Shared Cultures

Eleana Hsu and her partner Kevin Gondo are crafting seasonal farm-to-jar misos, shoyus, and umami seasonings at Shared Cultures. Both avid mushroom foragers, they turned to fermentation to preserve the bounty of mushrooms they foraged in the forest. At home, they prefer to cook simply, using their own fermentation larder to season dishes and allowing the fresh ingredients to speak for themselves.

An unconventional tool in your kitchen that you can't live without?

We can't live without our chopsticks. Chopsticks are not only for eating, they are also for sauteeing, stirring, picking things up — they are the perfect tool!

A common mistake that home cooks make?

Only relying on salt and pepper - delicious food has a nice balance of spices, acids, and umami rich ingredients like miso and soy sauce to help build depth and complexity in a dish.

How do you approach balancing flavors in a dish?

Tasting your dish regularly when you are cooking and then seasoning in stages helps build flavor and you can adjust as needed.

AN INGREDIENT YOU'LL ALWAYS SPLURGE ON?

Miso!

A common ingredient you think is overrated?

Garlic powder. We would replace it with fresh garlic or shallots.

Any advice to give home cooks about ingredient sourcing?

Shop at your local farmer's market. Seasonal and fresh is always best!

What's a pro kitchen cooking hack that works just as well at home?

The use of mise en place, we do this before we start fermentation, and at home. It's nice to get your station ready before you start anything, because it helps streamline your workflow.

What can home cooks learn from professional kitchen cleaning routines?

Wash your hands, and wash your hands especially after handling your phone.

Tips for applying restaurant-level organization at home?

Keeping track of when food enters your fridge or freezer by writing down the dates is an effective way to stay organized at home. This simple practice helps you manage inventory, reduce food waste, and ensure that you're using ingredients within their optimal freshness periods.

HOW TO SALVAGE AN OTHERWISE RUINED DISH?

With fermentation, once it's ruined it's hard to go back.

WHERE CAN WE TRY SOME SHARED CULTURES FERMENTS?

www.shared-cultures.com, or follow us at @sharedcultures

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