Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments: A Step-by-Step Guide to Fermenting Grains and Beans

by Kirsten K. Shockey, Christopher Shockey

Best-selling fermentation authors Kirsten and Christopher Shockey explore a whole new realm of probiotic superfoods with Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments. This in-depth handbook offers accessible, step-by-step techniques for fermenting beans and grains in the home kitchen. The Shockeys expand beyond the basic components of traditionally Asian protein-rich ferments to include not only soybeans and wheat, but also chickpeas, black-eyed peas, lentils, barley, sorghum, millet, quinoa, and oats. Their ferments feature creative combinations such as ancient grains tempeh, hazelnut–cocoa nib tempeh, millet koji, sea island red pea miso, and heirloom cranberry bean miso. Once the ferments are mastered, there are more than 50 additional recipes for using them in condiments, dishes, and desserts including natto polenta, Thai marinated tempeh, and chocolate miso babka. For enthusiasts enthralled by the flavor possibilities and the health benefits of fermenting, this book opens up a new world of possibilities.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Vegan, Reference

408 pages, Paperback

Published June 25, 2019

Reviews

[Cathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned that I will not be making these ferments at this time. There is equipment needed that I don't own or can easily borrow.

But I would borrow or buy this book if I wanted to seriously make the things listed in the title. The book is full of information besides just the process of fermenting. I didn't know what some of the food items were and I got schooled. Now I'm interested enough to try some at a restaurant or buy some from a grocery market.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments by Kirsten K. Shockey; Christopher Shockey
A Step-by-Step Guide to Fermenting Grains and Beans

Some of the words I wrote down while reading this book:
* Scientific
* Specific
* Diverse
* Has a great bibliography and index
* Educational
* History of
* Fiddly
* Time consuming
* Stringy
* Specialized equipment
* Caution
* Wonderful illustrations
* Recipes to make and then use fermented products
* Interesting – Probably would never make any of the items in the book but truly informative

Having made some plant milks, thought about making tofu and seen a video on how tempeh is made I thought it would be interesting to see how many items I might be able to make to augment the vegetarian-vegan diet I am trying to follow. I came away with an appreciation of the process used to make many foods that I cannot find locally in the Middle East and also sure that to make the ones in this book as they should be made – and live to tell about it – I would need to follow this book carefully or spend time learning from a master to make them correctly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

[Anjana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently I began making Almond milk, and some form of almond cheese with the leftovers as my part of trying to reduce my waste contribution. I am not making much of headway but I am always on the lookout for new things to do. Since I am finally experimenting, this book came at the right time!

I was so excited by the simple instructions provided in the book, I ordered my own copy on Book Depository (*affiliate link) and I thought I would wait to post the review till I actually make one item in the book and probably accompany the review with it. I understand the complication in 'reviewing' a cookbook. Does just the idea suffice or is the confirmation of the taste when following the given instructions critical to the review? With this book, the reasoning felt clear. Even if my finished products do not look as great as the ones in the book, the accompanying detail and the information that go hand-in-hand with the recipes are fascinating. It was worth just reading it in its entirety just to broaden my own horizon. There are more ferments mentioned in this book than I knew existed! The people who put this book together are heavily invested in this lifestyle and it shows in the curation of the collection.

I am waiting till the end of August to get back home where my copy is presumably waiting for me and dabble in the few that I can start off with, without cultures required. I highly recommend giving this a read if you are even slightly curious about this world.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.

[Joy Perino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part science lab manual, part recipe book - what an interesting read! It’s fascinating to me that we can make our own tempeh, soy sauce and miso. Never occurred to me.

The recipes for the base fermented products are quite long and complicated, but even so, this book has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me and my family, as we move into veganism. We may not always make our own soy sauce or miso, and what a huge variety there are, but I’m certainly going to give it a shot, simply because it seems you can make miso out of about a bazillion different base ingredients. Bit of an exaggeration, but you know...

The recipes at the end of the book, using the fermented products, are much simpler and very appetising indeed. In all, an absolute gem of a discovery. Recommended.

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kirsten and Christopher Shockey's Miso, Tempeh, Natto, & Other Tasty Ferments is a great resource for anyone interested in making their own ferments. It's the illustrations that set this apart from other books I've perused on the subject. Easy to follow, with detailed explanations on why things work, I can see this being a staple in any vegan/vegetarian kitchen, as well as for those of us with an interest in healthy gut microbiota.

