Things I've Learned This Year: Part II
More things I learned this year: Fermentation -- I have been reading Cooking for Geeks , which has taken me down a long road of learning about food. One of the things that fascinates me is fermentation, which I was long aware of as a source of alcohol, of course, but which is also used in a number of other aspects of food preparation. Fungi -- fermentation can be accomplished by bacteria or yeast, and I was amazed to learn that yeast are a type of fungi. This led me into something I have long wanted to know more about, namely the various types of unicellular organisms. Onychomycosis -- My other encounter with fungi was not so theoretical: I learned that I have toe fungus, which sounds so much better when you use the scientific name. It's one of those common ailments that medicine has somehow not devised a simple cure for, so I have been soaking my toes for 10 months now. Fermentation also led me into learning about the many products that can be made from mil...