Table of ContentsTable of ContentsPreface ....................................................................................................................1

Part I: The What’s and Why’sChapter 1

The Basis of “Dis-ease”.................................................................................6Preventing Disease Versus Curing It......................................................6Fermented Foods:The Magic Bullet?.....................................................7What Are Fermented or Cultured Foods? .....................................8Probiotics and Prebiotics .............................................................................9What about Candida?.................................................................................10The Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back..........................................11Why Should We Eat Fermented Foods? .........................................11Beyond the Bubbly........................................................................................12How Much Fermented Food do we Actually Need to Eat?....14Cultured Foods to the Rescue..............................................................14You Can Never do Just One Thing.....................................................16Remembering Who We Are ..................................................................16It’s Not What You’re Eating…But What’s Eating You................18Probiotic Pills versus Live Lacto-Fermented Foods?.................19A Day without Bread..................................................................................19The Pleasures of Wine and Cheese…and Bread ......................20Unlocking the True Secrets to Health and Well-Being............21

Chapter 2: The Rich Romance and Legend of Fermented Foods

Older than Fire ...............................................................................................27From Nature to Culture ...........................................................................28Johnny-Come-Lately: Grains and Dairy ............................................29 Alchemical Tracings:The Philosopher’s Stone................................30Solving a Great Mystery: A Vital Question .....................................31Pasteur Parts the Waters and Microbes Garner the Nobel Prize ............................................................................32The Overlooked and Unpublished ...................................................33Frequently Asked Questions...................................................................37

Chapter 3: Modern Science and Magic What Exactly is Fermentation?..............................................................41 A World of Flavor and Function...........................................................42How Does Fermentation Work?..........................................................42Taming the Wild Fermentation..............................................................44Prebiotics and Probiotics ..........................................................................45Extraordinary Microorganisms...............................................................45Introducing the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly...............................45Enzymes and Their Indispensable Service .......................................46Secrets under Lock and Key ...................................................................48

Chapter 4: Food and Agricultural SystemModern Commercially Fermented versus Traditional Lacto-Fermented Foods ...................................................55Food Safety and Security ..........................................................................58Fear and Forsaken Pleasures...................................................................58Our Bodies and Health: Current Trends and Statistics ..........60Obesity, Diabetes, and Degenerative Diseases ............................60What’s Wrong with This Picture? Isn’t It Ironic? ..........................62Fermentation:The Missing Link..............................................................63

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Chapter 5: The Rainbow of Food and Dietary Trends –and Opinions

Sustainable, Organic, Health and Nutrition Explosion.............67 Wading through the Hype.......................................................................71“Healthifying” and TechnoFoods ...........................................................69Discerning the Truth ....................................................................................73Fermentation Happens ..............................................................................73Cultural Renaissance and Revival .......................................................75The Rainbow of Diets—And Opinions ...........................................75Whom to Believe? ......................................................................................75Traditional versus Modern Diets..........................................................76Low Carb and Paleo/Primitive Diets ................................................76Vegan Vegetarians versus The Aajonus’ Omnivores...................77Raw Versus Cooked ...................................................................................80Orthorexia Nervosa and Health Food Junkies ...........................80Balancing Out the Debate .......................................................................82Metabolic and Psycho-Spiritual Effects of Cooking ...................82Benefits of Raw Plant Foods ...................................................................83Good Nutrition is a Matter of Balance ............................................84More About Balance ................................................................................85Can we Reduce our Consumption Patterns? .............................85Can We Grow Energy for Fuel and for Crops,Too? ................87 Fermentation to the Rescue Again? ...................................................87 Closing the Circle..........................................................................................90Remembering Culture................................................................................92So it’s Time to Ask and Act .....................................................................93What is a Food Circle ................................................................................94

Part II: The How-to’s of Fermented Foods

Introduction to Recipes SectionGeneral................................................................................................................96How Part II is Organized..........................................................................96Spoiled or Not? ............................................................................................96Food Spoilage Test ........................................................................................96Safe or Not? ....................................................................................................97Are Pasteurized Foods Safe? .................................................................98 Cultured Dairy Products...........................................................................98Soured Milks,Yogurts, Kefirs and Buttermilks ................................99Cheese.................................................................................................................99Fermented Vegetables ..............................................................................101Pickles, Olives ................................................................................................101Fermented Fruits.........................................................................................102Fermented Meats .......................................................................................102Breads and Grains ......................................................................................104SoyFoods .........................................................................................................104Sprouting..........................................................................................................105Spent Grains ..................................................................................................105

Notes on Equipment, Ingredients and Approaches...............107

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Basic Fermented Formulas......119

