Today was actually hot. I mean sweaty for real hot. So wonderful to see it all come around again. It makes eating different too. More fruit, more water, less heavy dishes, more picnics. Mara and I went to see Michael Pollan speak last week and he had some really great things to say. I am reading his new book “Cooked” and in it he spends a lot of time writing about fermentation. ” There is no “right” way to ferment anything. No hard fast rules. And, given how little we understand about the microbial world, where one bacteria can trade genes and their exact identities are often up for grabs, it would be hubris to pretend to certainty” It is […read more]
Guest Blog by Mignon Macias Have you had Aunt Barb’s Seaweed Salad? Well, if you have then you’ll know what I mean when I say, YEAH AUNT BARB! And if you haven’t, you should get on into Shine and order yourself some! Amanda and I took our Barb to try some of the tasty dishes Jessica Emich is creating at her (and her sisters’) restaurant. Of course, I had to order the probiotic slaw sampler by Zuke to start off our birthday bash (It was Barb’s birthday celebration). The raw appetizer included several different zesty pickled things. Finally, food trends are catching up with Shine, where the Emich sisters strive to foster an atmosphere that nourishes community through food, music, […read more]
Guest blog by our beloved Mignon Macias: I love connecting with people and sharing sincere enthusiasm for current passions. It’s exciting and inspiring. The other day I re-connected with Nicole T. after having not seen her for at least 2 years. Immediately we shared our smartphone snapshots, and exchanged tidbits about our lives that a quick catch-me-up session in a grocery store aisle permits. Within minutes, we realized that there was a reason for our running into each other. As Nicole pointed out, ‘ all things happen for a reason’. Nicole had just begun a cleanse, and I was there to share with her the benefits of delicious naturally fermented foods from zuke pickled things. Everyday, but especially during a […read more]
First of all, whoever and wherever you are- thank you for taking the time to pop on to our blog from time to time and see what we are up to. We have so much gratitude for the network of support out there that keeps us going when the days get long. Things have been really busy lately- lots of daily tasks, lots of planning for what comes next and frankly, lots of questions. Starting a business has been a great, exciting experience for me but it has also been riddled with the naked feeling of never knowing what is around the next bend and if I have what it takes to get there. There are many challenges and many […read more]
With grand aplomb I am pleased to announce another installation of Zukémono’s Adventures Beyond Culture. Thanks to Andy Gladstone for this magnificent piece of creative prose. Andy took some of my own memories and remixed them into his maybe-not-so imaginary heroine’s creative endeavours. So please enjoy the following perhaps-rather plausible series of indomitable events. Zukemono awoke (as if that begins to cover it) with the dawning of the day. eagerly bounding from her bed refreshed, excited, energetic, imbued with the dream she had so smilingly snoozed into reality. a dream which ceded no ground, paid no credence and proffered no nevermind to the alleged duality of awake/asleep. holistically speaking, our girl could never be bound by the unwholesome […read more]
I had an epiphany last week. It was a rich moment quite a few weeks in the making and has left me with a conviction that I feel from deep within my heart all the way down to the soles of my sandals. I will never again buy another jar of mayonnaise. The fact that it took me so long to come to this seems ridiculous to me now however let me polish off my rear view mirror and explain. Mayonnaise is extremely easy to make. All you need is a bowl, a whisk, an egg and some oil. I used to make it five minutes before service banging together my last minute mis-en-place not because I was late for […read more]
We know you have all been waiting for it- folks, Andy Gladstone…. they force their way up through hard crackling ground, desperately seeking the scorching nutrients of a dazzling New Mexico Sun. each aspiring seedling carries the genetic design of the entire universe within its miniscule cellular walls. for those that succeed, in this ultimate of Darwinian contests, there’s no doubting the breakthrough moment of their herculean effort. as they first feel the fiery wall of dry heat, capable of searing the struggling lungs of active breathers, the chilies reflexively relax, & passively, cellularly, absorb the carbon dioxide-laden atmosphere and oooommmmm out the most delicious of oxygens. thus commencing the life-long symbiotic journey of chili peppers and their far […read more]
