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Here at The Nourishing Gourmet, I am developing some new resources for my readers. I hope that these will serve you all in answering more of your questions and getting more one-on-one help. Since those resources are still in the works, I was excited that Wardeh from gnowfglins.com has put together an excellent resource in the form of an ecourse (You have probably have seen the ads running on the side bars last week). To help you learn a little more about the ecourse, I did a little mini interview with Wardeh. Enjoy!
KH: Wardeh, I am so excited about the ecourse you are teaching. Before we get into the details about it, I was wondering if you could share more of your personal background into traditional food.
Where did your journey into traditional food start?
Wardeh: We kind of started back in 2000, when Mikah, my now 9-1/2 year old son, was born. He was covered with miserable, itchy, red, eczema rashes from head to toe. Our doctor at that time just said we should use a steroid cream to ease the pain and swelling, and that there was nothing else to do. We just didn’t buy that. Steroids for a newborn! We knew there must be something causing it, some deficiency or some allergy – some explanation. After 2-1/2 years of eliminating potential environmental and food allergens, we figured out that he was allergic mostly to eggs. Finally my sweet 2-1/2 year old boy had baby soft skin that didn’t itch him like crazy all the time. (Which I still like to smooch!)
But even though at this point I cooked with all whole, unprocessed, primarily organic ingredients, I still wasn’t into traditional cooking. In fact, I was quite in denial that I could do better. But then my oldest daughter began to show signs of gluten intolerance, and my husband did, too. So I read Nourishing Traditions for the second time.
This time, I began to get a clue that my family members could possibly experience freedom from allergies, instead of us having to work around them. Within two weeks of reading the book, we got dairy goats, started taking fermented cod liver oil, started soaking all seeds (nuts, grains and what we usually think of as seeds, like pumpkin seeds). Then I began working with sourdough and lacto-fermentation and making fermented beverages. Basically we concentrated on packing our diet full of beneficial yeast, bacteria, enzymes, and the important fat-soluble vitamins from raw dairy, butter and cod liver oil – while preparing whole ingredients like grains and stocks for maximum nutrition.
There were immediate changes in our health – my gluten-intolerant daughter could soaked, sprouted, or fermented grains without issue. And after a few months, my egg-allergic son was no longer allergic to eggs. For the last year, he has eaten at least one egg a day without a single red or itchy patch. So pretty much, those two things sealed the deal. Traditional food was the way to go!
KH:What is a simple definition of what traditional food means to you?
Wardeh: Traditional foods are those foods that have nourished people for centuries – before industry gave us fast food, processed food, or UNnaturally-grown food. In this eCourse, we’ll work with God’s natural, organic, whole ingredients (preferably in season and local) and transform them into nourishing, traditional food.
KH: What were some of the early struggles you had with transitioning to a more traditional diet?
My family mostly struggled in accepting new tastes, and I struggled in adjusting to using new techniques in the kitchen. What I’ve noticed regarding taste is that as we got the industrial tastes (sugar, salt and bad fat) out of our system, we were better able to adjust to the real, satisfying, and tasty flavors of real food. There’s no going back from that – we love most everything now.
And with learning new techniques, this is a matter of practice and simplicity. One has to be willing to try, even a few times, to master a method. But if processes are too complex, one is likely to quit. I’ve made it my personal mission to find the simplest way to do things and this is what I’ll be sharing in the eCourse.
KH:: Why did you decide to host this eCourse?
Wardeh: People are so hungry to implement traditional food preparation methods. They ask questions, they read, they want to know more. We see this on all the real food blogs. This is so exciting! But the whole topic is quite overwhelming. I love to help people and I believed that many could benefit from a simple, methodical approach to grasping the most fundamental techniques. I put the eCourse together the way I would want it done – in a format that I could study in my own home. All it takes is a thirst for learning, a willingness to practice easy methods, and an internet connection (of course!).
KH: Who is this eCourse for, primarily?
Wardeh:This eCourse is for anyone who is overwhelmed by traditional cooking and all it entails. If a person is wondering where to start, my eCourse can help. I offer tips and guidance to help work through simple tasks, building skills incrementally. This eCourse is also for those who are already doing some traditional cooking, but want to learn more, or would like to simplify some of their methods.
KH: What are some of the topics you will be covering?
Wardeh:So many great topics! We will cover proper preparation of grains in four ways – soaking and cooking them whole, soaking flours for whole grain baked goods, making a simple rustic loaf of sourdough bread, and finally, sprouting grains for making and using sprouted grains flours. Also, we’ll learn how to soak and dehydrate nuts and seeds. We will make two beverages – dairy kefir and water kefir. We will make a delicious, easy soft spreadable cheese. We’ll learn my embarrassingly simple method for yielding fantastically moist chicken – and then turn around and make delicious stock out of the bones and organs. Other topics include: an easy dinner formula that I call “skillet dishes,” lacto-fermentation basics, cooking dry beans, and sprouting beans.
KH: What are you most excited about teaching in the ecourse?
Everything! Is that allowed? 🙂 But really, I am probably most excited about the dairy kefir. It is a marvelous, beneficial, versatile, and tasty food. And on a general level, I am excited about helping people get back to the basics of what God gave us for nourishing, perfect, and tasty food.
Thank you Wardeh! For those interested, please go here for more information.
* Wardeh has an affiliate program which I am a part of (and I will get a small commission on people who sign up through my blog). If you are a blogger, check it out!
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This is exciting! Such a great idea and, agreed Wardeh, something I wish I would have had years ago when I felt cross-eyed reading through NT. I’ve been cooking traditionally for a few years now but I’m not nearly where I’d like to be, so I’m definitely going to take advantage of a few lessons. I’m starting training through The Nutritional Therapy Association this week so this will be helpful.
Kimi, keep up the great work, you’re an inspiration!
~Laureen
Thanks for the heads up! I’m going to sign up for the course under your affiliate so you get the credit. 🙂
I’ve been reading Wardeh’s blog for a few years, and she is very consistant in posting really great recipes and information. A lot of her recipes have become regulars in our house. And she just happens to be super sweet too! I just may do more than soak my oatmeal after taking her eCourse.
Hi Kimi, not a very techie person so am wondering how one signs up for the ecourse via your website. Also, is there a coupon for general readers or only for bloggers? I really enjoy your site and have used some of your recipes since finding you and they have been excellent! thank you.
p.s. have contacted Wardeh and she is absolutely lovely. Have been trying to decide whether to sign up now or wait til next time in case we can pick classes specific to our needs.