The Mycelium House - Fabricademy Final Project 2022 - Elsa Gil Benito

The mycelium house Elsa Gil Benito May 2022 Fabricademy Final Project

A circular plant-based gastronomic service. A ferment-lab, cuisine and biolab where food and design intersect.

The Mycelium House shows how a plantbased diet can be both nutritious and delicious giving whole and symbiotic meals, focusing on the fermentation through fungus, achieving tempeh, kombucha and cashew cheeses. While fermenting and cooking, food waste and failures from experimentation are created so they’d be transformed into biomaterials to develop the menage.

The Mycelium House creates a zero waste methodology that little shops and restaurants can apply to their own service.

It is adaptable to others, creating a symbiotic coexistence.

ABSTRACT

A LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR ABOUT THIS BOOK

CONTEXT

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FLAVORING THINGS UP

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TEMPEH KOMBUCHA CHEESE

9 21 27

WHY WASTE IT

31

TOOLS

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SYSTEM DESIGN

55 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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A letter from the author Design, gastronomy, circularity, technology, biology… They are all part of Elsa Gil, the author of this project.

While creating this project I’ve learnt a lot of things, not just from living organisms, fabrication and workflow; but also from me and how far I can go and trust a project. The main motivation was joining my two passions: bio-design and cooking.

I wanted to show how living organisms can help us to improve our health and how by design techniques, we can achieve a circular eco-system where we take part.

Considering myself as a biodesigner made changes in my life, as I could learn from nature and be more in contact with organisms that reminded me that we are not the only ones. Research made me realize that we are just a little ecosystem, part of a bigger one: and we need to protect and respect the whole ecosystem.

But being a biodesigner wasn’t enough, I needed to make an impact in my personal life too. That’s why I started with the diet, by being first vegetarian and then vegan; I needed to be open to all those changes that I wanted to happen in the whole world. I knew that I could be the one of many, that could help others in the journey of nutrition, ethical design, consumerism behavior… I need to clarify that I don’t see myself as the savior, I’m part of a community of people that took the opportunity and solution in veganism and biodesign to help our ecosystem.

Through this project, The Mycelium House, I saw an opportunity around gastronomy and design for showing my world. I created a wide range of possibilities and solutions that we can get closer to; and a delicious way of eating too.

With no further ado, here is my little ecosystem: The Mycelium House Elsa Gil Benito

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Context “The current food system doesn’t work for everyone, and it certainly doesn’t work for the environment.” We are living in a world where animal agriculture is responsible of producing between 14.5%18% of greenhouse gas emissions and it has also turned agriculture into a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. These two factors have altered the food industry by being responsible for almost a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions globally. (Info rescued from The Ellen Macarthur Foundation and Surge).

As the awareness of this big issue is expanding throughout the citizens, the plant-based options are increasing in the market as a way of achieving a lower impact in the food industrie. However many of those plant-based options can be owned by animal industries, be ultraprocessed and so not healthy, impacting the planet and our health. These options were created to approach another sector of users. Nevertheless, there are many ethical brands of food that were created with the main purpose of caring about the world, bringing “yummy” alternatives and opening the conversation.

“Changing our food system to one based on the principles of the circular economy is one of the most powerful things we can do to tackle climate change and build biodiversity. We can achieve this and provide healthy nutritious food for all.””

Image: The Mycelium House first workshop

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Answer to this problematic

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The Mycelium House and the food system This category of the food market is where this project focuses on, as they are powerful food in both a micro and macro scale. Fermented food is regular food that integrates bacterias along with their natural properties. Bacterias are everywhere and humans work properly because of them.

Before explaining which opportunities are present in fermented food, it is necessary to describe the context that created this canvas of work. Menstrual health is the reason why coherent foods and recipes were created. Women’s period is linked to the food that is placed in the body, as they can affect hormonal balance by an inflammation of the organs.

Nowadays women have disconnected from their periods and don’t look for the solution in nutrition. Chemical solutions are given instead of natural solutions which are more accessible and understandable.

The difference is that the first one acts like a bandage: if it is removed, the problem will come back and probably it’ll be worse. While the second one, brings in the process a lifestyle where the person can look for themselves, hearing and giving the necessities that their body is asking for. ​​ And that should have always been women’s lifestyle, but it’s not too late to change it! Nutrition is one of the most important things where humans can intervene: benefiting from real and organic food which are full of vitamins and essential nutrients. And although the phrase “we are what we eat” is true, it goes further: “we are what we can assimilate”. Because, a green juice is good, but if the body doesn’t have what it needs to digest it and take what’s good for the organism: the assimilation of the properties is not optimal.

Here is where gut health makes an entrance. Humans are a whole ecosystem, full of different living microorganisms

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that function in order (approximately 100 trillion micro-organisms) and have a symbiotic relationship with its host.

Every part of the body that is in contact with the outside world is loaded with microbiota, such as the skin, vagina, digestive tract and other areas.

So if good gut health is desired, and so a good hormonal balance: taking care of the bacteria is a good solution.

And how can it be done? With the right diet: a symbiotic diet where probiotic and prebiotic foods can be found. The ones that have living organisms (that appear in a fermentation process) and the ones that feed the bacteria. Tempeh, kombucha, miso, cheese, vinegar, koji, umeboshi…these are foods that need to be part of the diet so they can increase the bacterial health (with those other type that feed them).

But apart from their bacterial input, they have the nutrients from the ingredients they’re being made of.

Working from that path improvements can be made.

many

health

For this project two types of ferments were selected: tempeh and kombucha; as they can be easily integrated into regular diets as they are very versatile in flavor.

Graphic of how the women health relates to the nutriotiont and quiality of the food

Graphic showing the differents requirements that the female body needs in its different period phases.

Different type of food are encourage to eat during this periods for their propperties.

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How fungus can enter in a delicious lifestyle

Flavoring things

UP

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Okara tempeh

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Tempeh Tempeh is a traditional food from Indonesia based on the fermentation of soya beans with a fungus called Rhizopus Oligosporus and Aspergillus Oryzae.

