003 - and finally picked it up last week. Katz has an inspiring zeal for his subject. As he says in the introduction: “For me, fermentation is a health regimen, a gourmet art, a multicultural adventure, a form of activism, and a spiritual path, all rolled into one.” You can get a taste of Katz’s style on his Web site, at www.wildfermentation.com
All the recipes in the book are vegetarian, and most are vegan or can easily be made vegan. Katz is no longer a vegetarian, and there are some brief discussions of fermented meat and fish. Overall, though, the book is quite suitable for vegetarians. And the information and outlook presented in the book are interesting enough that it would be worth reading even if you never intend to ferment anything. But, wouldn’t you at least want to nurture a little sourdough starter, over there in the corner? It wouldn’t take up much room….
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