Laura Bonicelli. Photos: Chris Emeott
Minnetonka Community Education featured classes on fermented foods led by area chef.
When it comes to healthy eating, it can be difficult to navigate the latest trends. Learning about nutrition and implementing it in your own life can be overwhelming. Foodie and chef Laura Bonicelli recognized these hurdles and saw others struggling to prioritize cooking and healthy eating. What started as small efforts to help others learn to cook soon blossomed into a lifelong journey of teaching others to love food as much as she does.
At the height of COVID-19 and born from a personal desire to feel physically better, Bonicelli launched Mindful Mediterranean, a program that includes classes, menus/recipes, guidelines and encouragement through group and individual coaching. Along with reducing the uses of processed foods and refined sugar, incorporating fermented food is a central aspect to the program.
Fermented Cucumber Slices add extra oomph to sandwiches, salads and more.
In simple terms, fermentation is the process through which microorganisms convert carbohydrates into alcohol or acids. “The bacteria feeds on sugar, so as that sugar is eaten by bacteria, it creates acids, which are good for you,” Bonicelli says.
Levi Teigen, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School and registered dietitian, believes in the positive impacts of fermented foods. “Fermented products offer a way to consume nutrient-dense foods that might not otherwise be well tolerated in their unfermented form,” Teigen says. Popular fermented food include kimchi, kombucha, sourdough and yogurt. Although, the possibilities are endless, especially with Bonicelli’s arsenal of recipes.
Fermented Thai Chili Paste is a must when recipes need extra flavor assistance.
Following the successes of the meal delivery service and Mindful Mediterranean program, Bonicelli also opened the restaurant Bonicelli Kitchen and started Bonicelli Cooking Club, which covers cooking techniques and recipes. She also has taught a course through Minnetonka Community Education specific to fermented food. Through her class, community members learned about fermentation and safely made their own fermented food. Her favorites to make at home? Peach-tomato salsa, miso made from soy or brown rice, and sauerkraut. “I make sourdough bread weekly,” Bonicelli says. “I’ve been using the same starter since 2014.”
Interest in fermenting has been building over time, and community members are increasingly leaning in toward learning about the process. Whether you are a farmers market enthusiast or canning expert, fermenting food might just be your next calling.
Whether visiting farmers markets or growing food at home or in a community garden, using fresh ingredients is key to knowing what you are consuming. When peak garden season hits, Laura Bonicelli stocks up on produce to make kimchi, pepper and tomato pesto, salsa and various flavor combinations of sauerkraut. “Get creative with spices, whether dry or fresh,” Bonicelli says. “I see it as a creative process as much as a cooking process.”
Tasty Roots
Growing up in a large Italian community, Bonicelli learned to cook at a young age, watching her grandmother make fresh pasta, ravioli and gnocchi. Her father loved to cook for holidays, and her mother was the designated baker with pies and potica, so it’s no surprise that Bonicelli has always felt at home in the kitchen. “There was a feeling of completeness when I was cooking,” Bonicelli says. She wrote her first recipe for Cranberry Granola at age 17 and hasn’t stopped since.
When Bonicelli decided to return to her roots and visit Italy, her unwavering passion for cooking only deepened. In Europe, chefs typically visit food markets at or around 5 a.m., picking out fresh ingredients for the day—a habit Bonicelli quickly embraced. This new routine meant that ingredients were chosen first, and the menu creation came after that. She built relationships with farmers and prioritized locally grown, fresh and thoughtfully produced food.
Fermented Peach and Tomato Salsa brings garden and market flavors together in a most wonderfully delicious way.
Inspired by her time in Italy, Bonicelli started her first project in 2008—a meal delivery service that focused on getting fully prepped, organic food into the hands of customers who weren’t cooking for one reason or another, including having time constraints, holding onto bad eating habits or remaining stuck in meal ruts—all of which can be difficult to push through to develop new cooking skills and mealtime routines. “My goal was to get people into the kitchen, to reach home cooks and teach them about healthful food,” Bonicelli says.
Mason Jar Sauerkraut
“My Mason Jar Sauerkraut is a tasty way to reap the health benefits of the fermentation process without committing to a large recipe. I use this sauerkraut daily on salads. It’s a cooking club favorite!” —Laura Bonicelli
This packed container of Mason Jar Sauerkraut is just two days old. Over time, it will lose its color, but certainly not its flavor!
- 32 oz. Mason jar
- 2 lbs. cabbage, cut into thin ribbons
- 1 sweet or tart apple, cored and julienned (optional)
- 12 juniper berries
- 1 tsp. caraway seeds
- 1 tsp. mustard seeds
- 4 tsp. kosher or pickling salt, divided
- 2 cups filtered water, warm to aid in dissolving the salt
Mix the cabbage, apple (if using), juniper berries, caraway seeds, mustard seeds and 2 tsp. salt in a non-metal bowl with a wooden spoon. Let sit for 10 minutes. Stir the cabbage mixture; let sit for an additional 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. While the cabbage is resting, sterilize the jar, and mix 2 tsp. salt into the warm filtered water to dissolve. Set aside. Using a wooden spoon, pack the cabbage into the jar. Add enough of the salted water to fill to the rim. If the mixture bubbles, add more water if necessary when the bubbling stops. Cover the jar with cheesecloth or a clean dish towel, and set in a pie plate or sided dish on a countertop to ferment. The ideal temperature is between 65 and 75 F. Ferment for 3 days or up to 2 weeks. Skim off any scum or spots as it forms. Add salted water if necessary. Cover the jar with a lid, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Bonicelli Cooking Club
Facebook: Bonicelli Cooking Club
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