Liz Crain

Fermenter: DIY Fermentation for Vegan Fare, Sasquatch Books, fall 2023

Book description: Heads (of cabbage) are gonna roll! Learn how to make funky, flavorful ferments + fantastic hippie food that incorporate them. Fermenter is perfect for those looking to add some serious culinary wizardry and revolutionary DIY spirit to their vegan kitchen.

Like The Noma Guide to Fermentation but with a punk, DIY aesthetic and a it’s-OK-to-fail ethos, Fermenter provides the sought-after secrets and words of wisdom from Portland’s top fermentation educators, rising star chef Aaron Adams and author Liz Crain.

Based in Portland, Oregon (vegan capital of America), the Fermenter restaurant specializes in culinary fermentation to achieve their unique funky flavors. They handcraft their own local bean and grain tempehs, fresh and aged vegan cheeses, fizzy probiotic drinks, and koji ferments. They empower you to follow them down this highly addictive (and inexpensive) path, resulting in totally DIY food, free from mass-produced or corporate anything.

Whether you’re a pickle wizard already or a just want to level up your home-cook vegan cred, there are tantalizing options: North Coast Kraut (made with seaweed!) is a great beginner’s lacto-ferment; Chickpea Miso: a more complex, longer-lead ferment & pantry staple; Koji Beet Reuben: put those koji skills to work with this umami bomb; Cheesy Jojo Supreme with Tempeh Bacon: the perfect stoner food, like if stuffed potato skins were a nacho dish

Beware: Vegetables will be slaughtered.

Recent press:
WIRED Magazine Top Cookbooks 2023.
Booklist review review.
Portland Book Fest with Hetty Lui McKinnon and Gregory Gourdet.
KATU AM Northwest demo of the book’s Ruby Kraut.
KATU Afternoon Live with me and Aaron demo’ing from the book.
KBOO Radio Jonesy show with me and Aaron talking with Ken Jones.
Powell’s Books blog post about the book.
Kirsten Shockey’s Substack Ferment Nerds newsletter about the book.
Rich Shih of Koji Alchemy What’s in the Jar with me about Fermenter.
Largehearted Boy author playlist for the book.
Eater coverage of Fermenter.
Portland Monthly coverage of Fermenter.
Portland Mercury coverage of Fermenter plus Portland Book Festival.
VegOut coverage of Fermenter.

"Fermenter is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in the country, and luckily, I live just a few blocks away…Fermenter cookbook is a blueprint to get started fermenting at home whether you will be making pickles for the first time or are a kimchi wizard…I have explored various fermentation methods and have had ferments on my menus, but I learned new things in every single recipe of this vital book…when everything clicks, something incredible happens. And with a fridge and pantry stocked with a sundry of fermented foods, your cooking game transforms. Your family, friends, and health will thank you for it”
—Gregory Gourdet, James Beard Award-winning author of Everyone’s Table, chef and founder of Kann, and Top Chef All-Star

“This book RULES! Along with Pietramala in Philly and Oakland’s Lion Dance Cafe, Fermenter is part of a select new breed of restaurant severely altering and advancing the vegan food landscape in this country. Thrilling.”
—Brooks Headley, chef and author of Superiority Burger Cookbook

"Fermenter is a one-of-a-kind fermentation-driven vegan restaurant, with gorgeous and delicious food, and Aaron is a one-of-a-kind chef and human being. I'm so glad he teamed up with Liz Crain to share his adventures in flavor-building via fermentation. This cookbook is full of accessible and down-to-earth ideas for using ferments in a wide range of dishes, complete with recipes and fermentation techniques."
—Sandor Ellix Katz, fermentation revivalist and New York Times-bestselling author of The Art of Fermentation, Wild Fermentation, and Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys

“Reading Fermenter is like hanging out, nibbling on ferments, and chatting with Aaron and Liz. Its vibe is chill, honest, and rich with story with an easy conversational tone. They've knocked it out of the park here with all sorts of approachable and delicious vegan ferments. And the thoughtful and encouraging recipes will leave you feeling like “I’ve got this!”
—Kirsten K. Shockey, author of five books on fermentation and co-founder of The Fermentation School

"Fermenter proves that cooking vegan need not be bland or boring. It's a wellspring of instructive and tantalizing recipes for ferments, and refreshingly, also for whole meals made with those ferments. You're going to love this food no matter your diet."
—David Zilber, New York Times-bestselling coauthor of The Noma Guide to Fermentation