It can be prepared with different legumes and cooked in many ways. It has high protein content (the % will vary from the ingredient used), vitamin B12 and promotes the gut microbiota. And how does it help assimilation and gut health?? By the same growth of the tempeh. The mycelium degrades the proteins from the legumes while growing, and it is considered as a pre-digestion making it easier to digest for the human body.

The tempeh movement shares the information to raise awareness on how tempeh is the food of the future as it is considered as healthy, sustainable and affordable (and delicious I must add).

as the traditional way: by making tofu or tempeh. Soya is high in tannins so it needs to be cooked properly in order to not get the antinutrients. Nevertheless local beans are encouraged to be eaten, those that have been in the history of the territory. Its people will have a digestive system more used to them. By just introducing the fermentation methods to the local beans, the assimilations of their properties can be improved: this is how the technique is localized. However as the climate is different in the Western World, adding technological resources is necessary to create an adequate environment.

For this project Spanish beans were used: chickpeas, kidney beans, green peas, lentils…

Soya tempeh for example has the same amount and quality of protein compared to beef, low in fat, no saturated fat, no cholesterol, good source of fiber and rich in calcium, iron and zinc, source of essential Vitamin B12, prebiotics, paraprobiotics, and anti-cancer isoflavones. It is that rich in nutrients that is beneficial for different cases: body-building, menopausal syndrome, and gut health.

Tempeh is a sustainable source of protein and vitamins as compared to beef, just 10% energy is used, 20% carbon dioxide emission; and it is 20 times more land efficient. Moreover in many countries, as Indonesia, the price is up to only 4% the price of beef.

Data collected from Dr. XXX presented in “The tempeh bible” where they analyzed all the properties from the tempeh, starting from health benefits, sustainability; to economic impact.

However soya beans have entered Europe in its “raw” version without being cooked

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Chickpea tempeh after 48 hours

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Chickpea tempeh Ingredients: 500 gr dried chickpeas 1 tbsp vinegar 3 gr - 1 tsp Ryzopius Oligosporus

Chickpea tempeh is my favorite kind from all the local possibilities. It is tender, nutty, smokey and it is a great combination with almost every meal. As hummus, chickpea tempeh is very versatile as there are many different flavors that you can add. You could experiment with a lot of spices, savory caramelization but also sweet; marinated in fruits or tamari… Or even raw it’s amazing.

In this recipe you could find the workflow that is the same for every kind of tempeh.

However each type of legume has its own trick and you could find it detailed in its own process.

Cooking steps:

Cooked chickpeas

Dry

Soak the chickpeas overnight (for at least 8 hours). Rinse them and throw the water as it is filled with antinutrients.

Place them in the pressure cooker with the vinegar and let them cook for 13 minutes after it hits the highest pressure point; or cook the chickpeas in a regular pot for about 30-40 minutes until they’re “al dente”.

Once they are cooked, rinse and place them in some clothes to dry. Dry and cool completely or otherwise the heat will kill the fungus or the humidity will spoil the batch. Help yourself with a hairdryer, oven or dehydrator. Once they’re dry, process at least half of the batch in order to break the legumes and make it easier for the fungus to eat them. After 3-4 quick pulses, dry them again.

Remove the big loose skins that might be inside. Rice flour could be added to improve spores’ adhesion and mix. Open the spores bag and measure it trying to not to breath close to them. Mix very well with the legumes until all the batch is covered in white (however if rice flour was used this vision won’t be representative, so mix a little more time to make sure). The mixing must be done homogeneously because

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Inoculated chickpeas

if not, there will be parts that won’t be well fermented.

Clean the mold with some vinegar and fill it with the tempeh (type of molds see pg.

53) Fill the mold

- Petri dish: try to respect the height limit, this means that when it is closed, the glass edges touch to each other and not with the legumes.. Compact them a little bit with a spoon and close the petri with the lid.

- Mold (silicone, plastic): compact them with the lid and add some rubber bands to enable its movement.

Allow airflow (image: plastic bag being pierced)

Place for 24-36 hours in the incubator

- Plastic bag: close it and compact the legumes by hand until obtaining the desired shape. Seal the opening with tape. Make holes in both faces of the bag with an approximate distance of 2-3 cm between them.

Place the inoculated legumes into the incubator (pg. 45) and set the range of temperature between 28-32ºC. During the first 12 hours any growth can be seen but it will speed up. After 24 hours the whole block will be surrounded by a light “translucent” mycelium, but it will be ready when it is very white. The process usually takes around 36 hours but it can go up to 48 hours. The more time it is fermenting the higher the acidity so don’t leave it longer. If the mycelium hasn’t grown, the smell is too acidic or looks like natto: analyze the factors that could have gone wrong to take in mind for the next batch, go to the chapter “Why waste it” (pg.31).

If the tempeh is a firm white block that doesn’t break while holding; and has a mushroom smell, then it is a perfect fresh tempeh. Store for up to one week in the fridge in a sealed container or cook it and freeze for up to three months.

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Chickpea tempeh after 36 hours

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Inspiring recipe

Goddess Buddah Bowl Ingredients: 1 block of tempeh Marinade sauce: 2 oranges 1 lemon 2 tbps tamari or pinch of salt 4 tbsp water 1 betroot 1 parnsip 1 sweet potato 1 onion thyme, salt and olive oil 1 cup quinoa 3 cups water to boil 1 avocado Greens & sprouts Pumpkin seeds Sauce: 1 tbsp mustard 1/2 tbsp agave 1 tbsp tahini 1 tsp miso 1 tbsp plant-based milk 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar Fresh turmeric Black pepper

A yummy bowl full of prebiotics and probiotics that makes a perfect symbiotic bowl. Tender from the oven baked roots and tempeh; light from the greens, crunchiness from the seeds...All the textures are achieved too!

Perfect for the ovulatory and premenstrual period, although it could be eaten anytime.

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Prepare the marinade sauce in a glass jar or small container. Cut the tempeh in cubes and soak them in the liquid for at least 3 hours (I leave mine overnight).

Put a weight or the same orange peels to avoid the tempeh come to the surface.

