Like all things zero waste, this menu requires a bit of planning but not that much. A few weeks ago, I decided to schedule a weekly Instagram Live chat on Wednesdays at 4pm Pacific Time. Yesterday, I discussed tips for preventing waste at Thanksgiving—not just food waste but packaging waste also (read 18 waste-busting tips […]
How to Equip a Kitchen When You Start Out or Start Over
When you choose kitchen tools, look for multi-purpose items. Yesterday on Instagram, two people sent me messages asking how to equip a kitchen from scratch. One was moving to a new apartment. The second? The Camp Fire had razed her home in Paradise, California. I can’t imagine losing my home in one of these mega-fires—the […]
How to Invest in (Fennel) Stalks and Fronds
Never waste fennel stalks and fronds again! For the last few weeks, after I’ve returned home from the farmers’ market, I’ve roasted lots of vegetables such as potatoes, eggplant, peppers, onions, zucchini and fennel—but not all together. My daughter and I love them. I will slice up a fennel bulb, roast it with olive oil […]
8.3 Billion Reasons to Choose Reusable Produce Bags
Back in March of 2017, I hosted my first of several reusable produce bag sewing meetups. During that initial get-together, a group of us sewed about 50 bags in one afternoon. People took some of the bags home to use, I donated a handful to the kitchen in my intentional community and the rest I […]
By Popular Demand: Online LIVE Sourdough Bread Workshop
So many people have asked for it and here it is: an online, interactive, sourdough bread workshop Years ago I taught myself to make delicious sourdough bread—and didn’t bake a really good loaf for months. Drastically shorten your learning curve! The first person who took my sourdough bread class baked a wonderful loaf—on his first […]
Homemade Fresh Pumpkin Pasta
I had trouble coming up with a title for this post. If you google “pumpkin pasta” a pile of recipes will pop up for pumpkin sauces to toss with cooked pasta—and those do look delicious. But in this recipe, the pasta itself contains the pumpkin—and quite a bit of it. A Pumpkin by Any Other […]
New In-Person Workshop: Pasta Party!
I regularly receive requests for cooking classes suitable for beginners, kids or team building. Until now, I have focused on fermentation: kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, dill pickles, sourdough bread and so forth. While these are all suitable classes for beginners, kids or team building, not everyone has drunk the fermented Kool-Aid (yes, that’s a thing and […]
Take Action on Climate Change to Cope with Your Grief
Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James To live without hope is to cease to live.” — Fyodor Dostoyevsky You have to show them that there’s a better way. You need to inspire them like you inspired me! You need to give them hope.” — Barry, Sausage Party […]
How to Sew a Bento Bag
Family, friends and coworkers, please stop reading now… And if you don’t sew, you can also skip this post and buy an original, proper bento bag from Ambatalia, a small, locally owned producer of gorgeous textile goods made from natural fibers and purveyor of daily essentials to help you live “a non-disposable life.” Check out […]
Tomato Paste from Scratch
I finally made tomato paste and it tastes amazing. This has been on my to-do, to-cook, to-blog list since I started blogging. Like many things I now make from scratch, I will never be able to eat store-bought tomato paste again because homemade tastes incredible. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I followed the recipe […]
Overcome Your Fear of Commitment—to Sourdough and Other Starters
I can’t look after more than four starters. My ginger bug Mary Ann, my kombucha SCOBY Etheldreda, my sourdough starter Eleanor and my buttermilk Betty all need regular feedings or they’ll die. I take care of this little family in addition to fermenting all sorts of other foods that don’t require starters—kimchi, dill pickles, chutney, […]