Spicy November

Nature is ever wondrous and magnificent. If you look closely you can see a herd of "ajummas" or as some may call them, the unmateable. Here you can see the "ajummas" doing their mating ritual, also known as kimchi making, but alas these females are past their prime, as is every woman over 30, and find their hard work has gone to waste leaving them tired, cranky, and with sharp elbows.

In all seriousness.....
Koreans call the eleventh month of the year "Spicy November" because it's kimchi making season. It's when napa cabbage is at its peak and the time has come.

Usually, a family gets together to begin the long process of making kimchi, but let's be realistic, when I say family I mean the females int he family because Korea is still traditionally conservative when it comes to male and female roles. Meaning, they like to keep the women in the kitchen, pregnant, and without a job. (Hey, I don't like it either, but it's starting to slowly change.)

They gather, they pink glove it up, they slather and pack it away. Then, they will have kimchi for every meal of every day for the next year, until it is "Spicy November" once again. That's when the process will repeat itself until they all die. ;)

If you'd like an actual recipe, please go to another entry How to Make Kimchi.

How to Make Kimchi

Please note: This process is long, tiresome, and pretty crazy! I mean, who needs six pounds of kimchi?! But, I digress. Also note, that during this process even though you have a Korean husband, you will be alone, because he has done his part in seeking you out and winning your attention. Now that he has married you, he is free to laze about not helping in the house, kitchen, and in child rearing. It is also a fact that he will cheat on you if you believe in statistics. However, you are ever the good wife and will prepare your six pounds of kimchi to serve to your family for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until the day they die or leave your household. Fight on into your "ajummahood"!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 heads of napa cabbage
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbs. glutinous rice flour
• 2 Tbs. brown sugar
• 2 cups daikon radish cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup carrot matchsticks
• 7 to 8 green onions chopped
• 1 cup chives chopped
• 1 cup minari (optional)
• 1/2 cup garlic cloves (24)
• 2 tsp. ginger
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 cup fish sauce
• 2 cups course red pepper powder

Directions:

1. Cut the cabbage in quarters and soak in cold water.
2. Sprinkle each cabbage leaves with some kosher salt. Making sure to turn them over after 30 minutes, for about 2 hours.
3. In a small pot, add 2 cups of water and the glutinous rice flour and mix over heat until it boils. Then, add the brown sugar and mix, and is still thin and soupy. Let it cool down.
4. In a large bowl, add your radish, carrots, green onions or chives, minari (if available), 
5. Puree your garlic, ginger, and onion.
6. Mix your contents from the pot, garlic puree, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl and mix.
7. Wash your cabbage leaves a couple times to make sure to get off all the salt and then let it drain well.
8. Mix your vegetables into the red pepper paste.
9. Using your hands, spread the red pepper paste with vegetables on each leaf of your cabbage.

*It's best to wear plastic gloves when putting the paste onto each leaf.

For a video go to Maangchi ! 

She's great and has all sorts of recipes!