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.

2014 Resolutions and Recap

As with any year, 2014 was filled with its ups and downs. Hopefully the ups were far greater than the downs... what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger. Right?

2014 Resolutions
This past year I had three resolutions:

1. Read 24 books - This may not seem like much, but reading books means that I have to take time away from everything else going on and dedicate it to an activity that I have grown to not enjoy. When I was a child, I couldn't help but read books. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on, but when I went to college, reading became a mandatory activity that lost all of its pleasure. So, reading and I needed to become reacquainted.
   
   The great thing about reading is that it is a lot like riding a bike... You just need to be willing to work out those lazy muscles and keep going when you encounter failures and obstacles. I started with books that were going to be made into movies such as the Divergent series, Fault in Our Stars (and any other John Greene book like paper Towns, Gone Girl (and anything else by Gilliam Flynn), However, my favorite by far was Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Hollow City by Ransom Riggs. I cannot wait for the next book!
   
         
   Needless to say, I made it to 26 books about a month ago and am almost finished with 27. I think that I could realistically go for 36 books this year as long as I can find some books to keep me motivated.  
   
   
   
   
2. Run a 5k - Soooo, this one I was not as successful at... meaning that I dd not do it but I did make it the gym and I have not dropped it as a goal. I have already purchased my tickets for the Color Me Rad 5k and plan to also sign up for the Color Run. The fact that I am still willing to participate in an event involving my least favorite physical activity should something about my dedication. So I will try this again in 2015!
3. Be Creative - I can't say that my job isn't somewhat creative but after spending a day in an office, it can become difficult to remember what gives us joy. This may come as a surprise to some but I do enjoy crafts of all sorts. I am probably most known for my baking but I know how to knit/crochet, paint/draw and sew, and always open to the possibility of learning more.
   
   However, I found that I was losing myself in my work... literally. Every moment consuming me where I was doing work before work, driving to work and staying late then driving home to make dinner so I could work from home until bed. I needed to find what made me tick again.
   
   A dear friend invited me to attend a social club where we would transform blank canvases into works of art. I almost didn't go because painting is not my thing, but "nothing ventured, nothing gained." So I went and I was instantly hooked. What started as sunflowers, became dragonflies, snowmen and pigs!
   
   
   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   I have used this creative outlet to motivate me to broaden my horizons. I have now started trying new mediums such as fused glass and teaching myself graphic design on opensource software with the help of YouTube.
   
   

   

   My first project with Gimp. It looks incredibly simple, and is, but it takes a lot of steps to get there.

   
   

      

   

   Fused glass window hanger and pendant.
    Not the finished project but will update when I pick them up next weekend. 

   
   

Review:

It would be unfair to say that 2014 was uneventful. My family accomplished much. My daughter was active in cheerleading, which we made plenty of new friends through. She finished pre-k and started kindergarten. My husband got closer to finding his dream job, and we've grown stronger with each hurdle that we have been presented.We even gained two new additions to our family:

Spencer & Chase

However, life comes with balance... 2014 was also a year of great loss. It would be cheap and incorrect to say that we lost two of beloved pets when in reality we lost members of our family and very dear friends. 

Abby & Buggah

ABBY

Abbigail "Abby" Grace
May 28, 2003 - April 26, 2014

Abby was an amazing dog with a huge heart. She was always there to comfort me and fill our home with her amazing spirit. I could not ask for a better friend. 

BUGGAH

My Buggah
November 28, 2009 - August 8, 2014

Loss is hard no matter how you look at it, but it is particularly difficult when you feel like you should have had more time. No words can express the hole in my heart that was created when I lost Buggah.

Discovery:

Loss also comes in all forms. In a sense that you can lose yourself and have to lose another in order to rediscover who you are. 

I have spent many years resenting others in my past and blaming them for what never was, and it really hindered where I was going. I don't know how to explain it, but I made a decision that I was worth more than that and I wanted to be happy, I spent a lot of time discovering what the root of what made myself most unhappy. I realized that it was constantly seeking the approval of those who were never going to be satisfied. I was also letting their image of me reflect onto how I felt about myself and it was dragging me down. Why would one choose to be around such a person? I don't know, but I wasn't going to do it anymore. 

The decisions that I made to sever the ties that I have were not easy, and it does get lonely. But the comfront found in misery is still misery and is truly a weight that comes at a cost. Also, I have some pretty amazing people in my life, who allow me to feel good about myself. Some of them are family members and others are people who have surpassed being called friends because they are more like family than the traditional sense.  I have also watched as each of them has transformed their own lives in their endeavors and become an inspiration.  Whether it was always showing compassion and love through the willingness to help others, taking more time to spend with loved ones, or continue to challenge themselves and begin new journeys, I am always awed by them. In all, I am truly blessed to have them in my life.

2015?

I don't know where 2015 is gong to take me, but I going to continue to work harder and strive to be better -- better mom, better wife, better person. In comparison to that, everything else seems silly when I think about tangible goals. But as 2015 draws nearer, I can say that it will be like no other.

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.