The World's Worst Case of the Mondays

Why is it that the more time off of work you have, the harder it is to go back? Today was painful! Didn't feel like making anything when I got home and thought of this dish. It takes just two minutes from start to finish. Yup. It's that easy!

A variation on my Cheese Rice with Spam and Eggs, all you need is:

- cooked rice
- 1/2 can of tuna
- a packet of furikake (Japanese rice seasoning, click here for the Wikipedia entry)
- 1 egg
- scallions for garnish and siracha/go chu jang (red pepper paste) optional
Keroppi furikake my mom sent me! I swear I'm not five years old. Start with a bowl of rice, then layer on top canned tuna and then sprinkle the furikake.
Add to it an egg, sunny side-up of course. My yolk broke, but formed a heart-shape!

You can also add additional toppings like scallions. I was feeling lazy so I just doused it with Siracha.

Comfort food at it's best!

Momofukin' Kimchi

Turned on the Today Show this morning and David Chang of Momofuku was doing a cooking segment, on how to make perfectly prickly cabbage kimchi! Eyes wide open, I only caught the last minute of it, but could barely understand what he was trying to say. Someone needs to media train him stat! Our little chef was so nervous, knocking over his ingredients and all tounge tied on national TV. Spit it out David, we love you!

Luckily, I found the clip online, along with his renowned reciepe.
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Napa cabbage kimchi (aka Paechu kimchi)
Momofuku
Makes 1 to 1½ quarts

Kimchi is a fermented pickle, like sauerkraut, and the fermentation process is key to its flavor. It's elemental in Korean food and in Momofuku food, and you can make it with almost anything. In northern Virginia, where I grew up, my mom and my grandmother made it with blue crabs (which was totally gross, in case you're wondering). But some kind of seafood is often added to kimchi to help kick-start the fermentation process. Raw oysters are common as are squid, shrimp, or yellow croaker. We use the jarred salted shrimp that look like krill and have a strong but still appealing and sweet shrimp aroma. A little goes a long way, and a 500-gram jar will last even an avid kimchi maker a while, so take the time and hunt one down.

The amount of salt in kimchi stops almost every kind of food-borne nastiness from working except for lactic acid bacteria, and once that bacteria starts to produce lactic acid, the pH of the whole thing drops, and nothing grows that's going to cause spoilage. My friend Dave Arnold, The Smartest Person Alive and a food-science genius, explained that to me, and he also says that using sea salt or any naturally evaporated salt will help the pickles keep and stay firmer longer because of the trace amounts of impurities you can't taste, like magnesium and calcium.

At Momofuku, we make three types of kimchi: Napa cabbage (paechu), radish (from long white Korean radishes or, failing that, Japanese daikon), and Kirby cucumber (oi). Our recipe has changed some since I learned it from my mom, who learned it from her mom. I add more sugar than they would. We let the fermentation happen in the refrigerator instead of starting the kimchi at room temperature and then moving it into the fridge when it starts to get funky. At the restaurant, we let the kimchi ferment for only a couple of weeks, instead of allowing it to get really stinky and soft. There's a point, after about two weeks, where the bacteria that are fermenting the kimchi start producing CO2 and the kimchi takes on a prickly mouthfeel, like the feeling of letting the bubbles in a soft drink pop on your tongue. It's right around then that I like it best.

INGREDIENTS
• 1 small to medium head Napa cabbage, discolored or loose outer leaves discarded
• 2 tablespoons kosher or coarse sea salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 20 garlic cloves, minced
• 20 slices peeled fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 cup kochukaru (Korean chile powder)
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup usukuchi (light soy sauce)
• 2 teaspoons jarred salted shrimp
• 1/2 cup 1-inch pieces scallions (greens and whites)
• 1/2 cup julienned carrots

DIRECTIONS
Cut the cabbage lengthwise in half, then cut the halves crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces. Toss the cabbage with the salt and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a bowl. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Combine the garlic, ginger, kochukaru, fish sauce, soy sauce, shrimp, and remaining ½ cup sugar in a large bowl. If it is very thick, add water 1/3 cup at a time until the brine is just thicker than a creamy salad dressing but no longer a sludge. Stir in the scallions and carrots.

