As Mary Karlin’s new cookbook, Mastering Fermentation: Recipes for Making and Cooking with Fermented Foods (Ten Speed Press, $29.99), makes apparent, the art of fermentation is really just one big science experiment. Without being overly technical, Karlin compiles all the basics of at-home fermentation, including a detailed list of the various tools of the trade. Recipes are assigned to seven different chapters, ranging from “Fermented Fruits and Vegetables” to “Cured Meats and Fish.” An entire section is devoted to dairy products, with recipes for yogurt, cultured butter, chèvre, feta, and more. After helping you fill your fridge with fermented foods, Karlin provides instructions for using them in recipes such as Cider-Braised Duck and Chocolate Sourdough Cupcakes. Like any good scientist, Karlin is practical, and Mastering Fermentation is assembled accordingly (we particularly like the book’s ability to lie completely flat while open, for easy consultation in the kitchen).
$21.55 from Amazon.
Katie Aberbach
Always hungry for a good story, editor Katie Aberbach brings an extensive journalism background to the culture team. Formerly a food writer and editor for the Washington Post Express, Katie works to ensure that culture’s print coverage is timely, accurate, and – of course – appetizing.
