22.12.08



I just ate my breakfast at 4pm in the afternoon, and in berlin that means the sky has already darkened. What i prepared for my sustenance felt somewhat revolutionary to my own small existence and so thought I would type it out here, on my page of tiny revolutions.
Rolled flakes of organic oats, spelt, rye, barley and rice, dried quinoa and sunflower seeds mixed with water and a teaspoon of sourdough culture, left to soak and ferment for 24 hours. Cooked on a low heat with unrefined atlantic sea salt. once in the bowl i poured a little natural rice milk over, a few tablespoons of good soy yogurt, a couple of soaked almonds (soaked for at least a day) and a healthy flickering of olive oil.
I want to get back into a routine with my eating and so Ive already set tomorrows breakfast to ferment. I think that is the easiest way to be consistant, soak the next batch while cooking. I have quite a few fermenting projects on the go at the moment, im making a dried fruit/ lemon water drink with a kefir like ferment and im also trying it in a simple honey water. And then my next bread project is bubbling away, its a spelt and rye sourdough with sunflower seeds ands rolled grains of oats, rye, spelt, barley and rice (5 korn flocken, same as I used in the porridge), and i put some whole grains of rye in that i had been soaking, im going to sprout them but threw a couple in the bread.
You might have noticed that im eating grains with gluten in them after a very long time. Im increasing my digestion vocabulary slowly and so they are affecting me much less than they used to, its also much cheaper and easier to find rye and spelt here that it is to get rice, maize, millet, quinoa, and potato flours. Another interesting thing is that fermenting, soaking and sprouting grains changes their makeup and renders the gluten content much more digestible. Im experimenting anyway, and definitely noticing the tiredness that comes along with eating gluten but I believe this is also present when eating stodgy gluten free baked goods. Its largely the process, freshness and source of what you are eating and preparing. So i think that its actually better to eat a dehydrated sprouted rye bread than a cooked white starchy rice/potato bread. And thats why Im so excited about my porridge that I started this entry with because it was so full of good happy and alive enzymes and Im investigating cheaper and easier ways to get probiotics into my system (not just buying refrigerated capsules) and create a happy environment for digesting and processing and living and being active. Also in my experience soured foods suffice the desire for sweet food, so it is a very productive way to eat less sugar.
Ive always believed that it is possible to get all the nutrition that you need from your food...
and meditation.


Note: If you wanted to keep this gluten free you could try fermenting cooked rice or millet, or dried rice/millet/quinoa rolled flakes that you usually use for porridges... or i just had another idea, the other day I was reading about how you can sprout brown rice - soak overnight and then follow normal sprouting procedures, will probably take a few days, and then once its sprouted you could try mixing it with some water and sourdough culture for 12-24 hours then lightly cooking it. Hmm, there are so many possibilities and possible tangents for experimentation.

Further note: this is the longest text post that i have written in this whole blog in the five months that I have been making it. And on another observational note, my 'travel-life-art' blog seems to be almost entirely concerned with food. This definitely says a lot about me. And my travels thus far in europe have been mostly concerned with acquiring ingredients, cooking in different spaces, finding other people who cook or grow things, wandering around farmers produce markets, organic stores and vegan raw food cafes. Collecting ideas, sampling things, cooking and fermenting things.
and going to improvised dance trainings.

3 comments:

Léna, said...

sometimes i think i hear you whisper to me.
i love this post and i love you, chay-ya. there is so much wind in the dust.
x

Chay-Ya said...

ah yes. i was thinking about you when i wrote this. will send you some ideas for gf sourdoughs really soon, have a couple of good recipes i invented...my ankles are cold and i need a cup of tea. oh i brought the most beautiful handmade ceramic cup this evening from this really beautiful lady who invited me into her shop for a cup of yogi tea... i will have to send you a photo, it is the colour of autumn leaves. soft love to you in this night, or your day, how it finds you.

Chay-Ya said...

ive just been reading the little section on porridge in WILD FERMENTATION (Sandor Ellix Katz)

and there are a few good ideas in there including a version of a Chinese congee - "place whole grains in a thermos at night (with various healing herbs), pour in boiling water and allow to seep overnight."

and a fermented one with millet

"Millet porridge is called ogi in parts of West Africa and uji in East Africa. In Africa porridges are generally served thick with a solid consistency that you can shape and eat with your fingers and are often accompanied by saucy stews. I have adopted ogi as a quick and hearty breakfast food that I enjoy savory, with butter, garlic, kefir (a milk ferment similar to yogurt), salt and pepper.

Coarsely grind millet using a grain mill (or blender?). Soak for 24 hours to 1 week. When you are ready to cook boil water and add required amount of millet ferment, lowering heat and cook for a few minutes to desired consistency."

I want to cook with healing herbs, i wonder what they are and where you find them.

Note: anything left in water and exposed to the air will naturally ferment with time, so you can choose to let your porridge soak exposed to the air (this will produce a milder tasting and nicely creamy porridge) or adding a bit of sourdough culture to get things really souring.