1 lb chinese cabbage
1 lb white radish
3 tbsp salt
2 tbsp finely minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
5 scallions, cut into fine rounds, in, cluding green
1 tbsp cayenne
1 tsp sugar
Directions
If you are using a small, whole cabbage, cut it in half lengthwise,
and then cut it across at 2-inch intervals. If you are using half of
a large cabbage, cut it in half again lengthwise, and then crosswise
at 2-inch intervals.
Peel the white radish, cut it in half lengthwise, and then cut it
crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. In a large bowl put 5 cups
water and 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of the salt. Mix. Add the
cabbage and radish to this water and dunk them in a few times as they
have a tendency to float. Leave the vegetables in the salty water.
Cover loosely and set aside for 12 hours. Turn the vegetables over a
few times.
Put the ginger, garlic, scallions, cayenne, sugar, and 1 teaspoon
salt in another large bowl. Mix well.
Take the cabbage out of its soaking liquid with a slotted spoon (save
the liquid) and put it in the bowl with the seasonings. Mix well.
Put this cabbage mixture into a 2-quart jar or crock. Pour enough of
the salt water over it to cover the vegetables (about 2 cups). Leave
1 inch of empty space at the top of the jar. Cover loosely with a
clean cloth and set aside for 3 to 7 days. In the summer, kimchees
mature with much greater speed; in the winter, the process slows
down unless the central heating is ferocious. Taste the pickle after
3 days to check on the sourness. When it is done to your liking,
cover the jar and refrigerate.
To serve, remove just as much of the kimchee solids as you think you
will need for a meal--a cupful is enough for 4 people--and put it in
the center of a bowl. The kimchee liquid in this pickle is left
behind in the jar and may be used to flavor stews and soups. Serve
this cabbage kimchee with any Korean meal.
~- Madhur Jaffrey, _World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking_
(Be sure and keep a close eye on the kimchee after the third day. If
mold appears, scoop out the mold, and refrigerate the kimchee
immediately).
Servings: 2 quarts
Cabbage Kimchee Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Cabbage; Korean; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to trace the history of transcribed cooking instructions back into the distant past, in truth as far into history as the Egyptians, and possibly even further than that. Interesting though that maybe, generally, these old recipes were just basic pictorial recipes for preparing meals.
In an interesting twist, the oldest recipe found, according to experts in ancient history are some stone tablets in ancient Sumerian which describe the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who drank it feel blissful. Progressing into Roman times 25BC a roman called Apicius wrote a collection of documents describing recipes prepared by wealthy roman citizens. In his works, Apicius tells us how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into appetizers, main meal and afters, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. He also tells us how the cooks of Roman times made use of a wide range of herbs and spices, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens for example thyme, rue and dill. Later on, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought back many foods, spices and herbs from the East, including parsley and basil. These new herbs and spices led to a torrent in publications on food, most of which still exist in private cookery archives. During the next few hundred years, the upper-class families of the West strove to lay on the most exotic meals, and as a consequence, the best chefs and their recipe collections were much in demand. Nevertheless, it was during the nineteenth century that fine cookery and recipe books became really popular. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the US, dedicated years of their lives to assembling, testing, and writing down the recipes of their peers. By the time we get to the twentieth century, cookery publications were starting to become popular mostly due to more people being able to read, people having increased leisure time and having more money. Like it or not, the introduction of TV brings us celebrity TV chefs and the recipe books that accompanied them. Which brings us neatly up to date and the internet revolution, allowing everyone to search through massive numbers of recipes like those on this site. |
We hope you enjoy this Cabbage Kimchee recipe.
