Icelandic Hot-Springs Bread
Icelandic rye bread when traditionally steamed in special wooden casks by burying it in the ground near a hot spring is known as hverabrauð or "hot-spring-bread".
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December 4, 2017
Dendrotherapy and the Energy of the Siberian Cedar
The healing properties of trees are used for the treatment and prevention of various ailments. Since ancient times, it has been thought that flowers, bushes, and trees absorb information they receive from the environment, information that is remembered and preserved. Plants possess positive and strong energy. Their energy is the force of life, continual growth and renewal.
November 27, 2017
The Brain-Gut-Microbe Axis
The trillions of microbes in the gut, have been called the “forgotten organ.” These microbes with a vast number of genes have great influence in the gut and on the brain.
February 28, 2013
Santa Claus and the Magic Mushrooms
Have you ever wondered why on Christmas we cut down/carry evergreen trees inside our houses, decorate them with fancy ornaments, and place presents underneath them?
December 24, 2012
A Meditation on Mold
Mold growth on soy cakes in the process of making soy sauce. I would love to know what is going on right now in the mold colonies. Why are some areas fluffy and some cauliflower-like?
August 30, 2012
Homemade Soy Sauce: Part 1
As I started to write this post, I kept wanting to write: “Fermentation is not commonly used in the West.” After I wrote it though I kept coming up with examples of fermented products – beer, wine, cheese, ‘kraut, pickles, vinegar… etc. etc. We clearly ferment a lot of things. I suppose that in the East the methods and subjects are different so in some ways it feels like a different process, but fermentation is common to many cultures.
While I haven’t been able to clearly divide how different culture ferment, one thing I can say is that making soya sauce is funky involving kneading and mold and fermentation and sunlight. This ancient process takes a long time, possibly up to six months, but the end result is stunning (according to the blogosphere). Here is step 1 to delicious homemade soy sauce.
August 18, 2012
Making Fish Sauce
"An Englishman teaching an American about food is the blind leading the one-eyed." -A. J. Liebling
August 13, 2012
Sharon Venne on Language, Connection, Land and More
Sharon Venne on language, connection, traditions, law, education, colonialism, religion, grounding, land, women, death, spirituality, children and more.
August 6, 2012
Rendering Suet aka Makin’ Lard
Suffice to say that I have a greater understanding of the scent of a medieval household after my first experience rendering suet.
I’ve been reading The Great Mortality by John Kelly, a riveting account of the black plague and how it wound its way through Europe in the 14th century. Needless to say a key ingredient in its spread was the incredible filth of households in this period. People bathed rarely and garbage (think dead animals, toilet offerings, rotten food) was strewn about the streets. They also used lard or tallow in making candles. According to Kelly, lard wasn’t a preferred source of fuel because of the smell.
So let me get this straight. People who were surrounded by rotting flesh and human excrement complained about the smell of burning lard. How could this be?
July 26, 2012
Carmelized Kanboshi Daikon from Hida Kamioka
Kanboshi Daikon is made from peeled, sliced radishes which are boiled, then hung out under the eaves for about a month to expose them to the cool air.
July 18, 2012