Chris and Mary are joined remotely by the inimitable Christopher Gandsy of DaleView Biscuits and Beer. They discuss baking gluten free, the birth and operation of his Chris' Brooklyn business, basement brewing, now and future plans, and a brand new scholarship/internship aimed at diversifying the industry planned in collaboration with the NYC Brewers Guild.

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Fuhmentaboudit!  on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

Photo Courtesy of DaleView Biscuits and Beer

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This week in Episode "Halfway to 500", Mary and Chris bring on long time friend and fellow fermenter/Brooklynite Joe Kirchhoff to talk all things bread and home baking. From sourdough starters, injera, boules and bagels...this episode celebrates patience and rise. Cheers to Joe's friends and homebrew clubs The Brooklyn Brewsers and The Brewdies!

Image courtesy of Joe Kirchhoff.

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Mary talks with several fermenters at the January meeting of the NYC Ferments Meetup.

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On today’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit!, guest Cheryl Paswater talks about some cozy winter ferments that are perfect for the season. Paswater is a certified fermentationist and gut ecologist, who has fermented everything from kombucha to cookies.

 

“That’s one of the beautiful things about fermentation: preservation to get us through these winter months.” [11:20] – Cheryl Paswater

 

Fuhmentaboudit! is celebrating its 150th episode with none other than Dave Kyrejko, talking his newest project: Arcane Distilling.  Arcane is a bizarrely experimental micro distillery based in Brooklyn, specializing in vacuum distilled whiskeys and spirits, including beer whisky.  According to Dave, “There be no copper pot ‘stilling, old-timey marketing schtick, or apple pie moonshine here.” Tune in for a great show featuring an in studio tasting!

“Arcane is all about the weird, the unusual. The entire thing is centered around vacuum distillations.” [9:30] –Dave Kyrejko on Fuhmentaboudit!

 

Tune in to a brand new episode of Fuhmentaboudit! as hosts Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme are on the line with Bart Watson, Chief Economist for the Brewers Association. As a stats geek, beer lover, and Certified Cicerone®, he holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, where in addition to his dissertation, he completed a comprehensive survey of Bay Area brewpubs one pint at a time. What are the influences that home brewers are having on professional brewers? Which styles of beer are poised to break out this year?  If you’ve ever wondered about the numbers behind your favorite brew, this episode is not to be missed!

“Beverage manufacturing is one of the few areas that has grown manufacturing jobs in this country.” [24:00] “Any town above a million has a brewery now: it’s incredible!” [28:30] –Bart Watson on Fuhmentaboudit!

 

Tune in for a brand new episode of Fuhmentaboudit! as Mary Izett and guest co-host Rachel Jacobs talk to Nancy Singleton Hachisu. Author, cook, and farmer, Nancy left California for Japan in the late 1980’s, fully intending to learn Japanese in one year and return to the States for graduate school, and instead fell in love with a Japanese organic farmer.  Now living with her husband and three sons in their eighty-five-year-old traditional farmhouse, Nancy has taught home cooking to Japanese housewives for over two decades and is the leader of a local Slow Food convivium and talks to Fuhmentaboudit! about all things fermented in Japan. Form natto to various fermented fish to shochu, this episode covers it all!

“What sets Japanese fermenting a part is Koji… it’s a naturally occurring spore.” [30:00] –Nancy Singleton Hachisu on Fuhmentaboudit!

 

Fuhmentaboudit! is on the line with Annie Johnson, Master Brewer at PicoBrew talking all things automatic beer brewing appliances.

The first woman recipient (since 1983) of the American Homebrewer Association’s prestigious Homebrewer of the Year award, Annie serves as PicoBrew’s Master Brewer-in-residence. A National Beer Judge herself, Annie has won awards for her beers across all of the major BJCP styles. She has contributed dozens of award-winning recipes to the PicoBrew recipe library and continues to pioneer new techniques and processes in the PicoBrew lab as she delights visitors with her many sample beers on tap. Born in Germany and encouraged by her parents who inspired her love of food and culture, Annie continues to brew with her old colleagues in California (and of course, support her Oakland A’s) as she spreads the good word and good brew in the Pacific Northwest.

Tune in for more on Annie plus the details surrounding the PicoBrew!

“The Pico itself uses pre-packed Pico packs geared more toward the craft beer enthusiasts.” [21:00] –Annie Johnson on Fuhmentaboudit!

