Bread. Cheese. Wine. Beer. Coffee. Chocolate. Most people consume fermented foods and drinks every day. For thousands of years, humans have enjoyed the distinctive flavors and nutrition resulting from the transformative power of microscopic bacteria and fungi. Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods is the first cookbook to widely explore the culinary magic of fermentation.

"Fermentation has been an important journey of discovery for me," writes author Sandor Ellix Katz. "I invite you to join me along this effervescent path, well trodden for thousands of years yet largely forgotten in our time and place, bypassed by the superhighway of industrial food production."

The flavors of fermentation are compelling and complex, quite literally alive. This book takes readers on a whirlwind trip through the wide world of fermentation, providing readers with basic and delicious recipes-some familiar, others exotic-that are easy to make at home.

The book covers vegetable ferments such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and sour pickles; bean ferments including miso, tempeh, dosas, and idli; dairy ferments including yogurt, kefir, and basic cheesemaking (as well as vegan alternatives); sourdough bread-making; other grain fermentations from Cherokee, African, Japanese, and Russian traditions; extremely simple wine- and beer-making (as well as cider-, mead-, and champagne-making) techniques; and vinegar-making. With nearly 100 recipes, this is the most comprehensive and wide-ranging fermentation cookbook ever published.

About the author:
Sandor Ellix Katz is a self-taught fermentation experimentalist. He wrote Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods—which Newsweek called "the fermenting bible"—in order to share the fermentation wisdom he had learned, and demystify home fermentation. Since the book's publication in 2003, Katz has taught hundreds of fermentation workshops across North America and beyond, taking on a role he describes as a "fermentation revivalist." Now, in The Art of Fermentation, with a decade more experience behind him, the unique opportunity to hear countless stories about fermentation practices, and answering thousands of troubleshooting questions, he's sharing a more in-depth exploration of the topic.

Since its publication in 2003, and aided by Katz’s engaging and fervent workshop presentations, Wild Fermentation has inspired people to turn their kitchens into food labs: fermenting vegetables into sauerkraut, milk into cheese or yogurt, grains into sourdough bread, and much more. This updated and revised edition, now with full-color photos throughout, is sure to introduce a whole new generation to the flavors and health benefits of fermented foods. It features many brand-new recipes and updates and refines original recipes, reflecting the author’s ever-deepening knowledge of global food traditions that has influenced four-star chefs and home cooks alike.

Making wine at home just got more fun, and easier, with author Richard Bender’s experiments. Whether you’re new to winemaking or a seasoned pro, you’ll find this innovative manual accessible, thanks to its focus on small batches that require minimal equipment and that use an unexpected range of readily available fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs.

The book is about wind energy, but it’s not just about small wind turbines or large ones. It’s about the depth and breadth of wind energy, encompassing more than either type of turbine. It includes water-pumping windmills and sailing ships. If it’s a book hard to categorize, that suits its author, Paul Gipe, who likes to think he’s hard to categorize after four decades at the frontiers of renewable energy. His book tells the story of modern wind energy in all its complexity and introduces a North American audience to the trailblazing electricity rebels who have launched a renewable energy revolution in Europe. Gipe refutes many common myths surrounding wind energy and argues persuasively that wind turbines are productive, effective, and environmentally sound. Gipe argues that wind energy is too important to be left to electric utilities and their subsidiaries alone. Wind energy is also for the rest of us, he says. It is our resource. We can develop it and we can own it … ourselves.

Wind power is the fastest-growing source of energy in the world, and by the year 2020 it is projected to supply at least 12 percent of global electrical demand.

Wind Power Basics provides a clear understanding of wind and wind energy systems including turbines, towers, inverters and batteries, site assessment, installation, and maintenance requirements.

Whether you're considering your own small-scale wind energy system or just want a straightforward, detailed introduction to the benefits and challenges of this rapidly emerging technology, Wind Power Basics is the guide for you.

About the author:
Dan Chiras is a respected educator and author who has published more than 25 books on residential renewable energy and green building, including Power From the Wind. He is the director of the Evergreen Institute, where he teaches workshops on small wind energy systems, solar electricity, passive solar design, energy efficiency, and green and natural building.

You can build your own solar panel with this Mother Earth News blueprint. This solar heat box attaches to the outside of a windowsill to harness the sun. This easy-to-follow blueprint includes photographs, wiring instructions and airflow diagrams. Includes a list of materials and step-by-step instructions for a successful DIY project.

You can read more about the solar heat grabber here.

DISCLAIMER

It is your responsibility to make sure that any project you undertake is safe, effective and legal for your situation. All Ogden Publications blueprints are offered AS IS for information and entertainment purposes only. No warranties are expressed or implied. By using this information or this blueprint you agree to hold Ogden Publications harmless from any damages or injuries of any kind that might result from errors, omissions or other causes.

Rustic meets modern in the charming DIY guide Wood Pallet Wonders. This instructional collection of 20 incredible home design projects uses wood pallets and reclaimed materials to create eye-catching storage and décor. From the rustic Chevron Coffee Table and the beautiful Herb Garden to the stylish Bar Cart, these crafting projects will impress and inspire without breaking the bank (and they’re suitable for beginner and veteran DIYers alike).

With step-by-step photographs and clear instructions, aspiring woodworkers learn essential skills such as how to drive a nail, use a power drill, “measure twice, cut once,” and saw correctly. Then the fun begins, with 17 cool and creative projects kids can build to furnish the wood shop, decorate their bedrooms and homes, and create their own play equipment. Favorite projects include Tic-Tac-Toe-To Go!, One-Board Birdhouse, a Tool Tote, and a hanging Twinkle Light. Wood Shop is the perfect gift for tinkerers, young makers, and aspiring carpenters and engineers.

The first step into a new craft can be overwhelming: Where to start? What tools to buy? What projects to begin with? Thanks to author and internationally acclaimed woodcarver Chris Pye, this guide is filled with everything a beginning woodcarver needs to know.

Pye's Woodcarving Course & Reference Manual is akin to having a one-on-one course with a master carver. You'll learn what to look for in a workbench, the importance of commissioning your carving tools-there's more to it than just sharpening!-and how to make exacting cuts and execute a variety of techniques. Like any good instructor, Pye includes practice exercises to make you comfortable with the tools and techniques, so you can build your skills and carve with confidence.

Pye's conversational teaching style will encourage you as you follow the step-by-step instructions and work on a number of motifs, as well as projects for low, high and pierced relief, and in-the-round.

With Pye's help, you'll learn to carve:
• Four types of molding
• A beautiful koi project in three levels of relief carving
• A realistic baseball cap in-the-round
• A charming wren in-the-round

Assemble this wood-gas generator from recycled water heaters. Convert an internal combustion engine (100-cubic-inch or greater displacement) into your own home energy system or use the generator to run a truck. This blueprint includes materials list, step-by-step instructions and black-and-white photos. Advanced mechanical and metalworking skills recommended.

DISCLAIMER

It is your responsibility to make sure that any project you undertake is safe, effective and legal for your situation. All Ogden Publications blueprints are offered AS IS for information and entertainment purposes only. No warranties are expressed or implied. By using this information or this blueprint you agree to hold Ogden Publications harmless from any damages or injuries of any kind that might result from errors, omissions or other causes.