Good quality saturated fat is one of the cornerstones of eating ancestrally. Our ancestors have been using it in their kitchens for centuries. Yet it’s not always easy to access in our modern world and, when you can find it, … Read More
The last two weekends our tiny kitchen has felt like a lard production factory – we’ve rendered over eight kilos (18 pounds) of pork back fat. Every container in the house has been requisitioned to hold the resulting lard and … Read More
If a grain stands still for too long in my kitchen, I ferment it. It’s been like that ever since Nourishing Traditions introduced me to the ancestral way of eating. And, as you know if you’ve watched my sourdough porridge … Read More
As well as being a delicious, gluten-free grain, buckwheat is nature’s vitamin-B tablet. It contains B3, B4, B5, B6, B9 & B12! And for even more nutrient-density, if you sprout the buckwheat the levels of those vital B vitamins increase. … Read More
Bone broth is an absolute powerhouse of nutrition, and very easy to make. Yet often, we struggle with how to get it into our bodies; how to get that nutrition! This is particularly true if we, or members of our … Read More
Do you feel overwhelmed when it comes to eating and cooking ancestrally? Maybe you’ve tried before but stopped as it was just too much? Or perhaps you’ve poured over the cookbook Nourishing Traditions but had so many ideas you just … Read More
Want to move forward in your kitchen? Been meaning to try that new ferment? Find a bread recipe for your family? Tackle that recipe you’ve been avoiding?! Looking for ideas, support and encouragement? The Ancestral Kitchen Challenge is here to … Read More
A little over 200 years ago the industrial revolution started a chain of events that has led to our disconnection from not only the source our food, but also the thousands of years of handed-down skills and wisdom surrounding it. … Read More
If you’d have asked me this question 6 months ago, I’d have said a resounding, “Yes!”. I have been a whole grain poster-girl for many years. In my early bread-making days, back when I used a machine and yeast, I’d … Read More
Eat more processed food; I believe that so strongly that I want to get a t-shirt with it emblazoned on. I’m not, however, talking about eating more industrially-processed food. The stuff made in a factory, from unrecognisable ingredients, packaged in … Read More
The knife, in my right hand, hovers above a vastness of smooth, deep red. My left hand, spread wide, comes down onto this mass – a whole beef liver – to hold it steady while I slice thin strips. The … Read More
Ancestral cooking will produce food that is delicious and nutrient-dense as well as respectful to the animals consumed, the people who farm and the land that’s utilised. Real food – food good for us mentally and physically and environmentally – … Read More
My son, Gabriel, was born on April 7th 2014 at home, in water, with minimal assistance and no drugs. I did not come from a family of home-birthers. The only births I’d seen were on television (and they are always … Read More
I was recently interviewed as a guest on The Storied Recipe Podcast. It was a frank, compelling discussion that covered ancestral eating and a whole lot more! Becky, the host, said this about our interview: Alison of Ancestral Kitchen speaks … Read More
Jane at Farm to Future invited me to guest on her podcast. In this interview, I talk about my ancestral lifestyle – the food, yes, but also my journey along with some of the routines and habits that are part … Read More
I’ve gone from 140lbs to 70, from sugar-addicted and obese through fat-free, extreme restriction, vegan and raw vegan. It’s finding ancestral foods a decade ago and embracing eating them that’s healed me. I no longer have to worry about my … Read More
For the first time on the podcast, I delve into the story of my 140lb (10 stone, 65kg) weight loss. … Read More
My life, body and eating habits have changed dramatically through the years. Here I share with you some pictures which hopefully help instill the idea that change is totally possible and by altering what we eat and how we live … Read More
In this interview with Emma Goodwin of Timeless Cookery, I talk about how and why my kitchen and diet has evolved. We touch on: My 140lb+ (65kg+) weight loss. Regaining my menstrual cycle naturally, after 5 years without a period. … Read More
If you eat grains and follow an ancestral diet, you’ll probably have heard that we should soak our grains (or flour) in water and an acidic medium before cooking. This process not only softens and hydrates the grain, but it … Read More
Threshing my home-grown oats.
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Diving into oats, historically, culturally, nutritionally and culinarily is connecting me to my ancestors in such a beautiful way.
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See how small (and beautiful) my harvest is?!
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I haven’t used my oats yet…you know when something is so precious, you just can’t bring yourself to?!!
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What shall I do with them?!