 

 

You want a little adventure in your life. And why not? With thousands of breweries and distilleries in the United States, there are more choices than ever on tap and behind the bar. So many, that you’re a little bit intimidated. That’s where this week’s Fuhmentaboudit! guest comes into play – Jeff Cioletti, author of “The Year of Drinking Adventurously: 52 Ways to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone.”  He shares that the book serves as a guide to getting out of your beverage comfort zone once a week for a year. Each of the fifty-two chapters features the story behind a unique beer, spirit, cocktail or wine, designed to broaden your drinking horizons. Some correspond with specific seasons or holidays, encouraging you to forget the million-dollar marketing-supported “conventional wisdom” and drink against the grain. It’s Cinco de Mayo? There’s much more to the celebration than lime-enhanced lager and shots of rotgut tequila. St. Patrick’s Day? Do you really want to be the 700th person of the evening to order a green-tinted brew and a shot of cheap whiskey? Tune in for more!

“The tiki chapter I had a lot of fun with… I realize now everything is about context and drinking within context, it’s not just about fruity drinks!” [31:00] –Jeff Cioletti on Fuhmentaboudit!

 

_ Fuhmentaboudit! _ is back for the 2016 season! Hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett sit down with fellow Heritage Radio Network host, Harry Rosenblum of Feast Yr Ears, for a thorough discussion on vinegars.  In the throws of writing his own book on vinegar, Harry explains that vinegar is a traditionally fermented liquid that can basically be made of any liquid containing alcohol, and goes on to highlight the steps for anyone looking to make vinegars at home.  More than just your mother’s white vinegar, after the break, the trio break down vinegar types and how Harry specifically derives his unique varieties. Tune in for a fascinating show!

“Every single condiment you could possibly think of has vinegar in it – all of them – both as a preservative and for flavor.” [38:00] –Harry Rosenblum on Fuhmentaboudit!

 

Kicking off the final episode of the season, Fuhmentaboudit! is featuring a sit down with craft cider revolutionary Nat West.  Starting Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider in his basement in 2011, and known for his unusual American ciders and love of experimentation, Nat shares that he’s dedicated to bringing good cider to the craft beer lovers of the world. Notably, he really is a reverend who calls Portland, Oregon home.

This week _ Fuhmentaboudit! _ is back with a brand new episode featuring the team from Scratch Brewing Company: Marika Josephson and Aaron Kleidon.  As co-owners (along with Ryan Tockstein) of the brewery, they explain their backgrounds as well as how they met up and eventually waded through mounds of paperwork and legislation to stat their own brewpub, which at the time, was the only brewery south of Springfield, Illinois.  The duo explain that they focus on beers brewed with ingredients including dandelion, ginger, maple, and honey.  All of their ingredients are grown on premises, foraged from a local wooded area, or are sourced from local places.  Tune in for a delicious episode!

“We found that the beers with darker malt works better with the sap because there’s a lot of minerals in the sap.” [31:30] –Marika Josephson on Fuhmentaboudit!

 

_ Fuhmentaboudit! _ is getting cheesy this week as Chris and Mary welcome Jessica Sennett to the studio chatting about her invention, Cheese Grotto.  Cheese Grotto is the optimal cheese storage unit for your fridge, your cupboard, or your cellar. It is an eco-friendly, durable, and aesthetically pleasing preservation method that mimics the benefits of cheese caves.  Also employing humidity and air flow technology to keep cut and whole pieces of cheese fresher for longer, it requires no extra packaging!  Notably, it also couples as an cheese aging unit for all of those DIY food people!  Tune in for a great show!

This week we have a two parter. In part one we talk to Chris Holden of the New York hop guild about the past, present, and future of hop growing in NY. Then in part two, we chat with Nakul Bhonsle, owner of Great State Aleworks - a craft brewery in Pune, India.

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_ Fuhmentaboudit _ takes on bread! This week Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are joined by Sarah Owens, author of _Sourdough: Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More _and proprietor of BK17 Bakery. Sarah Owens spent years baking conventional baked goods, only to slowly realize she had developed a crippling inability to digest or tolerate their ingredients. Unable to enjoy many of her most favorite foods, she knew she must find a health-sustaining alternative. Thus Sarah started experimenting with sourdough leavening, which almost immediately began to heal her gut and inspire her anew in the kitchen. Soon after, her artisan small-batch bakery, BK17, was launched, and with that, a new way to savor and share nutritious sourdough breads and treats with her Brooklyn community.

