Kimchi Soup (Kimchi-guk)

When last we came upon this old friend he was fresh and new and exciting.  But alas, over the past month, he has become tired, old, boring, in desperate need of a spark, something new.....

Kimchi-guk!!!!!!

Now please do not misunderstand, the Kimchi that we made a month ago is still super duper awesome and super duper tasty.  It continues to fart it's brains out and stink up the whole fridge, kitchen, and house.  Decomposing, rotting, growing deeper and deeper in flavor and tartness.  It's delicious and I eat it all the time.  It's just a little boring in this form now, so,  I'm ready for a new way to eat this amazing food.

Kimchi Soup

A mixture of chopped kimchi, pork shoulder, red pepper paste, and a few other minor characters.  

I have to say at the outset, this was super great, and with a minimum of ingredients, a pretty amazing bowl of soup.

Let's jump right in!  

(in the unlikely event that you want to make this soup, please drop me a line and I'll give you the ingredient measurements)

It starts with Kimchi

You can see the transformation over the last month.  More pale in color and more wilted.

On the left is now, the right is freshly made

Chopped

Pork Shoulder, cubed, kinda small.  

I did an experiment on this and just sliced through the fat and all to see if after cooking it turned out to be nasty and gristly and fatty.  It was beautiful and soft and delicious.  No remains of the fat or anything, other than it flavoring the broth fantastically, rendering down to just tender beautiful meat.

Red Pepper Paste

Just a touch of sugar

Everything goes into the pot all at once and you boil on high for 30 minutes

After the 30 minutes you can add tofu, or dumplings, or whatever other items you might like, or nothing at all.  We happened to have these Mini Chicken Cilantro Wontons in the freezer, and they ended up being perfect.

In the pot they go and cook on low for another 10 minutes.

Add sliced green onions and serve

I made Japanese Sticky Rice as well and I recommend just put it straight away into the soup.  It acts as a vessel of sorts to transport the broth into your mouth, and adds texture, and makes the meal a bit heartier.

What else is there to say?  

Great soup made from great kimchi.  Homemade food, cheap and delicious.

The only way to follow up this belly full of goodness is to sit back, relax, and have some scotch.

How does this stuff look?

Eat drink laugh love

You deserve it all

Go get it

DVA

The South Park Abbey, Really Good Wings

http://www.thesouthparkabbey.com/

This place is good, and getting better with age.  It's fairly new, maybe a year or two since the new owners took over, remodeled, changed the menu, and began evolving this place into a comfortable neighborhood spot to have some good beer, drinks (full bar) and great food. 

In the beginning it was a bit rough around the edges though.  It honestly felt like the new owners were people that loved to hang out in bars so they decided to open their own, which leads to inadvertently terrible service, unless you are in the "in crowd", of which I am, or was not.  I have often spent countless minutes either at my table, or the bar, waving money to get a beer refill (and yes I'm the only one wanting a drink, it's not like there's a crowd) and sometimes 2 bartenders working, and I have to wait because the owners are doing shots with the employees or friends, and that takes priority.  Kinda lame, especially if I am WANTING TO GIVE YOU MONEY!!! YOU HAVE  A BUSINESS THAT SELLS AND I WANT TO BUY!!! 

Can't the party wait?

Also, in the beginning, I had one of the owners, or his mother, or someone, stagger to my table, glass of wine in hand, and start talking to me, telling me that she is one of the new owners and excited to be in business, etc.... and I still haven't seen a menu or a waitress, nor am I enjoying a drink, like herself.  One of the weirdest things ever.  She was obviously excited, and that was nice, but don't stagger to the tables with your drink, talking to people who don't know you only to talk about yourself.  I could see if it was "we are so glad you came"  or "how has your time been"  or "here are some menus, sorry no one has taken a drink order yet"  something normalish...

Last rant, I promise, is that I've also sat with a table full of dirty dishes and had no less than 20 pass-bys of legit employees who could have easily taken them on their way to the kitchen, if they weren't so absorbed with yelling a funny joke out to another employee on the other side of the room, or yelling that they need more charcoal on the grill, like they were having a party in their living room or backyard.  As mentioned previously, if you are on the inside crew this is probably a pretty killer place, shots, laugh with friends, yucking it up.  If you are a regular paying customer, please set your expectation low for service, although they are getting much much better these days,  Still, I will often wipe my own table off and get my own menus, refill my own water, it's just easier and I'm getting to know the crew and there are smiles when I roll in and I can order a refill with a nod or a simple hand gesture now, weaseling my way in for sure, and it makes for a better time.  This place is super close to home and I want to love it, and I want it to love me.  We're getting there.

