Safest food in the world

posted by Melissa

There's the kim-chi, right on top.

Kim-Chi
I did it.  I ate the kim-chi.  It has been sitting in my fridge for days now, and I expected it to become one of those things that I get to throw away after homesteading month is over.  But today Amy came down for a lunch/blog meeting and after I re-heated yesterdays veggie-quinoa dish, I suggested we just do it.  Put that kim-chi right on top and eat it.

Yesterday while using my essential computer time researching things for the blog, I listened to an audio interview, Noble Rot, on the New York Times website.  It was with Sandor Katz, a self proclaimed fermentation revitalist.  He has authored two books, Wild Fermentation and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved.  The one line that stood out to me was that he called fermented food the safest food in the world.  It gave me a little confidence in my own fermentation enterprise.  (Although my stomach is quite gurgly at the moment.)

It tasted good, and was a nice touch to the veggies and quinoa.  I think next time I will add more crushed red pepper flakes, or maybe even some chopped jalapeños.  It needed more kick in the spice department.

Pasta
The other day, I watched this video of Jamie Oliver making pasta (say it like he does).  He made it look extremely simple.  For real, watch it, he put together a creamy pasta dish in less than 7 minutes.  Start to finish.  So, when my neighbor stopped by wondering if there would be enough food for her Italian potluck that evening, I offered to make some pasta.

My mess.

It was a mess.  I had semolina flour everywhere.  I didn't want to use semolina at all, because the true italian recipes call for 00 flour.  What is that?  I can't find it anywhere!  There I was slipping on the semolina, adding more eggs, kneading and kneading the damn dough.  And then came time to try the new pasta maker.

If knitting makes Amy angry, then pasta is my knitting.  (Truth be told, I don't like knitting either.)  This flipping dough looked like Swiss cheese coming through that machine.  I kept trying again, cranking the machine over and over again.  Shoving the huge chunk of dough toward the rollers.  Unbelievably, it started coming together!  At that point I could barely muster any enthusiasm, as I was already quite deep into frustration mode.

I folded it all up, just like Jamie says to do.  And sliced it so I could toss it into pretty, fluffy, thin tagliatelle, just like he did.  But it just all stuck together in clumps.  I felt so defeated.  No, Jamie Oliver, it wasn't all Rattle rattle rattle rattle....huh, huh huh huh, wee ee ee ee.... for me.  And thank god my friends weren't watching me, I would have impressed no one.  

I threw it all into the compost and I sent my Jamie to the market to buy a box of pasta.

Success!

Bread
I had my second day of successful bread making in a row!  Yesterday I tried baguettes made of spelt and wheat.  They turned out OK, but were not as light and fluffy as I would have liked.

Today I tried a French bread recipe I found online.  I think it was the best bread I have ever made.  Definitely consistency-wise, with a nice crusty outside and light inside.  I would add more salt next time.  But I did add a little on top of the butter when I had a piece, steaming, right out of the oven.  mmmmmm

-Melissa