“A marvelous compilation of fermentation techniques and applications that transforms what it means to be vegan. Through a ton of hard work, care and attention to develop these recipes, Aaron and Liz give you the tools to build flavors and textures that will bring your loved ones joy. For certain, Fermenter will empower you to make some of the best meals you’ve ever had.”
—Rich Shih, coauthor of Koji Alchemy: Rediscovering the Magic of Mold-Based Fermentation

“I am excited for Fermenter to join the kitchens of every ardent vegan, plant-based, and plant-curious food lover. Aaron and Liz’s creative force and understanding of ferments as foundational to deliciousness is amplified by their sense of humor, enthusiasm, and obvious care for how food and community are related.”
—Karen McAthy, author of The Art of Plant-Based Cheesemaking and founder of Blue Heron Creamery

"With Fermenter, experience the deliciousness of the renowned Portland restaurant but also the down-to-earth, roll-up-your-sleeves, DIY ethos and infectious spirit of the most generous and genuine human beings we’ve ever know.”
— Kevin Farley and Alex Hozven, The Cultured Pickle Shop

Dumplings Equal Love: Delicious Dumplings from Around the World, Sasquatch Books, fall 2020

Book description: At once a celebration of culinary diversity and a message of love via dumplings, this bright and innovative cookbook is stuffed with traditional and not-so-traditional dumpling recipes—plus recipes for dough and sauces—brought to you by the creative force behind Toro Bravo (McSweeney’s) and the lauded Hello! My Name is Tasty: Global Diner Favorites from Portland’s Tasty Restaurants (Sasquatch Books).

Internationally, dumplings have always played the dual role of an inexpensive comfort food passed down through generations; and a ceremonial, celebratory festival treat. Whichever way you enjoy them, you can now make your own dumpling memories with Dumplings = Love. Rooted in deep cultural respect, steeped in curiosity, and fed by the traditions of families who hold these recipes dear, Liz Crain adapts dumpling recipes from all over the world.

Inside, you’ll find everything from hearty, fist-sized Norwegian komper and small, delicate Chinese shumai to Pacific Northwest morel dumplings in orange-hued, smoky pimento skins. There are also recipes for ways to experiment with vibrant powdered vegetables, fruits, and spices to add color and versatile dipping sauces for extra flavor. Three primary dough recipes—all-purpose egg, all-purpose eggless, and gluten-free rice flour—plus techniques for forming and cooking dumplings, advice on sequencing tasks, and tips and tools for streamlining your kitchen will set you up for dumpling-making success.

“Do dumplings equal love? Well, ask anyone you give a plateful of the pork-and-homemade-kimchee mandu or gingery pork-and-cabbage gyoza from this cookbook, and you’ll probably get the answer, 'Are you kidding? Of course!' Food writer (and dumpling fanatic) Liz Crain guides readers through the key steps of making great dumplings—what tools and ingredients they’ll need, how to form different shapes, the nature of different dumpling doughs—before diving into a plethora of recipes (for both dumpling and dipping sauces) derived from cultures around the world. Classics like pork & shrimp shumai are present; so are pillowy Italian-inspired goat cheese dumplings in arrabbiata sauce, and shrimp & grits dumplings spiced up with homemade sambal."
—Food & Wine

"Most people know me for barbecue, but I have an abiding love—make that obsession—for dumplings. Liz Crain walks you step-by-step through their preparation, bringing uncommon passion and creativity to her recipes in what may be the most charming book on dumplings ever written. I only wish she did takeout!"
—Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible cookbook series and host of Project Fire and Project Smoke on PBS

"Crain’s perfectly-timed new cookbook shows how making dumplings can bring almost as much comfort as eating them."
—The Oregonian

"I love dumplings, and Liz Crain makes them easy, accessible, and fun!"
—Sandor Ellix Katz, author of Wild Fermentation, The Art of Fermentation, and Fermentation as Metaphor

“If we are being perfectly honest here, dough scares me. Reading Dumplings Equal Love left me inspired and confident to mix, roll, and stuff some dough. Liz Crain’s easy style and gentle instruction had me convinced I could do this. Dumplings Equal Love is a recipe rich global journey with encouragement and permission to create your own rainbow of dumplings. So I did, deliciously and successfully.”
—Kirsten K. Shockey, author of four fermentation books including bestselling Fermented Vegetables and award-winning Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments

