Right now a significant percentage of my yard is covered in big tufts of dark green chive-looking plants. They’re field garlic, Allium vineale, which is a ubiquitous invasive now found over large swaths of North America. Unlike its cousin the ramp, this plant grows and spreads quickly, and even regrows in the fall—so you can harvest it without compuncti…

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I wanted to check in with a fun project that followed my foray into dashi garum and miso. The garums and misos are all happily ensconced in my pantry and fridge, and I use them often in all the ways you’d imagine and then some. Recently I used some of the miso plus a few cubes of the dashi reduction in a cassoulet that I made in my donabe, and it worked…

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Here’s a fun and easy one I came up with recently, taking advantage of my overwintered carrot bed before everything sorts and turns bitter. Jaimon wrote recently about nukazuke, and we talked about it some more during Kojicon—including good options to use instead of rice bran, which can be hard to find sometimes. Oat bran and wheat germ both work well, …

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A short walk outside the coastal Breton town of Douarnenez one comes upon a large ruin, the interior of which contains 15 square masonry basins. This site constitutes the remains of Plomarc’h Pella, originally a complex of at least four buildings dedicated to the processing, salting, and fermenting of sardines to make garum. The factory was built around…

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As a follow-up to the yogurt post, I wanted to talk about this sauce that I make a lot. Since spring lurks around the corner, ready to mug us with verdant splendor, knowing how to preserve herbs can come in pretty handy. Drying works well for the woodier end of the spectrum (thyme, rosemary, et al) but tender herbs tend to lose most of their appeal when…

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Yogurt is incredibly easy to make. You bring a pot of milk to 180˚F/82˚C to pasteurize it, then cool it to around 110˚F/43˚C, stir in a spoon or two of some store-bought yogurt or a yogurt culture, jar it, and then hold it at that temperature overnight (about 12 hours). That’s it!

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There’s an even easier way, using various heirloom cultures that can set …

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On Kojicon’s last day I joined chefs Jeremy Umanski and Ernest Foundas for some practical applications of koji in cooking. My portion focused on oatmeal, because I’ve spent some time digging into its potential on both the sweet and savory ends of the spectrum. One of the things I talked about is this delectable concoction, which works equally well in sw…

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Remember, Kojicon starts next week! Find all the info here. It’s going to be an incredible lineup—and your ticket gets you access to all five previous years of lessons and demonstrations. We can’t wait to see you!

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I wanted to check in quickly about this nifty new toy I got. Historically I have strained my various ferments through jelly bags hung over a b…

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First off, a reminder that Kojicon 2026 starts soon, on February 16, and runs for two weeks. You can find the schedule here, the list of presenters here, and you can buy tickets here. It’s an all-star lineup, and it’s going to be fascinating and inspiring in equal measure. We’re excited to see you all there, and to share knowledge and further expand thi…

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We’re super excited to announce Kojicon 2026, the foremost online gathering of fermentation fans and experts in the world, co-founded by our very own Rich Shih. Rich and I will both be presenting, along with many other fermentation luminaries, and we’ll have the full schedule for you when it’s up.

In the meantime, you can get your tickets here.

Your tic…

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I’m a big fan of leftovers, even though all too often they just get reheated and fall short of their freshly made selves. There are exceptions, of course: anything cooked low and slow like braises, soups, and stews. Somehow temperature and time melds the comforting flavors making them taste even better the day after.

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The deep flavors of these dishes are…

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When he visited recently, Rich also brought me a bag of sugar kelp from the Stonington Kelp Company, which he had harvested with them back in the spring. It’s not often that I get fresh seaweed to play with, so I pulled out the big stock pot and made a huge batch of dashi using some of my homegrown shiitake and a n…

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Rich was here recently (cool projects afoot) and he brought a pile of stuff from his freezer that I’ve been playing with. I’m very excited to write about one such experiment, but it’s not ready yet so in the meantime I want to focus on this delightful jelly I made from the big bag of autumn olives he brought, which he foraged back in the fall. Autumn ol…

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It’s been super cold this winter here in New England and I’m feeling it. There’s definitely not enough sunlight warming my face when I walk the snow covered trails these days. I recently passed by the spot where I collected super fruity spicebush berries this summer, and I broke off a branch from the grouping of shrubs so I could experience the citrusy …

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Hi all,

Today’s guest post is by Jaimon Westing, a Seattle-based chef with a long list of accolades and accomplishments. Most recently, he launched Amino, an experimental pop up centered on modern fermentation techniques, and co-founded Symbiotic Cultures, a koji-based fermentation shop with his wife, Michelle Westing.

You can find all three on IG: @jaim…

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Most fermentation methods are defined by a highly favorable ratio of rules to possible permutations. This makes them wonderful sources for inspiration, with a low bar for entry and great flexibility depending on what ingredients we have in front of us. The same ingredient and method can easily be steered in lots of directions based on supporting flavors…

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For me, making delicious food with us is all about celebrating availability and opportunity. A lot of the distinctiveness of great cooking begins with ingredients, and knowing where to find examples that offer more than the norm. Going to the grocery store is the typical way to get what you need, but the selection can lack variety. If you want to get hi…

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Sugar is the precursor to vinegar. It needs to be dissolved in water, in concentrations high enough that yeast can create sufficient alcohol (10%, give or take a few points) for bacteria to convert into acetic acid. That’s the essence of it: a two-stage ferment. You can read our Vinegar 101 primer for more detailed info and methods. Where your sugar com…

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When we eat food at peak ripeness for the first time, the experience creates a sense memory that has us forever seeking that fix again. Good markets have ripe local produce, but food is all around us, even in urban areas. We can discover super-local fruit in our neighborhoods just by keeping our eyes (and noses) open when we take a walk. Unfortunately, …

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Hi all, this guest post is by Nicco Muratore, a Seattle-based chef, teacher, and fermentation expert. He’s here to dig into the importance of place to fermentation projects, and the ways in which the quality and provenance of ingredients can make a huge difference to your results.

He can be found on IG: @niccomuratore and his Linktree includes all of hi…

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