Alaska News

Kim Sunée: Giving ordinary dishes a lift -- the benefits of fermentation

Ladies' night, I recently discovered at my friend Cindy's house in downtown Anchorage, is much different in your 30s and 40s than in your 20s. And though we talked about everything from which one of us actually made it through "Fifty Shades of Grey" (only two) to flying beavers (the Bush planes, that is) and kids' lunches, we soon got around to the main event, sharing food. In this case, food that elicited comments including: "I let it burp and hiss" and "Once the gas was released, I knew it was good!"

A gathering of my female friends doesn't often include conversation revolving around burping and hissing gas. We weren't discussing our partners' digestive systems, but talking about the fermented foods we had each made and brought to share.

About a week before, we decided to experiment with this ancient preservation technique. Sandor Katz, author of the fascinating book "The Art of Fermentation," points out that the list of fermented foods in our lives is staggering, and includes sourdough, beer, coffee, pickles and cheese. Fermentation can make some of the blander foods a bit more exciting. Think what cabbage and cucumbers would be without the fermented magic that transforms them into kimchi and 'kraut. Aside from being delicious, these foods are loaded with probiotics, the good bacteria that aids in digestion and proper gut health.

Making fermented foods was a first for some of us, and we were new to the notion of having to open the lid of a jar every few days to release pressure and gas. Teri, who made a "bug" of fresh ginger, sugar and water that would become the base of some potent ginger cocktails, told us that her bug didn't seem to be doing anything at all.

Then, "After a few days of seeing nothing, I held it up to my ear and it was bubbling and gurgling like mad!"

The basic concept -- converting sugar into ethanol -- was an excuse to toast with lots of wine and Champagne before happily digging into our creations. On the menu: Bertha's coconut miso soup, fermented green chile sauce, Cindy's jewel-toned purple sauerkraut and (non-fermented) chicken, my Brussels sprouts and cucumber kimchi with shallot rice and Nora's homemade Alaska moose sausage and smoked salmon, the richness offering a perfect balance to our tangy fermented goods. We ended the meal with yogurt, but not just any yogurt. Jenny, the bravest of us, experimented with her first attempt at yogurt making and was surprised to have created a creamy fermented coconut concoction that ended the meal on a very high note.

Yes, food is always a way to bring people together, but there's something about the effervescence of fermented foods that elevates the gathering, inspiring both joy and satisfaction from spending time in the kitchen.

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"One really sweet aspect of fermenting," Teri said, "is that it's made me remember so much about the home preserving stuff my grandmothers did, and the work and love and care that went into the process. I always thought that the lack of refrigeration was what made them so relaxed about food spoilage -- they didn't worry much about food sitting out at room temperature -- now I think it's their familiarity with fermentation that made them comfortable with it."

As a parting gift, Bertha gave us each a printed recipe and a bag of Amish friendship bread starter that is traditionally passed from friend to friend; think of it as a much tastier chain letter. We each left with our gift bags of gurgling sourdough starter, high on ginger bug and already concocting recipes for the next ladies' night.

For a starter recipe, try friendshipbreadkitchen.com/amish-friendship-bread. On Day 10, you'll have three cups of starter and one cup for this bread. The original recipe calls for instant pudding mix, which I didn't have and instead found a version that I modified by adding buttermilk, golden raisins and chocolate chips.

Amish friendship bread

Makes 2 loaves

1 cup Amish friendship bread starter

2/3 cup oil, such as avocado, coconut or canola

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk or sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose or bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup golden raisins, chocolate chips or smashed very ripe banana (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease two loaf pans; set aside.

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2. In a large bowl, combine oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and beat until just combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together salt, cinnamon, sugar, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add dry mixture to starter mixture and blend to combine.

3. Bake for 55 minutes or until a tester inserted in center comes out mostly clean (if using chocolate chips, the tester won't be completely clean) and the edges start to pull away from the sides. Let cool in pan five minutes, then remove from pan. Serve warm with butter, jam or thick fermented yogurt. If storing for later, let cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap; bread can be stored at room temperature for up to three days. Reheat briefly (in a toaster or skillet) before serving.

Kim Sunée

Kim Sunée is a bestselling author ("Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home," "A Mouthful of Stars," "Everyday Korean: Fresh, Modern Recipes for Home Cooks") and a former magazine food editor. She's based in Anchorage. For more food and travel, visit instagram.com/kimsunee.

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