I ran across a review in Chicago Trib today and sought this out on Amazon. Anyone else read this?
Ken and Rosanna celebrate the patience it takes to make your own sauerkraut and pickles. They divulge the mysteries of capturing wild sourdoughs and culturing butter, the beauty of rendering lard, making cheese, and brewing beer, all without the fancy toys that take away from the adventure of truly experiencing your food.
These foods were once made by the family, in the home, rather than a factory. And they can still be made in the smallest kitchens without expensive equipment, capturing flavors that speak of place and personality. What you won't find here is a collection of rigid rules for the perfect meal. Ken and Rosanna offer a wealth of recipes, history, and techniques that start with the basics and evolve into dishes that are entirely your own.
From a review:
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there are no lists of ingredients, you have to read the recipes and even then the instructions will say: cut the tomatoes, maybe a dozen, or pull sprigs from fresh oregano, maybe rosemary too, put oil in a pan, maybe half a cup if you are brave. These are very personal recipes, sort of how your grandmother cooked, with a handful of this or that. As you turn pages, it looks more like a regular book, not a cookbook; but there are things you might never think of making.
This is for the adventuresome, make flour tortillas, or oatmeal porridge. There are hardly any pictures, you will have to know what challah bread looks like, but you can create medieval pork pie or beef jerky. Even snails are in here, but first you have to catch them and there is advice on how to do it and clean them. You can make butter without a churn too.
This can be a fun exercise for cooks and families. You can have an entertaining time making cheese, wine and beer and even reading some poems contained therein.