Apple Cider Vinegar...............................120Camembert Cheese ..............................121Ceviche..........................................................122Coconut Kefir.............................................123Coffee Pot Beer........................................124Cream Cheese ..........................................125Crème Frêiche (Fraiche) .....................126Crispy Nuts .................................................127Cultured Buttermilk................................128Cultured Raw Butter .............................129Elderberry Wine.......................................130Essene Bread ..............................................131Farmer's Cheese ......................................134Fruit Chutney .............................................133Ginger Ale ....................................................135Jerky .................................................................136Kefir and Kefir Cream............................137Kim Chi ..........................................................140Kombucha ....................................................139Kvass, Honey...............................................141Mead, Honey ..............................................141Miso, Fermented Bean Paste.............142Natto...............................................................143Naturally Fermented Sodas...............144Nut Milk, Cream and Nog..................145Nut Seed Cheese....................................146Pemmican .....................................................147Pickles, Lacto-fermented......................148Poi, Fermented Taro Root...................148Rejuvelac, Basic and Gluten-free.....149Salsa .................................................................150Sauerkraut....................................................151Sour Cream.................................................152Sourdough Bread Starter....................152Spent Grains Granola............................153Sprouting Grains.......................................154Steak Tartare ...............................................155Tempeh..........................................................156Yogurt .............................................................159Yogurt Cheese...........................................157

Appetizers and Snacks .......161

Black Bean Olive Paté with Walnuts...........................................162

Garlicky Tahini Dip...................................163Quicker Nut and Seed Cheese.......164Raw Hummus ............................................165Rosemary Walnuts ..................................166Sunsé™ Seed.............................................167Sushi Nori Rolls ........................................168

Beverages ........................169

Kvass ................................................................170Seasonal Fruit Smoothie......................173Shrub...............................................................171

Switchel..........................................................171Tiswin..............................................................174Tor's Hard Cider ......................................175

Breads..............................177

Basil Crackers.............................................178Modified Essene Bread .........................179Seeded Sourdough Crackers............180Sourdough Egg Noodles or

Dumplings ................................................181Spent Grains Beer Bread ....................182Sweet Sourdough Bread

with Variations........................................183Whole Wheat Sourdough

Bread or Pizza Dough.......................184

Condiments.....................185

All-Raw Dark Plum Jam .......................186Bean Sprout Kimchi................................187Brewsky Meat Marinade ......................188Buttermilk Flaxseed Dressing............189Cherry Chutney .......................................190Creamy Tarragon Mustard

Dressing.....................................................191Lemon Vinaigrette dressing ................191Mint Chutney .............................................192Miso-Scallion Chutney ..........................192Mustard..........................................................193Olive and Caper Tapenade.................194Pickled Ginger............................................195Pineapple Chutney..................................196Raw Ginger Marmalade .......................197Spicy Ginger Miso Paste ......................198Spinach KimChi .........................................199

Main Dishes..........................201

Basic Marinated Tempeh with Variations........................................202

Choucroute with Summer Sausages................................203

Coconut-Crusted Tempeh..................206Corned Beef or Tempeh

Reuben.......................................................205Moussaka ......................................................209Slow Cooker Lentils

with Summer Sausage.......................207Three Cheesy Polenta

with Black Beans ..................................210

Meats, Poultry and Fish ......211

Chinese Soy-Glazed Chicken............212Classic Beef Bourguignon....................213Corned Beef ...............................................214Dry Beef Salami........................................215Gravlax...........................................................217Peppered Chicken...................................218Pot Roast with Sauerkraut .................219

Salads....................................221

Calabrese Salad.........................................222Cucumber Seaweed Salad..................223Greek Tzatziki Salad................................226Oriental Confetti Coleslaw................225Panzanella Italian Bread Salad ...........229Radish Salad ................................................227

Soups ....................................231

Borscht, Russian Beet Soup ...............233French Onion Soup................................235Golden Miso Squash Soup.................236Tarator............................................................237

Sweets and Desserts...........239

Chocolate Nut Torte .............................241Classic New York Cheesecake

with Easy Nut Crust ..........................243Creamy Strawberry Dream ..............244Easy Raw and Baked

Nut Crusts...............................................245Melt-In-Your-Mouth

Coconut Oil Fudge.............................246Raw Almond and

Coconut Balls.........................................247Raw Kefir Cheesecake ..........................248Sour Cream Sourdough

Chocolate Cake....................................249Spent Grain Chocolate

Chip Cookies .........................................250

Vegetables............................251

Cauliflower with a Crown ..................253Chinese Broccoli and

Cabbage in Oyster Sauce...............254Fermented Beets......................................255Leafy Greens Gala...................................256Oven Roasted Steak Fries ..................257Spinach with Feta.....................................258Turnips with Garlicky

Tahini Sauce ............................................259

Glossary and Vocabulary . . . . . .ap1

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ap4

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ap5

About the Author . . . . . . . . . .ap11

Recipes