Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Recipe

13 Nov 2010

Kimchi Pickling 101 with Chef EJ Jeong of Cham Korean Bistro

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I attended a most fabulous kimchi pickling workshop earlier this week hosted by Cham Korean Bistro, my favorite restaurant in Pasadena. The event was held at the restaurant’s R&D kitchen in the little-visited city of Vernon and was attended by all sorts of food-adoring media types including my pals B-Side, H.C., Javier, Valentina, Esther, and Eddie. We were all eager to learn the ins and outs of fermentation and to expand our knowledge of Korea’s beloved dish.

Led by Chef EJ Jeong, formerly of BOA and A.O.C., the two hour-long class was fun, educational, and most importantly, tongue-searingly delicious. While teaching us how to make traditional Napa cabbage kimchi (tong baechu kimchi), Chef Jeong weaved in hilarious stories about her family and culture. My favorite anecdote recounted a popular Korean saying that “a man can live without a wife, but not without kimchi.” Now, that’s some serious affection!

Before the class officially began, we were treated to a selection of small bites including tofu pockets, kale chips, and seared tuna on a stick. I’ve enjoyed the spicy tuna and seaweed pockets countless times at the restaurant, but the kimchi variety was new to me. The best part of the kimchi pocket was that it was topped with candied anchovies! I’m crossing my fingers that it becomes a menu mainstay because the world needs more candied little fishes.

After we filled our bellies halfway, it was time for the learning to commence…

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Restaurant Review

11 Nov 2010

Kam Hong Garden – Monterey Park

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Earlier this week, I attended my first volunteer session for Cooking Matters, a program that teaches cooking skills and nutrition in low-income communities. To break the ice and to get to know the program’s participants, we went around the room and introduced ourselves and stated our favorite food.

Considering how much of my life is consumed by all things edible, I surprisingly can’t recall the last time I was asked about my favorite food. Even though I was a little rusty on the subject, my instincts kicked in as soon as it was my turn. “My favorite food is noodles!” I enthused. It was a spur-of-the-moment response, but even several days later, I still can’t think of a better response.

This past weekend, my mom and I enjoyed some really terrific Chinese noodles at Kam Hong Garden in Monterey Park. Though I love noodles in all shapes and sizes, I must confess that the knife-cut variety ranks somewhere near the top. Barbara Hansen of Table Conversation pointed me here, and it’s my newest noodling obsession.

Before the slurping commenced, my mom suggested that we start with some protein. She chose the spicy beef and tripe ($2.95) from the long list of cold appetizers that also included “fried odor tofu” ($4.25) and “pig leg gel with cold sauce” ($2.50). I haven’t encountered a menu with this much Wessonality in a long time.

The fiery and tender plate of shank arrived marinating in chili oil along with bits of scallions and crushed peanuts. The amount of heat was just right, but sadly there was no tripe.

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Restaurant Review

09 Nov 2010

Underground Supper Club: Dinner at Eight

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Underground supper clubs are all the rage these days in Los Angeles. While this style of dining has probably existed in some form for ages, it seems to have only gone mainstream this past year. With extensive coverage in several media outlets [see: Los Angeles Times, 944 magazine, and Toque], it’s no secret that Angelenos are embracing the art of eating in secret.

Dining illicitly is certainly intriguing, but the various unknown variables such as location, guests, menu, and price, have kept me from warming up to the trend. It wasn’t until I received a personal invite from fellow food blogger Elliott of F is for Food that I even considered attending one of these shindigs. When navigating unfamiliar terrain, a familiar face is most comforting.

This past summer, Elliott began hosting monthly suppers from her home called Dinner at Eight. “Eight guests, four courses complete with wine pairings, once a month, under the stars in the hills of Hollywood,” promised the event’s website. “The food is seasonal and sourced primarily from local farmers’ markets and whatever I can yank from my garden. Guests arrive at 7 PM for cocktails and noshables. First course served at 8 PM.”

The Astronomer and I attended last month’s dinner where the theme was “It’s a Family Affair,” in honor of Elliott’s father, who was visiting from out of town. The menu featured a sampling of her father’s favorite foods.

We arrived at Elliott’s home shortly past seven and were greeted with warm smiles and stiff cocktails. The St. Germaine pear martinis were sweet and just potent enough to break the ice in a room full of strangers.

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