Drain the cabbage and add it to the brine. Cover and refrigerate. Though the kimchi will be tasty after 24 hours, it will be better in a week and at its prime in 2 weeks. It will still be good for another couple weeks after that, though it will grow stronger and funkier.
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Have have have to try this "salty and tasty" dish. Pics to come!

Zucchini Pancakes

So loving zucchini right now. Just the other day I made a zucchini frittata topped with tomatoes and white cheddar cheese for brunch.

And with the leftover veggie, fruit, flower, whatever it is classified as, I decided to make a Korean zucchini pancake (ho bak jun) as a side dish (ban chan).

Ingredients:
- 1 medium-sized zucchini
- 1/4 cup of flour
- 2 eggs
- Pinch of salt

- 2 teaspoons of olive oil

First, slice the zucchini about 1/4 inch thick.

Then coat it lightly in flour. I had organic Korean pancake mix (bu cheem gah ruh) on hand, and used that instead.

Crack open the eggs, add a pinch of salt and lightly beat together. Then take the flour covered zucchini and dip it well into the egg mixture.
Heat up your frying pan, add a touch of olive oil and pan-fry for a few minutes on each side.
Once it starts to turn a nice golden brown, you are ready to plate and serve!

Ox Tail Soup - Gom Gook

I know I know, it's been forever but I finally started cooking at home again! And just in time for fall. This soup will warm your body and your bones. And is so super easy to make. It's actually one of the first Korean dishes that I tried, with my mom giving me the directions over the phone. And it was a success! You just need a pinch of salt, and a dash of patience.

Ingredients:
- 1 package of ox tails (found at your local super market)
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped green onions/scallions

First you start off by prepping the meat. Soak the ox tails in cold water for about an hour, then drain. Clean it off by cutting all the extra fat around the outside. But don't go too crazy, we like fat since fat = flavor!

Then bring a large pot to boil and add in the ox tails, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Sit and let boil for anywhere from five to 12 hours. The longer you let it simmer, the more flavorful your broth will be. Skim off the foam and fat every few hours like so:

You may want to pour in an extra cup of water or two when you see your stock reducing. Once it's done you can also add in chopped scaillions or green onions. To make it a bit heartier, I also decided to include dang myun (Korean noodles made out of sweet potato starch), but you can easily substitute somyun as well (wheat flour noodles). Or just simply enjoy it with rice!

I was too impatient (and famished) so I fixed myself a bowl after about four hours and let the soup continue on low heat for a few more hours. Yum!

You can tell the broth isn't as white-ish in color as it should be, but it was still delish! Half way through:

The great thing about cooking in large quantities is that you can keep it in your fridge/freezer and have it again a few days later! This makes around 5-8 servings and is best enjoyed with a side of ripe kimchee.

Cheese Rice with Spam and Eggs

My brunch go-to when I am craving comfort food, or am just plain hungover (that’s how easy it is to make)!

All you need are eggs, spam, cheese, and of course rice. I like to add a bit of sesame oil to it as well.

First, cook your rice - it's the easiest if you have a rice cooker, if not, you can buy the microwaveable kind (the one pictured above is Korean, but I hear they also sell them at Trader Joe's), or you can add a one to one cup of rice to water ratio in a boiling pot, until all of the water evaporates and the rice is cooked and fluffy.

Then cut the spam into little cubes (you can use diced ham if you think spam is disgusting, but I think it’s delicious) and fry it in a pan. When it slowly starts to brown, push it to the side and crack an egg on top of the leftover grease - it's best if it's overeasy, so that the yolk isn't completely cooked and is slightly runny.

Next, put a layer of rice in the bottom of a bowl. Then place two Kraft singles on top, and add another layer of rice, so that you're sandwiching the cheese between the rice. The cheese will slowly start to melt.
Then take the cooked spam and add it on top, drizzle a bit of sesame oil, finishing it off with the egg. You can also added shredded cheese as garnish, or scallions/green onions and even sesame seeds work well.
For an extra kick, you can also mix it with ketchup, or hot sauce. I like to use siracha, or have it with a side of kimchi.
Half way through my bowl!