Box o' Kimchi

Tonight I've decided it's time to make more kimchi. In that regard, it's also time to get rid of the last of the last batch. So, bento to the rescue!

Nothing fancy as far as presentation goes, just my favorite rabbit box with kimchi bokkeumbap, kimchi mandu, a few small slices of cucumber, kimchi over white rice, and a small thing of soy sauce to splash over the mandu(when something includes kimchi I tend to use the Korean name for it, just wouldn't feel right not to).

All really quick and tasty. For kimchi bokkeumbap, aka kimchi fried rice, just take a large frying pan/wok, sprinkle some vegetable oil in and set on medium-high heat. While it gets up in temperature, mince one or two cloves of garlic and add it to the oil. Once the garlic starts to sizzle, add about a cup of kimchi and, optional, some chopped scallions and matchstick carrots/daikon.

Cook the kimchi for a few minutes, less than ten, more than two, then add in one to two cups of cooked white rice. Fry them together, using a spatula to fold the kimchi into the rice, until the rice starts to brown. Serve as is, tasty.

Kimchi mandu is, basically, mandu made with finely chopped kimchi as the filling.

As for how to make kimchi itself? I might take some pictures tonight to share, though I'm not sure I'm ready to post a how-to. I've made it many times though change it a little each time, trying to make it my kimchi. Though I do feel I should note that, as far as this blog goes, unless I say otherwise, it should be assumed that when I refer to kimchi I'm talking about napa cabbage kimchi.

Kimchi Jeon(김치전)

Apparently I am pretty bad at the 'everyday' thing. But, I do promise to post often enough(so vague, yes?).

That aside, a brief snack post.

Take 1 c. all-purpose flour, 1/3 c. rice flour(optional), 1 c. water, a dash of garlic powder, an even tinier dash of salt, and roughly 1/2 c. of chopped kimchi(and any other veggie that might appeal) and mix them all together in a bowl.

From there put a large frying pan on the stove at medium heat and either spray some cooking oil over it or coat with a thin layer of vegetable oil.

Once hot enough that a small drop of the batter sizzles on it, pour about a third of the batter onto the pan and use a fork or spoon to spread it out thin(though not enough for holes!). Resist the urge to flip it until at least half of the side you see is no longer very batter-like(partially cooked).

Flip and press, flip and press, and once it starts to look a bit brown on both sides, move it to a plate, cut it up into bite-sized pieces, repeat the same with the rest of the batter, and serve with your dipping sauce of choice(ex. pictured: minced garlic with Korean soy sauce)!

Quite tasty and spicy, though not for those who don't already have a fondness for kimchi. ;p

New blog time!

It's been a few years since I've blogged much about the things that grace my plate(or, rather, bento box) but I've found I miss it and in light of that, and my desire to babble a bit about tea as well, I've decided to start a new blog.

That said, both for those who've seen my prior blog(this will be handled differently) and those who are new, what will this blog entail? Simple, vegan food/recipes/pictures(mostly Eastern since I'm not a big fan of Western-style food) and loose leaf tea talk/pictures(greens, oolongs, and pu'erh mostly for now)/teaware.

Sound good? I think so.

So, to get this first post off on the right track, just a quick picture of some of the food, granted simpler things, I plan to cover.