Kimchi Party!

My blog is called "Kimchi Party"  because

     

1.) I freaking ADORE Kimchi

                                                          2.) I like Parties

                                                          3.) I couldn't think of anything better, hey, it's pretty catchy.

Besides my "passion for fashion" *gross cliché*, I really like to cook food.   Food is the best way to learn about culture.  I really think Korean Food doesn't get the recognition it deserves.  It's so dynamic with it's colors and flavors that I can't get anywhere else.

Anyway, Unlike most people, I'd rather make it myself than buy , and Kimchi is one of those things that taste so much better when made from scratch.  I really encourage all my readers to try making something themselves from time to time.  You would never know how good you are at it, or how much better it is!

I started Kimchi making around my freshman year of college when I lived in San Francisco(2009).  I had so much access to different cultures!  I lived in the SOMA neighborhood and it was near the civic center plaza where there would be farmer's markets selling local produce that was not only affordable, but organic!  I used Maangchi's recipe for my kimchi recipe.  Hands down, Emily Kim (Maangchi) is the best Korean food guru!  I like to watch her videos because she kind of reminds me of a Korean mom EVERYONE wants :)

Sorry for being too wordy, It's important to read from time to time, no?  Besides, Kimchi is super healthy and nutritious for you!  It goes great with a lot of meats, fried/grilled.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE eating Kimchi with a steaming bowl of rice  and a fried egg, plus It's a super fast and healthy breakfast too!
Kimchi making relaxes me hahahahaha I'm an Ahjumma in training!  I promise to post more Fashion/D.I.Y in the future.  I just want to share the gift of Kimchi hahahaha

Let's start :) *btw, I'm not going to be very detailed in this post, Maagnchi's site will tell you the exact measurements, I just wanted to show you How I did it.  btw, I forgot the green onions because I'm smart hahaha*

Hot pepper powder, sugar, rice flour and salt.  These ingredients make the paste for the Kimchi.

You usually add fish sauce or raw oyster/squid to help aid the fermentation process, but I just used fish sauce because my brother's don't like seafood chunks in their Kimchi :(

The star!  Napa cabbage/Chinese cabbage is the most important part of Kimchi/배추 김치
Sorry for the bruised one on the left.  Brother's aren't very gentle with produce D:

Let it sit in cool dark place after salting

My favorite part is cutting off a LITTLE bit of the ends and splitting the bead in half.  Don't cut it all off, you want the head of cabbage to be intact still.  Wash the cabbage after you cut it.  

you chop the veggies, you should add water to your rice flour and heat it in a pot on the stove on low heat.  Add the hot pepper flakes and fish sauce too!  Then add your chopped veggies.

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Store it in an airtight container! Leave out for a day to fully ferment :D

Finished Product 

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Nom nom nom

Want me to throw you a Kimchi Party?  Leave comments or suggestions for me and i'll enthusiastically respond with my KIMCHI BREATHE!  MUAHAHAHA

Summer Chili

       My first Recipe post for this blog :)  I really wanted something Tex-Mex and hearty so I defaulted to Chili.  I love the smokey, meaty and heat it gives when you take a bite!  I've tried Chili from restaurants in the Philippines and let me say, they have been really disappointing.  Rather than sit back, I decided to make it myself from scratch :)  The great thing about this that you can leave out the meat if you want to make it Vegetarian!  I'm no chef, but I like to cook often and I'd rather buy ingredients to cook than go out to eat.  Plus, my paranoia of food poisoning is gone when I know I cooked it myself.  Let's start!

Ingredients:

1/2 Kilo of Ground Beef

1/2 kilo of Tomatoes (Fresh!!!!!)

2 Tbsp of Tomato paste

1 can of Kidney beans

1/2 cup of White beans

1/2 tbsp of Cumin

2 Tbsp of Chili powder

1 whole White Onion

2 Red Bell Peppers

4 Tiny ass Chili Peppers (these fuckers are HOT)

4 cloves of Garlic

1/2 Tbsp of oil

1 cup of Water

Salt and pepper to YOUR taste (no one wants kidney stones)

A heavy pot of some kind you can cook shit in.

Generic, white beans. If Taylor Swift was a legume, she'd be these

You have to soak these guys for 6 hours at room temperature.  After they're done soaking, you discard the water and set aside for later.

I have no idea what is wrong with me.  I wonder if there will be a Plant version of P.E.T.A.  Yikes!  Food is more fun to make when you imagine them with faces!   Anyway, peel and chop the Garlic like a maniac and rinse the beans and drain.

