rainbow soup

in my colombian mother-in-law's home, there is always soup on the table for lunch. served with rice and a colorful salad, a simple soup is always where lunch begins. her mother did the same, perhaps because a large pot of soup was the easiest and most economical way to feed her twelve children (that's right, twelve!) or perhaps because a hot bowl of soup just feels so good.

this rainbow soup is what happens when you set out to make sopa de cuantuay, spanish for whatever's there soup... or in other words, soup of whatever is left in the fridge so there need not be any last minute supermarket runs to source ingredients for lunch!

it starts with a big pot of boiling water. add a whole stalk of green onion, a few cloves of minced garlic, and a generous sprinkle of both salt and goya adobo (a garlic salt that serves as a key ingredient in latino cooking).

next, you have the choice to deepen your broth by adding a piece of chicken (as my mom-in-law does) or just keeping it veg. i like to use a good bouillon to round out the flavor in a vegetarian broth so for this i used better than bouillon organic vegetable base.

once your water is boiling and you've got a good tasty stock going, throw in whatever you've got hiding in the kitchen cabinets and taking up space in the fridge. today i used...

a few stalks of celery celery
a few carrots
a handful of purple potatoes
two or three tomatoes
half an acorn squash
a cup or so of red split lentils
a couple leftover chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
a few bay leaves
a handful of penne shaped rice noodles (an exciting discovery at the asian market!)

don't be scared! anything is fair game and will only make your pot of soup more wonderful. just chop it all up and toss it in.

boil until all the veggies are softened but still structured and bright in color. remove from heat and top with a generous heap of green onions and cilantro, both finely chopped. this last step is crucial as it adds such a burst of flavor.

serve hot with a squeeze of lime, a drizzle of good olive oil and a side of rice. or skip the rice and help yourself to another bowl of the goodness that results when you make something out of (almost) nothing.

a trio of summer salads at Mint

i'm delighted to share with you a guest post i did for Mint Design Blog this week. mint is a lovely journal of all things design - from food and fashion to home and travel, mint serves up inspiration daily. the blog's creator and editor, ellie snow, is also a mama-to-be so mint is the home of some sweet finds for baby. check it out yourself and be sure to bring one of green tea and kimchi's summer salads to the first BBQs of the season! enjoy!

simple beauty

i've always been a low maintenance gal and, with a new baby in the house, it's easy to become a no-maintenance mama. but looking good is essential to feeling good so i've had to make the time in my day to take care of myself so i can feel beautiful while i take care of my little guy. i'm not talking about putting on a face full of makeup and breaking out the heels. i simply want to highlight the natural beauty that motherhood brings. 

the key to the au natural look is healthy skin. once that's achieved, you just need a few extra things to get that glow. here are a few tips from my daily routine...

cleanser | i use an oil cleanser made by a local soapmaker. it's a jojoba and olive oil base blended with essential oils and it smells wonderful. if the idea of putting oil on your face scares you, read about the oil cleansing method and try it! trust me, you will be more than satisfied with the results. i also sometimes use an unscented glycerine soap so, if your skin is on the oilier side, try that. i only wash my face at night to take off my makeup and any dirt accumulated throughout the day. in the morning, just splash with water.

hydration | the one thing i don't go without! i use apricot or avocado oil in the colder months when my skin is dry, coconut oil if my skin is oily. try a few different oils and see which one your skin likes best. hydrate morning and night. 

under eye concealer | i use this every day to brighten my complexion and look refreshed. it makes such a big difference. all you need is a dab under your eyes and i usually put a bit on the corners under my nose to even out the redness. i like Ecco Bella's concealers. they're nice and creamy... and organic.

mascara | the one cosmetic most makeup artists won't walk out of the house without. i'm usually too lazy to put it on but it makes a huge difference. i always get told i look tired without it! Maybelline Great Lash is the classic favorite.

tinted moisturizer | it's not an essential but a nice luxury item once in a while for a special occasion. if you're feeling like your skin looks a little blah, this is great because it gives you an even and glowing skin tone with a clean, makeup-free look. i've always used Laura Mercier. it's a bit pricey but it's one of the best and a little goes a long way.

it's as simple as that... and of course, finding the time to take a shower and get out of your pajamas. seriously, these things are not so easy in the early months! but it's all part of being a mama and there's no reason not to be the loveliest one you can be :)

xo

jess

home

it's been a whirlwind month... adjusting to life as a mother and packing our old life into four suitcases and a handful of boxes to move across the world so joa could meet his family. it was the warmest of homecomings and the little boy is loving all the attention.

thanks to my talented cousin and friend, jessica, we have these snapshots of our first days in the states - a reminder that, despite a hectic (and sometimes tiring) schedule of airport transfers, daily visitors and multiple middle of the night feedings, life is so very beautiful.

