Upcoming Events: Farm to Fermentation Festival, WAPF Massachusetts Conference, Boston Fermentation Festival

I have three very exciting speaking engagements coming up this summer and fall.

First, on August 24, is the Farm to Fermentation Festival, an annual event in Santa Rosa, California, 60 miles north of San Francisco. I believe it was at this festival a few years ago that Michael Pollan and Sandor Katz started talking about working together, which laid the groundwork for Pollan's book, "Cooked". Who knows what propitious meetings might occur this year?

I'd encourage SF Bay Area folks interested in pickles, cheese, or beer to come to this event. (Doesn't that cover just about everyone?) I can't wait for the "Cheese and Beverage Pairing" talk, myself. The whole event will be fun and educational. Here's the lineup of speakers. If you use the special discount code "pickle", you can save $5 off admission.

Next, on September 20, I will be speaking at the the Weston A. Price Foundation Massachusetts regional conference in Southbridge, 60 miles west of Boston. For anyone who has been to a WAPF conference, you know how awesome the conferences are. And for anyone who hasn't, you have something great to look forward to. And the food is the best conference food you will ever find.

Finally, on September 27 in Boston, I will be speaking at the Boston Fermentation Festival. Last year's Festival was a real coming-together of the Boston fermenting community, bringing in more than 1000 people over the course of the day. This year should be even more popular and awesome. Sandor Katz is headlining. I'm thrilled to be a part of it!

Please post in the comments section if you have any questions.

Boston Fermented Dinner And Drink Pairing Pop-Up, Monday June 16

Boston-area fermentos Geoffrey Lukas (of Sofra) and Jeremy Ogusky (of Boston Ferments and Ogusky Ceramics) have teamed up to offer a Fermented Dinner and Drink Pairing, at City Girl Café in Inman Square on Monday June 16. Details are here and here. It will be fabulous, and some of the proceeds will go to support the Boston Fermentation Festival in September. And all attendees will get a commemorative hand-made ceramic cup!

Again, details here and here.

Sign up now before all the tickets are gone!

And if you're not around Boston and/or you can't make it, please draw inspiration from the menu, and think about what kind of fermented events might work where you live...

Conscious Eating Rather Than Perfect Eating

For most of us, it is not practical to eat only optimal foods. I often find myself eating food prepared by someone else in an unknown manner or eating MOUO (Meat Of Unknown Origin), and sometimes I don't have access to my favorite "good" foods.

This may happen when I'm at someone's house for dinner, not able to find a graceful way to turn down a meal that is served to me. Or I may be traveling, and my metabolic needs for calories and stabilized blood sugar may (reasonably I think) trump other considerations.

The "Donut Metric"

Mercola posted a great article several months ago called "Surprising Foods with More Sugar Than a Krispy Kreme Doughnut", comparing the sugar content of a donut with the sugar content of various other foods.



His list is definitely worth a look. For context, here are the "Nutrition Facts" from the Krispy Kreme website. It turns out that a "sugar doughnut" contains only 9 grams of sugar—ironically, less than most of the other donut varieties, some of which have 30 or more grams; but I don't think this detracts from his point).

Nevertheless, for anyone who thinks they are avoiding sugar by drinking bottled iced tea, say, rather than cola, please read the label. Arizona Iced Tea, for instance, has about the same amount of sugar in it as Coca Cola (depending on flavor)—so a 20 oz. bottle contains 60 grams of sugar, or "6+ donuts' worth"!

Boise Food & Health Weekend May 3 and 4 2014!

Last year, blogger and friend Raine Saunders hosted a Food & Health Weekend at her home in Boise, ID. We had a fantastic time--I led a fermenting workshop, and there were also presentations on liver and pâté, and on "sun, sleep and supplements". In between, we visited farmers markets, spent time at the local hot springs, and had a real food potluck!

Good news: We are doing it again! It will be the weekend of May 3 and 4, 2014.

Details follow. Please sign up and pay in advance, so that we can make travel arrangements and get the right amounts of materials.

Full info, schedule, and sign up are here. Or:

BUY NOW Alex's fermentation workshop, $40 --> http://bit.ly/1m3UAk6
BUY NOW Raine's yogurt workshop, $15 --> http://bit.ly/1gwT56y
BUY NOW Cheryl's GAPS & Leaky Gut presentation, $10 -->http://bit.ly/1qD3CVW
BUY NOW Mary's kombucha/kefir workshop, $12 -- > http://bit.ly/PAH4Y6
BUY NOW All event workshops and receive $7 discount -->http://bit.ly/1cFEpq5
BUY NOW Alex's book --> http://amzn.to/1gwiYXQ

If you have questions, please comment on this post and I'll answer them ASAP.

EVENT LOCATION: 406 W. Iowa Street, Boise, Idaho 83706
Phone contact: 208-869-8860

SCHEDULE: SATURDAY, May 3rd

12:15 PM GAPS and Leaky Gut Syndrome with Cheryl Carruth 

1:30 PM Homemade yogurt with Raine Saunders

2:30 PM Demo on soaking nuts and oatmeal with Alex Lewin & Raine Saunders

2:45 - 4:45 PM Fermented vegetables - sauerkraut, kimchi, and beet kvass with Alex Lewin, author of Real Food Fermentation and the blog Feed Me Like You Mean It

8:00 PM Join us in Idaho City at The Springs for a hot mineral soak to end the day!

CLICK HERE to reserve your spot at The Springs on Saturday, May 3rd -->http://bit.ly/1gqyOmS

SUNDAY, May 4th 

1:30 PM Demo on soaking nuts and oatmeal continued with Alex Lewin & Raine Saunders

2:00 PM Kombucha & Kefir with Mary Korte

3: 30 PM - ?? Everyone is welcome to attend! Bring a dish to share and come meet the members of your local food community, with a real food potluck at our workshop location (see address above).