Jacqueline Briggs Martin has a new book being published, and will have a book signing, tasting, reading and demonstration in Mount Vernon Wednesday, Sept. 14 at Perfect Blend, beginning at 4 p.m.
The book is “Sandor Katz and the Tiny Wild,” which focuses on fermentation and dishes like kimchi.
“The manuscript for this book went through several drafts to get to the finish line,” Martin said. “We wanted to write a story that children would enjoy reading. I hope we have. Co-author June Jo Lee went to Tennessee and took a week-long fermentation workshop with Sandor Katz. They became friends during that week.”
One of the things that Martin also learned in the process of writing the book was how fermentation was an important way of preserving food, and we still enjoy fermented foods today.
“Cheese is a product of fermentation, as is yogurt,” Martin said. “Even chocolate.”
From the publisher’s website, “Sandor Katz’s love of fermented food started with kosher dill pickles he ate as a New York City kid. As an adult, he left the busy city and moved to a queer community in the mountains of Tennessee. There, his friends grew their own food, cooked and ate together, and sometimes danced in drag when the work was done. One day, the cabbages were all, ALL ready to be harvested. What to do? Sandor tried to make sauerkraut. Delicious! He kept experimenting, finding old recipes, combining old ideas to make something new. Then, he shared what he learned in bestselling books, in classes, and with a growing group of friends around the world.”
The book includes a hands-on recipe children and adults can make themselves to experience the work of fermentation.
“Something that inspires me about Sandor Katz’s life is that what looked like disaster–testing HIV positive–that ended his career as an urban planner in New York City was the beginning of a larger career,” Martin said. “He moved to Tennessee for a quieter life. When the garden produced too much cabbage, he taught himself to make sauerkraut. That led to him learning more about fermenting and traveling all over the world to learn and share.”
Martin has penned several children’s books throughout the years, including “Begin With A Bee,” “Creekfinding: A True Story,” and a few others in the Readers to Eaters series of books, including “Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table,” “Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix” and “Alice Waters and the Trip to Delicious.”
Jacqueline Briggs Martin