A fun perk of blogging is requesting books I know I’m going to love, like Kimchi: Essential Recipes of the Korean Kitchen. Authors Im Kee Sun, Im Boo Mee Ja, Lim Byung-Soon and Lim Byung-Hi are a family of Korean women living in Stockholm where they run a much loved restaurant called Arirang. Short of dining there -though looking at photos in their book, how you’ll wish to! – you can buy this fantastic guide and create your own tantalising Kimchi, to eat as umami accompaniments or integrated into seasonal dishes including soups, pancakes, dumplings, cocktails (!) and more.
I make kimchi a lot, experimenting each time, and once you start eating it you can get addicted to its treasured jewels of sensation and contrast in a meal. If you catch the Kimchi bug, you’ll want to make and eat it forever more.
If you’re not a huge fan yet, Kimchi might just be the perfect book to hook you – the recipes and explanations are straightforward, and a general chapter on Korean cooking is as useful and tempting a basic introduction as I’ve seen
If you are already a huge fan, Kimchi offers fantastic recipes. I can’t rave enough about the recipe for Carrot Kimchi -a favourite with Russian tourists at the restaurant-and variations I’ve tried combining carrot and parsnip, as well as parsnip alone. I’m also looking forward to trying Butternut Squash kimchi; were I able to find Ginseng, the first thing I’d do is make their Ginseng Kimchi. It’s this kind of book- you get really excited, turning the pages and wondering what taste sensations will next be conjured. There’s even a Coleslaw Kimchi which is a perfect party food. This is a great book, which I wholeheartedly recommend.
Carrot Kimchi
- 1 kg carrots
- 1 1/2 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 1 tbsp gochugaru, (the Korean chilli powder{
- 50 g shredded leeks
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp finely grated ginger
- 100 grams shredded fresh daikon
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp salt
Peel and shred the carrots. Place them in a bowl. add salt and cover with water. Leave to stand for about 10 hours or overnight at room temperature.
Check the seasoning …and rinse the carrots a few times in cold water.
Mix together all the ingredients for the kimchi paste. Add the carrots and mix thoroughly. Place them in a jar or other container with a tight fitting lid. Put it in the fridge and leave to stand for 10 days. Will keep fresh for at least one month.
–From Kimchi: Essential Recipes of the Korean Kitchen
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A quick ps, because I want to show you. I’ve been making these regularly.
That was the Carrot Kimchi. Here’s some pictures of the Carrot and Parsnip Kimchi:
And here’s the Parsnip Kimchi, basically the same recipe but with lots of Onion Seed because I like the bitter. It’s SO good, believe me.
Kitchen Counter Culture 
I love kimchi. There is a clear turnip one that I cannot find in the stores any longer. I think it may be called “winter kimchi” is there a recipe for that in that book?
Yes, but the Winter Kimchi is with Daikon –but I’m sure you can make it with turnips. Shall I write it out for you?
Yes Daikon! Sorry. I would love to see a recipe for it and see if it is something that I could make myself. THANKS!
Hello when using daikon – are you using the white or green daikon?
I’m thinking white.
Beautiful colours and flavours. I might just have to order this book.
2 1/2 kilo fresh daikon (mooli), 250 g coarse sea salt Roll it in a ball and splash over some water, leave overnight
Rinse the daikon. Put it back in the bowl., bring the water and salt for the brine to a boil, then leave to cool )???)
2 1/2 l water
100 g seasalt
150 g ginger
1 whole garlic, peeled
10 spring onions
3 green chilis
3 red chillis
Peel ginger and cut it in thick slices. Peel garlic cloves. Pick rough leaves of spring onion (the scallion)
Place everything is a jar w tight fitting like and pour over the salt water. Put in fridge, eat after two weeks. Will keep fresh for 4-10 weeks
Sounds delish! Let me know how it works out 🙂
Thank you!
I just made a random pickle with a giant purple radish. Very similar. I’ll see how it is after 2 weeks.
And then I’ll try this one.
Thanks!
Hilda, I recommend it! 🙂
Your kimchi looks fantastic Annie. I can almost taste it. I’d love this book!
You know if you want a book, I’m sure you could request review copies– you have such a wide readership and publishers would be glad to give you freebies.
Thanks Annie. Maybe I’ll try that 🙂
[…] trouble,” said the old ones, snatching the kimchee from their hands, “is that your noses are underdeveloped. Look. All of creation loves a […]