As ancestral foodies, gut healing is something that, if it didn’t bring us to this way of eating in the first place, plays a very large part in our consciousness. I first became aware of the concept of healing the … Read More
Many of the cereals we see on breakfast tables these days are ridiculously-processed. Ridiculously-processed is my term…‘extruded’ is the scientific term. Yes, some of the contents of the cereal packet may have started life as a grain but let me … Read More
The Weston A. Price Foundation published my article So Much More Than Scottish Porridge: The Rich Culinary History of British Oats in the Winter 2023 edition of their journal Wise Traditions. It is an exploratory dive into the wonderful legacy of … Read More
Do you (or does anyone you know) struggle with sleep? If so, this post (and its sister post Improve Your Sleep Using Ancestral Food) is for you! Sleep is, and always has been, my Achilles heel. If you, like me, … Read More
Do you (or does anyone you know) struggle with sleep? If so, this post (and its sister post Improve Your Sleep Using Ancestral Wisdom) is for you! Sleep is, and always has been, my Achilles heel. If you, like me, … Read More
If I say the word beer, what do you think of? For me, it’s that men drink it, and it tastes bitter. Because of these two things, for most of my life I’ve thought beer wasn’t for me. Beer’s a … Read More
This post contains affiliate links. You will receive a discount if you use them and I will receive a small payout. Think living in an apartment means you can’t compost? Meet Bokashi: the apartment-friendly, super-quick, odour-free way of fermenting your … Read More
The Weston A. Price Foundation published my article Fact Or Fiction? Uncovering The Fats Of Italy’s Past in the Summer 2022 edition of their journal Wise Traditions. It was a deeper dive into my previous piece ‘The Myth of Olive … Read More
What ingredients do you associate with Italian cooking? If I ask you this question, I’m guessing a list starts forming in your mind. And I’d lay money on olive oil being close to the top. Italians have been cooking with … Read More
The idea that cooking fermented foods kills the probiotics in them, therefore losing all the associated health benefits has always been a bit of a puzzle for both my mind and my body. Here’s why: Ancestral cultures the world-over have … Read More
Honey from a Weed is a book from 1986 written by Patience Gray. It is a collection of recipes, techniques, and experiences gathered in the 1960s and 1970s in five communities around the Mediterranean. Gray describes the “Honey” in the … Read More
I love podcasts. I can put in my headphones, shut everything out and lie on the sofa, or chop up some veg whilst learning, laughing and sharing in someone else’s world. And I love the medium so much that I … Read More
Oatmeal, or porridge, is a wonderful way to start the day. And soaking your oats the night before you cook them can make the breakfast you consume tastier, easier to digest and more nutritious. Soaking oats potentially, depending on how … Read More
Have you heard that you should be ‘eating more protein’, but not had the time to figure out how much more or how exactly to get it into your meals, especially that all-important breakfast? This article will explain protein recommendations, … Read More
I would much rather eat nutrient-dense real food than take a supplement. Why pay extra for a supplement (which has been packaged and shipped to you) when you could generate the same thing in your own kitchen from real food?! … Read More
It doesn’t have to be hard to get your daily dose of the amazing nutritional food that is bone broth! Check out my article My 5 Favourite Ways To Use Bone Broth and then cook up the simple, warming and … Read More
Oatcakes were the one of the staple foods of the Scottish, Welsh, Irish and nothern English populations long before the advent of the more modern grain, wheat. The ‘cake’ in their name may make our modern minds think that they … Read More
These are the most amazing treat I’ve ever come up with. You’ll love them, I promise! If you want to make your own bean-to-bar chocolate to cover them in, check out my course here
These oatcakes have been a staple way to start the day in the north of England for centuries and are traditionally made thin and pliable, like pancakes, and then stuffed with breakfast foods such as eggs, bacon and sausages. When … Read More
Lardo, the traditional Italian way of dry curing pork fat, is a delicious. It is best sliced very thinly and can be eaten in many ways. Here are some favourite ways to enjoy it: Lay lardo on top of warm … Read More
Want a delicious, creative way to use fermented oats? This is tasty, easy and it keeps really well in the fridge or freezer. Eat slices hot and fresh, cut a chunk off from the leftovers as a quick snack, and … Read More
Thank you to Meredith Leigh for posting this on her Instagram and lighting my ancestral experimentation fire! Crunchy pig skin is a marvel. A product that looks like waste, transformed into a light, crispy, crunchy joy of a snack. I … Read More
There’s a wealth of fat-enriched breads in many cuisines because we’ve known, for a very long time, that fat and bread are so good together. The Italian recipe litany, where this bread originates, is no exception! Fat-enriched breads were particularly … Read More
Making a cake should be easy. But what if you can’t eat eggs, you don’t use refined sugar and you want it to be sourdough? That’s where this recipe came from and if you want to have a go, you’ll … Read More
Eating gluten-free (or lectin-free) does not mean you need to give up baking and eating good bread. Making sourdough bread at home with grains that are gluten-free (or lectin-free) is simple. Many gluten and lectin-free recipes I see for sourdough … Read More
Slow-cooked beef heart is a staple in our house. It’s simple, economical and can feed my family all week. Those three things in one dish feels like the holy grail to me! A lot of people feel intimidated by organ … Read More
