Cultured & Saucy: Simone and Lauren Temkin bring their love of fermentation to store shelves

The Cultured & Saucy condiment line will make an appearance in San Francisco at the Fancy Food Show, the West Coast's largest specialty food and beverage trade show that runs Sunday through Tuesday. NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
The Cultured & Saucy condiment line will make an appearance in San Francisco at the Fancy Food Show, the West Coast’s largest specialty food and beverage trade show that runs Sunday through Tuesday.
NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Before there was refrigeration, there was fermentation, a way of keeping foods around longer in all sorts of weather. The Germans have sauerkraut, and the Koreans have kimchee. Nearly every culture has something that uses natural processes to alter food and by doing so creates something marvelous. And as nutritionists have discovered, fermented food is good for you, too.

Enter jovial sister team Lauren and Simone Temkin, who produce Cultured & Saucy, a fermented condiment line that will please both vegans and carnivores alike. Their fermented salsas and sauces come in six varieties: Curry Chutney with Lime, Ginger and Turmeric; Dill Dijon Mustard with Lemon and Garlic; Exotic 5 Spice; Ginger Mint Saffron; Lime Chili Salsa; and Herbs de Provence. The sisters prefer to refer to the products as “condiments”; their product is so versatile, they say, that “sauce” doesn’t do it justice. Call it marinade and folks might not spread it on crackers or mix it in with mayo to make a dip.

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THE INN CROWD: It’s a hit: fried green tomatoes

Editor’s note: The next episode of “The Inn Crowd with Chef Budi Kazali,” featuring a demo of Fried Green Tomatoes, Arugula Salad and Remoulade with guest chef Fannie Flagg, best-selling author, begins a weeklong run on the News-Press TV Food Channel at tv.newspress.com on Sunday.

One guess what dish author Fannie Flagg would make as part of her guest chef duties on “The Inn Crowd with Chef Budi Kazali.”

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Gyro Worship – There’s more to the 37th Annual Greek Fest than just the food

It’s easy to take the Greek Festival for granted sometimes. Even in the economic downturn, the fest managed to do well, if not better than ever, last year.

“Our resolve last year was it was going to be the best and the biggest and the one with the most profit,” George Mamalakis, manager of the ever-popular gyro booth, says. Luckily, their hopes came true, and all proceeds went to the Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox church.

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Fiddle-Dee-Dee – Fourth Annual FiddleFest pours wines and bluegrass tunes for a good cause

Bob Dickey Photo
Bob Dickey Photo

Fiddlehead Cellars never took its name from the actual instrument or from its owners’ interest in music. Instead, the winery takes its name from the curly tip of a fern, which some cultures even pickle as a food. And Fiddlestix, the name of the vineyard, is a gosh darn ol’ swear word. But none of that matters in the fourth year of the FiddleFest, one of the Lompoc area’s favorite fundraisers, as wine tasting and bluegrass music will go hand in hand.

“Just as I started getting everybody that this was about the plant, then I went and added the twist of the fiddle music,” says Kathy Joseph, who owns Fiddlehead along with her husband

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