Does Sourdough Offer Hope for the Gluten Intolerant?

...uickly. But even before Pasteur, bakers used the yeast remaining from beer making (also a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to make doughs rise. Sourdough cultures are not as powerful and predictable, so it’s understandable that commercial bakers would want a more dependable alternative. What is in a sourdough culture? There are many strains of yeast in sourdough cultures, but the main one is Candida milleri. Candida milleri is tolerant of highl...

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How to Deal with Extremely Root Bound Plants

...ts are often dehydrated plants, because the pots are mostly full of roots, making the soil hard and water repellent. If this is so, it helps to give the plants a good soaking before you un-pot them by placing them in a bucket of water for a few minutes. Method A) Mildly root bound plants can be helped along by gently massaging the root ball with your hands just before planting to loosen the roots and open the ball if it has become hard-packed. If...

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2013 in Review Part I

...it should rain. It didn’t. The year was the driest on record: 3.6 inches, making it a desert not the Mediterranean climate it should be. It seems to be a dry winter again this year and I’m worried. March A texting music video producer totaled our car and thus began a six month experiment in living without a car in Los Angeles. That experiment ended in September when we bought a car. Living in LA without a car was easier than I thought it would be...

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Stern Sprouted Wheat Vegan Cookie or Health Bar Type Things

...ld together, but will be soft to the bite. These need to be wrapped up and stored in the fridge. The ingredients. It looks like Heidi’s breakfast. The grind The dough Rolling out with parchment Just out of the oven *Bonus: How to Sprout Grains Start by measuring your grain into a bowl and giving it a good bath with lots of cold water. Skim off any floating chafe. Drain. Cover the clean grain with lots of fresh water and let it sit for a good spell...

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Recipe for the World’s Best Whole Wheat Pancake

...with white flour. And the way they were made is the beginning of a grain revolution. Here’s the secret: Use heirloom grains. Mill your own flour. Ferment for a long time with a sourdough starter. The heirloom grain I used is Sonora wheat, probably the oldest wheat in the Americas. It’s a soft, winter wheat traditionally used for tortillas. Recipe (based on Nancy Silverton’s pancakes) 210 grams starter 2 tablespoons maple syrup 3 tablespoons saffl...

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