So the wing's....

They marinate them, smoke them, and then deep fry them to order.

HUGE flavor, great wing's.  They also have many housemade sauces to choose from, and if you've read my previous wing post I HIGHLY recommend getting them dry, with the sauce on the side.  To me, this is the only way to do it.  Their sauces are really great, and sauced wings tend to be the norm, and people dig that.  But without the sauce you can really taste what's going on with the chicken.  And it's really good.

Recently expanded beer taps (38 I think now???)  meaning some really great options, nice job

Cool menus

This includes everything, food, bottled beer, wine.  Pretty cool. 

Of the available sauces I really love the: hot, garlic buffalo, and dirty (which I think is a combination of the hot and garlic buffalo?)

If you're an idiot please try the Tough Guy sauce.  It's for morons that want to prove how tough/macho/awesome they are while at the same time burning out their tastebuds, eliminating any possibility of enjoying the actual food.  So, if your forehead is overly large, protecting an incredibly small brain, I say GO FOR IT!

Again, seasoned, smoked, fried

Crispy, flavorful, really a terrific wing

Garlic Buffalo?

Hot

Dirty

Yummy

They also have really great burgers.  However, and not that this is bad, but they tend to be VERY juicy, so much so that they soak the bottom bun (the egg bun) so much so that even when it first arrives at your table it's a soggy inedible mess.  To combat this I order the burger medium (still a little pink) and the whole wheat bun, which can stand up to more moisture than the egg bun. 

Really a top quality burger.

Dear South Park Abbey,

It's has been a pleasure seeing you grow, learn, and prosper in our sleepy little community of South Park.  You are a welcome addition to the neighborhood, a neighborhood that prides itself of community, family, a friendly little hamlet not unlike the "Mayberry" of old. 

As you have evolved every step has been meaningful, improving the experience of not only the patrons but passers-by. 

Your beer list is simply awesome.

Your food is delicious and thoughtful.

Your staff is killer.  Fun, friendly people that you can feel crank up the energy as the place fills to capacity.

Thank you for coming to the "hood".  I can't wait to see what's next.

Sincerely,

DVA







Let's Make Kimchi!!!!

In the beginning GOD created the Korea and the Cabbage

The cabbage, although from Napa, was without flavor and void, and darkness was over those who consumed it as much noise and odor would blast forth from their nether regions.

And GOD said "Let there be flavor and nutrients and healthy digestion"  and there was flavor and nutrients and healthy digestion.

Yet this flavor, etc., etc., etc., was not from within, but from without, for without the dried chili and fresh veg and fermentation that Korea fused with the cabbage, all would be naught.

And Korea called this fermented cabbage KIMCHI, and it was the best in the world.

The following is not the actual best KIMCHI in the world, it's just a tribute.....

KIMCHI is the national dish of Korea, and for those not all that familiar with it, KIMCHI really just means fermented and pickled.  The traditional version is Napa Cabbage, the one I'll show you below, but it can really be made with any green or root vegetable.

In Korea EVERYONE makes their own KIMCHI and it's usually eaten with EVERY meal.  And also, in Korea, the preferred method of storing KIMCHI is in a clay pot buried in the ground, lightly covered so that it can vent at will.  The smell of KIMCHI is everywhere.

Back me up here Casey!

As mentioned before, it is literally fermented cabbage, essentially rotting. But while it rots millions of tiny, very essential and good for you, bacteria are being created.  Bacteria that are critical to the proper functioning of your colon and overall digestive system.  You can, and obviously do, get these same bacteria from other things in your diet, but this is a really delicious and awesome way to supplement those.

It all starts with the cabbage, Napa Cabbage

Slice in half, submerge briefly in water, apply course salt between each leaf (primarily at the root end, the thickest part) and then let it sit for 2 hours, then turn over for another 2 hours.  The purpose of which is to draw out some of the water within the cabbage.

These are cut and watered

And these have been salted

2 hours have now passed, these have been turned 

Shrinkage has begun

In 2 more hours we rinse them 3 times and then rub the paste between each leaf, and then it sits out, un-refrigerated, at least 24 if not 48 hours

The paste begins with these vegetables:

Daikon Radish, Korean Chive, White Onion, Ginger, Scallion, Garlic.

And also a porridge (chill out, I'll explain) and chili flakes and fish sauce

Porridge is sweet rice flour cooked with water and when it becomes thick like pudding sugar is added.