“I’m not a fan of baking in warm weather because it really does affect the flavor of the bread.” [22:00] “These are recipes I’m hoping you’ll make for yourself, for your families, for your friends and be really proud of how they come out.” [27:00] –Sarah Owens on Fuhmentaboudit!

 

Cider Week NYC makes everything a whole lot of “Alright!” In this episode, Mary and Chris recap their jolly 10 days of everything cider in NYC and play a few interviews taken along the way featuring Jahil Maplestone of Descendent Cider, Leif Sundstrom of Sundstrom Cider, David Biun of Eden Ice Cider, and Kyle Sherrer of Millstone Cider. Hear about their company history, products, and of their varying cider production philosophies and processes in this info saturated 30 minutes of fun and inspiration. Includes tips for the home cider maker.

 

This week on Fuhmentaboudit, get ready for some real cider insight from cidermaking heavyweights Steve Woods & Louisa Spencer of Poverty Lane Orchards & Farnum Hill Cider. They explain how the US wine industry helped cider makers, why almost all the good cider apples still lack something, and what most people get wrong when it comes to cider. This is an incredible behind the curtains look at a blossoming agricultural and beverage revolution! 

“Variety is a noun and the cider people should not adopt the great affection as using the word varietal as a noun – it’s a bloody adjective.” [23:00] Most of these [apple] varieties have been propagated because of what they brought to a blended cider…almost every good cider apple is lacking something. All the bittersweets are short on acid, you need to find an acidic variety that will blend well with them.” [25:00]

Tune in for the meatiest Fuhmentaboudit yet, featuring John Ratliff, founder of End’s Meats NYC.  Chris and Mary hear how Ends Meats uses whole animals from responsible, pasture-raised farms in New York and New Jersey, along with imported spices to produce the tastiest cured meats possible. John goes on to explain that while fermenting meat is a complicated process that involves culturing the right type of bacteria “flora” that live in the process facility, or by adding carefully made started cultures and controlling the temperature/moisture of the environment, the friendly bacteria improves flavor, increases acidity, and converts nitrates.  Want more? Check out the website!

 

 

Tune in for the married edition of _ Fuhmentaboudit! _  Welcoming guest Jennifer Anderson, Head Yogurt Maker at The White Moustache, Chris and Mary get the scoop on this handmade yogurt using high-quality, meticulously sourced ingredients in an unfathomably time and labor-intensive process. Discussing all things whey (the natural by-product after straining yogurt), the group discusses the many delicious uses for the liquid that is chocked full of probiotics and calcium, including The White Moustache’s new probiotic tonics.  Want more? Check out the rest of the episode!

“You can think of whey the same way that you think of buttermilk. In terms of baking, I use it to make bread.” [22:00] “Whey makes a great catalyst for fermentation. I’ve made kimchi, sauerkraut – I find the whey gives it a nice jump start.” [31:00] –Jennifer Anderson on Fuhmentaboudit!

This week on _ Fuhmentaboudit _, Chris and Mary share an interview recorded via the World Beer Festival in Durham, NC on October 9th, with Brian Mandeville, head brewer at Fullsteam Brewery. First talking about their Carver Lager, a tribute to a true Southern visionary, Dr. George Washington Carver who was also passionate about the sweet potato, Brian shares how Fullstream Brewery implements the sweet potato into the brew’s mash, giving a unique flavor that doesn’t include brown sugar or cinnamon.  He goes on to share how the brewery crowd-sourced off the wall ingredients, like persimmon, even going so far as offering a bounty on the fruit for past brews.  Tune in for more of Chris and Mary’s insights on the World Beer Festival and other beertastic events on the calendar!

 

 

Fuhmentaboudit is getting cheesy this week as author and natural cheesemaker David Asher is on the line with Chris and Mary.  Talking about what constitutes natural cheesemaking as well as other items that David regularly ferments, he explains that a popular item he produces is kefir: a traditional yogurt culture from Central Asia.  Conversation delves into rennet and the various types that are available to the aspiring cheesemakers today and many more details from David’s new book, “The Art of Natural Cheesemaking: Using Traditional, Non-Industrial Methods and Raw Ingredients to Make the World’s Best Cheeses!” Tune in for an informative show!

