By Thy Tran, July 20th, 2009
Some of us are lucky enough to have friends who are doctors, mechanics, carpenters, or even a massage therapist or two. I’ve recently decided that anyone who works weekends at an organic farmer’s booth and who loves to share bounty from her bottomless market bag is automatically promoted to my own BFF list.
A bonus bunch of super fresh watermelon radish recently found their way into my kitchen through such delicious connections. Aptly named for their vivid red, white and green coloring, these gems call for the simplest of preparations to highlight their fresh, summer flavor and gorgeous hues. Read more »
( Asia, My own creations, Ready in minutes )
By Thy Tran, May 13th, 2009
I judge a proper deli as much by the crispness of its half-sours as by the tenderness of its brisket. Recently, I stumbled upon an easy way to make them using some of the fruits of my nukazuke labor.
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( Europe, Japan, Ready in days )
By Thy Tran, April 24th, 2009
Having corralled some of San Francisco’s wild yeast and soured my own crock of sauerkraut, it was time to move on to my next live food project: nukazuke. I was still a new convert to the Church of Fermentation, but a recent trip to Japantown helped immerse me completely.
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( Japan, Ready in hours, Ready in months, Ready in weeks, Ready in years ) 20 Comments »
By Thy Tran, April 24th, 2009
Tim’s homemade pork sausage with prunes and Nancy’s bacon-studded potato salad made tasty companions to my apple-sweetened sauerkraut. The cabbage’s crisp tartness was an excellent foil for all that meaty goodness.
By the end of the afternoon, the crock was mostly empty. There’s a cup or two left, not quite enough for a choucroute garnie but plenty for a most satisfying Reuben sandwich. I love eating the pickled apple slices, too, and so will be sure to include them in future batches.
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( Germany, Ready in weeks )
By Thy Tran, March 26th, 2009
Tim “Blind Muscat” Patterson of Subterranean Cellars has called another bottling party. This time, there’ll be home-stuffed sausages on the grill. What was I going to bring? Hmmmm…I do believe there’s a little voice whispering “sauerkraut” into my ear….
It’s ridiculously easy to make, so if you plan to throw some bratwurst or beef franks on the grill this summer, I encourage you to try your hand at making homemade sauerkraut. All you need is a head of cabbage, a sprinkling of salt and a big jar. I promise that your first bite will be a revelatory experience and that your friends will be duly impressed.
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( Germany, Ready in weeks )