Your Questions Answered: Cucumber Kimchi

Okay, this is in response to Nick! He asked where he can buy cucumber kimchi. He recently ate at my favorite restaurant, Soo's, and said he loved the cucumber kimchi.

Nick! You can buy cucumber kimchi at the Asian market just down Campbell. It's a little different than the kind you get served at Soo's... most of the time, it's stuffed. But it's still tasty!

courtesy thepauperedchef.com
(This is the kind of kimchi you'll likely buy at an Asian food store)

You can also look for it at the Asian market on Glenstone. (I think near Glenstone and Bennett.) I also like to go to that one because it's convenient.

I always make my own cucumber kimchi. I think it tastes more similar to the one you can order at Soo's. It's super easy, you'll laugh at how easy it is! Click here to find the recipe!

courtesy kevineats.com

(This is the kind of kimchi you'll find at Soo's)

Hope that helps, Nick! ...And to anyone who wants to try cucumber kimchi. It is honestly my favorite kimchi to eat, and overall, I think it's a dish that goes over well among newbies to Korean food.

Just Try It: Pork Chili Soup

I am gearing up for a chili cookoff-showdown at work on February 8th. Problem is, I don't really like chili...at least the beans.

Nonetheless, Jim and I are planning a strategy to overtake KY3 and KSPR with our awesome chili. We want the glory, man.

We've been testing out some of the most award-winningest chilis ever put on the Interweb...because that's the best place to go for something original and truly homemade, duh!

The following recipe is not a chili-cookoff-winner. However, it does taste good, almost like a tortilla soup. I took it to KSPR today because it went perfectly with the cold weather...and as you can see, the bowl was emp-tay! It looks gross because it's burnt inside the crockpot, but it promises to be delicious (especially on day two!)

The faces of future chili cookoff winners

Pork Chile Chili (or soup)

3 lbs. pork shoulder (or a lean cut of pork), cubed
2 cans stewed tomatoes
3 cups water
2 16 oz. cans of whole green chiles
1/2 t oregano
3 T bacon grease
1/3 c flour
3 onions, chopped
6 garlic gloves, minced

**Melt bacon grease** (you can opt for a light oil!). **Put flour in a gallon-size ziplock bag and add half the pork.** Shake well to coat and cook in skillet. Put aside in a dutch oven. Coat the other half of the pork and add to skillet. Remove meat and place in dutch oven. Add onions and garlic. Add to dutch oven. Stir in remaining ingredients, lower heat and simmer 45 minutes.

**Modifications**
1. You do not have to use bacon grease. Olive oil, canola oil, or no oil will do
2. You definitely do not have to bread and fry up your meat! I would, however, use just a little bit of flour to thicken the chili.
3. My thoughts: add lots of black pepper and garlic powder to your meat. I have a feeling chicken would do well if you don't like pork.

Some Lovin' from My Oven

This year I've decided to bake bread for the holidays...it's been an interesting experience since I usually do not like to bake. I had this grand plan to send out bread to all the people I know...but I got lazy. And tired. So, I made some bread for my co-workers instead. Feel free to look at the bread and feel like I made it for you!

But to go along with my JUST TRY IT! recipes, here's how you can make a wonderful loaf of banana or pumpkin bread for yourself.

PUMPKIN:
3 1/4 cup flour

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cup packed pumpkin (1 can)

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 t salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cup sugar

2/3 water

4 eggs

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes, depending on the size of your loaves. I do mini-loaves, so it doesn't take that long. Also, make sure to grease your pans... I use PAM instead of butter. Add walnuts to your liking...I do about a handful.

BANANA:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Same instructions as above.

**If you freeze the bread, I wrapped it in a paper towel to absorb any moisture. Then one layer of saran wrap, then one layer of heavy duty foil...then put it in a freezer bag.**

Just Try It: Korean BBQ Beef (Awesome version)

I swear, everytime I make this, people go insane. I wish I could take credit for it, but a little, old Korean lady gave the recipe to me years ago.

It's basically the recipe for bulgogi (bull-go-gee)--a Korean favorite. I just call it Korean BBQ to avoid any kind of awkwardness.

1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin

4 T soy sauce

3 T sugar

5 T green onion or leek

1 T minced garlic

2 T sesame oil

2 T toasted, crushed sesame seed (optional)

2 T rice wine or cooking sherry (optional)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Slice the tenderloin in tiny shreds. (You can freeze it for a while and then it cuts better.) Mix thoroughly with all the ingredients listed above. Let marinate for a while (up to a day if you'd like, but sometimes I've done it for 30 minutes.)

Broil the beef mixture over a charcoal fire or pan fry quickly until browned.

**Also, you don't have to use beef tenderloin, but if you use a tougher meat, tenderize it with a mallet or something.** You can also go to the Korean market on Glenstone or Campbell and ask for "kalbi"--basically short ribs. That way you don't have to do any cutting.

JUST TRY IT: Cucumber Kimchi (Awesome version)

**SCROLL DOWN FOR THE RECIPE**

I was looking through my blog archives (yes, I said archives), and I noticed that kimchi got a lot of responses...

So here goes a cucumber kimchi recipe that I recently tried and enjoyed. It's really easy to make, and it's not the stuffed cucumber kind. I think you'll like it. Much more similar to the kind of cucumber kimchi you'll get if you eat at Soo's Korean Restaurant, which by the way, is one of my favorite places to eat in Springfield. Oh, and the exact recipe comes from a book called Flavors of Korea.

Oh yeah, and ode to Gregory Holman (if you ever watch his blog, he always puts recipes on-line followed by *awesome version*)

Ingredients:

2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Korean red pepper powder or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

2 medium seedless cucumbers, peeled an cut lengthwise into thin, 4-inch long slices

1 medium white onion, cut in half, then cut into thin slices

Instructions:

In a large jar, thoroughly mix together the salt, vinegar, sugar, and Korean red pepper powder. Add the cucumber and onion slices, then mix. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Bam! Done! Eat it with some sticky rice, and you'll feel awesome. It's refreshing and healthy. Kimchi kicks!