“My favorite is chevre, a straight up fresh goat cheese… it’s remarkably tasty for a fresh cheese only two days old and really, really easy to make.” [33:45] –David Asher on Fuhmentaboudit

 

Chris and Mary catch up with Pete, Zack and Tony of Kings County Brewers Collective ( See episode 87) in their new location, 381 Troutman in Bushwick Brooklyn. They discuss the trials and excitement of then and now in starting a brewery in New York City. At one time Bushwick produced 10% of all the beer made in the United States and we’re excited to see production brewing return to the neigborhood! Delicious times abound.

Tune in to this special recap episode of Fuhmentaboudit as hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett (now happily engaged!) share recordings from the scene at the Great American Beer Festival held in Denver, Colorado last week.  First, Chris shares a few local, beer-tastic events before introducing clips with Alexander Liberati, Taylor Rees (Spangalang Brewery), Birrificio Argo, Colin Ferguson (Live Oak Brewing Company), M.I.A. Brewing, and Baere Brewing Company.

Fuhmentaboudit! This week Chris and Mary welcome back Chris O’Leary of Brew York, New York for another show on the Great American Beer Festival taking place in Denver, CO. Sharing some beertastic stories and previewing GABF highlights to come, tune in for Chris, Chris, and Mary waxing poetic on one of the best brew events of the year!

“Colorado is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to craft beer.” [39:00] –Chris O’Leary on Fuhmentaboudit!

Chris, Mary, and Rachel are joined by Ann Yonetani of Nyrture, the only natto producer in New York. Ann talks about how natto is made, why it has that crazy texture, and how we can get more Americans to eat it!

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Fuhmentaboudit is back for a new season of hoptastic radio! On the line with Melody Meyer of Yakima Chief Hop Union, hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett reveal that they recently participated in the hop and brew school with the organization and loved it! YCH Hops was originally founded by hop growing families, some of them growing hops in the Yakima Valley for more than 130 years. These family farms joined together to build an organization which would market their hop products direct to brewers worldwide. Melody goes on to share how the US hop industry works, what makes the Yakima Valley special, and how homebrewers specifically fit in to their equation. Conversation also touches upon HBC-438, a new experimental hop issued for use by homebrewers. Notably, profits from HBC-438 sales go to Ales for ALS. Tune in for all things hops! This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

 

“Being grower-owned, that is the best tool we have.” [12:00] —Melody Meyer on Fuhmentaboudit

 

This week on Fuhmentaboudit! hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are ending the summer season with a BCTC 2015 Round Up plus Ethan Long, head brewer of Rockaway Brewing Co. in studio. Talking about what’s on tap, highlights from the Rockaway tasting room, upcoming brewery events, and thoughts on the brews they took to the ‘Belgium Comes to Cooperstown’ festival, the group rehashes tasty memories from the event. Tune in for some impromptu recipes from Mary and more! This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett share a ton of brewtastic events and goings-on before welcoming Brian Kulbacki to the show. Brian shares how he and his late best friend Chris Ward initially thought up Departed Soles Brewing Company by conducting “mad science experiments” to brew gluten-free beer for Ward, who suffered from celiac disease. Notably, Brian became the first brewer specializing in gluten-free beer to graduate from the American Brewers Guild in December of 2012. Brian goes on to explain that the brewery produces all sorts of craft beer and is proud to be New Jersey’s first Craft Brewery offering craft beer with 100% gluten-free ingredients that can compete on the palate with traditional ales! This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

This week on Fuhmentaboudit, hosts Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme welcome Brett Taylor to the studio, recalling his experiences in homebrewing and his recent completion of courses at the American Brewers Guild. Brett shares what about homebrewing initally appealed to him as well as the details surrounding his first successful brews. Talking why he loves working with the brettanomyces yeast strain, Brett dishes helpful hints for those looking to use the strain plus talks his hopping technique and an overview of his many brews. Tune in and geek out over brettanomyces with the crew! This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

“I got caught up with the whole New York City craft thing!” [8:35]

“I have a wit beer that I like to do with the Brussels blend from the Yeast Bay, that’s what I really like now and I feel like the fruit character from that yeast blend along with the coriander and fruit peel just works so well.” [12:50]

—Brett Taylor on Fuhmentaboudit

This week on Fuhmentaboudit, solo host Chris Cuzme welcomes Jeff Lord and Dave Scharfstein to the studio catching up on recent beertastic events as well as Jeff’s experiences at the National Homebrewers Conference. Talking up the good times had by all, Jeff relays cool things he took away and tasted from the conference as well as the hard work that goes into the successful event. In the second half of the show, Chris introduces a pre-recorded interview he and Mary did with Michael Ferguson of Beer Geeks TV, spanning many topics including thoughts on America’s history of brewing. This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

“They also had some ghost pepper meads which you’d think would be terrible – delicious – unbelievably good!” [13:00]
“How do you fail at making vinegar?!” [15:00]

—Jeff Lord on Fuhmentaboudit!

