Fermented Food Adventures & Recipes
Ferments off the beaten path, non-fermented recipes, syrups, and more
People know me for pickling and fermenting, but the truth is my obsession is bigger than that. I’m hooked on food preservation and what I call food augmentation. Curing, smoking, brining, drying… anything that transforms an ingredient and enhances any of its qualities. This smoked salmon started as a simple […]
I put a ramen noodle soup recipe in my first cookbook (click here to check it out!) — and yes, it even had a ramen egg with a recipe for that as well using miso paste and a lot more — but that version is honestly more work than most […]
When I first published this fermented lentil soup in Insane in the Brine: The Official Cookbook, it was one of those recipes a lot of people told me warmed them in the winter! But the funny thing is that it’s not exclusively a “winter soup” in my opinion. It has […]
This recipe appeared in its original form in Insane in the Brine: The Official Cookbook. Although some recipes are now found here, the book still contains about a hundred recipes not available anywhere else. To avoid ads in my articles, scroll to the very bottom where you can always find […]
Note: to bypass all ads, all my posts have a text-only, ad-free, downloadable/printable jpg recipe card at the very bottom. Matzah ball soup has always been one of those dishes that carries memory as much as flavor. After my incredibly talented and creative mom, Jane, passed away this year, I […]
Pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador for a reason: they’re deeply flavorful, comforting, and endlessly customizable. If you’ve ever enjoyed Salvadoran street food, you already know that a warm pupusa—crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and filled with something savory—is pure joy. Think of it as […]
This red lentil and root vegetable soup is the kind of recipe you make once and immediately add to your weekly rotation. It’s incredibly easy, built on simple chopping and one pot, yet the flavor is warm, naturally sweet, and deeply comforting thanks to leeks, carrots, parsnips, and butternut squash. […]
Kimchi jiggae (or kimchi stew) is one of the most iconic and comforting dishes in Korean cuisine. This classic Korean stew is beloved for its bold, savory, spicy flavor and its incredible simplicity. Whether you’re new to Korean cooking or a longtime fan, learning how to make kimchi jjigae at […]
(A text-only, ad-free printable version of this recipe is available at the bottom of the page; just scroll down) Sourdough potato bread is one of those rare loaves that feels both rustic and indulgent. Bakers have added potato to bread dough for generations because the natural starches lock in moisture, […]
This rich, aromatic coffee simple syrup is a fun twist on the classic simple syrup you see in most cocktail recipes. Instead of using plain sugar water to make simple syrup, I wanted something with more depth and character—so I made a homemade coffee syrup that brings real roasted coffee […]