How I've Been Keeping Busy

One of the best parts about having so much time off is I get to mess around with recipes I've always wanted to try. I can also make things that take more time because......well I have plenty of it now!! I have always wanted to make my own kimchi so I searched around on line and found a good recipe. All the ingredients are cheap and the only one you have to find is the red pepper powder(any Korean store will have it).

I started off with roughly a 2-3 pound head of Napa cabbage.

I cut it down into about 1 and half to 2 inch pieces, sprinkled half a cup of kosher salt over it, covered it with water and let it sit covered for about 16-24 hours. The next day I rinsed it thoroughly and squeezed out all the water from the cabbage. 

 I then took about 8 ounces of diakon radish(cut into matchstick sizes), 4 large cloves of garlic(minced), 1/4 cup ginger(minced) and a bunch of scallions(green and white part sliced about an inch long) and added it to the cabbage.

The next two ingredients you need is fish sauce and the red pepper powder. The fish sauce you can find at any good grocery store and is really cheap. And yes, it stinks.....but you'll never taste it once it's mixed in. The red pepper powder you'll have to search a bit for but you need it to give kimchi it's red color. It's also quite good for you!

I added 1/4 cup of fish sauce, 1/3 cup of red pepper powder and 1 and a half teaspoons of sugar to all the vegetables. 

I then mixed it by hand making sure to coat everything well. 

Ideally if you can find a jar that fits the kimchi all the way to the top is best but I only had this large mason jar. I took a spoon once I had all the kimchi inside and pressed it down as best as possible. I then put it in a dark, cool spot for 24 hours and didn't touch it. The next day I opened the lid to let whatever gas accumulated overnight escape and then I put it in the fridge for about a week and didn't touch it. 

The end result.....was perfect homemade kimchi!! I know it's easier to just go to the store and buy a bottle of it but
 it's more FUN to make your own!!

 I was also at the local Asian market the other day and needed a jalapeno. They didn't sell them by the each so I had to buy about 16 of them in a pack. There was no way I was going to be able to use them all before they went bad so.......I decided to pickle them.

 I cut 12 jalapenos in 1/4 inch rounds and smashed 4 large cloves of garlic.

 In a pot, I brought 1/2 cup of water, 1 and a half cups of champagne vinegar, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 4 teaspoons of sugar to a boil. I then added the jalapenos and garlic and simmered it for about 3 minutes. On a side note, you could use a different vinegar if you wanted but I highly recommend champagne vinegar. It's my favorite kind to use because it's quite subtle.

The jalapenos will lose their bright green color and go to more of an army green which is fine. I then put them in a jar, let them cool, and covered them in the fridge overnight. The next day their ready.....and delicious!! We ate them with rice but they would also go great on burgers, sandwiches, or just as a snack!!

Now.......what's next???