This post talks about the live bake-up of a long-matured/fermented gingerbread dough. If you would like to see how to prepare the dough written down, check out other my post here. I’ve been making a rye spice bread with sourdough … Read More
There are so many other ways to naturally ferment bread than sourdough. Any form of live culture – yogurt, sauerkraut, beer – is a potential bread-maker! In this recipe, I’ll show you one of my favourite methods; using milk kefir … Read More
Sowans is a traditional Scottish fermentation that wild ferments the oat grain, producing a smooth, creamy, zingy and super-nutritious porridge and I absolutely love it. When I love something, I also love to share it! And sharing my Sowans technique … Read More
I first learnt about the wonders of malted grains to enhance the flavour of bread when I made Russian bread and since then I’ve been an addict. What is malt? Malted grains are any grains that have been germinated and … Read More
This sourdough soup is so good, I literally make discard for it when I don’t have any. And I’m not alone in believing it’s worth the effort. Traditionally, all over Slavic and Baltic regions, cereals have been purposely fermented into … Read More
*An updated, lighter version of this bread is part of my comprehensive course, Wholegrain Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics. * Rye has been used to make bread for thousands of years. It’s not only super tasty, it’s also lower … Read More
I love spelt and I love eating whole grain. When I first started teaching myself sourdough baking, I was determined to work with this nutty, ancient grain and not leave out any of its bran. I wanted a well-risen, easy-to-make, … Read More
There aren’t many foods more amazing, yet seemingly humble, than garlic. It truly deserves the title of super food. Our ancestors knew of garlic’s medicinal power long before science explained the hows and whys. For centuries it has been lauded … Read More
Russian Bread Kvass is a favourite in our house. It’s sweet, it’s sour, it’s bubbly, it’s rich. And that’s before you’ve flavoured it – which you can do with fruit, herbs, spice and roots. Kvass is a less-well-known cousin to … Read More
Sourdough pancakes are simple, delicious and can be made and enjoyed in so many ways. You can eat them sweet and crispy for a continental style breakfast. You can cook them soft, fill them with beans and roll them up. … Read More
It’s time to cook up some pizza! And not just any pizza… Sourdough Wholegrain Spelt Pizza: One that is not only incredibly tasty, but gives you all of the ancient grain’s nutrients and is good for your tummy. That’s gotta … Read More
Toad-in-the-Hole is an English dish that combines the gloriousness that is sausages with the deliciousness of a crispy, bready surrounding. It is filling and comforting. I love it. Traditionally, it is made with a white flour batter. Being a Toad-in-the-Hole … Read More
I love bread. So when I heard the statistic that over 40% of the bread sold in the UK is thrown away, my reaction was visceral: “What?! That’s crazy!” In my adopted home, Italy, there are many, many recipes based … Read More
Don’t you just love soda bread? It’s density, its moreishness, its cakiness, its simplicity. The only downside, in the past, for me, was that the flour wasn’t pre-fermented or pre-soaked, and I know that means less nutrients available for my … Read More
Here is the way I make sauerkraut: Remove a large outside leaf from your cabbage and set aside, then chop the rest of it into small pieces. Put the bowl on your scales and put the cabbage into it, weighing … Read More
What’s better on a cold day than a large pot of super-comforting, thick and rich stew? Here’s one based on beef and barley that has built-in variation so you can make a beautiful stew for a cold day in a … Read More
I have baked bread and pizza in ceramic, non-stick and glass bakers as well as using casserole dishes and Dutch ovens. Here are my current favourite ways to bake: Emile Henry Loaf Baker This ceramic baker gives the most amazing … Read More
Do you want to get the most you can from your bread, in terms of both taste and health? Do you worry that the pre-ground flour that you are using is losing its nutritional power and potentially going rancid as … Read More
This is a clip from my course Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics which explains the (massive) difference between baking with wheat and baking with rye If you’d like me to be your guide in bringing 100% wholegrain rye sourdough … Read More
“How do I use different ancient grains in making sourdough bread?” “How do they behave differently from wheat?” “How do I freeze and store dough or finished bread?” “And why do all those loaves on Instagram look like THAT, and mine looks like THIS?” All these questions and many more crop up when we discuss sourdough bread.… Read More
Eating gluten-free (or lectin-free) doesn’t mean you have to go without sourdough bread. It’s simple to create and maintain a gluten-free sourdough starter and use that to make your own gluten-free (and lectin-free) sourdough bread – I’ve been doing it … Read More
Download the drawing here. To access my free video course, 10 Tips For Creating & Maintaining A Sourdough Starter (over at The Fermentation School) click here
Very often the thing that stumps us as home sourdough bakers, in our quest to make brilliant bread, is our ambient temperature. The bacteria harnessed in sourdough breads and starters work well at warm temperatures and if we keep our … Read More
There are a lot of articles out there telling you how to create a sourdough starter. Despite this, as a sourdough baker, the most questions I get asked are about sourdough starters. I’ve birthed a lot of starters over my … Read More
There is a lot of equipment out there aimed at the at-home sourdough baker. In my experience, most of it is non-essential and will just fill up your cupboards. There are however, a few things that really will help you … Read More
It’s not easy creating a sourdough starter. In fact, I think it’s the hardest thing about baking sourdough bread. Especially if it’s your first time. Sometimes, you follow the instructions meticulously, yet it doesn’t work. In my experience, this is … Read More
