A dinner of fermented foods may not sound very appetizing. To ferment food, we let it sit out, letting bacteria grow. But, if you think about it, we eat, and drink, a lot of fermented products. Wine and beer are fermented, as is apple cider vinegar and kombucha. Sourdough bread, yogurt, kefir, miso and kimchi are all fermented foods. Cabbage, when fermented, becomes sauerkraut and fermented cucumbers are pickles.
Historically, fermentation was a way of preserving food. And, there are a lot of health benefits to eating fermented food. When food is fermented, a chemical reaction takes place in which sugars are broken down into acids or alcohol. This process allows beneficial bacteria (probiotics) and digestive enzymes to prosper. These probiotic bacteria improves digestion, boosts immunity, provides minerals that build bone density, helps fight allergies and kills harmful microbes.
So, when I was invited to the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad for a Fermentation Dinner, I did not hesitate to accept. How could I say no to eating and drinking a five course meal that one could argue would be good for me.
A great daiquiri is a crisp and clean cocktail made with rum, lime juice and sugar. Finding balance between the rum and the lime, a daiquiri should not be sweet...
My days and nights are filled with wine lunches, tastings and dinners. And one of the biggest challenges is limiting how much is consumed if I am driving home. But this week, I went to lunch on a beautiful, crisp, clear day at the Malibu Beach Inn and spent three hours sipping Seedlip cocktails. And, in the end, I got in my car and drove home. Why? Because all of my cocktails were non-alcoholic! It was such a treat to sip cocktails all day and yet not experience the effects of the alcohol, among other benefits, and that is why Seedlip Cocktails are the Please The Palate pick of the week.
Seedlip Distilled Non-Alcoholic Spirits are the world's first distilled non-alcoholic spirits. Made from herbs and botanicals, it is a truly nonalcoholic spirit, as well as sugar-free, allergen-free, sweetener-free and has no artificial flavoring. And Seedlip has no calories or carbs.