Saturday, August 30, 2008

Fantastic Fermentation


What do beer, yogurt, sourdough, and kimchi have in common? Besides being delicious, these foods are all products of fermentation. One of my favorite books of the summer was Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz. Katz's book is a step by step guide to home fermentation. His book aided me in fermenting my own cherry vinegar, kimchi, ginger beer, T'ej, (an Ethiopian honey wine, which is still in the fermentation stage) and most recently sauerkraut and sour beets. After experiencing the process of fermentation first hand and having read Katz's book, I can honestly say that my perceptions about fermented foods and the process of fermentation have drastically changed. This book has changed my life and I highly recommend it to anyone with the slightest interest in fermented foods or beverages.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Want to pretend you are still in college?


The following is the required reading list for the En211B course I am teaching this fall. The course focuses on narrative and descriptive writing. I highly recommend both the novel and the collection of essays and stories. If, by chance, you are so jazzed by the books, I can send you a study guide and assign you essay too! School starts Monday. Ciao

The Best American Nonrequired Reading of 2007 edited by Dave Eggers

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn