looking for something?

Got some food items and want to find a recipe for them?  Heard about a recipe we have and want to find it quickly?  Type what you are looking for into the search field located in the upper right-hand corner of the page.  Piece of cake.

the way we do it

Our priority is to use fresh organic produce, dairy, grains and meats.  We begin with the groceries available to us (and that we can afford), preferably at a local farmers market and/or co-op.  Once we have our ingredients, then we either look them up in the index of one of our fave cookbooks, or barge ahead on inspiration.  One thing we are sure of - organic just tastes (feels!) better.  Because we really love food, its all about using wonderful ingredients.

on the trail of the archaic revival

see our blog for arcane notes and snippets from our continuing adventures

connecting food to farming

Its difficult to over-estimate the value of farmers and their endeavors.  Given the importance of their work to our health, they would seem to deserve all our affection and more.  We are encouraged by the recent trend away from big agriculture and monoculture.  The small (and large) organic farms that are cropping up all around the world are making life better for their communities, and maybe for all of us.  Organic meat, cheese, wine and beer are also making inroads to modern life.  Sometimes the word 'conscious' comes up in place of organic:  this word denotes the sense of personal responsibility that may lead to a better future.

contact us

We welcome your input, comments, submissions and suggestions.  If you have questions about a recipe, life in northern california or kung-fu cooking, we would be happy to answer them. 
  mail at wonderfulingredients dot com


sprouting seeds, nuts and more

Sprouting is the process of germinating nuts, seeds, grains and legumes.  why sprout?  Accessible nutrient content increases dramatically- by a factor of 10!  Sprouting creates vitamin C as well as a host of B vitamins (2, 5 & 6), and most importantly, neutralizes phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors.  Neutralizing phytic acid creates nutrients and getting rid of the enzyme inhibitors makes the nutrients available for absorption and easy digestion.  Why are these compounds present in seeds and nuts?  This is natures technique for continuing the life of the plants (the seeds & nuts hope to survive the digestive tract and grow again once they are passed).  Why does everyone eat un-sprouted seeds and nuts?  They dont know any better.  Sprouting seeds, nuts and legumes is something our ancestors did for a long, long time (10,000 years?).  Its an amazing example of soft technology that has served us well through the ages. 
p.s. dont worry, its easy.

Sprouting is a multiple step process.  You’ll need fresh, filtered water, a quart size mason jar and either a mesh screen or a sprouting lid (found in health food stores & online) as well as fresh organic raw nuts and seeds.  Important note: often we will bypass bulk bins unless we are familiar with the frequency with which they are refilled, as both nuts and seeds have a tendency towards rancidity (oxidization) when stored for too long.  No big deal, but figure this one out.  Talk to the people who fill those bins.

The basic process: fill a quart mason jar 1/3 full with your chosen seed/nut/pulse, cap with a mesh sprouting lid, fill with water, rinse and drain 2-3 times then fill with water and let soak for specified amount of time.  After soaking, rinse and drain 2-3 times again and prop jar at an angle so water can continue to drain while air circulates inside the jar (keep away from direct light and extreme temps).  Depending on what you're sprouting, do the rinse/drain process at least 2-3 times a day until sprouts are ready.

sunflower seeds, hulled:  follow basic process, soak time is 4-8 hours, sprout time is 4-6 hours and sprouts are ready for your sunflower seed pate.  use asap... seeds will continue to sprout in the frige!

pumpkin seeds, hulled:  follow basic process, soak time is 2-4 hours, sprout time is also 2-4 hours.

buckwheat seeds, hulled:  follow basic process, soak time is short, 1-2 hours, sprout time is anywhere between 8 and 24 hours

lentils:  follow basic process, soak time is 7 hours.  sprout for 1-2 days, rinse 2-3 times a day.

this is the most basic presentation of the sprouting process.  to learn more, check
out Sally Fallon’s book, Nourishing Traditions
or send us an email!


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