Are You Kimcheelicious?

Kkakdugi: pickled Korean radish salad

I haven’t blogged in a while. Someone even messaged me and asked if all was OK. I’ve been busy exploring a  healthy obsession: Kimchi. I’ve become quite the fermenteur. Kimcheelicious is a project that I’ve been developing—soon to launch as a Kickstarter campaign. Side dish or part of the main meal—my mission is to explore and document ways of making this Korean pickle a part of the American table and grill.

Kimchi meatball stuffed dumpling

Veggie dumplings made with shitake mushrooms and pickled radish

Kimchee is the unofficial Western spelling, as opposed to kim chi (김치). My Kimcheelicious project will not convert the un-converted but it will give those who appreciate it’s complex flavor more ways of enjoying and sharing a meal. Aside from varying degrees of spice, Kimchi has a deep savory complex flavor that some call it “umami.”

Lion's Head, a large meatballs stuffed with a kimchi meatball

I’ve been making great meals with my kimchi I’ve made. Aside from traditional BBQ Beef and dumplings I’ve made stuffed meatballs (Lion’s Head), pork sliders, grilled kim-cheese sandwiches, seafood stews, patty melts, pork fajitas... you get the idea. Kimchi it already on the American table and grill.

Bulgogi (Korean BBQ beef) cheese steaks

Mushroom omelet with kichi and tortillas

Grilled kim-cheese sanwich

Bok choi and Napa after brining

Kimchi and other fermented foods have been touted as some of the most healthy foods one can have in their diet. These foods restores probiotics into our digestive system, and through the process of fermentation makes other nutrients and vitamins more available. But I just like the way it tastes.

My goal is create an app and a series of iBooks that you can call up in the kitchen on an iPad. I’ll be hosting some tasting to promote Kimcheelicious before I launch my Kickstarter campaign to raise angel capital. For now you can follow me at http://www.facebook.com/Kimcheelicious, and http://kimcheelicious.tumblr.com. The website will be up soon... meanwhile back to the knitting.

Chili paste, carrots, radish, scallions and Napa cabbage

A Night Under the Stars

I went to a class reunion although it wasn’t mine. Stephanie and Sonya went to their Columbia University class reunion. I had a reunion with Jim, her husband, and the twins, Otto and Marta. I did join everyone on Saturday for an evening under the stars. As demonstrated in these photos,  evening galas with swing music always resemble that capsized scene from the nautical disaster movie “The Poseidon Adventure.”

We had such a great time on Saturday. The mini heatwave broke giving us a delightfully cool evening. The kids found a playmate, a woman who sat near us entertained them with stories. Marta shared her gummy Bears in exchange for the glitter stickers that she gave them, Otto danced for her. We slit a six-pack on Columbia’s library steps, sitting above the main event. This was a much more pleasant experience and better way to catch up with friends... until the guard took our beer away. At a certain age saying “Oh, you mean this beer?” doesn’t work as well.

The night before, on Friday, I joined Jim and the kids for pizza and calamari at V & T. “I didn’t recognize you, you’ve changed quite a bit.” said Otto. Maybe it was the glasses and the  Memorial Day sun burn? While Steph and Sonya attended first night of the reunion, Jim and I caught up. His novel “Victims of Circumstance” is on Amazon, and sales are moving along. Sonya’s job as a foreign diplomat is taking them to Mexico this summer. The kids didn't seem to excited about it. We have an open invite to the Yucatan.

I told Jim about my iBook/applt project: “Kimcheelicious—A Korean Pickle for the American Table and Grill.” Jim loves Korean food, he worked as a correspond in Korea and misses all that delicious food that one generally can’t get unless you are totally in with a Korean family. I’ve been working on my Kickstarter.com launch... so much to do. He told me that the kids still love that funny backpack I made for their stuffed moose when we paid them a visit up in Maine. They never mention Mr. Magic Lamprey though, not a good kid toy.

Otto entertained us with riddles such as “What has many branches and leaves but no bark?” My answer was “our congress” but the real answer was “a library.” Marta picked her head up from her Kindle and proclaimed “This is the worst pizza I’ve ever had in my life!” I said “Tell me that when you come back from Mexico.” Crankiness meant bed time and our evening was coming to an end.

A New Star in Our Constellation

Is it summer already? After an unusually mild winter, Brooklyn’s transition from spring into summer seemed rather unceremonious. But our extended family has much to celebrate. Meet the new star in our constellation of friends, Luna Benjoya—what a beautiful little girl she is. I finally delivered my Ea Z. Baby Quilt to proud parents, Dave and Deike.

Their cat, Ann Richards, took a liking right away, and so far Luna seems to like it too. Here she is stretching her legs after feeding and a long nap. Don’t you just wanna pinch those chubby legs?

I used a combination of luxury yarns to make this feather-light quilt: blue and gray in Lang “Zoom,” a merino cotton blend; green in Aslan Trend’s “King Baby Llama & Mulberry Silk.” It’s ultra-soft, perfect for a newborn’s delicate skin.

The modular design was inspired by single-celled organisms called “diatoms”—microscopic phytoplankton encased in walls of glass (silica). Each have qualities that are as distinct and beautiful as cut gem stones.

This modular quilt grows with the baby. Next year I’ll add another row.  I wouldn’t call this quilt reversible, but I did carefully weave in all ends to make the back more presentable.

Although we’re already into summer Weather or not, I think they’ll get some use out of it. Our evenings have been so oddly chilly after blistering days. Congratulations to Dave and Deike on their healthy, new beautiful daughter.