Hhahahah The lumpy Tomato looks like someone I know.  Hopefully they're full of Lycopene!  The picture after this one is really morbid if you think about it.  I just KILLED THE COUPLE! MUAHAHAHA 

I'm totally joking, I just thought I add some funny banter for those actually reading.  It's fun to read too you know

I warned you, I had to kill them in a Samurai like fury.  OMG imagine if vegetables were like the Mandrake Root from Harry Potter, except they scream when we have to cut them! The horror!  Any way, just de-seed the bell pepper and take out the white membrane stuff from the inside.  No one likes bitter shit in their food.  

     Oh these things, You add them after you brown the meat.  (I didn't take a picture of the meat because it literally looked like brains)  Cumin and Chili powder is very important for Chili.  The tomato paste adds a nice, acidity to this.  Idk, it just adds more slow cooked flavored to the dish. 

      For Non-Filipino readers the packaging says "It's really Tomato" and the last bit says "Delicious"  Notice how it's Halal safe and not Kosher safe hahaha I always forget that we don't have a lot of Jewish people in the Philippines.  

What a shame!  I'd KILL for a Latke right now.

Any way, the great thing about this is that you just dump everything in and cook until the meat is browned, then add the water and put on the lid.  Simmer on Medium for an hour and a half.

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There you have it! Add cheese or what ever is available that is also cheese like.  Pretty easy and can feed a whole bunch of Mofos in your house.  Serve with corn bread or brown rice.....  

............Or you can serve it with a nice cold beer.  Locally brewed because I'm a hipster (joke)  I hope you guys go out and try it!  Damnit, this would have been great with Tortilla Chips, you know, the ones that come in big ass sacks in the Mexican grocery store. If you have any questions feel free to ask! :)  I don't bite, unless you're made of Chocolate.

Knitta Please

    Back in California, especially in the colder times, I would KNIT my ass off for hours!  I really missed it since I moved to the Philippines, where good quality yarn is really hard to come by.  Another factor is the tropical climate.  I'm not really fond of the weather here.  Sometimes I think if I'm even Filipino, because I usually do not like beaches or going out in the heat.  You never look your best and the U.V rays just scream murder.  I'm just going to introduce a current project I'm trying to finish up :)
 

Juri and Wataru wearing my hand made circle scarf

    I'm making this scarf for myself because I get to go back home for Christmas! :)) I anticipate the cold weather with open arms!  My parents usually send me a care package every other month filled with supplies and they always send me yarn <3

I miss Knitting/Crochet circles

    

         I used the white crochet hook(11.50mm) on a standard skein of yarn.  Most people start/use the standard 6.50 mm needle, but I'm really impatient and don't mind a loose knit.

         I learned how to knit/crochet in my Textile Science instructor at FIDM and a friend back home helped me along the way too.  It's totally easy and relaxing!  I swear, the sense of creating something rather than buying something triple the price is so awesome.  Let's drink to that!
     
         I started with a chain stitch and just went of from there.  No pattern, just counting and eye balling. It feels so warm!  I can smell the cold California air now!  I can't wait to wear this to shows or drunken escapades in the city with my close friends <3

        Close up of the knit, Damn It makes me want to eat more Shin Ramyun ㅠ.ㅠ ugh with egg and Kimchi!

I'm about 50% done with the scarf :D  got any suggestions? requests? feel free to comment or stalk ;D and I'll get back to you guys.

Filipino Martha Stewart

    Well I guess it's safe to say that I'm absolutely TERRIBLE when it comes to my Filipino class.  I remember a friend that use to study in the Philippines who is now in California told me she had a class that was like "Filipino Shakespeare" I can safely say that description she gave is pretty accurate.  I wish I had a more understanding/patient teacher but we can't get everything we want.  You can deduce that I absolutely ABHOR the class -_- I guess it's one of those little sacrifices you make when you decide to move a 2000 miles away from home to pursue a dream.

Enough about the serious stuff, on to my attempt at making this bag. We were assigned to create a statement bag using indigenous/Local materials.  Here are some pics of the process, not complex but think of it as Kindergarten, but with a glue gun.

Bayong(No idea what this is in English)
made of dried grass or leaves of some kind.  Asian Eco tote?
Warning, it CUTS your hand! wtf?!

Preliminary sketch of Imelda I wanted on the bag.  I didn't like this one a lot.  It looked like a drag queen of Liz Taylor.

Try #2 Ugh I'd love to go shopping with her.

I like this one better, not as draggy, but still mean looking.

I primed the bag with a primer so that the Gouache paint would stick.

I think she's absolutely divine.   I just hastily added purple chevron stripes.