Kimchee, kimchi, yummeeee!

Ok, the kimchi came out great - my friend Kenny describes it as "very fresh." Here, for the recipe seekers, is Karen Solomon's recipe which is quite easy (makes about 5 pints):

3 large heads Napa cabbage, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 c kosher salt
10 cloves garlic, sliced
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 c Korean dried chile flakes
1 bunch green onions, sliced

"Put the cabbage in a large colander set over a bowl or in the sink. Toss the cabbage with the salt; your hands are best tools for this job. Let sit for about 40 minutes to express some of the excess moisture.
You'll notice that cabbage has decreased in volume. Dump the liquid in the bowl, rinse off the excess salt, and pat the cabbage dry with a clean kitchen towel. Pour the cabbage into a clean bowl and add the garlic, ginger, chile flakes, and green onions. Toss well. Loosely cover, and let it sit overnight or longer, up to 3 days, with the flavor growing more intense and fermented. Stir and taste every 12 hours or so, and move on to the next step when the flavor is to your liking. Note that it will release a most fragrant perfume and a good amount of liquid. Both are desired effects. Pack the kimchee tightly into pint-sized Mason jars, including enough liquid to cover all the solids. If you need more liquid, add the smallest amount of cool tap water possible. Keep refrigerated, immersed in the brine, for up to 2 months."

"Fragrant perfume" is a bit of an understatement: it really really helps to have an extra fridge in the garage for this one. The doctor said she could smell it outside her garage. I can only imagine what it would have done in my small fridge!

Ringing in the holidays and the new decade

Had an opportunity to try a lot of the results of our preserving work, and also tried some new things over the holidays. Here's the tally:

- Peaches in brandy: wonderfully mellow, *very* peachy brandy, and we served 'em simply - in a bowl, with a little bit of the brandy "juice" and a dollop of whipped cream
- Artichokes in oil and lemon juice: good, still crunchy, and will have to compare with the brined ones the marketeer and the lawyer made
- Pears in vodka: unbelievably alcoholic, and the pears were still crunchy. Not as effective as last year, and I'd change two things: make sure the pears are riper and use brandy instead of vodka for a smoother result
- Gravlax: tasty again, consumed on New Year's Day with scrambled eggs
- Foie gras with fig chutney: a revelation! So unbelievably GOOD!

New: kimchi (still fermenting); really easy to make, and we'll see how it turns out (although it's already making it clear it needs a separate fridge)

I also made a batch of lemon curd in response to repeated demands from my friend Mike. He went home with a full pint, which I think will keep him happy for awhile. It's one of the easiest things to make, and since it doesn't require heat processing, hardly requires the time/effort of full-on canning.

Finally, it turns out that I really really need to make more creme de cassis - mine almost disappeared to LA one night, proving its popularity. Big challenge in the coming year: find black currants so I can make *proper* creme de cassis!

Happy New Year one and all!