Kimchee 2 and American

Well, it's not bad. It's not the best I've had either, but not bad for a white girl's first attempt at a Korean favorite. I'll throw down the recipe here in case you want to try it:

1 head Napa cabbage
1/2 c salt
1/4 c fish sauce
1/3 c Korean chili powder
3/4 c daikon radish (matchsticks)
1 Tbsp minced ginger
Korean salted shrimp (optional)

Roughly chop the cabbage and soak it in water in a large bowl with the salt on the counter for at least 24 hours and as much as 48. Don't loosely drape a rag over the bowl or you'll repeat my error of drowning your bills. Drain and rinse the cabbage. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and add the cabbage. Toss with your hands until the mixture evenly coats the cabbage. Stuff the mixture into a clean, sealable jar (I used a very clean old spaghetti jar) and leave it on the counter at least overnight, as much as 48 hours. Crack the lid every 8-12 hours to release any bubbling (that's the fermentation occurring!). Store in the fridge, it gets better with age!


I also had a very American dish this week and I wanted to share the recipe with you guys. I already had the ingredients on hand, so it was an easy meal-- thank goodness, because I was so sick this week I hardly had the energy to do anything at all!

Senate Bean Soup

White beans
quality ham hock (I prefer smoked)
1/2 c chopped carrot
1/2 c chopped celery
1/2 c chopped onion
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

Pre-soak your beans for a few hours (overnight is fine). Drain and rinse. Fill your bean pot appropriately (you can also use the slow-cooker for this) and nestle your ham hock so it is mostly submerged and isn't just sitting on top of the level of the beans. Bake at 300 for 2- 2 1/2 hours. Sautee your vegetables and bay leaf in whichever oil you prefer (I like a pat of butter). Introduce the veggies to your beans when there is about 40 minutes left in the cook time.Depending on your ham hock, you may be able to remove them at this time to shred the meat but you need to be the judge of when the ham is done. At any rate, try to get the meat off the bone and back into the beans.

Some recipes call for a little instant potatoes to be added at the end, but I prefer to serve mine runny over some nice cornbread. Cracked pepper on top seals the deal!