SPICE UP YOUR LIFE

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE

When the weather outside is frightful and the season of mega-indulgence is over (consequently, beginning a season of fitness goals), cooking can seem drab. As passionately as I love parsnips and sweet potatoes, I’m tired of looking at them and longing for excitement in the kitchen. What’s simpler than a weekend jaunt to Puerto Rico for some sun and papaya? Adding an unusual ingredient to your repertoire, and trying to find as many uses for it as you can.

This week’s superstar vacation substitute is: kimchi. Oh, the wonders of kimchi. (Or kimchee, depending on your preference.) First let me reassure you that you don’t have to begin by making your own (though you could!). When I’m purchasing an unfamiliar packaged ingredient—especially one whose label isn’t written in a language I can read—I watch what other people are buying. There’s wisdom in crowds. Barring that, I go for the mid-range price: better than Arbor Mist, but not Veuve Cliquot. The brand I bought most recently was Bing Gre, widely available on the east coast (also the winner of a Serious Eats local kimchi taste-off). It’s salty and has some heat, but not too much. The cabbage is cut somewhat irregularly, giving it a more homemade look, and it’s pleasantly sour.

Now that you have your secret weapon, what to begin? A fun companion to kimchi is The Kimchi Chronicles, written by Marja Vongerichten, wife of restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The first thing I made was a spicy soba noodle bowl for one with a soy dressing and a generous topping of kimchi and scallions. Delish. Over the weekend I threw it in a Saturday breakfast hash: bacon, fingerling potatoes, and kimchi, cooked until crisp and served alongside a runny egg. Cooking the kimchi tames some of its fire, making it safe for the spice-averse, and it was an excellent way to wake up mid-morning after our first real snow.

Should you be looking for a more assertive way to greet your weekend, try a kimchi bloody mary. Our forthcoming title Happy Hour at Home, by Barbara Scott-Goodman (summer 2013 can’t come too soon), has a recipe, but in the meantime, pay a visit to Dokebi, a Korean barbecue joint in Williamsburg. I know I’ll be experimenting next weekend after I replenish my stash.

Where to find kimchi in Philadelphia?

First Oriental Supermarket

1111 S 6th St
Philadelphia, PA 19195

Notables: live frogs/eels, unusual citrus, cookware, chile sauces, rice noodles, herbs, and teas

-Kristen