Kimchi Party!

Dear Michelle-

Oh man that pizza looks good! I had been hoping you were going to follow up "how to make pizza dough" with some actual pizza. I'll have to try that recipe sometime, but I have to admit that it's hard to give up our shortcut--pizza dough bought from Carmines, the pizza place on our block. In the pros and cons of New York City list that I'm sure every non-native New Yorker has, general proximity to pizza joints is definitely a pro. 

Another wonderful thing about New York is the constant movement of the city--people connect, create, build, and come up with things like the Brooklyn Brainery, a space dedicated to hosting cheap classes ($5-$25) in which you can learn about a variety of subjects. It's pretty awesome. Jeff had seen something online about a kimchi party they were having on a Sunday in January and thought I might be interested, which, duh, of course I was. 

Here's the gist of kimchi: in its purest form, it is a fermented cabbage, much like sauerkraut. However, it can be made with other vegetables, turnips being commonly used, and is generally quite spicy. The kimchi we made used cabbage, shredded carrot and daikon radish, a sweet rice porridge, garlic, ginger, scallion, fish sauce, flaked pepper, sugar and salt. The second kimchi that I made had celery instead of cabbage, but everything else was the same. In case you think I'm greedy for making two, I'll add that I did share my celery (and was pleased to see that it was almost gone by the time I left!). Once you're done mixing your kimchi, you can eat it immediately or let it sit out at room temperature for a few days to ferment. This makes it bubbly and pungent. I never took a photo of my finished product, sorry. It was good, though. I'll certainly make it again! We love Kimchi, and it will be nice to experiment with different vegetables.

Amy and Mary and I met at the G-train, and somehow managed to turn a two-minute walk from the subway into fifteen. I figured, no problem, as we'd planned to arrive at the beginning of the five-hour window of the come-when-you-will workshop. It was packed. I wish I'd taken a photo of the space, and of the crowd, but it was all I could do to follow my friends around taking photos and then dart in line to make my own kimchi.

Jeff and I had tried a kimchi plate at Mrs. Kim's in Greenpoint a while ago, on which the celery kimchi was both unexpected and unexpectedly good. I brought a bunch of celery with me to the party, hoping to make a jar with that and one with cabbage. The people running everything were really nice about it, pointing me to a sink and a knife and cutting board to prep, along with exclaiming what a good idea the celery was. 

I chopped while the short presentation went on, and then watched the free-for-all begin. I  exaggerate a bit--there was a line--but it was difficult to squeeze in to take photos. The best part was at the end of the ingredients line, where people were mixing and packing their creations everywhere. They were taking turns holding the bowls for each other, mixing on the floor, really anywhere they could. There was kimchi everywhere! I headed over to a table that most people had overlooked somehow. 

Despite how hectic everything was, everyone was good-humored. I guess a $5 make-your-own kimchi (ingredients-included) party makes people happy. It certainly was a good deal, especially for the people who brought GIANT containers and filled them up with the spicy fragrant cabbage mixture. 

The recipe below is only a guideline, as the amounts of various ingredients differs greatly from recipe to recipe. I let my kimchi sit out for three days before moving it to the fridge, though next time I might only do two, as it got a little soft for my taste. I also might go heavier on the ginger, and add more scallions. If you use celery, don't forget to de-string the stalks! 

There are a variety of things you can do with Kimchi: I like it tossed with with miso butter and soba noodles, in stir-fry or fried rice, or blended into a sauce for vegetables or tofu. It is commonly eaten as one of several small side dishes that are served with Korean meals, or made into kimchi pancakes or kimchi stew. I love that something that seems so specific--spicy fermented cabbage--can be used in so many dishes. 


This workshop happened just a couple of days before the snowstorm here in January, so here is a link to some photos of that. 

 Kimchi, Brooklyn Brainery style

This recipe is what the Brooklyn Brainery had up on the wall during the party, and also what they sent out via email afterwards. It is verbatim. 

Use a little more garlic or a little less ginger, do whatever you think you’ll like! 

• 1 tsp garlic 

• 1 tsp ginger 

• ¼ cup shredded radish 

• 2 tbl shredded carrot 

• pinch of green onions (3 tbl, but it’s tough to measure) 

• 1 tsp sugar (or ¼ c rice porridge) 

• 1 tbl onion paste 

• 1 tbl fish sauce 

• 1-3 tbl red pepper flakes 

• 1 ½ cups cabbage 

If you’d prefer to make cucumber kimchi, follow the exact same instructions, just stuff the ingredients into a cucumber at the end! 

And radish kimchi? Just mix in the cubed radishes! 

Kimchi Technique 

With any kimchi recipe, there are three steps. 

1: Brining 

After you cut up your cabbage, you need to salt it to draw out the water and do some magic on the texture and flavor. 

Method 1: Mix 1 cup of salt into the cut-up cabbage for every 10 pounds of cabbage. Let sit for 1 ½ hours, mixing every half hour. 

Method 2: Mix 2 cups water with ½ cup salt for every pound of cabbage. Cut the cabbages into quarters, sprinkle salt on the stems, and submerge them in the salty water for 4-5 hours. 

2: Mixing 

Mix together everything except your cabbage. 