Soak the quinoa in water for about 6 hours before cooking. Heat 3 cups of water for 1 cup of quinoa and cook the grain with the lid on for 20 minutes, or until soft.

Rinse and let it cool.

Preheat the oven at 200ºC. Chop the beetroot in cubes; and parsnip and carrot in thick slices. Mix with olive oil, chopped thyme and rosemary; and some salt. Place the roots onto the baking tray and roast them for about 40 minutes until tender.

In the last 5 minutes you can introduce some pumpkin seeds to roast them. During my time in the residency I didn’t have an oven so I cooked the roots in a sauce pan with some water and with the lid on top.

When they were soft, I added some olive oil to achieve that crunchy texture on the outside. The pumpkin seeds where toasted in a saucepan Heat up a non-stick pan with although it is not completely and pour the tempeh cubes and in it. Let it cook and reduce. when brown.

some oil, necessary, the liquid Flip sides

Whisk all the ingredients for the sauce, grating fresh turmeric. The creaminess can be modified by adding more vinegar or plant-based milk (making the sauce softer and milder).

In a bowl introduce green leaves, the ovenroasted roots, cherry tomatoes, avocado and the tempeh, topping it with the sauce and the toasted pumpkin seeds.

Goddess buddah bowl in coffee biocomposite bowl

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Soya and peanut tempeh cooked in marinade

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Soya tempeh Ingredients: 250 gr soya beans

This tempeh is milder in flavor which makes it very versatile for any recipe.

However its taste is stronger than bought tempeh and tofu. It is tender, nutty and mushroomy.

1 tbsp of vinegar water to soak and boil

Cooking steps

1.5 gr - 1/2 tsp Ryzopius Oligosporus

If you have bought hulled soya beans, start by soaking overnight till 20 hours.

Rinse, cover in water and massage the beans in order to remove the hulls. They will float on the surface so if you pour the water gently while helping yourself with a colander, the hulls will come up first. Repeat this process until you have removed almost all the hulls.

A variation, add: 83 gr (1/3 of beans) of raw and dehulled peanuts 1 tbsp of vinegar (the triple quantity than regular)

If you have bought dehulled and split soya beans, you’ll just need to soak them overnight till 20 hours.

Cook the beans for X in a pressure cooker for 30-40 min until al dente in a regular pot, adding one tbsp of vinegar to the cooking water. If you’re adding peanuts, cook them for 30-40 minutes in a regular pot with the vinegar.

Take them out and let them cool down at room temperature and dry in some clothes.

You can accelerate the process with the hair dryer.

If you’re using whole beans (if you have not dehulled and break with o¡your hands), introduce in the food processor for a few pulses at least half of the batch. Dry them again.

Although this book tries to localize all the ingredients, using soya beans for the first experiments it’s a very good idea. Sometimes we start the fermentation recipes from the hardest one and we lose motivation because they tend to fail. So I recommend you to start with soya if you are not used to the tempeh workflow, conditions and tools; and later on you can start adding the peanuts to the recipe.

Soya is the most resilient legume so there is space for some mistakes.

Once dried, inoculate, mix and mold it. All the molding possibilities are explained in “chickpea tempeh”.

After 24-36 hours or until it’s completely white take the tempeh out of the mold and let it cool down to stop the fermentation.

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Inspiring recipe

Granola Ingredients: 1 block of tempeh 2 tbsp of maple syrup kombucha or agave mixed with 1 tbsp of water 2 tbsp of chia seeds 2 tbsp of linen seeds 10 tbsp of water or maple syrup kombucha 1 cup of rolled oats A mix of seeds: sunflower, pumking, sesame…

A mix of nuts Raisins and dry coconut Cinamon, ginger powder and salt

Preheat the oven at 180ºC While hydrating the chia and linen seeds with the kombucha or water, cut the tempeh in very little cubes and cook them in a pan with a little bit of olive oil. Once all the faces are brown, pour the kombucha or the mix of agave and water, and let it cook until it consumes. Let it cool down.

In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients with the spices, tempeh and the hydrated seeds (they should have thickened up). Mix well and if the granola is very wet, add more oats. The mix should be sticky, not dry so that the ingredients are loose from each other, but not wet that they stick to your hand.

Place the granola in a baking tray and bake it for 15 min, keeping an eye on it, until it’s brown and crispy. Turn off the oven and with the residual heat let the granola dry so it’s super crunchy. You can also use a dehydrator: 24 hours at 35ºC or 8 at 60º.

Store your granola in an airtight container and enjoy!!!

A good and alternative way of eating legumes. It can be eaten on top of yoghurts, smoothies, as a snack... Or even do it savory and top your salads with it!

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Granola on top of almond yoghurt in coffee biocomposite bowl made by hand

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Coffee kombucha’s SCOBY

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Kombucha WHAT

HOW TO KEEP ALIVE YOUR SCOBYS

Kombucha is a fermented drink with an acid flavor and can be carbonated. It is full of probiotics and the flavor alterations can be endless.

Think about the SCOBYs like a little kid: they need to be well fed and warm. After fermenting a batch of kombucha, they need to continue to eat in order to be healthy for the next one.

This fermentation is achieved by the collaborative work of microorganisms. They first transform the sugar into alcohol and then turn it into acetic acid. The same groups of microorganisms realize these two functions while creating a slimy bag known as “mother” or SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). The yeast is the one who turns the sugar from the liquid into alcohol; and then the bacterias oxidate the alcohol with the oxygen from the environment into acid. Kombucha just has around 0.5-1% of alcohol.

Intro from “Noma” book The microorganisms live in the mother, which must be always floating on the surface of the liquid in order to be in contact with the oxygen. It grows very quickly, extending lengthwise until it touches the edges of the container; and then in height. A close relationship needs to be achieved from working with SCOBYs as their health will affect the flavor directly. The objective of growing SCOBYs can be focused on these probiotics drinks or to obtain materials (see “Why Waste It” pg.31).

Being in a homemade “SCOBY hotel” is where they can be saved. It is as simple as preparing a caramel in another glass container, covered with a piece of cloth.

The mother could be there until all the food has gone.