“You ask a German, what does it take to make beer, they say a scientist. You ask a Belgian what does it take to make beer, they say an artist. What we do in the United States, craft brewing, is a combination of art, craft, and science.” [23:00]

—Michael Ferguson on Fuhmentaboudit!

When did the fermentation bug bite you? Tune in to this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! as Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett reflect on their brewing journeys with guest Ben Granger. Ben talks about how he started brewing, what it was like opening the now-closed but still legendary Bierkraft, and what he’s up to these days. This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

“Most of my fermentation studies in college were through a natty ice can!” [10:00]

“Carbonation is often times the most forgotten about ingredient in beer. It really determines your perception of dryness and can alter the texture and flavor of your beer greatly.” [26:00]

–Ben Granger on Fuhmentaboudit!

What are Chris and Mary up to lately? Talking their latest brews, homebrewing cask beer, mobile canning, and more frothy tidbits, tune in as this dynamic duo catch up listeners on their own ventures and projects as of late on this episode of Fuhmentaboudit. This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

“If anybody is listening, please make a 2.5 gallon cask!” [16:10]

—Chris Cuzme on Fuhmentaboudit

“If you’re looking to brew something different and has just been added to the BJCP, a Kentucky Common would be a good one!” [29:40]

—Mary Izett on Fuhmentaboudit

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, hosts Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme welcome Ben Middlemiss to the studio in from Ben Middlemiss Brewing located in New Zealand! Talking about the homebrewing scene in New Zealand back when he started in the late 1960’s, he shares the disarray of the hobby before quality ingredients and widespread techniques were readily available. Ben goes on to share how he went from homebrewer to running a brewery to eventually distributing his own brew. After the break, Mary shares her love for New Zealand hops as Ben gives his thoughts on the brews he’s tried while in the states and some of the unique ingredients that find themselves in his drinks. Notably, Ben shares some of his beer collaborations which includes working with the pop group Hanson on their budding brews! This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

“Beer became a challenge… It became a challenge to me to learn how to make a quality product because I believed it was achievable at home with the right ingredients and knowledge.”

—Ben Middlemiss on Fuhmentaboudit!

With summer temperatures on the rise, hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are talking the NYC Brewers Pro-Am and hot-weather fermentations and with friend and owner of Bitter & Esters, John La Polla. The NYC Brewers Pro-Am is a friendly collaboration/competition pairing local homebrewers with some of the five boroughs’ best professional breweries and John shares highlights from last year’s event as well as things to come this year, including details of the fabulous grand prize. With no shortage of good beers to enjoy, John stresses that these particular brews won’t be seen anywhere else due to the collaborative nature of the event. After the break, the group talks about the contraption known as the PicoBrew that can brew at the touch of a button and the varying techniques to be used along with it. Tune in for tips and tricks for summer brewing and more! This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA.

“[The PicoBrew] is my assistant brewer!” [23:00]

—John La Polla on Fuhmentaboudit!

This week Fuhmentaboudit! host Mary Izett takes listeners along to the Windy City for a bottle share gathering that went down at Brew & Grow in Chicago’s West Loop in partnership with the C.H.A.O.S. Brew Club. Chatting up a plethora of homebrewers including Jim Vondracek, Chuck Mac, Kristina Wallig, Paul Thompson, Jeff Whelpley, and Brian Dombrowski, Mary gets the scoop on what each is fermenting these days and what’s to come from the Midwest’s brew barons! This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

Fuhmentaboudit is kicking off Cider Week with a visit from local (down the block) cidermaker Peter Yi. Peter shares his life-changing trip and the cider that made him quit his job and venture into the world of apples, natural yeast, and high quality foods.

