Based on Korea’s legendary condiment, Mother-in-Law’s Kimchi is taking America by storm with its vibrant, versatile balance of flavor and just the right amount of spice. Making kimchi is the next frontier for anyone who enjoys DIY food projects, and homemade kimchi is a must-have for connoisseurs of the beloved Korean pickle.
Following traditional kimchi-making seasons and focusing on produce at its peak, this bold, colorful cookbook walks you step by step through how to make both r
$ 10.10
More Than A Condiment…,
Recently, I bought The Kimchi Cookbook after seeing a story about Lauryn (the author) on CNBC’s ‘Your Business’ program. I knew this would be the perfect gift for my mother. As natural born American’s of English ancestry, growing up, my mom and I used to love to have Kimchi on our rice or with ramen noodles. Mom always enjoyed the juice and the veggies but myself, I just preferred the juice. I bought this cookbook as a Christmas gift for my mother and she absolutely loved it.
Lauryn begins the book by discussing the history of Kimchi and methods or producing it. If you have ever made homemade Kimchi before, the 60 recipes in this book should be really simple and easy to follow. The book is laid out well and the color photographs are beautiful.
Had I never seen Lauryn’s story on CNBC, I would have never known of this book or her mission to make the Korean delight, Kimchi, more than just an American condiment for the few and brave among us. I absolutely recommend this book to any Kimchi lovers out there; you won’t be disappointed.
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|kimchi,
Concise and thoughtfully written, beautiful pictures. Warm personal tone compliments the recipes, and reflects Korean culture. Good book for devotees (fanatics/addicts) of pickled funky deliciousness. Goes well with Sandor Katz’s fermentation books.
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|Drool worthy,
My background, though of the Asian variety, is not Korean. In fact, I remember not liking kimchi in my teen years. We had some Korean guests who stayed with us for a few months and when they made kimchi, *phew* the smell was just overpowering. I don’t quite know when it is that I began to appreciate the taste of kimchi (yes, despite the aroma) however my obsession started sometime earlier this year, due to this book: Ancient Garden
Each time I read (it was a pretty chunky book so it took me some time to read), they were always eating kimchi and most of the time, accompanied by beer. So I found myself, drooling & craving over kimchi at 7am (on my commute to work, before I had breakfast). Since then, I would have kimchi at least once a fortnight if not a week. If I wasn’t eating out to eat kimchi, I would probably have eaten it more often ;p Hence, my curiosity over this book.
I found out that kimchi is basically just means pickles but there is whole variety of them. Originally, I thought it refers only to the cabbage ones but there are numerous types of kimchi for different seasons to be served with different types of dishes. Of course, I was drooling pretty much through this book.
It was beautifully put together; a clean neat layout with photos of fresh ingredients and yummy dishes. There is a bit of background on the author, a background on kimchi and some basic explanation to what they are, the methods, and how to store. Then follows many kimchi recipes which really tempted me but which I will never attempt as they are all very time consuming.
The last chapter was dedicated to cooking with kimchi. At first I thought, ooh, this might be interesting but then proceeded to grimace through the recipes like Egg Benedict with Kimchi Hollandaise, Kimchi Risotto, Grilled MILKimcheeze Sandwich, Kimchi Grapefruit Margarita, etc (with the exception of the fried rice, yum!). After a few nights contemplating Kimchi Risotto though, I’m kind of sold on that idea and broached the subject with hubby. Unfortunately, he wasn’t impressed. Nonetheless, it’s something I’m going to try when hubby is not dining at home 😉
Overall, a book I’m happy to have for my coffee table but may attempt only one or two recipes (due to time constraints). It was great fun to read for a noob kimchi fanatic.
With thanks to Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for the privilege to read & review this book
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