"WE LOVE THIS BOOK! It is perfect for the serious cook (like Ann) and for the nowhere cook (like Stephen). It is a simple guide to huge flavors and what feels like endless variety. The book lays out the path through the forest to a world of eating we never would have tried on our own. Thank you. Thank you. Fun. Easy. Delicious."
—Ann Tobolowsky, actor and director; Stephen Tobolowsky, actor, writer and cocreator of The Tobolowsky Files podcast

”Liz Crain is one of my favorite food writers, and her first solo cookbook, Dumplings Equal Love, is informative, fun, and filled with easy-to-follow and delicious dumpling recipes from around the world."
—David Gutowski, creator of the blog Largehearted Boy

"We've long enjoyed John's cooking since he first opened Toro Bravo and then Tasty n Sons and Tasty n Alder. His global palate and offbeat approach to diner classics shine through in this collection of must-try recipes, many of which are sure to improve lazy weekend mornings far and wide."
— John Becker and Megan Scott, authors of The Joy of Cooking, 10th Edition

"Never has a book lived up so righteously to its name as Hello! My Name is Tasty, the new cookbook from Portland food masterminds, chef John Gorham and writer Liz Crain. Chock full of gorgeous photos, great writing, and inventive yet super comforting recipes, reading Tasty is so absorbing and entertaining you'll almost forget to cook the food—almost."
— Isaac Fitzgerald, books editor of BuzzFeed

"Unchain yourself with this easy [recipe]"
—O, The Oprah Magazine

"Brunch at home is entirely underrated: there’s no wait, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper, and it’s a great way to use up leftovers. Learn the art of the home brunch from Portland chef John Gorham, whose celebrated restaurants, Tasty ‘n Sons and Tasty ‘n Alder, serve up a fresh take on brunch dishes with global influences.”
—Food52

"It’s a winner for home cooks who feel like pancakes and eggs one day, charcuterie and cocktails the next."
—Library Journal

"While Portland, Oregon, restaurateur Gorham’s chain of restaurants honors Pacific Northwest culinary traditions, he combines that cooking with what he considers the finest of southern cooking. His dishes gleefully mix these continentally opposite schools of taste for a mash-up that keeps customers piling in."
—Booklist

"Grow Your Own: Understanding, Cultivating, and Enjoying Cannabis, by the team behind the high-end grow-op Raven Grass, in Olympia, Washington, helps you do exactly as advertised, with easy-to-follow, elegantly illustrated instructions.”
— Esquire

“A perfect present for all cannabis lovers ― even if they’re not planning on starting a garden anytime soon. The full-color, photo-illustrated book explains everything from the history of marijuana, to what individual cannabinoids and terpenes do, to the different ways to consume pot ― and yes, a detailed explanation of all the ways to grow it.”
— Rolling Stone

"Fun, informative, and stylishly designed, this guidebook positions marijuana cultivation as a legitimate,
high (no pun intended) end, enjoyable hobby in the style of brewing beer or growing orchids.”
— Publishers Weekly starred review

Toro Bravo: Stories. Recipes. No Bull., McSweeney's Books, Fall 2013

Book description: At the heart of Portland's red-hot food scene is Toro Bravo, a Spanish-inspired restaurant whose small plates have attracted a fiercely loyal fan base. But to call Toro Bravo a Spanish restaurant doesn't begin to tell the whole story. For chef John Gorham, each dish reflects a time, a place, a moment. For Gorham, food is more than mere sustenance. The Toro Bravo cookbook is an honest look behind the scenes: from Gorham's birth to a teenage mother who struggled with drug addiction, to time spent in his grandfather's crab-shack dance club, to formative visits to Spain, to becoming a father and opening a restaurant. Toro Bravo also includes 95 of the restaurant's recipes, from simple salads to homemade chorizo, along with an array of techniques that will appeal to both the home cook and the most seasoned, forearm-burned chef.

