Building a calm, creative space on your schedule
I started Ferment + Chill in the autumn of 2020, when many of us needed a relaxed virtual space to come together. We were all burnt out from Zoom calls, and had taken a ton of online classes, so I decided to make something a bit different: an online class of sorts, but mainly a space for people to come together and just relax and create with no expectations or strict guidance.
We had conversation prompts, and I did demos and taught fermentation techniques and answered questions, but mostly we let our minds wander as our hands worked:
Many students would make the week’s recipes along with me, but others would bring their own projects from the kitchen and beyond, and make those instead.
There’s something powerful about the combination of being in community and creating something by hand, and we all left our class sessions a bit more grounded and a bit closer together.
Over the next year, I continued to host occasional Ferment + Chill sessions for folks, but not everyone who wanted to could work it into their schedules, so I’ve created this version to help you create your own Ferment + Chill space at home.
While Ferment + Chill can be done alone, you can also bring together a group of as few or as many people as you’d like to gather around and create some kitchen magic together. You can use the discussion prompts to guide conversation, but I also encourage you to let the conversation wander down rabbit holes as well. The prompts will always be there if and when you choose to return to them.
Whether in a group or alone, I’ve offered some suggestions for hosting your own Ferment + Chill, and for holding space to relax and create each week.
Your class includes:
- A course packet with suggestions for creating a calm place, developing a restful practice, and working calm creative time into your weekly routine.
- Weekly prompts for conversation or reflection, with themes that connect to each week’s recipes
- Recipes, ingredient and supply lists, and tips and tricks for each week
- Some favorite relaxation resources and nature soundtracks to enjoy while you ferment and chill