Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and The... (30 page)

Among all the vegetables that one can conserve through lacto-fermentation, cabbage has been man's preferred choice. . .. Here is how it was prepared in the olden days, according to Anna Nilssonn: "As children, we always looked forward to the day they made sauerkraut. Two men seated themselves face to face and, straddling a barrel, held between them a large tool for shredding the cabbage. The little box that the cabbage fell into went back and forth between them to the rhythm of a song they chanted. Then arrived the moment that all of us children were waiting for. When they sang the refrain, one of the men would jump nimbly into the cask, scatter a handful of salt over the grated cabbage, and stamp down with his feet." But sauerkraut was known at a much more ancient time. . .. In China, they fermented cabbage 6000 years ago. In ancient Rome, sauerkraut had a reputation as a food that was easy to digest. Even at that period, there were already two known methods for lacto-fermenting vegetables according to descriptions. . .given by Pliny (about 50 BC). The first method consisted in mashing the shredded cabbage in great earthenware containers, which were then hermetically sealed. The second consisted of mixing different vegetables, including wild herbs, and covering them with a solution of salt water. This mixture was called
compositur
or "mixture." Tiberius always carried a barrel of sauerkraut with him during his long voyages to the Middle East because the Romans knew that the lactic acid it contained protected them from intestinal infections. Annelies Schoneck
Des Crudites Toute L'Annee

KOREAN SAUERKRAUT

(Kimchi)
Makes 2 quarts

1 head Napa cabbage, cored and shredded

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 cup carrots, grated

½ cup daikon radish, grated (optional)

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

½ teaspoon dried chile flakes

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey (
Whey and Cream Cheese
) (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)

Place vegetables, ginger, garlic, red chile flakes, sea salt and whey in a bowl and pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer to release juices. Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the vegetables should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

One striking observation [of ethnic cuisines] is that rarely are meals eaten without at least one fermented food, often a drink. In France, if one took away bread, cheese, ham, sausage, wine and beer, all produced through fermentation, our meals would be much impoverished. In colder countries sauerkraut, cucumbers,
cornichons
(always fermented in the old days), other vegetables and many types of fish preserved by fermentation are always served. In Japan, it's not a meal without
miso
, soy sauce and pickles, all fermented products. In India, they drink soured milk every day, practically at every meal. In Indonesia they eat
tempeh
, in Korea
kimchi
(a kind of sauerkraut) and in Africa porridge of fermented millet or cereal beers. In Moslem countries these fermented drinks are forbidden but they eat bread, dishes made with fermented pulses and milk products. Without being indispensable, a small amount of some raw fermented food (preferably lacto-fermented) helps the digestion. This is especially true when the meal is a bit heavy. It isn't by chance, nor merely for the pleasure of taste, that we eat
cornichons
with
charcuterie
. Claude Aubert
Dis-Moi Comment Tu Cuisines

JAPANESE SAUERKRAUT

(Tsukemono)
Makes 1 quart

1 head Napa cabbage, cored and shredded

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons naturally fermented soy sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons whey (
Whey and Cream Cheese
) (if not available, use an additional 1 teaspoon salt)

This is traditionally made with a culture derived from rice bran, but whey serves an identical purpose and is more easily obtained. Place all ingredients in a bowl, mix well and pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer to release juices. Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the vegetables should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

Sauerkraut owes its reputation in part to the famous navigators of past centuries. For his second round-the-world voyage, Captain Cook loaded 60 barrels of sauerkraut onto his ship. After 27 months at sea, 15 days before returning to England, he opened the last barrel and offered some sauerkraut to some Portuguese noblemen who had come on board. . .they carried off the rest of the barrel to give some to their friends. This last barrel was perfectly preserved after 27 months, in spite of changes in climate and the incessant rocking of the ship. The sauerkraut had also preserved sufficient quantities of vitamin C to protect the entire crew from scurvy. Not one case occurred during the long voyage even though this disease usually decimated crews on voyages of this length. Claude Aubert
Les Aliments Fermentes Traditionnels

GINGER CARROTS

Makes 1 quart

4 cups grated carrots, tightly packed

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey (
Whey and Cream Cheese
) (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)

These are the best introduction to lacto-fermented vegetables we know; the taste is delicious; and the sweetness of the carrots neutralizes the acidity that some people find disagreeable when they are first introduced to lacto-fermented vegetables. Ginger carrots go well with rich foods and spicy meats.

In a bowl, mix all ingredients and pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer to release juices. Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices cover the carrots. The top of the carrots should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

A certain amount of raw, uncooked food in the diet is indispensable to the highest degree of health. Assuming that the proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins are equally available for nutrition in raw and cooked food, any demonstrable nutritional superiority of raw food must then be ascribed to the "live" quality of raw food, and when this live quality is subjected to analysis, it is shown to consist of. . .no other property than that possessed by enzymes. Edward Howell, MD
Food Enzymes for Health and Longevity

PICKLED PEARL ONIONS

Makes 1 quart

2 pounds pearl onions

1 cinnamon stick

1 small nutmeg, cracked open

2 teaspoons whole cloves

1 tablespoon juniper berries

1 teaspoon green peppercorns

several sprigs fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey (
Whey and Cream Cheese
) (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)

1 cup filtered water

Loosen skin on onions by plunging them into boiling water for about 10 seconds. Remove, peel and place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar. Combine remaining ingredients and pour mixture over onions, adding more water if necessary to cover them. The top of the liquid should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

According to orthodox Hindu and Buddhist philosophies, onions and garlic were believed to have the quality of
tamas
or "darkness," and were forbidden to upper-cast and respectable persons because they brought on "ignorance, sloth, fear and lewdness" in humans. They were also forbidden to celibates because of their supposed aphrodisiac effect. The high sulphur content of garlic has a heating effect upon the blood, according to medievalists.

Nevertheless, garlic and onions have long been valued for their use in cooking, as pickled snacks and for medicinal purposes. Studies have corroborated the belief that these foods hinder the growth of intestinal parasites and germs and help fight off infections, both in the digestive tract and in the lungs. Garlic, and to a lesser extent onions, are rich dietary sources of sulphur and selenium.

The traditional use of garlic for the prevention of blood clots also has recently been corroborated by science. Researches have identified a substance called adenosine in garlic oil that breaks down a blood-clot-promoting protein called fibrin. SWF

PICKLED GARLIC

Makes 1 quart

about 12 heads garlic

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 tablespoons whey (
Whey and Cream Cheese
) (if not available, use an additional 2 teaspoons salt)

Remove outer skin and set garlic heads in a 300 degree oven and bake until heads open and cloves can be easily removed. Place cloves in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar. Mix oregano, salt and whey with ½ cup of water. Pour over garlic, adding more water if necessary to cover the garlic. The top of the liquid should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

Using the food of the host as a culture medium, the quantity of enzymes produced by these countless bacteria must be considerable and they are placed at the selective disposal of the organism. It cannot be denied that bacteria are efficient and prolific enzyme producers since highly active bacterial enzymes are being used regularly in industry. Edward Howell, MD
Food Enzymes for Health and Longevity