HOW TO STORAGE IT Keep both inoculated kombuchas and hotels in a warm place so the fermentation can take place properly.

Keeping the SCOBY in the fridge and in and airtight container will sleep the mother.

WHAT IF THERE’S MOULD Mould can appear on the surface, more likely than in the mother. This could be because the level of ph wasn’t low enough and it made space in time for organisms to grow and be alive. The ph is lowered by pouring an old kombucha as its acidity enables the unwanted growth.

For The Mycelium House, there were two kinds of kombuchas fermented: from coffee grounds and from maple syrup. Coffee grounds were selected for this project as an opportunity to revalue the waste.

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Coffee grounds kombucha is perfect cold

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Coffee grounds kombucha Ingredientes: 120 gr sugar

This kombucha is a great way of reusing the coffee grounds, making an incredibly tasty liquid. It has the flavor notes characteristic of the coffee but with that touch of acidity.

880 gr water 365 gr coffee grounds

Cooking steps:

100 gr unpasteurize kombucha (or the liquid where the SCOBY comes into)

Put the coffee grounds (they can be both dry and wet) into a container.

1 SCOBY

Melt the sugar with X gr of water in a pot and then pour it into the container with the coffee grounds. Add the rest of the water and whisk well.

SCOBY

Close the container and let the liquid infusionate for 1 day or overnight (for a milder coffee flavor) in the fridge.

We’re infusionating the water.

Filter the liquid with a fabric strainer to remove the grounds, try to dry them.

Collect the coffee grounds for the chapter “Why Waste It”.

If the liquid is still very cold, let it take room temperature. Inoculate the kombucha with an old one, or in case this is your first one include the liquid that came with your SCOBY. Cover the container with a piece of cloth.

Cover the kombucha with a cloth an elastic band

Place the kombucha in a warm place and let it ferment for 7-9 days. I recommend you to test it in the last days, as the acidy can vary a lot from one day to another.

You will decide when to stop the quick process.

Take the SCOBY out and place it in the “hotel”, Filter the kombucha, pour it into a bottle and keep refrigerated. Take in mind that there’s still a fermentation happening but much slower.

Enjoy and save some of the kombucha for making the next batch!

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Inspiring recipe

Caramelize your tempeh Ingredients: 1 block of tempeh (chickpea, azuki and soya tempeh are a great choice) 2/3 cup of an old kombucha A pinch of salt

Sometimes kombuchas acidify quite a lot if they’ve been fermenting too much, making it unpleasant to drink them. But there’s no need to throw it! Save it for the next inoculation or cook with it.

Olds or over-acidified kombuchas are great for cooking as their flavor is very powerful and with just a bit rich touches of the bitterness of coffee, smoked and caramelized can be achieved.

Reduce the old kombucha at low heat until it is reduced by half and store it in the fridge for future uses. Or cook the tempeh in it and make a versatile recipe for either savory bowls or smoothie bowls as a granola.

Cook the tempeh first in some olive oil until it’s brown on all its sides.

Then pour the kombucha and let it reduce slowly. The tempeh will absorb the liquid so don’t hesitate to add more. Stir halfway so all the faces are covered.

Once it’s almost reduced, cook the rest at the lowest heat to avoid burning.

Stir the tempeh to caramelize the pieces homogeneously. Take it out the stove immediately when it’s totally reduced.

The way of cutting is free and can vary for its purpose. For example: cut it in cubes to complement a buddha bowl; in little cubes to add to your granola or in sticks to have as a snack. Dehydrating the tempeh cooked in this way is delicious and makes an incredible snack.

Experiment with the flavors: a coffee kombucha is great for chickpeas and soya tempeh, but not for the lentils.

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Before caramelization the tempeh must be sauted

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Cashew cheese ingredients placed in SCOBY and Tempeh biomaterial

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Cashew cheese started by kombucha Ingredients: 2 cups of soaked and rinsed cashews 175 ml of kombucha (I use the coffee kombucha) A pinch of salt

Cashews being processed with kombucha

Cashew cream after fermentation

One of the main problems that people find in turning their diet into plant-based is the cheese. That’s why this business has become one of the most important ones around the vegan market, improving the flavor to a level where people can’t distinguish from a milk based one. That characteristic flavor from the cheese comes from the fermentation, not just from the ingredients; so if a fermentation is applied to an ingredient that is similar in texture, that cheesy flavor can be achieved.

Nuts are the best substitute for making vegan cheeses as their raw flavor is subtle and the achieved texture is creamy and thick. In order to start the fermentation, a dose of living organisms is needed to mix the nuts with. It can be used: probiotic pills or any fermented liquid such as rejuvelac, kombucha, kimchi liquid...

Depending on which kind of probiotics are being used, the steps would change, but the process is the same one.

As in “The Mycelium House” kombuchas are developed, its properties were liked and used as the bacterial input.

The result won’t taste like kombucha as the ratio of ingredients is very different.

Cooking steps for a basic fermentation: Leave the cashews soaking in water overnight. Rinse them as the water is full of anti-nutrients. Place the hydrated cashews and the kombucha in a food processor. You’ll need to be patient until achieving a good texture as the mixture tends to go up. Try not to add more liquid as the result might be too fluid.

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Eat it directly or mix with spices

Pour the mix in the breathable mold

Once getting the desired creaminess, place it in a big glass container (enough to give it space to grow less than its half) to see how the fermentation is going; and cover with a piece of fabric.

Leave it in a warm space for one day, or if you have an incubator at 30ºC for 12-24 hours (this temperature will give the cheese a stronger flavor in less time).

The fermentation is ready when there are bubbles visible and the cream has grown.

Close and let it mature in the firdge

Once the fermentation is done, it can be eaten directly. The flavor and smell must be a little acidic, but also creamy (and delicious). This is the most mild and creamy version, although from “The Mycelium House” is encourage to combine it with other spices and continue with the fermentation.

So to achieve a stronger flavor and a harder texture, place the mixture in a mold covered with a clean cloth and place it in the fridge uncovered for at least 1 week.

Enjoy

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The 3D model for the breathable mold is an Open Source File. The tempeh and kombucha biomaterial can be used too as a mold (pg. 49).

