Jason Sandeman

“Why” matters to me.

I like figuring out how things work, but I habitually find myself asking, what’s the reason why they work the way they do?

So I look under the hood. I take things apart. I experiment. Sometimes I get it wrong.

Eventually, I get pretty good at putting things back together. Once it makes sense, I test, adjust, and see if I can make it better.

Make it make sense.

Recent Work

  • How I Make the Chaos Make Sense

    I have an idea, I document it, and then it disappears into the dark hole that is my Notes app. So I finally tried to make the chaos make sense.

  • Ingredienti Test #1: Barilla Gluten-Free Penne

    I needed to know whether gluten-free pasta could actually hold up at our table. Barilla Gluten-Free Penne was the first test.

  • Lacto-Fermented Pickles, Batch #2: Problem Solved. Problem Relocated.

    Batch #1 was insipid. Naturally, I made Batch #2. New jars, a new process, some improvised fermentation engineering—and one fuzzy little problem. Apparently making better pickles means figuring out new ways to fuck them up first.

  • Papa’s Knife

    After making passata with an old cook and his cheap paring knife, I came home and realized something: despite owning a roll of expensive professional knives, the one I actually use cost me nothing.

  • Batch #1: Lacto Pickles — 5/10. Did I Screw Them Up, or Do I Just Not Like Lacto-Fermented Pickles?

    My first batch of lacto-fermented pickles worked. Probably. The bigger question is whether I actually like lacto-fermented pickles.

  • Basil Guild

    Last year I had a hot pepper guild — two jalapeños, two habaneros in an enormous pot, and they crushed it. I tried to overwinter the pepper plants — and I killed them. Classic. This year I went on vacation in late June and never got around to replanting the pot. When I got back,…