You scream. I scream, we all scream for Kimchi!

Today I had the pleasure of spending the day with my friend's mom, and she taught me how to make kimchi. Kimchi is a flavor similar to pickling but is fermented instead. Because it does not involve heat, the cabbage retains its crunch. In a word, it can be described as delicious!

I was first exposed to kimchi when I had bulgogi fries, which is a Korean BBQ beef dish served over french fries with kimchi and a creamy sirachi sauce. However, kimchi is delicious in all kinds of applications or on its own, but no matter what the application, I prefer mine cold.

Mrs. E took me out shopping for ingredients. We went to the Asian market and got a head of napa cabbage that was about the size and weight of a 5 pound bag of sugar. We also got a good size ginger root, head of garlic, and about 5 small chilli peppers.

Mrs. E told me about how she learned to make kimchi and how she had a special wooden bowl that she had been using for years . Even though the bowl had broken, she still kept it. To me, is what traditional foods are all about: telling a story She was also careful to explain to me that there is no real recipe, it is all about taste and preference.

To start, we took two bowls: one for the leafy part of the cabbage and the other for the stalk portion.The reason that they are separated is because stalks will take more salt and time in the next part. Take the cabbage and remove all of the loose leaves. Starting with the stalk, cut on a diagonal to get 0.25-0.5" until you reach the leafy part, then cut the leaf down the stem, stack on top of one another and continue down the diagonal in 1-1.5" pieces. Make sure to separate into respective bowls. Quarter the remaining cabbage, remove any brown core and cut on a diagonal width-wise starting at the leafy end. Once you get to the stems, cut lengthwise.

Bowls of cabbage leaves and stalks

In a non-reactive bowl, layer cabbage leaves with standard table salt, then toss to coat. Repeat the same with the stems, but this time use a bit more salt. Don't worry about over salting because you'll rinsing before the final step. Remember to toss each bowl regularly to ensure that it is uniformly coated.

While that is brining, peel and slice ginger and all cloves of garlic in the head. Place in a mortar and use the pestle to grind up. 

Once the it has been smashed up, add the chilli peppers and continue to grind until everything is in small, uniform pieces.

  

Add about 1/4c brown sugar and 1/8c of paprika. Mix well.

Note: Paprika is optional but it keeps the appearance appetizing and reduces browning.

Add 1/2 to 3/4c of white vinegar. Set the sauce aside to marinate. 

Mixture will be mostly uniform in size and soupy

You can combine the leaves and stems at this point, tossing well.

Let sit for several hours until wilted.

Notice that cabbage has wilted and has reduced in size nearly half
and there is quite a bit of water in the bag. 

Drain liquid and place cabbage in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Toss and let sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze the water out and transfer to another clean bowl. Test a piece of cabbage. You want it to taste salty but not overcome the palate. 

Rinsing cabbage on the left and squeeze out on the right.
Look how crunchy it is!

Taste sauce and make adjustments if necessary. You can add more chilli or brown sugar or even fish sauce. Then add sauce and toss until well covered. Transfer to non-reactive containers. Make sure to pack down because it will shrink.

You can enjoy right away or wait or it to ferment a couple days out on the counter then store in the fridge. Please note that the more the mixture ferments, the more likely it is too look puffy or bubble up when opened. This is natural and all a matter of preference. 

The moral to this food journey: good food is like a song.

It has meaning; it can be simple, yet complex; and made with love.

Burgers aren't just for cows... Salmon Burgers

Summer time means long days, warm nights and summer foods! However, I am not a big fan of the grill and standard burgers can get old. Salmon burgers are an excellent alternative and the they are surprisingly easy to make. The best parts about this recipe is that it is quick and versatile.

Salmon Burgers

2# Salmon, skin removed and cut into 1" pieces

1/4 c cilantro chopped

1 egg

1/4 c onion, diced

1/2 c panko crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 352 degrees.
2. Place half of the salmon into a food processor and pulse about 7 times. Place aside in a bowl;
3. Place remaining salmon in the processor, pulse for 4 times, and add to the other salmon;
4. Mix in remaining ingredients and let sit for 5 minutes;
5. Form into patties (will be looser than hamburgers). I use a boiling pan to reduce excess oils. 
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes. 

Siracha Mayo

1/2 c mayo

1 squirt of siracha

1 garlic scape and/or green scallion

Mix all ingredients into a bowl and let sit for a couple minutes to meld. Assemble on buns with favorite vegetables and enjoy! Other variations include adding or substituting lemon/lime zest, chili/cumin powder. 

Homemade Tomato Sauce

I am not really much of a gardener, quite the opposite really, but despite the uncharacteristic weather for the northeast this year (warm winter/spring, heavy rains followed by extremely warm and dry weather) Mother Nature decided to give me a break.