Joa from Jessica Karshner on Vimeo.

Joa

just a short week ago, we welcomed our baby boy, Joa, into the world. he was born at home, in our bed, where we've spent most of these last days napping, snuggling, and becoming a family.

since his arrival, Joa has shown us so many new faces. he learned how to communicate that he's hungry and i learned to understand his language. he bacame a US citizen and applied for his very first passport (a citizen of the world already!). he gazes at us with his big blue eyes, telling us he knows us. he made our lives complete.

welcome to this big, beautiful world, my son. there are so many things we can't wait to show you and so many people who can't wait to love you!

mama's table

MAMA'S TABLE | a weekly gathering around the communal table at SPACE. a healthy home-cooked meal and of course a whole lotta goodness and warm conversation.

THIS WEEK'S MENU | black bean rice bowls with beet and apple slaw. yummmmm...

keep an eye on the SPACE calendar for upcoming mama's table events at our new location... we look forward to dining with you in our new SPACE!

LOVE

over the last year, my husband (mayo) has been working on his graduate thesis on communication in romantic relationships. it's been a wonderful journey to watch him grow and i am one lucky girl to be the recipient of all this time and energy he has put into researching - of all subjects - love.

so on valentine's day, this day to celebrate the heart and the one we love most dearly, i could think of nobody better to share his thoughts on the subject. keep an eye out for mayo's upcoming workshop at the new SPACE! until then... wishing you love today and everyday.

jessica 

we have a day to celebrate our independence, a day to celebrate our birthdays, a day to celebrate our mothers and fathers, and even a day to celebrate another country’s celebration (cinco de mayo and saint patricks day). today, february 14th, is the biggest and most celebrated time of the year for love. today we celebrate valentine’s day.

is love as clear or as obscure as a sound, a color, an image, a memory or an idea?  perhaps it's all that and none of that at the same time. love evades our consciousness  as it constantly reinvents itself. it's as solid as a rock and as fluid as water. the truth is that love is neither this nor that; love never appears or disappears, it's simply our obstructions and limitations that don't allow us to change as love itself changes with every second. love regenerates itself, and so should we.

is love absolute?

sometimes, based on our behaviors and beliefs, it seems that we would answer yes. we invest in LOVE once and expect it to be there forever. we seem to remember and honor our investment just this one day of the year. what limits our ability to live in love and love in life on a daily basis and not just on a yearly basis?

many people will try to convince others that it is impossible to be in love everyday. they will say they are just being “realistic.” a person who believes they are being "realistic" about the world most probably will never feel the necessity to change their perceptions; after all, they’re just being real. so, how do we change this perspective and invite love into everything we do and everything we are?

become a participant in the phenomenon of love and not an observer. live, act, talk, feel, and love with conviction. trust your eyes, trust your ears, trust your senses, and follow your heart. love, just like life, needs full participation. not just once a year. take this chance to invest in life and allow love to become part of your existence.

- mayo

sunday brunch at SPACE

last month kicked off the first sunday brunch, the newest gathering around our communal table at SPACE. guest chefs, jo anne and jeffrey served up a beautiful strawberry beet salad alongside their savory buckwheat crepes. mmmm....

looking forward to many a sunday brunch to come. if you are in or around seoul and are interested in being a guest chef at SPACE, we'd love to hear from you! 

up-cycled skirt = newborn beanie

you may have noticed how lovely things look around here. thanks to one of my dearest friends, jill, green tea and kimchi has a smart new look. jill (aka queen blogger) has been posting about her life every single day since she arrived in korea four years ago. she sees the good in every day and is just plain lovely so it's no surprise her blog has quite the following. i recently heard a patron of our community SPACE who happens to be an avid reader of jill's blog said that mayo and i are her favorite guest stars. so funny! 

jill and her husband have recently started their photography business and, as a result, mayo and i have some beautiful photos we will cherish forever... the last photos before we were 'three' :) so not only is she a well-known blogger, a talented photographer and a beautiful woman inside and out, jill also happens to be super crafty and quite saavy with a needle and thread. when i saw an article about up-cycling old sweaters into baby hats, i knew just who to commission for the job. and saw it as perfect timing for green tea and kimchi's first guest post! enjoy... 

and thank you, auntie jill! 

jessica 

It's true... This baby beanie used to be a skirt!

I was so honored and excited when Jess asked me to be a guest blogger!  My name is Jill, by the way, and Jess and I met almost 4 years ago in Korea and have been close friends ever since.  I live in Busan, South Korea and am an English teacher, wife, avid blogger and DIY'er. So, Jess asked if I would write a guest blog post about up-cycling clothes into baby clothes!

