Kimchi, Som Tum, Sate Chicken and Infinite Jest with a Hummingbird Interlude
It all started this morning around 8:00 with husband taking up more than his half of the bed and the 35 pound beagle taking up the entire leg area of my side of the bed. When I realised my left leg was falling on the floor and there was no room to put my leg back into the bed I said to myself @*$K it and decided to get up and greet the day. They both looked terribly comfortable snoring away so I left them there.
By 9:00 I had load 1 of the dryer empty and reloaded and load 2 of the washer refilled, a package of plates that sold from my Etsy shop packed and ready to go when the urge struck. I was going to make kimchi (kimchee). What else would you do on a quiet Sunday morning?
Saturday while husband was wiping the sleep out of his eyes and downing his Harvest flakes I grabbed my basket and hit the Waltham Farmers market. I picked up a gorgeous Napa cabbage and some pencil thin scallions. Even though I have a few Korean cookbooks, I followed the David Lebovitz recipe because if you are going to trust anyone with amounts and recipe perfection on a first go round always trust a well known baker. Bakers live for precision and recipe duplication.
I had already picked up some of this pepper paste a Kam Man on a recent trip.
While the cabbage was hanging in the brine I made a big batch of garlic confit for the fridge. I am never without a big jar of this kicking around. It gets added to everything.
In my mission to spend as much time as possible in the hammock today with this book,
I made the marinade for my sate chicken and got that in the fridge and whipped up some peanut sauce for later.
My friend here came to visit several times.(You may need to click on the pic to pop it up large, she really blends in) I can assure you if you want hummingbirds in your garden Monarda (bee balm) are the way to go. She comes back a few times a day, or I have several. I know I have at least 2, since I have seen them chase each other off.
Finally the air started cool and the sun began to drop and the siren call of the washing machine could be heard all the way to the back garden so I rolled up my hammock and dragged everything back in the house for load 3 of wash. When everything was switched over and folded and placed in neat stacks ready to climb the stairs to the closet I hit the kitchen again.
I tossed together a Som Tum or Green Papaya Salad. I had rather sad looking green papaya in the fridge that needed to be used. the inside looks positively alien!
...and some teeny tiny dried fishies waiting to be tossed in.
Don't be scared. No really don't make faces! Everything tastes so good mixed together. You won't even know they are in there. Honest injun.
And just look at how much fermenting took place in 6 hours! So excited. Bulgogi and kimchi later this week me thinks.
Off to light the grill and make a cocktail. See you around soon.
You had such an inspiring day. I adore Kimchi and Som Tum!
Posted by: Jennifer | July 13, 2009 at 12:03 PM
I want to make kimchi and garlic confit! How do you make your garlic confit? I have a ton of garlic from my CSA and was planning on pickling it, but I think I'd rather confit it!
Posted by: pam | July 14, 2009 at 06:16 AM
Three things:
Wow, nice work.
Infinite Jest is unbelievably cool.
Goodness gracious, how do you have so much time and inclination to cook?
Posted by: Allan | July 16, 2009 at 06:40 PM
What is Kam Man? Do they sell Japanese products? I need to find a place now that Kotobukiya is gone!
Posted by: Janet | July 20, 2009 at 09:50 AM
This sounds mouthwatering - all the different flavors satisfied at once. Yum!
Posted by: Loretta | July 21, 2009 at 06:07 PM
Pam;
Garlic confit is so easy to make. My way is a fistful of peeled garlic, you can use a neutral oil, but I always use extra virgin. Place garlic in the pan, cover with oil, and over very, very low heat, cook until garlic rises to the top and then begins to sink again. Prick one and a knife tip or skewer should go in like butter. cool, decant into a jar with a tight lid and keep in the fridge. Scoop and use at will including the lovely oil!
Janet;
Kam Man is in Quincy and it is worth the trip. It's an enclosed mall with one half full of housewares from Asia, dishes - utensils - cooking tools and more hello kitty stuff than you can imagine. There are a few shops in the center court, one of which sells pretty good bhan mi with pate and head cheese...yum! Don't ask any questions, she will merely grunt at you and point at the sign. #1 please. Chilis? yes please.
The other end is a grocery store.
Starting w/ a bakery and then a sort of lunch counter where you can get in-house made food, I head immediately to the meat man and get a half duck, cut please and either some char siu or pork skin to take home. Next is a long row of pre-prepared delicacies involving feet, tendons, cocks combs, the usual suspects. A decent produce section. Then eh aisle is by country full of bottles and jars and potions. KNOW YOUR STUFF, very few speak English, but sometimes the ladies at the courtesy counter can help.
A VERY large seafood section, cut to order, tanks of live fish, etc.
Fresh pho noodles! Noodles of all kinds in fact.
Keep an eye out in Burlington to the right of the old Home depot Expo for H-Mart. Just google the chowhound thread if you want to find out when it is opening. I, for one, can't wait!
Thank you Loretta.I seem to be on a big bold flavor kick lately!
Posted by: jo | July 23, 2009 at 08:37 AM
Man, that kimchi looks good. I make my own paste by grinding dried shrimp, cayenne, garlic, and ginger up in the suribachi, but if I had a good Korean market anywhere near here I would surely buy the ready-made.
I read IJ about 10 years ago, also on vacation. It's maddening in places, but really fun.
Posted by: Peter | July 28, 2009 at 09:37 AM