On top of having tons of cucumbers that I either ate, pickled or donated, I had TONS of tomatoes, which is absolutely fine by me. There is nothing eating a tomato straight from the vine while it is still warm from the summer sun... I digress... While eating a fresh tomato is great, they are many other things that you can make with them including salsa, bruschetta and, of course, tomato sauce.

I have actually attempted to make sauce before using other people's recipes and the end result was far from desirable (lacked body, too much of some other ingredient such as sugar/vinegar, or it was far from tasty). However, this time I decided to go with my instincts and keep it simple, aka "throw it in the pot and hope for the best," and this time it all worked out! Not only was it tasty but it was a big hit as well as versatile. 

I want to stop you now before I get into the recipe and say that this is NOT like some secret Italian family recipe and it is NOT like a jar that you are going to get off the shelf. What it IS is a very simple recipe that highlights the tomatoes and can be an excellent base for many other meals such as chili, meatball subs or spaghetti sauce where you add other vegetables... the possibilities are endless!

Tomato Sauce:
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, chunked
1-2 TB fresh garlic, finely diced
4-5 lbs tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper, to taste

Almost there! See how it has already reduced
quite a bit from the original height?

1. Heat safflower oil over medium heat then add onions and cook until slightly brown;
2. Add red peppers and cook until soft then add garlic and cook until fragrant;
3. Start adding tomatoes in batches, you want the temperature to come back up in between additions;
4. Once all the tomatoes are added, sprinkle with salt and bring to a boil;
5. Add herbs and pepper then reduce to a simmer;
6. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until most of the water has evaporated, but not so much that the tomatoes are starting to stick to the bottom;
7. Set a blender basin in a warm water bath to bring the temperature of the glass up then add the mixture in batches, blending until smooth;
8. Return to the pot and continue to cook until sauce has reached desired consistency.
9. You can use this sauce right away of store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. I did jar some of mine, but I am not advanced enough in that are to be giving advice. Either way, I hope you enjoy!

Bad picture but yummy sauce :-)

Tempting Thai Wraps

If there is one thing that I love more than Italian food, it's basically anything asian, Though I am more fond of Vietnamese flavors, Thai is a close second. These wraps are quick, easy and satisfying.

Peanut Sauce

• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1c peanut/almond butter
• 2 TB fish sauce/soy sauce (optional)
• red pepper flakes, to taste

1. Heat coconut milk over medium heat until uniform then add red pepper flakes and heat for 2 minutes.
2. Add peanut butter and stir until smooth then add fish sauce. 
3. Continue to heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes, stir then enjoy.

Filling

• 1 package of firm tofu
• shredded cabbage
• shredded carrots
• bean sprouts
• diced scallions
• thai basil
• wraps

1. Cut tofu into 1cm x 1cm strips and place into a 350 degree over for 30-40minutes until golden brown around the edges. Remove from pan and set aside. 
2.  place veggies and herbs in wrap, lay tofu across and top with peanut sauce. Roll up and enjoy!

 Note: Another option is to lightly marinate the cabbage in fish sauce if you like a little bit more salt.

Now that's fresh Tomatillo-Pepper Salsa

I love spice and salsa offers the best of all the flavor profiles. It can be sweet, savory, spicy, tart and so on and so forth. However, by biggest bone to pick with salsa is that most commercial varieties are soggy and are a monochrome color though they claim to have a more than just tomatoes represented. I made this recipe up on a whim to use up my salsa verde base and it turned out to be a great success. 

• 1-2 large fresh tomatillos, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 bunch of green onion, chopped
• 1/2 orange pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 c tomatillo salsa verde
• 1TB cider vinegar

Mix everything together and allow to marinate for a couple hours before using. This is not as soupy as conventional salsa but it is a crisp, fresh and vibrant alternative. I chose not to add tomatoes because they tend to "deflate" after a day but you are more than welcome to add them or maybe corn, zucchini or chickpeas.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

I try to make a habit of finding new and unusual items at the market. I will bring them home and research how they are prepared and then add my own personal style and tastes into them. Cooking should not be seen as just the act of making tasty treats because it is an art form. Recipes are merely the blueprints to discover a new dish, but, as with any destination, there are several routes to get there and incorporating your own personal flavor makes it your own.

I had tomatilloes at the grocery store and always mistook them to be green tomatoes, but they are actually more complex than that. They are more like sticky, green peppers that have crisp, bitter and spicy flavor. This is the cooked base that I incorporate into my fresh salsa. 

• 1lb tomatilloes, washed and chopped
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1 serrano chili, chopped
• 2Tb cilantro, minced
• 1Tb oregano, minced
• 1Tb garlic,minced
• 1tsp cumin
• 2c water

Combine all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan over high heat until it comes to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover. Continue to cook until the tomatilloes start to break down (15-20 minutes). Cool for 15 minutes and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. Store in a mason jar in the fridge for up to a week.