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This week on a brand new episode of Fuhmentaboudit!, hosts Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme kick off the show revealing details surrounding Mary’s soon to be released book “Speed Brewing: Techniques and Recipes for Fast-Fermenting Beers, Ciders, Meads, and More.” The duo then welcomes Alex Forbes of Artisanal Imports and Kevin Zielinski of E.Z. Orchards to the show. Kevin shares the origins of E.Z. Orchards and how he got started in the cider business while providing some samples in studio and talking about the different varieties of apples and characteristics found in his hard cider blends. Chris and Mary get Kevin’s take on the fermentation process and how his ciders have evolved since he started years ago and a lot more! This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett go on location to chat with Scott Meyer, owner of Planetary Elixirs. Talking about his start in the fermentation and brewing realm, Scott shares the inspiration behind starting the Outer Banks Brewing Station and how he concocted unique flavors to make his own marketable beverages. Tune in for a great show! This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett kick off the show with some upcoming events before introducing guests Leda Scheintaub and husband Nash Patel to talk about their venture, Dosa Kitchen. Dosa Kitchen is Vermont’s only South Indian eatery, a food truck turned outdoor restaurant overlooking the Connecticut River in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont. Nash, who grew up eating dosas in Hyderabad, India, and Leda Scheintaub, cookbook author and lover of dosas and other fermented foods, chat with the hosts about all things dosa plus details around their successful food truck. Dosa Kitchen offers from-scratch dosas, from the traditional masala dosa (Indian-style mashed potato dosa) to free-range chicken curry dosa, a daily vegan curry dosa, and our signature dosa dog, a thick dosa wrapped around a 100 percent beef organic hot dog finished with house-fermented mustard, sauerkraut, and pickles. Hungry yet? Tune in for another great episode! This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

On a brand new season of Fuhmentaboudit!, hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett kick off the show with some upcoming events happening in the brew world before getting guest Eli Cayer, owner of Urban Farm Fermentory, on the line. Located in Portland, Maine, Eli shares how he got started fermenting which ultimately ended up with opening his own business where his notable fresh pressed Maine apple cider is spontaneously (or wild) fermented in a Farmhouse style until it’s bone dry and tart. Urban Farm Fermentory also touts a potent, probiotic Kombucha (fermented tea), with a 1.5% ABV and tart, acidic bite. After the break, Chris and Mary get the scoop on Eli’s experimentation with using sugar kelp (and other fun ingredients) in his various productions. Tune in for more! This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center.

“What we’ve done mostly is dry hops with dried kelp but what we’ll be trying the in the next round is actually fermenting the kelp in the primary and seeing how that goes.”

—Eli Cayer on Fuhmentaboudit!

This week on a brand new episode of Fuhmentaboudit!, hosts Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme jump start the show with a great recap of the Pride of Brooklyn Homebrew Festival and talk details regarding upcoming brewtastic events. Catching up with listeners after an amazing trip to Portland, Oregon for the Craft Brewers Conference, Chris and Mary discuss the state of the brewing industry via the conference’s keynote speaker. Mary also recently attended the New York State Brewers Association meeting and shares how well New York State is doing in the brewing realm. After the break, listen in as the Fuhmentaboudit! crew (including David Scharfstein) gives a great rundown of the many breweries visited and good eats had while in the Pacific Northwest. This program was brought to you by Rolling Press.

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, solo host Chris Cuzme takes listeners across the world to Batch Brewing Company located in Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia. The brewery opened last year, the passion project of two American expats Christopher Sidwa and Andrew Finneran who gave up on failed home brewing projects came together via lacross to join Sydney’s quickly growing craft scene. Giving Chris the details surrounding the trials and tribulations brewing their unique craft selection in a foreign land, the duo relays their love and dedication to tasty beer. Tune in to hear all about these brewing pioneers in the land down under! This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants.

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett kick off the show with some beertastic events, Kickstarter projects, and a reminder that tomorrow is National Beer Day! Guest Cheryl Paswater joins the show talking about how she became interested in fermentation via a personal health scare in her early 30’s and how she started down the road to eventually founding Contraband Ferments. Contraband Ferments is her small start-up fermentation company in Brooklyn, New York with the goal to provide gut healthy fermented foods and education to the public. Telling Chris and Mary about Contraband’s featured CSA program, she also goes on to talk about her recipe for dosas and idlis, traditional South Indian breads that happen to be fermented. Thinking of fermenting at home? Tune in for this informative episode! This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

“As a fermenter, in general, I’m not super OCD about things. I just kinda go for it and I don’t worry about every last detail.” [31:20]

“A fermented breakfast taco: it’s my dream come true! So good!” [32:50]

“I love fermentation: it’s so accessible.” [33:40]

—Cheryl Paswater on Fuhmentaboudit!