Inspiring recipe

Curated cashew cheeses Ingredients: Paprika and rosemary 5 tbsp of fermented cashew cream 1 tbsp of smoked paprika 3 stems of rosemary Black garlic cream and miso 5 tbsp of fermented cashew cream 1 tbsp of black garlic cream or 6 black garlic cloves 2 tsp of white miso some rosemary Carob and miso 5 tbsp of fermented cashew cream 1 tbsp of carob powder 1 tsp of white miso

For the paprika and rosemary: Cut the rosemary thinly, save a quarter to decorate the cheese along with some paprika.

For the black garlic cream and miso: In case not having black garlic cream, cut the cloves in small pieces. In a bowl mix all the ingredients until its color becomes homogeneous.

For every cheese: Soak a piece of fabric on boiling water in order to clean it from organisms.

Dry it and place it inside of the mold. Pour the fermented cream helping yourself with a spatula, top with some rosemary and cover with the fabric.

Press the surface carefully with the lid in order to compact it and make it flat. It is not necessary to leave it on, just cover it with the fabric to avoid organisms going inside but it allows it to breathe. Place the mold in the fridge for at least 2 days to achieve a harder cover.

Leave it in the fridge for longer and it will be harder by the time it passes. The mold is designed to work as its container too as it lets the cheese breathe.

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The Mycelium House menage collection

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For those moments that didn’t take us where we wanted

WHY WASTE IT? 31

Why A circular and regenerative way of using those fails from the food experimentation, because...not all the tests are yummy to eat. While “The Mycelium House” was being developed, some food waste was created and from a biodesigner perspective this was an opportunity to close the system.

Getting to know your ecosystem allows to make the most of it, implement technologies and resources that are friendly with its behavior and vice versa.

Moreover, controlling the materia and developing a small system that works for you, means that you’ll also be able to control the outputs.

That’s why in “The Mycelium House” the food wastes generated (outputs) were turned into the menage where the food was going to be served.

In this chapter, the focus is on homemade biomaterials, 3D model techniques, digital fabrication, open source files…

3D printed molds are used for the tempeh and cheeses; CNC wood molds are used for the tempeh and kombucha biomaterial; a ceramic 3D printer can extrude a coffee biocomposite… In this chapter we join gastronomy, digital design and technology

Image: The Mycelium House basic ingredients

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Image: graphic of how the processes link to each other making a closed system.

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The biomateria Tempeh was one of the most important experiments for The Mycelium House, and sadly there were a lot of failures.

Fails in tempeh mean that they’re too acidic, the mycelium didn’t grow properly or at all; there was an overheating or that the legumes broke and were too humid. These facts are more common in the first approach and it produces a lot of food waste.

That’s why these failures turn into a powerful new biomaterial.

If the whole ecosystem has been created, it is noticeable that the SCOBY grows very quickly and it is known as a powerful biomaterial too. So the solution to the failed tempeh was found in joining the SCOBY with it. The main purpose for developing the right recipe was to obtain kitchenware, such as bowls, that had enough water and grease resistance. These properties are given by the SCOBY, and the tempeh gives the color, texture and rigidity.

For creating this biomaterial you’ll need a water absorbing material to be used as your mold. They can be designed in a 3D modeling program. Depending on which material you are working with you will need different parts to fabricate: if you have selected wood, you’ll create the male mold and cut in a CNC; if it is plaster you should design the final piece in order to 3D print and obtain the positive that will allow you to create the shape for your plaster mold.

Once you have your mold (find at the end of this book the QR code for the open source files where you could find different molds), it is time to prepare your material.

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Tempeh and SCOBY biomaterial Ingredients: 100 gr processed SCOBY

Process the tempeh with the vinegar until it looks like a hummus (creamy and homogeneous). Pour the processed SCOBY and shred until it mixes completely. The texture must be homogeneous and slimy.

70 gr failed tempeh For producing this material you’ll need a hand blender, a wood surface, mold, synthetic fabric and a spatula.

Failed tempeh caused by an overheating

SCOBY

On a wood surface, place a synthetic cloth and then pour the material. With the help of a spatula, roll out the mass to create a layer of 50 mm. Leave it dry until the edges have dried and the material has shrinked in thickness. At this point you can remove the layer from the wood and place it on the mold, leaving the fabric on the outside.

Let the material dry completely on the mold (pg. 50), checking if it is cracking.

Remove from the mold carefully as it could be stuck to the surface.

In case you don’t have any resources for going to a Fab-lab and making your own mold, you can use a regular ceramic bowl, keeping in mind that it’s going to take longer to dry and it could deform easily. Follow the same step of placing the material in a thick layer of 50mm on a wood / plaster surface under the sun if possible; or in a dehydrator at 40ºC. Once it loses quite an amount of water (on wood will be over 1 day, and plaster and dehydrator ½ day), the thickness will have decreased and you could remove the layer without breaking it, but still flexible and humid.

Place the material into the desired mold and let it dry another day there.

By letting it dry in the first step we are avoiding the generation of mould and making a smoother surface.

The drying process will finish once you have a rigid piece without any mushy areas. By the natural properties of the material, it will be a little flexible, lightweight and water resistant.

Nevertheless, as the mold gives a certain texture to the surface it can have pores

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Biomaterial layer dried fro 24 hours

and absorb some liquid. To improve this water resistance, sand the surface which is going to be in touch with food, until you have a smooth surface.

Organic shaped mold in wood

WHAT IF MY PIECE BREAKS? Thanks to the high potential of SCOBY we can refabricate our piece in case of breaking.

Break the material into little pieces and pour enough water to cover them. Let the material absorb it until it becomes, all over again, into that slimy texture. In case there are still hard parts, add more water and help yourself with a fork to smash it.

Mold covered as a cake with the biomaterial

Once there’s no more hard pieces, process this mixture with a hand blender and remove the excess of water if any. Repeat the process of molding and drying explained previously.

And here we go again!