Thank you to Kirsten and Christopher Shockey, Storey Publishing, and NetGalley for access to this cookbook. As always, all opinions are my own.

[Colin Ng]

I enjoyed this book greatly. It was well structured, the authors explained the science of what was happening in each ferment, gave their recommendations on alternatives for setups and ingredients for each type of ferment. They also included a section at the back on how to use these ferments in recipes, sometimes with each other.

A simple read and a great way to get into fermenting grains and beans! Since reading this book I've made my own tempeh, natto, and koji.

[Dushan Hanuska · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than I expected. This book has plenty of recipes that incorporate fermented foods. The surprise for me was the thoroughness of categorization of foods, tracing their origins and methods of preparation - yes, this book will show you how to make your own natto, tempeh, miso and more.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever wanted to experiment with making fermented food yourself, this is a book that will give you the fundamentals and techniques to get you started as well as recipes to use what you produce. This beautifully illustrated book is broadly divided into three parts, Learning, Making, and Eating. In the Learning section, you will find out about how fermentation works, the equipment needed, and more about the legumes and cereal grains that will make up the basis for your ferments. Believe it or not, an Instant Pot is actually one are the pieces of equipment that you can use to make some of these! The largest section of the book is the part that is about the Making of the ferments, and this section is divided into the types of ferments like natto and other alkaline ones, tempeh and other Indonesian ones, Koji, amazake, and miso, with a front section about spontaneous ferments (like salt-rising bread). You can even learn how to ferment tofu and other items. The final section on Eating gives recipes in which you can use your creations. As you might imagine for a book like this, some of the recipes are complex, and of course, you do need special equipment to make most of this happen. So this is not a cookbook or technique manual for the faint of heart. But if you're curious and want to make your own ferments rather than just buy them in tubs or packages at your favorite health food store (or grocery store in some cases), this book will lead you on the path to making these delicious fermented staples yourself.

I received a free copy of this book from #NetGalley, but that did not affect my review.

Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occasionally, I get an opportunity to read an ARC of a book that I'm really excited about because it's a subject that I have been eager to learn about that is so thorough that I end up coming away from it deciding it is way too overwhelming and I don't want to take up the hobby after all. This was one of those books. It is packed with information, color photos, recipes, troubleshooting tips and more. If you are serious about getting started fermenting things like tempeh, this is the book to do it. I ended up deciding that I don't have that much time, energy or money to do it myself and I'll just buy the end products (which is very rare for me as I even grind my own gluten free grains to make my own bread, pasta and flour mixes). At this busy point in my life, this looks like too much trouble, but only because the book is so thorough. Don't blame the book. :)

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

[Alfi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to eat tempe every day in Indonesia, but since I no longer live there it is difficult to have a fresh tempe. We have organic tempe here in the supermarket, but I can't have it every day without being broke. So, I decided to make my own. The first experiment was great. But there were those days where my tempe went bad and I didn't know why. I looked up online and I found this book. I read it and I like it. This is the book I was looking for. I really like the explanation. This book tells you how to treat beans for fermenting or how to troubleshoot. Not just that, also giving me inspiration for trying other tempe outside from soybeans. And I did try with quinoa, lentils, and peas. Everything is delicious and successful. So, if you are new to fermentation (esp like tempe, natto, or miso) and you want to know how and why and everything about it, I recommend this book. The explanation is very clear.

[Evan]

Full disclosure: I DNFed this book. While the instructions were clear and the recipes looked good, the book began with such an extensive-- and expensive-- list of equipment that it was clear to me I wouldn't get to try the ferments any time soon. Although the book claims to be for everyone, even the hobbyist fermenter, it's really only meant for people willing and able to invest in the equipment supplies before getting started.

[Flocarine · Rating 4 out of 5]

.. very insteresting book about fermentation and other ferments; very yummy receipes to try - but not very usual in my country. So I would recommend this book to anybody who loves Asian cooking or whi is interested in making Miso soups (for example).

