Chocolate Chip Cookies

Snow, snow, and more snow! So we took advantage of our stay at home day and made: several meals to put in the freezer for weekday lunches; chopped fruit for the next few days; made a double batch of Becky’s Killer Kimchi; and some healthy homemade granola. Add in some other regular household chores and we are both done for the night!!!!

Ah, but what about dinner? I’ve got a great idea! I’ll whip up a quick batch of Chocolate Chip cookies.

We could call it an ‘appetizer’! But the way things are going….it could be dinner! It’s not like I didn’t plan for the future…..I froze the other two dozen cookies worth of dough for another day.

The Missing Kimchi Recipe and My Search for a 12 Step Program…

I am looking for a 12 step program for my new Kimchi addiction! I’ve been eating it with absolutely everything. The first step is admitting you have a problem…

Here is the recipe for Becky’s Killer Kimchi.

Makes about 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of Kimchi

Ingredients

For salting cabbage:
6 pounds napa cabbage (3 to 4 heads of medium napa cabbage)
1/2 cup Kosher salt

For making porridge:
2 cups water
2 tablespoons sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour) regular flour is fine too
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (brown or white sugar)

Vegetables:
2 cups radish matchsticks
1 cup carrot matchsticks
7 to 8 green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped Asian chives (buchu), optional (substitute with 3 green onions, chopped)
1 cup water dropwort (minari), optional (Becky didn’t use this)

Seasonings and spices:
1/2 cup garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup fermented salted shrimp (saeujeot) with the salty brine, chopped ( Becky didn’t use this)
2 cups hot pepper flakes (gochugaru) ( This is Korean red pepper powder)

Directions:
Chop cabbage into small pieces, rinse in a large basin of water, and sprinkle with salt:

Let the cabbages rest for 2 hours. Turn over every 30 minutes, so they get well salted. From time to time you can ladle some of the salty water from the bottom of the basin over top of the cabbages if you want to.
After 2 hours, wash the cabbage a few times under cold running water. Giving them a good washing, to remove the salt and any dirt. Place in a strainer over a basin so they can drain well.
While the cabbage is salting for 2 hours, and in between the times you’re turning it over, you can make the porridge:

Porridge making:
Combine the water and the sweet rice flour in a small pot. Mix well with a wooden spoon and let it cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until it starts to bubble. Add the sugar and cook 1 more minute, stirring. Remove from the heat and let it cool off completely.
Place garlic, ginger, and onion in a large mixing bowl. Add fish sauce, fermented salted shrimp, and hot pepper powder. Mix well with the wooden spoon until the mixture turns into a thin paste.
Add the radish, carrot, and green onion, plus the Asian chives (or more green onions) and the water dropwort if you’re using them. Mix well. Add cooled off porridge and mix well.

Make kimchi:
Spread kimchi paste on the cabbage so that it’s evenly distributed. When it is all covered with paste put into your jar or plastic container.
Eat right away, or let it sit at room temperature for a few days to ferment.

On fermentation:
The kimchi will start fermenting a day or two at room temperature, depending on the temperature and humidity of your room. The warmer and more humid it is, the faster the kimchi will ferment. Once it starts to ferment it will smell and taste sour, and pressing on the top of the kimchi with a spoon will release bubbles from beneath.
Once it starts to ferment, store in the refrigerator to use as needed. Storing in the fridge slows down the fermentation process, which will make the kimchi more and more sour as time goes on.

Enjoy!
Stan (and Becky!)

Becky’s Killer Kimchi

There has been a lot of kimchi talk going on at the homestead for a long time. Becky finally did it! And it’s deeelicious!!!!!!
Recipe to follow.