This week on Greenhorn Radio Sev spoke to Sandor Katz from Tennesee, a internationally recognized master of fermentation. Sandor's goal is to stress to people that fermentation should NOT be intimidating, and is a great way to not just preserve foods at times of bounty, but to bring out flavors in foods that might not otherwise be available. Learn how Sandor used daikon radishes and cabbage to ferment and create 70 gallons of "kraut chee", plus why fermentation can be a way for people to connect to their farmers and create great value-added products with produce. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch: purveyors of grass-fed beef from the California coast.

On this week's episode of Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are talking with Sandor Katz, author of the book The Art of Fermentation. Tune in to hear about how bacterial cultures are reflections of our cultural identity! Anne, Sophie, and Sandor also discuss the war on bacteria, and how it is completely antithetical to boosting one's immune system and can be seen as harmful to one's health. Sandor praises the merits of fermented food and beverage, such as wine, salami, sauerkraut, and our favorite- cheese! Hear about how the work of Louis Pasteur has made it difficult for modern cheesemakers to produce raw milk cheeses. Learn more about urbanization and how it initiated a need for sterility. Grab a block of your favorite fermented cheese and tune into this episode to find out more information about the health benefits of fermented foods! This episode has been sponsored by White Oak Pastures.

"As a group, these cultured foods or fermented foods, are more than incidental culinary novelties. They are really at the core of our cultural identity. The word culture itself comes from the Latin word for 'cultivation'- and so there's the sense that culture is a form cultivation, beginning with cultivating the soil for the food we eat, and on through all the other things we have learned to cultivate in different ways." -- Sandor Katz on Cutting the Curd

This week on Let's Eat In, our host Cathy Erway is talking fermented foods with Sandor Katz. Sandor is the author of two books- Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation- that are essential tomes on the health benefits and preparation of fermented foods. Wine, coffee, beer, and bread are all the result of microbial activity- so why are so many people afraid of bacteria? Tune in to listen to Sandor and Cathy talk about the importance of the so-called "food revival", the difference between pickling and fermenting, and some of the food safety stigmas associated with at-home food fermentation. Sandor and Cathy also talk about how small amounts of fermented foods can really add flavor to otherwise bland staples like bread or rice. What is Sandor's perfect date meal? I'll give you a hint: it involves a delicious take on fermented classic! This episode has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch.

"By some estimates, as much as one third of all the food that human beings put into our mouths has been subjected to the transformative action of microorganisms before we eat it- and that's what fermentation is."

"We are only beginning to understand the importance of the bacteria in our bodies."

-- Sandor Katz on Let's Eat In