After 48 hours, dried and ready to use

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Tempeh bioleather Ingredients: 400 ml water 60 gr tempeh 12 gr Agar-Agar 18 gr glycerin

This recipe is an alternative in case you haven’t completed the ecosystem. It can be described as a bioplastic or bioleather as the result may change according to the thickness.

The tempeh will give it a leather look as the colors are very earthy. While if you decide to reuse the hulls it can be quite translucent.

For producing this material you’ll need a flat surface made from plastic or metal; a hand blender, a pot and a spatula.

Process the tempeh or hulls with the water with the hand blender until you obtain a creamy water. In a pot mix all the ingredients and let it cook for about 20 minutes while whisking regularly. It’s done when the mix has reduced around its half and it’s more dense.

Pour it on the surface and let it dry for 2 days. When it is no longer cold to touch you can remove the layer. Probably the other face is still humid, so place it again on the surface allowing this face to dry.

This material can be sewn into snack bags, wallets, bracelets…

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“Hoping” 3d printing technique in coffee grounds biocomposite

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Coffee biocomposite Ingredients: 25 gr coffee grounds 45 ml water 50 grs corn starch 2 gr Sodium bicarbonate30 ml Apple vinegar 2 teaspoons glycerin

THE WASTE Whether the coffee grounds kombucha was created or not, coffee grounds are a common waste that can be found easily.

In this project coffee grounds were used as a way of revaluing them; but as they are used just to infuse the water, they become a waste all over again. So…why waste it?? Here is a biocomposite recipe that can be either molded by hand as clay or 3D printed.

STEPS First mix the dry and wet ingredients separately (as baking). Sieve the cornstarch and coffee grounds to remove bumps.

The wet ingredients should be placed in a pot on a stove at low temperature, and when mixed, pour the dry batch.

There would be a chemical reaction between the sodium bicarbonate and the vinegar, but you just need to stir it until the starch has thickened enough.

After a few minutes the mixture will be hard to stir, but keep it on the stove as long as you can making sure you don’t burn it. The result must look like a dough that doesn’t stick to your fingers.

As mentioned you can mold this material as a ceramic one.

Make sure to press the material well to avoid air pumps in the piece. The thicker the walls the more resistant, but with this you’ll need to experiment because it depends on the shape.

Or you can 3d print it!

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3D printting workflow Build up the machine For this technique you will need to cook a lot of material, approximately 1L. Follow the same steps for cooking it.

Once you obtain the moldeable mixture, pour some cornstarch on a clean surface and start to knead it as a bread or as the clay. You want to remove the air from it and make it harder (once it starts cooling down this will happen naturally).

Add cornstarch while kneading until you have a dough that doesn’t fall down immediately. Once you get it, start preparing the machine.

3d ceramic printer process: - Load SM card with the code - 2-3 bars - 3mm extrusor This material works very well with thick walls as mentioned and acts very well during the printing process even with the most complex steps (weaving for example).

However you need to take in mind that the material when it’s dried if it is very thin (as the extrusion of 3mm) can be broken with your fingers. So I personally advise you to choose a 3d printing technique accurate for this material. For my project I chase the hopping on Z technique, as it generates by the same weight of the material a thick wall. Moreover it allowed me to start with a base where the extrusor got into, injecting material and sticking it to it.

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Make it waterproof Ingredients:

In case you want to use the pieces created to have food from, you will need to apply an additional waterproof layer.

Alginate mix: Alginate and calcium chloride mix: 6 gr of alginate powder 10 gr glycerin 200 ml water 5 gr oil Calcium chloride mix: 30 gr calcium chloride 300 gr water or Soya Wax

Process the alginate mix ingredients to obtain an homogeneous gel and keep it in a airtight container. In a spray bottle mix the calcium chloride powder with the water.

Apply with a thick and planar brush. Make sure to cover the spaces between layers or holes. Spray the calcium chloride to cure the alginate. Let it dry until it gives the material a mate appearance.

This is a very thin superficial layer, so if you scratch it, you will probably remove it. In this case you can repeat the process.

Keep the alginate mix in the fridge.

Soya Wax Simply heat up the wax in a pan. When it is liquid pour it on the piece and quickly with a paper extend it through the surface. If the surface is very rough you can sand it.

This material will add a touch of color to the object. Don’t place very hot meals or it will melt a little.

You’re ready to use your pieces to eat from them!

The selection of the waterproof ingredient can be determined by the accesibility or the function of the the product. For example soya was was used for cheeses plates and bowls for yoghurt. Alginate was used for dry spices and not very wet food.

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Digital models of the tools designed

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Tools designed and used throught the process, a personalized way of working. From molds for tempeh to molds for biomaterials: open source items that helps the proccess.

TOOLS

&

INGREDIENTS 43

Incubator For the production of tempeh (and other ferments too, like Koji), we need an incubator in order to create an appropriate environment for the fungus. Many of them require a heat and humidity income, as the environments of their original countries are much warmer and humid. For example, for making tempeh we just need to control the temperature externally, as it needs to be between 28-32ºC. The humidity in this case is generated by the mold, so there’s no need of controlling it. However, while growing Koji we need a humidifier. It is important to be aware that we can’t grow different fungi in the same place (incubator) as there are spores that disable others, making fermentation impossible.

There are many ways of building a simple incubator, by joining the different components needed. Nevertheless you need to take in mind that if you are building a big incubator you would probably need a ventilator too. The following examples for incubators are for growing tempeh and fermenting cashew cheeses.

Polystyrene box: -

Polystyrene box Thermal blanket Thermostat Piece of wood

This is the one that was used for the first experiments in The Mycelium House as it is very simple and reliable. Just place together all the components and add some shelves so the tempeh is not in touch with the thermic blanket. The probe from the thermostat should be placed at this height. When growing, don’t close the box: we want airflow to go inside to avoid overheating.

I could place around 5 tempehs ( which I could optimize lowering the height of the shelves. But be careful of not stacking them or you would generate an overheating.

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Kitchen trolley, or if you have by any chance an old refrigerator: -

Kitchen trolley Cover for the trolley Thermostat Small heater with ventilator ventilator (if not included above)

As the same as for the box, place the components together. The heater must be placed below with the ventilator on, or next to it in case it is not included.