Tip: The more finely you mince your garlic and ginger, the better the end product will be. If you can get it paste-like with the held of a food processor you’re in good shape! 

Now mix it up with your cabbage. 

3: Fermenting 

While you can eat your kimchi right away, it doesn’t get awesome until it’s started to ferment. Fermentation happens when little friendly bacteria work their way through the sugars, turning them into acids and CO2.. This is what makes kimchi taste sour. 

How do you ferment? Just leave your kimchi alone and they’ll get started without you. It happens a lot more quickly on the countertop than in the fridge – I like to set my kimchi on a table in the kitchen for a couple days before I move it into the fridge. Don’t worry about it spoiling – the good bacteria have all sorts of methods they use to keep everything clean. If you notice a little white scum on top, scoop it off before you put it in the fridge. 

Once it’s been around for 3-4 weeks, it’s probably gotten to the point where it’s pretty sour and a good candidate for kimchi stew! 

Variety is the Spice of Life

Dear Devon,

The Korean Table: From Barbecue to Bibimbap 100 Easy-To-Prepare Recipes, by Debra Samuels and Taekyung Chung, is my latest inspiration. I am a big fan of Korean food with its numerous sauces, tiny dishes of spicy kimchi, and fragrant meats. But I always thought this was food I would order, not prepare in my own kitchen. Late night TV scanning found me watching a special on Korean food. The show demonstrated several easy recipes and convinced me that what I ate at the restaurant was not beyond my capacity. The next day, I ordered The Korean Table from NYPL.

I have been glued to its pages for weeks, taking the book to bed with me to read just before I turn out the lights. The photographs are nicely shot and the writing is very clear and thorough. I especially like the introductory section where the authors systematically explain the many ingredients often used in Korean cooking and where to find them (very useful for a novice). Korean food is based on several core sauces which are used in soups, dipping sauces, marinades, dressing, and pickling. Spending an afternoon mixing up a couple of these sauces will yield many tasty meals.


To start off, I chose what seemed to be the most frequently used sauce, a seasoned red pepper paste. I made a big batch and stored the leftovers in a glass jar in the fridge. From this one sauce, I prepared three small dishes: seasoned grilled eggplant, spicy steamed tofu, and grilled scallions.

I was really pleased with how the dishes turned out. I took two Japanese eggplants, sliced them on a bias, and grilled them. Grilling the eggplant gives it a nice smoky flavor, providing a dark contrast to the tangy and spicy red pepper sauce. Mixing in the sauce while the eggplant is still warm will help to deepen the flavor. Korean tofu is unique for its dense texture and intense bean flavor. I often prefer it to the watery, loose, and light tofu from Chinese cooking. I found an organic tofu at the local market that has many of the same qualities as the Korean stuff, and used it in my next dish. I steamed the tofu using a rice cooker while I prepared a soy sauce based dressing. I wanted to create several dishes that varied in flavor, texture, and spiciness. So, I chose a soy sauce based dressing. The sauce is sweeter and lighter than its red pepper counterpart. One of my all time favorites are long shoots of grilled scallions. They are sweet and moist, crunchy and with that wonderful onion spiciness. I didn't want to destroy the delicate flavor of the scallions, so I lightly drizzled a tsp of the red pepper paste over the softened shoots. The meal was completed with steamed white rice and a glass of wine, which I might add, did not go well with the meal: Next time I'll reach for a beer.


Seasoned Red Pepper Paste (from The Korean Table)
Makes approximately 2 cups
1/2 cup Korean coarse red pepper flake
1 cup Korean red pepper paste
4 tbsp garlic paste, to make this smash peeled garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle
1 tbsp grated ginger
3/4 tbsp oyster sauce
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
(will last up to 2 months in the fridge)

In a large bowl, whisk together Korean red pepper flakes, Korean red pepper paste, garlic paste. grated ginger, oyster sauce, soy sauce, light brown sugar and lemon juice. Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge. Use as needed. Surprisingly, the paste isn't as spicy as it sounds. I suggest tasting it before mixing into any of the sauces. As always, adjust the spiciness to your desired level.

Grilled Eggplant
2 Japanese eggplant, sliced
3/4 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp seasoned red pepper paste
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat up a large grill pan. Lightly oil. Slice eggplant on a bias. Lay flat on the grill and leave undisturbed to cook. Flip only once to preserve sharp grill lines. The combined cooking time should be 12-15 minutes. Whisk together sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, seasoned red pepper paste (from above), and olive oil. Taste and adjust according to your desired level of spiciness. I tend to think sesame oil is a bit overpowering, so I reduced the amount. Add in grilled eggplant, still hot, and toss to evenly coat each slice.


Steamed Tofu
1 pound of firm tofu
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp red pepper paste
dash sesame seeds
1 scallion, chopped

Over a large pot of boiling water or with a rice cooker, steam a large block of firm tofu. Whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp rated ginger, and 1 tsp red pepper paste. Add a dash of roasted sesame seeds and one chopped scallion. Toss in steamed tofu to evenly coat.

Grilled Scallions
3 scallions

Clean scallions. Remove the roots and the dark green parts. Brush with a bit of corn oil. Heat grill pan. When pan is nice and hot, lay down scallions. Cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp seasoned red pepper paste.