.: evil jungle prince :.

At the market I spotted a few plump turnips and remembered seeing an unusual recipe for turnip kimchi (순무김치). Should I try it? I was nervous not knowing if I'd like it, or if it would turn out well. But as selections at the market come and go, I worried about missing my opportunity, so I went for it.

Wow, this was an excellent kimchi and I'm glad I tried it. It was also relatively easy, requiring few ingredients and not a lot of time, unlike many other kimchis. The taste was quite similar to radish kimchi, especially the texture; however the taste was distinctly turnipy. A quick Google search tells me that sunmu kimchi is a specialty of Ganghwado, Kyonggi Province. (Thanks to Yunchoi for confirming!)

Anyway, here's how I prepared mine:

1. Slice peeled turnips. (I used about 4-5 large ones.)

2. Cut the white portion of one bunch green onions into 1.5 inch sections. In a ceramic bowl, mix equal parts white onion pieces, chopped garlic, and red chili flakes. Add anchovy sauce* until the mixture is wet but not liquid.

3. Mix turnip slices and seasoning. Place into an airtight, non-metallic cannister and allow to ferment unrefrigerated for 12 hours*. Place into refrigerator and enjoy after a few days.

Notes:

* I used anchovy sauce but it's traditional to use salted and fermented pilchard, boiled and filtered
* My recipe book does not specify how long to ferment before refrigeration, so I tried 12 hours and this worked well in terms of the final taste outcome. But if this isn't correct, please let me know!

And for fun, here's some Korean pop music to enjoy with your kimchi:

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Here in California we had freezing weather about a week ago -- very unusual for us -- which froze pipes and destroyed much of the state's citrus crops. My garden did not escape the carnage and sad to say there has been little produce as a result. I did however manage to gather together enough chilli peppers and kaffir lime leaves to bring this meal together: Pepes Ikan Bumbu Merah, or Spicy Fish Baked in a Banana Leaf.

1. I began by preparing a "candlenut" chili paste -- I say "candlenut" because these are unavailable here so I substituted almond slivers instead. This is a mixture of 1/2 lb chili peppers, 1 1/4 oz shallots, 1 1/4 oz garlic cloves, and 1 1/4 oz candlenuts. (The traditional method is to gring them using a stone mortar but I use a food processor instead.) Mix in 1 tsp shrimp paste, 1 1/4 salt, 1 1/2 tsp sugar. Set aside.

2. Prepare the fish by crisscrossing it with a knife. Marinate the fish with the candlenut paste for one hour, making sure the paste is massaged into the cuts.

3. Clean some banana leaves and slightly oil them. Place the fish into the banana leaf, topping the fish off with some sliced lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Using toothpicks on either end of secure the banana leaves tightly. Preheat oven to 400F and bake for 25 minutes. Drip on some lime juice before serving.

I really enjoyed this one. Surprisingly, I didn't find it spicy it all -- the sugar seems to cut through the spice and render's this bumbu into more of a mellow curry. The lime juice at the end however keeps it zesty and sassy, which is exactly the type of dish I was craving. Yum!

Readers: please let me know if I spelled this dish correctly! Also, can you tell me if this is Indonesian or Malay? Thanks. In the meantime, some funky Indonesian-Living-In-France music for you:

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 04:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

Some time ago I was reading about medicinal herb use in Greece. One item fascinated me so much that I ending up placing an order for some, together with my usual shipment of Greek olive oil. It's called Greek mountain tea (Τσάι του βουνού) and is used as a general cure-all in Greece for aches, sickness, respiratory problems, mild anxiety, or whatever ails you.

The Latin name for the plant used to prepare Greek mountain tea is Sideritis Syriaca. This plant grows on rocky, mountainous slopes in Greece at elevations over 3,200 feet. Like so many crops in Greece, they are hardy flowering perennials that have adapted to survive with little water and little soil.

The scent of this medicinal tea is very aromatic and slightly pepperminty, but mellow like chamomile. To prepare this tisane:

1. Break up a few pieces of Sideritis Syriaca and place into a bowl.

2. Pour boiling water over the pieces and allow to infuse no longer than 10 minutes.

I can personally attest that this stuff works. This past week, my work colleagues have all been terribly ill. When I felt the sickness coming on, I broke out some Greek mountain tea. By late afternoon, all signs were gone. I'm a convert!

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 08:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Every year, the same question. What to do with the hundreds upon hundreds of happy grapefuits in my backyard?

This year I tried something different: a Cypriot recipe for grapefruit syrup, used to make grapefruit soda. So far, this was the best use I've made of the grapefruit, as this soda is exceptionally delicious. And because it's stored as a syrup, it also keeps for a long time in the refrigerator. The soda is made by simply mixing a bit of the syrup with soda water and ice. Easy and delicious.

1. Place 4 cups of juiced grapefruit juice in a pot and heat. Add 3 1/3 cups sugar until dissolved.

2. Add 1/2 cup juiced lemons, zest of one unwaxed orange, and 4 leaves of fresh basil. Top with 1 cup of water.

3. Stir continually until the liquid becomes a syrup -- a long process!

4. Remove basil leaves, pour into a clean, sealed bottle and refrigerate.

This syrup can be stored for a long time and mixed with soda water anytime you need a refreshment... or a refreshing cocktail. By the way, did you know that grapefruit originally came from Barbados? It was apparently discovered in 1750 and named the "Forbidden Fruit." Oh, in case you are wondering: I was lucky to make my syrup before the recent freezing of California citrus crops. Got lucky!

(Don't worry -- this recipe for grapefruit syrup loses its sourness, so this won't happen to you.)

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 02:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

My first introduction to falafel was by means of a little falafel shop called King Tut falafel in Copenhagen, Denmark. King Tut's falafel's went for about 20 Danish kroner (USD $3.25?) which was sort of a dream come true for students on a budget; needless to say I ate a lot of falafels that year.

But when I came back to the U.S. I was in for a surprise. The falafels I got in the U.S. just did not compare. For one thing, their interiors were not green as my beloved King Tut falafels, they were not slathered in tahini sauce, and they are were dry and brown. But why? I couldn't wrap my head around it. It was only years (many!) later that I learned the difference between standard falafels, made with chickpeas, and Egyptian falafels, made with fava beans.

Why chickpea falafels have taken hold of this country, I will never know, because the clearly superior falafel is the Egyptian falafel. These amazing deep fried croquettes are made with a mixture of fava beans and fresh herbs, including cilantro and parsley. Compare this to the super-boring chickpea-falafel and there will be always a clear winner.

1. To prepare Egyptian falafel, shell fresh or frozen fava beans of their pod and exterior skins. In a food processor, puree the fava beans, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp baking powder with scallion greens, parsley, and cilantro.*

2. Form the falafel mixture into a ball, dip in toasted sesame seeds, and flatten. Refrigerate.

3. Fry the falafels in vegetable oil and brown and crispy on both sides.

* I found that by adding a little flour after the mixture has come out of the food processor, the patties will stick together better while being fried. But this isn't traditional.

To really make this dish something special, serve the falafels with a tahini dipping sauce:

1. Add 1/2 cup tahini, 1 cup water water, juice of 1/2 lemon, 2-3 garlic cloves, salt to taste, and 1 tsp cumin to a food processor.

2. Process until the mixture is smooth.

Some Turkish music to play while you enjoy your falafel!

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 01:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)