You can place the probe at medium height.

The cover will be the one retaining the heat but it should be open somewhere so there’s some airflow. This option is very convenient if you’re willing to grow a lot of quantities, although they are very expensive.

Dehydrator It can be used as an incubator for making tempeh as the lowest temperature of it is around 30ºC. However its function is to dry and it can do it to the tempeh. To avoid this problem: place the tempeh as far away from the ventilator as possible and if it has a door, leave it open.

Open airflow is better than the closed one from this machine. One of the good points is that if the tempeh has an excess of humidity it will remove it making the batch a success.

Domingo Club open source incubator: If you have the option of building your own incubator and have the resources needed for it, I will encourage you to make Domingo Club’s incubator. It was specially designed for tempeh growth and the overall is cheap. After the first experiments in the polystyrene box I decided to make it An objective for the future is creating an incubator where mycelium is used as an insulator.

Polyestirene box

Thermic blanket

Probe

Thermostat

Domingo Club’s incubator

Ventilator

Raspberry Pi Pico

2 heating pad CNC walls & laser cut shelves

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Petri dish with kidney beans

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Tempeh molds One of the main problems that I found in creating tempeh in the Western Culture is the use of plastic. It is grown and sold in it which makes this incredible food in one with a lot of carbon footprint attached. Originally tempeh is grown in banana leaf as its wrapper. Doing it at home reduces by half the use of plastic and you can use biodegradable bags too.

edges touch to each other and not with the legumes. Compact them a little bit with a spoon and close the petri with the lid.

Keep in mind that this type of container keeps a lot of humidity and can create some damage as they’ll drop in the tempeh.

If the lid has drops of water, simply open and dry it with some paper. If this is happening, keep an eye on the tempeh as more drops can be produced.

3D model: This mold was digitally created following the interaction of Domingo Club’s mold. The holes allow the airflow. The lid works as the compressor but if you’re using a very small legume such as lentil don’t press too hard or it will cause overheating.

Clean the mold very well with some alcohol or vinegar before and after use as in between the layers some organisms can be living.

Plastic bags (and if it’s possible at least biodegradable) Plastic bags are just for a single use, however you can obtain very good results.

Fill the bag with the inoculated legumes, close it and compact the legumes with your hands until the desired shape.

If it is a biodegradable bag, fold the rest of the bag onto the tempeh making it like a 2 layer as they’re usually thinner than other plastics. Seal the opening with tape. Make holes in both faces of the bag with an approximate distance of 2-3 cm between them.

Silicone molds

PETRI DISH (as my favorite one) ​​ Domingo Club uses petri dishes as their main container. Glass petri dishes are perfect because they are designed to let enough air in, with a good thickness, a material that has good thermal conduction, prevents overheating and is easy to clean for reuse. Moreover the glass allows one to see the growing process of the mycelium: how it starts with the most easy nutrients for it to degrade; and continues expanding and settling down in a thick white web.

If you’re going to use this type of mold, once you’re filling it with the tempeh try to respect the height limit, this means that when you close it, the glass

You can buy some silicon molds or them! If you buy them, look at the it has any holes, if not, do some punch with an approximate distance cm between them.

create lid if with a of 2-3

If you’re going to create it: model the “+” in your 3D programm, print it and curate the silicon in a ratio of 1:1. Do some do some holes with a punch with an approximate distance of 2-3 cm between them.

Other materials can be used, but still need to be tested personally. If you are willing to experiment with other type of materials, @ myveganfam recommends making them with a soya tempeh as it is the most resilient and friendly legume.

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First mold printed in PLA

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Nuts cheeses’ molds This tool was designed after some problems with mold caused by the humidity and retained water from the fridge. Moreover it is more pleasant to work with a proper mold than using regular bowls, as it will simplify the workflow and the final result.

Rhinoceros was used to design the mold after sketching how it will work and look.

The holes from the walls and floor allow the cream to curate more simultaneously in all its faces. The mold also separates the bottom from the fridge, preventing the cheese from getting wet. The lid was designed to press and compact the cream once it was poured into the mold but it is preferable to remove it while curating.

These molds will allow you to curate the cheese.Take in mind there has to be some airflow, so the surface can get harder.

In the open source files you can find the mold designed specially for this cooking step. You can use it as the mold and container, as it will allow to keep the cheese curating.

In case you don’t have access to a 3d printer you could use a regular mold but after 2 days of the cheese hardening up, remove the cheese from it so the humidity doesn’t concentrate. Cover it in kitchen paper and change regularly.

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Molds for tempeh and SCOBY biomterial The molds were designed in Rhino. The mold needs to adapt to the fabrication process available, that in my case was the CNC. If you’re going to make your own mold you should simplify the surfaces as much as you can to make it easier for the toorbs water: plaster and wood. Plaster has a high water absorption but you’ll need to obtain the “+” first in order to make the plaster mold from it. However for this project wood was used for making the molds. The male pieces or “-” were cut. Sand the mold to obtain a smoother surface.

You can pour the material directly onto it and let it dry, but if it is too big I recommend you to follow the steps explained in the tempeh and kombucha biomaterial chapter ().

Sketchs of the interaction with the mold

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Wood mold for plates

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Bowls for Ceramic 3D printers This part of the collection was designed in Grasshopper, a plugin of Rhinoceros, in order to control all the points, curves, direction…

Red: Boundary surface created by two paralel curves

Arrows: normal vector

Dividing the surface curves and points

Defining the trajectory of the extrusor

in

Sepates the list of points in True&False

false true

Complete grasshopper code

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Moves half of the list

Half of the steps were done following the book “Advanced 3D printing with Grasshoper” from Diego García Cuevas and Gianluca Pugliense, The GitCode was given by the FabLab Manager of the BDC, Jullian Trotman.

This following extrusion technique works well with paralel curves

true

false

Changes the directions of the movement to the Z axis

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Image: The Mycelium House dossier for workshops

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A service that is its own ecosystem where food is served in the same waste it creates. It is a versatile methodoly as it can be addapted to other ingredients and techniques, this is just the one that was created during Fabricademy. The system ends either in the gut or enters in another circle of reusability as a compostable menage.