La porridge

This is probably one of the most important ingredients, no, not ingredient but items, components, within this mixture.  This is what makes the paste stick to the cabbage.  Much like when making a breading for let's say, fried chicken.  First you dredge the chicken in flour, then egg (or some liquid) then the breading or crumbs or whatever.  It's the dredging in flour that makes the breading stick.  

This is that.  And it's critical.

Chili Flakes

Fish Sauce

Finely diced Garlic, Onion, Ginger

Scallion

Daikon Radish cut into matchstick sizes

Korean Chive, matchstick

Voila!

4 hours later maximum shrinkage has occurred 

Rinsed 3 times and ready for the paste (what did she say?...)

BOOM!

The paste is painstakingly applied between each and every leaf

Lids are lightly secured as there will be MUCH gas and terrible rotting odor emitted.  If the lids are tightly secured pressure will continue to build and eventually there will be an explosion, and red rotting cabbage will spew forth.  You don't want this. 

They will sit out on the counter for 1 to 2 days.  Yes, it smells horrid, and will continue to smell this way.  As mentioned previously, this is rotting, fermenting cabbage.

Smell = Terrible

Taste = AWESOME

Fini

Sliced and ready to eat

It's important to note here that this will, forever, continue to decompose releasing much gas, every day, all the time.  In lieu of a clay pot buried in the ground I opt for a Mason jar in my fridge.  Every day the lid must be loosened to release the built up gas.  The best method would be to have a large jar to hold ALL of the KIMCHI just made and a small, light weight plate sitting atop so that as gas built up it will simply push to plate up and escape.  But alas, I do not have this setup currently so my KIMCHI will be divided between the jars avail and rest gently in the fridge, and I'll say hello to each and everyone of them every day.

This will never go bad.  It will continue to ferment and break down, eventually, if left uneaten, becoming simply a spicy liquid at which time it can be made into soup.  Mine never gets to this point cause I eat this shit UP!

I love KIMCHI

Thank you Korea!

P.S.  The Korean film industry is also a pretty amazing.  Some of the best movies I've ever seen are Korean.  The writing is fantastic, story lines are creative, original, mind blowing at times.  Superb acting.  

If you have an interest, these are some of my favorites, not in any particular order:

Castaway on the Moon

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

The Yellow Sea

The Host

I hope you've enjoyed my little tribute to the national dish of Korea.  There are many versions and varieties of KIMCHI out there so get out there and try some KIMCHI!

DVA

Urbn Coal Fired Pizza, North Park, San Diego, Best Wings, Period

http://www.urbnnorthpark.com/

This place is known for it's pizza, which is a New-Haven style of pie, which also happens to be my favorite style.  Although I do LOVE their mashed potato pizza (I know, I know, this sounds like something I would HATE.  But it's really is superb.  And, with a drizzle of Frank's Red Hot Sauce on top, I don't know of a "boutique" pie I like more) I come here for the wings.

The wings here are unique, different from every other wing joint.  ANYBODY can make a really good sauce drenched wing.  The sauce hides all or any imperfections from poor cooking technique or lack of style.  Kinda hard to blow it when you simply dump in a deep fryer and then dunk in sauce.  Not much too it.  Brainless, mindless.  Any idiot can, and does do this just about anywhere you go.  

And don't get me started on the a-holes that tout "Spiciest Wings!!!"   One of the dumbest things ever.  Macho asinine crap.  Let's get food so hot that you burn out your taste buds!  Don't get me wrong, spicy is great, but have some balance, elevate your cooking prowess, commit to your palate!   I have to stop or I'm gonna lose it.  I digress.  

Back to Urbn

Here, there is no sauce.  Your choices are spicy or not.  And by spicy I mean reasonable spicy, or not, or even on the side so you can temper to your liking.

These wings are marinated in garlic, rosemary, olive oil, Thai Chili, lemon, and baked in their coal (char) fired oven.  A light shaving of parmesan goes atop.

Mmmmm, but let's have a beer first

This is a creation, a joint effort, nay a cooperative, by New Belgium and Cigar City

Bier De Garde

It's an ale brewed with chili and cedar.  Very, very tasty.  Almost a Saison, but with a vastly different yet subtlety spiced (like a spiced cider almost) flavor.  If you see this anywhere, get it!

Rustic, cooked to perfection, big bold flavors, yet you know you are eating chicken, not sucking on a bottle of sauce.

Perfect

Best wings I've ever had, consistently

Let's go to Urbn for Manhattans and Wings!

Cock THAT ya doodle-doo!

DVA