"Toro Bravo is so much more than a cookbook (though it does a damn fine job of being just that). It's a passionate story of how one great chef found his way by following his heart and trusting his gut. It's a moving memoir and a gastronomic map. It's a practical guide and a culinary cri de coeur. It's the book I'm going to press into everyone's hands."
— Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild

"Toro Bravo is the amazing story of a man's life and the building of a great restaurant. I loved it."
— Gus Van Sant

"The Toro Bravo cookbook is unique in its storytelling: John's personal story, the stories of the restaurant's evolution, the stories behind the recipes. Toro Bravo's magic lies in its ability to seamlessly merge the art of cooking with the commerce of dining: these are small plates, with big ideas."
— Andrew Zimmern, co-creator and host of Bizarre Foods

"Having gone to high school in Spain, some of my most vivid food memories are conjured by Spanish flavors. Gorham's dishes are not replicas of those in Barcelona or San Sebastian but their flavor and sensibility are as Spanish as anyone's. These guys (and their stories) make Portland one of the most exciting restaurant cities in the world today."
— Mario Batali

"John Gorham is a chef with a unique personality; he is magic. In his book Toro Bravo, he puts all his passion and soul into sharing Spanish cuisine with Americans. I'm certain both professional chefs and home cooks will love it."
— Ferran Adrià, head chef at ElBulli

"John Gorham seemingly mind-reads what we want to eat: comfort and craft popping with salty, sweet, spicy flavors. No one better translates Portland's raging gustatory desires and DIY spirit. This book captures the joy of Toro Bravo; all heart, no bull."
— Karen Brooks, author of The Mighty Gastropolis

"Here in Portland, Toro Bravo carves an uncommon niche—simultaneously adventurous and comforting. This cookbook, like the restaurant itself, tells the story of one restless spirit's search for home. These are recipes you'll want to both cherish and share."
— Carrie Brownstein, creator of Portlandia

"I've known John Gorham for over a decade, since I first got to town and he turned me down for a job. Since that fateful rainy morning, we've cooked together, confided in each other, commiserated (read: partied) together, and grown up significantly. Toro Bravo is the greatest expression of who John really is: nostalgic, spirited, brutally honest, fun as hell, and one of Portland's all-around-greatest chefs. The Toro Bravo cookbook captures his vision, ferocity, determination, and hilarity."
— Jason French, chef-owner Ned Ludd

"So many of my Portland friends have recommended that I eat at Toro Bravo, over the years, that I couldn't ignore their suggestion. I've loved the restaurant's many ferments, amazing food, and entire aesthetic. In the Toro Bravo cookbook, Chef John Gorham, collaborating with writer Liz Crain, has not only made the flavors of Toro Bravo accessible to home cooks with excellent, easy-to-follow recipes, but shared fascinating stories of his journey to the helm of some of Portland's best restaurants. This book is filled with culinary inspiration."
— Sandor Ellix Katz, Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation

"You're gonna love this cookbook. Toro Bravo brought something special to Portland when it opened, and still does: easy-to-love, Spanish-style food in a non-fussy atmosphere."
— Stephen Malkmus, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

"An astoundingly comprehensive guide to Portland food. Crain has unearthed numerous gems in the nooks and crannies of Portland..."
— Tami Parr, author of Artisan Cheese of the Pacific Northwest

"Indispensable...Crain's book celebrates the local food scene through hundreds of listings and profiles of Portland producers, purveyors, distillers, bakers, food carts, CSAs, farmers markets and beyond."
— Ashley Gartland of The Oregonian

"NWBL is hungry, thanks to Liz Crain. We want her to take us on an eating tour of Portland, hitting all the markets and carts and cafes she writes about in Food Lover's Guide to Portland..."
— Jamie Passaro of Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association

More than just a restaurant guide...contains profiles and interviews with the folks...producing the high-quality ingredients that are largely responsible for putting this little foodie mecca on the map.
— Megan Zabel of Powell's Books

"A just-bigger-than-pocket-sized compendium of the PDX eating scene that's sure to resonate with the minds, hearts, and bellies of us all."
— Mike Thelin of Portland Monthly

"[Teruo Kurosaki’s] a bit like Terence Conran and Giulio Cappellini rolled into one: a talent-spotter, retailer and manufacturer who has introduced his countrymen to Western contemporary design and helped a string of designers – including Marc Newson, Philippe Starck and Shiro Kuramata – gain international recognition." — Marcus Fairs, Icon Magazine

"The same year Popeye’s guide dropped, design icon Teruo Kurosaki―who’d begun a Portland-inspired food-cart pod and farmers market in Tokyo the previous year―published a book-length guide to our city titled True Portland, praising what he calls our city’s “future vision,” a confluence of maker culture, ecologically oriented city planning and forward-thinking design. When it came out, True Portland became the best-selling Japanese-language guidebook of any kind."
— Matthew Korfhage, Willamette Week