SYSTEM

DESIGN 55

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The Mycelium House gets real with collaborations Suculenta is a vegan shop from Bilbao where they sell organic fruit and vegetables, beans and seeds in bulk; a wide range of homemade prepared food and a daily menu. It is run by two wonderful girls and welcomed the idea of a collaboration right away.

After many visits where the evolution of the project was told, and some fresh tempeh were given to them to let them try it; they offered a place to participate in a fermentists meeting in their shop where many fermented foods were tasted.

That first proposition opened the project for a real collaboration: a circular gastronomic service that could adapt to the workflow of a vegan shop, creating a symbiosis with it as it could cook with the ingredients that are sold, reuse its waste for biomaterials and grow the community.

and sheet table were planned in order to give them and decide the ticket price. It was 25 euros per person. A dossier with all the information and cooking methods was written, leaving some white space for the public to write.

There were in total 13 people. As planned, the theory was given at the beginning, making the public interact with what was being done in order to make it a little bit more amusing. Moving from tempeh to coffee grounds kombucha and cashew cheese; finishing the evening with the tasting dinner. The participants were content and a second edition was planned just when the first one finished.

A collaboration with a real shop was a great opportunity of developing the system, tools and workflow. The partnership could be done in two different ways: as “The Mycelium House” as an external studio or inside the other business creating a total ecosystem in the same space.

For the Final Fabricademy Presentation, a ferments workshop was created with Suculenta. Making it with them meant bringing a symbiotic workshop. In it was explained the theory of how to work with living organisms, cooking and preparing a fantastic dinner with all the ferments explained. All the ingredients used were bought. in Suculenta. So here it was presented the first edition of: The Mycelium House own workshop by the hand of Suculenta.

The first workshop was done the 31 of march of 2022. It was very successful: the people, the environment, the food, the help, the opportunity...everything!

Before doing the workshop, the workflow

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A symbiotic collaboration

Suculenta

Other

DAILY MENU

WASTE

FRESH FOOD

BULK SHOP

EVENTS

Graphic of the symbiosis of the colaboration where the functions and products are shown. The events mean that they offer their space.

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The Mycelium House

Time for questions and talk about other experiences, recipes, community...

The cost of the ticket in the second workshop was raised to 28 euros. All the ingredients were given by Suculenta except for the legumes for the tempeh (bought them there) and cashews.

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A picnic with The Mycelium House

“Changing our food system to one based on the principles of the circular economy is one of the most powerful things we can do to tackle climate change and build biodiversity. We can achieve this and provide healthy nutritious food for all.”

“The Ellen Macarthur Foundation”

The mycelium house

Bibliography

Context investigation and references: Frearsen, A. (24 de 11 de 2021). Dezeen. Obtenido de Dezeen: https://www.dezeen.com/2021/11/24/ supermarket-of-the-future-food-dutch-design-week/?li_source=LI&li_medium=bottom_block_1 Howarth, D. (2 de 7 de 2014). Dezeen. Obtenido de Johanna Schmeer imagines the future of food with Bioplastic Fantastic: https://www.dezeen.com/2014/07/02/bioplastic-fantastic-johanna-schmeerfuture-food-show-rca-2014/ K. Shockey, K., & Shockey, C. (2019). Miso, Tempeh, Natto and other tasty ferments. Storey.

Kateman, B. (7 de 6 de 2021). Forbes. Obtenido de Fermentation: The New Game-Changer for alternatives proteins: https://www.forbes.com/sites/briankateman/2021/06/07/fermentation-thenew-game-changer-for-alternative-proteins/?fbclid=IwAR1OdhM9uLJAPfGy7JKs64G9yf8_JA-gC1TBZQ9F3ESb magrbG7rB5BWIoU&sh=1bd24f073aff Redzepi, R., & Zilber, D. La guía de fermentación de Noma.

Schemeer, J. (Dirección). (2018). Food Revolution. Bioplastic Fantastic [Película].

Tempe Movement. (s.f.). Indonesian Tempe movement. Obtenido de https://www.tempemovement.com/ Zorokiain, N. Fermentación.

Tempeh inspiration and references Tempe Movement. (s.f.). Indonesian Tempe movement. Obtenido de @Tempeh_o_clock @Tempehof @My Vegan Fam K. Shockey, K., & Shockey, C. (2019). Miso, Tempeh, Natto and other tasty ferments. Storey.

Book and workshop: Fermentaciones asiáticas (Nerea Zorokiain), Zorokiain, N. Fermentación.

Kombucha Lov ferments. Obtained in https://www.lovferments.com/es/ Kombucha Kamp. Obtained in https://www.kombuchakamp.com/ Minder, Maya. (16 del 2 de 2022). Makery. Obtained in https://www.makery.info/en/2022/02/16/ biomateriaux-fermentation-et-kombucha-a-luniversite-de-nimes/ Book: Redzepi, R., & Zilber, D. La guía de fermentación de Noma.

Why Waste it: Fabricademy documentation and knowledge achivied during the course Remix El Barrio. Alginate waterproof. Obtained in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLLB7wJd9SM&lis t=PL33KKs9g8Y1K4MJGAUHpMZn-wMcbOVhnV&index=11 Coffee grounds biocomposite. Adele Orcajada.

Tools & Ingredients Open Source incubator. Domingo Club. Obtained in https://domingoclub.com/ 3d printing in clay Book. Advanced 3D printing with Grasshoper from Diego García Cuevas and Gianluca Pugliense

Acknowledgments Special thanks to all the Fabricademy and tempeh community which encouraged me to continue my project during those fail experiments. To Domingo Club for its awesome work and open source files that helped me throught the process and made it so much fluent. To “My Vegan Fam” for the consultancy and advices to follow the tempeh journey and for her compliments. To @tempehof and @tempeh_o_clock for their tips.

Couldn’t thank enough to the girls of Suculenta that open their space for my project and made an incredible collaborations and result. To BDC, Betiana and Adele for being so open with my project and push me to achieve it.

And thank you to all the people that has been involved in this journey.