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett kick off the show talking about some great, upcoming brewing events to look forward to. With the first round of the National Homebrew Competition going on around the country, Chris and Mary dedicate the first half of the episode to their thoughts and experiences in running homebrew competitions. Listen in as the hosts dish out worthwhile tips and tricks to putting on a successful event and after the break chat about the new book, “Fermented Foods for Vitality & Health” by Dunja Gulin and further fermentation topics in the recent news. Tune in for an episode featuring a little bit of everything! This program was brought to you by Edwards VA Ham.

Cheers! This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, hosts Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme open up the show with a great recap of fermentastic events before introducing Louise Leonard to the program. Louise is a chef, food personality, stylist, and booze lover who was recently crowned the winner of Season 2 of ABC’s primetime hit, The Taste, where she was chosen from a nation-wide search to compete with professional chefs and home cooks. She shares how she fell in love with not only cooking but cooking with beer, wine, and other spirits. After the break, Louise shares some of her favorite dishes that she’s become known for as well as why she’s such a fan working with the boozy beverages. Tune in for a great show! This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

“I started cooking a lot more with beer, wine, hard liquor and married the two passions together so to speak and here i am call these years later still cooking this way.” [12:00]

“We spend our day making food look beautiful for either TV, film, cookbooks, or magazines – we’re the makeup artists for the food!” [13:00]

—Louise Leonard on Fuhmentaboudit!

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, solo host Mary Izett kicks off the show with a plethora of brew-tastic events coming up before welcoming guest co-host Bahiyyih Comeau and Zack Schulman, the founder of Ferment! Ferment! which is taking place this year on Sunday, March 22 at The Brooklyn Free School. His goal hosting Ferment! Ferment! is to encourage people to ferment foods, come together to enjoy them while sharing the experiences making them. In a world of the fetishization of the food professional, this particular event celebrates the amateur fermenter. Think of it as not only a party, but also an informal tasting! Zack shares some highlights and workshops taking place this year and some of the memorable moments from Ferment! Ferment! events past. This program was brought to you by Union Beer Distributors.

“It’s party meets informal tasting meets potluck. It’s super participatory!”

“If you make something that totally fails, bring the story! Share the story!”

—Zack Schulman on Fuhmentaboudit!

Mary & Chris sit down with Scott Ungermann, Brewmaster at Anchor Brewing. They delve into the history of steam beer, the magic of open fermentation and all things Anchor, from the brewery's past to their brand new beer releases.

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Celebrate Spring on a brand new episode of Fuhmentaboudit!. Mary Izett is chatting with Certified Cicerone Anne Becerra about spring beers and then she’ll check in with beer sommelier Hayley Jensen on designing beer and cider cocktails. She caps the episode by talking with Hayley and her brewer/chef hubby, Stephen Durley, on their big move to North Caroline to fulfill their dreams of opening their own craft beer joint. This program was brought to you by Union Beer.

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are fresh off NY Beer Week and are also fresh with announcements including Mary’s book update and her new segment, “Will it Ferment?” Big Alice Brewing is in the house with Co-Founder/Brewer Kyle Hurst and Assistant Brewer Jon Kielty explaining how they came into brewing and discovered their love for craft beer. Kyle takes Chris and Mary through Big Alice Brewing’s upgraded brewing system and how the brewery has evolved in the past few years. After the break, Kyle gives a detailed rundown of their Queens Honey Brown and thoughts on using great local ingredients. Tune in for more shop talk with Big Alice Brewing on this great show! This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center.

“The Queens Honey Brown is our newest recipe. It was inspired by a trip I took with my wife. We are inspired to brew by things we do together.” [18:30]

“Even prior to being a farm brewery we were always seeking out local ingredients whenever we could.” [21:15]

—Kyle Hurst on Fuhmentaboudit!

Happy New York Beer Week! Fuhmentaboudit! hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are making the rounds of the momentous occasion talking to notable beer entities: Paul Leone, Executive Director of the NY State Brewers Association, Danielle Willett of BBDO, PJ Allen, brewer at Keg & Lantern, Jonathan Moxey, brewer at Perennial Artisan Ales, Chris Prout, brewer at Greenpoint Beer & Ale and Dirck The Norseman. Chatting about NY Beer Week 2015, what they’re all looking forward to, and what each has coming up this year, Chris and Mary put together a great preview of some local highlights in the beer scene. This program was brought to you by Underground Meats.