Kim-Chi Crafts

I just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  An Amazing Book. Very Informative without being boring.  It’s a testament to how skilled and talented a writer she is.  I have read all of her fiction and this was the first non-fiction book of hers I finished and really enjoyed.  I learned so much and am eager to try some of the recipes included in her book, as well as to try my own hand at being a “locavore” and an “urban homesteader.”  It was inspiring and just a joy to read.  I loved the essays by her husband and daughter and how it showed the reality of a year in their life.  How they truly incorporated it into their daily lives and how they dealt with a squash harvest that seemed to never end…

The next book I’m skimming through and reading in spurts is Alice Waters‘ The Art of Simple Food.  I’m hoping to expand my cooking skills and to learn how to take advantage of the great produce in my area.  For the first time in my life, I made a white sauce (aka bechamel sauce) last week and it wasn’t half bad!  I had to sieve out the lumps and I added too much salt in the end, but I made it!  And the next time I make it, it’ll taste even better!

I’m hoping that I’ll get up the courage to try my hand at my mom’s delicious cucumber kimchi recipe soon– after all, the best dishes are the ones you remember as a kid.  And this one is a favorite of mine and the Hubbo’s.  Another favorite are her pickles (Korean style)…yum…  I’m definitely going to have to get over my fear of the furry grey-green layer that covers a jar of freshly fermented cucumbers… I’m working on it.