Korean Kimchi Cookbook

July 16, 2018
Korean journalists Lee O-Young and Lee Kyou-Tae join forces with chef Kim Man-Jo, serving up seasonal versions of the classic Korean condiment in this vibrant and approachable collection. The authors begin with familiar recipes, including the ubiquitous jumbled cabbage kimchi, before moving on to dishes less known to American readers, such as cubed radish kimchi with oysters or pearl onion. Because the dishes are based on incorporating items a cook has on hand, seasonality plays a large role in terms of flavor as well as sourcing. Dishes like anchovy-infused radish stems (autumn), seafood kimchi bundles of octopus and shellfish (winter), stuffed crab shell kimchi and pickled young garlic bulbs (spring), stuffed green tomato kimchi and the light and juicy cucumber kimchi (summer) exemplify this approach. The authors offer a few dishes, like a young spinach kimchi and a quick kimchi with mixed greens, that can be consumed immediately, but most take weeks or even months to ferment and reach their full potential. Kimchi lovers will certainly be rewarded by this practical and flavorful collection.