Very informative and a lot to read (which I like) - nice book

Note 2 or B
thanks for letting me review this ARC, nevertheless it is my OWN opinion - even it´s an ARC

[WitchHaven Apothecary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is plum full of amazing recipes. I really love how she put it together. Simple instructions and easy to follow. I making ferments and this takes me up to the next level and I’m so excited to have learned these techniques. Making your own ferments are the best and second to none. With this book you can really hone your fermentation skills and step it up a notch. Miso here I come!

[Jesus Crespo · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are errors in the book that I have found no way to look up corrections. The most glaring error is in the amounts of salt put in the shoyu, it's clearly a typo or misprint. The percentages do not match. I want to love thia book but there's several recipes that the measurements are clearly mistyped and no corrections are provided on websites or anything.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book, for free, in exchange for an honest review.

This book has many variations on the most popular ferments.
As such the book is heavy on rice and beans so it isn't the most paleo book though this is par for the course for fermentation.

[M. Lia]

Flipped through it. Didn’t actually read it. From skimming it, it looks really great! Beautyfull book 💯 But I will wait until I’m ready to actually put in the effort to make these things in the future, to dig in and read it in full.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

We'll see how this one pans out after I get a chance to try a few of these. Adding this one to the arsenal as part of an effort to expand the preservation techniques and better utilize the garden bounty and nutrition.

[Shannon Kauderer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an ok book, but not nearly as good as the Noma Guide to Fermentation. The theory in this one is good, well explained and easy to follow, but the recipes aren't inspired/interesting/delish. I read enough of it, will be passing it onto someone else now.

[Dray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book about fermentation that is often overlooked in the west. Lots to learn here. Well presented and organized. I will need to read it again after I have gained some basic experience with most of these topics.

[Mskychick · Rating 4 out of 5]

ILL interlibrary loan via N.C. Cardinal.
This is an AMAZING book! I think, however, that the fermentation is beyond what I feel like doing at home. I’ll buy my miso and tempeh rather than make my own.

[Olga Benz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes you want to spend all your time on trying and testing

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone interested in making their own fermented foods, this would be a perfect resource. This hefty book is filled with information and recipes. Directions are clear and photos are beautifully shot. I appreciated the zero waste alternative methods being included as well. While I don't think I'll be trying my hand at a lot of fermenting any time soon, it was fun learning about the process and they're are plenty of recipes using the ferments that could be made with store-boughtfermented foods. Maybe someday I'll jump in and make my own. I requested my local library add a copy to their stacks so if I change my mind, I know where to go.

Thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had an idea that fermenting foods was quite complicated and smelly - I can still smell the sauerkraut bubbling away in a huge crock in the pantry of my Grandmother's kitchen when I was a girl - so it is a kitchen art that I hadn't attempted to duplicate in my world until now. There are so many health benefits derived from fermented foods that make it almost a sin to avoid it because of a childhood aversion, though, and Kirsten K. and Christopher Shockey make it very simple with this great cookbook. The science and the production are laid out for us step by step, taking away the mystery and making fermenting beans and grains at home, where you are in control of the process, seem attainable. The photos are excellent and mouth-watering, and I am pretty sure I can do this! Even more surprising is the fact that I already own most of the necessities required to do this safely and well.

I received a free electronic copy of this how-to book from Netgalley, Kirsten K. Shockey, and Storey Publishing. Thank you for sharing your hard work with me! I have read this how-to of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.
Pub date June 25, 2019
Reviewed June 26, 2019, at Goodreads, Netgalley, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BookBub, and Kobo.

[Tesha Ham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who is interested in ferments, especially in the vegetarian/vegan communities, needs this book. There are so many recipes for fermenting, plus recipes for using those fermented items. It's packed with information and detailed instructions that make it easy to learn and is extremely useful throughout the process of fermentation.

I voluntarily read and received a free ARC copy of this title through NetGalley in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book on fermented foods such as tempeh and natto. I’m not sure I’ll ever make my own tempeh but I was intrigued by the process. I liked the step by step instructions, they were clear and concise.

* I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review of this book.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over 400 pages, this book is an excellent reference about the fermented foods. The tutorials are well explained with helpful illustrations. The recipes includes Miso, Tempeh, Natto from scratch. This is a rainbow of fermented grains. Beautiful!

#MisoTempehNattoOtherTastyFerments #NetGalley