As you may or may not know, Jess is just weeks away from having her 1st baby, which I KNOW is a boy!  (She and Mayo have chosen not to find out the sex, but I just know it's a boy!  And I've lovingly nicknamed him Leyloa, which is a mix of a boy name and girl name I like.)  So, when my husband and I were in Seoul a couple weeks ago, Jess asked if I could sew a baby beanie out of this knit skirt she doesn't wear anymore!  I thought, sure, why not?!  I was thrilled to have a project to work on and even more excited that it would be for Leyloa!

So, here's the original skirt I worked with.  Cute, huh?!

First, I measured the bottom and cut at the 13 inch mark.

Then I measured 7 inches from the bottom to the top and cut across,
making a 7 inch by 13 inch rectangle.

Then, I took one of my own beanies and laid it on a piece of paper and traced the shape. I made sure to lay it 6 inches from the bottom of the paper, because that's how tall our lil newborn beanie will be.

Then, I folded the striped fabric over and laid my paper template on top.

I took a blue marker and traced a line around the paper template and then stapled the fabric together, so it didn't move when I was sewing along the line.

Then, I took some white thread and went to town, sewing along the line.  SO EASY, right?!

After I was finished with the original stitching, I cut all of the excess fabric off.  Then, I folded the beanie so that the two sewn edges were touching at the bottom and sewed a + shape into the top of the beanie.  This is imperative!!  If you skip this step, it'll fit really funny on the baby's head!

Then, I turned it right side out and voila - I had myself a newborn beanie, made from a knit skirt!

But wait, you can make it even MORE adorable!  Jess asked me to adorn it with a pom pom, which I thought was genius!  So, I cut these three strips of blue fabric (about a 1/4 inch wide and about 1 1/2 feet long.  They don't have to be perfectly straight. YAY!

Then I wrapped those strips around 3 fingers.

I gently pulled them off my hand, laid them on the floor, took some matching thread and tied them tightly in the middle.  Then, I cut the ends of the loops, fluffed them up a bit into a ball shape, and ... I had myself an adorable pom pom.  I grabbed the same blue thread, turned the beanie inside out and sewed it right on to the top.  That's it!  I was finished!  How easy is that?!

Remember that original beanie I used to create my paper template?  Well, I cut that one down and created another newborn beanie for Leyloa!  I can knit, but not this type of pattern... So by cutting my own beanie, which has been sitting in my closet for 3 years untouched, I could give Leyloa a knitted beanie without ever knitting anything!

Last but not least, I was going through my clothes, since my husband and I will be finally leaving Korea next month (after 4 years) and found some Thai wrap around pants that Jess, Mayo and I all bought when we were in Thailand together back in 2009.  I have a couple different pairs, so I grabbed the blue ones and went to town, using the fabric to re-create a smaller version for the Leyloa!  I think they turned out pretty darn cute! There's a draw string type of thing under the fold over, so they'll fit him for at least the 1st year!

So, the next time you're pitching your sweaters, knit skirts and beanies, think again!  Everything can be recycled - or "up-cycled" as they say.  You just need to use your imagination, a little needle and thread and a bit of patience!  

- Jill

cranberry orange one bite brownies

one and a half cups walnuts

ten dates (we used medjool)

half a cup dried cranberries

half a cup raw cacao powder

the juice and zest of a tangerine

a pinch of sea salt

in a food processor, combine all ingredients until mixed well. press into the bottom of a glass container (lining with parchment paper helps with sticking) and refrigerate until firm, about one hour. 

remove brownies from the refrigerator and cut into bite size squares, sprinkle with crushed walnuts and a bit more zest. 

these one-bite brownies are loaded with goodness and nutrients

from the kitchens of pinch and dash, with love...

mung bean porridge | 녹두죽

mung bean porridge 

a cup of split mung beans (whole are okay too but cooking time will be longer)
half an onion, minced
two cloves of garlic, minced
two teaspoons of salt

들기름 (perilla oil) or good quality olive oil
toasted sesame seeds
chopped chives or scallions

a pot of prepared brown rice


wash the mung beans well and pick over to make sure any small stones are removed. cover with water and boil about fifteen minutes, skimming foam off the top if necessary.

drain the water and give beans a rinse. cover again with fresh water, adding salt and boiling again with lid slightly askew until beans are soft and most of the water is absorbed, about another twenty minutes.
you want a soupy porridge so add water as necessary to avoid beans from drying out.

serve mung in a bowl with an equal portion of cooked rice and drizzle generously with perilla oil and a healthy sprinkle of sesame seeds. add some chopped scallions or chives to the bowl and a bit of purple cabbage salad for color.


purple cabbage salad

a cup of very thinly sliced purple cabbage
half an onion
a pinch of salt
a squeeze of lemon

in a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients well, using your hands to massage the cabbage until soft. as it begins to wilt, it will take on a beautiful shade of pink. set aside, allowing cabbage to marinate in it's own juices. serve with mung bean porridge or as a colorful side to any dish. 

winter