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!

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! 

market bibimbap and doenjang soup

after a long relaxing holiday weekend, i’m ready to enjoy this beautiful fall weather browsing the open air markets for my next bibimbap. here’s the recipe for last week’s bowl, served ‘round Mama’s Table at SPACE.

MARKET BIBIMBAP

a serving of brown rice 

(I also like to mix brown rice with a little black, red, and white for a beautiful bowl of colorful grains)

a handful of purple cabbage, very thinly sliced

fresh soft tofu - 순두부 (best served warm, fresh from the market)

a handful of seasonal greens (I used green leaf lettuce), roughly chopped

a handful of chives, roughly chopped 

a sprinkle of sunflower (or pumpkin) seeds, lightly toasted

toasted sesame oil

sea salt

for the dressing, combine the following in a small bowl…

a splash of soy sauce

a splash of brown rice vinegar

a splash of sesame oil

a clove of finely minced garlic

a green onion, finely minced

a sprinkle of red chili powder

cook rice and keep warm.

in a small bowl, massage the thinly sliced purple cabbage with a sprinkle of salt and just a bit of vinegar. use your hands to break down the cabbage and release its water causing it to soften. it will turn beautifully bright pink. set aside.

if necessary, heat the soft tofu just a bit to warm it.

toast the sunflower seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until golden in color. remove from heat.

scoop warm rice into a serving bowl. layer with massaged cabbage, fresh greens, tofu and chives. sprinkle with the toasted seeds and a few spoonfuls of dressing. finish with a drizzle of sesame oil for deep umami flavor.

for the doenjang soup…

2-3 thumb-sized pieces of dried kelp (다시마), rinsed well

a few spoons of doenjang paste (miso also works)

seasonal greens (I used mallow - 아욱), washed well and roughly chopped

a splash of soy sauce

boil a pot of water with the kelp while preparing other ingredients (about 20 minutes).

lower the heat to a simmer and ladle a spoonful of hot kelp stock into a small bowl and add the doenjang paste, mixing until smooth. return to the pot and stir. if you prefer a saltier broth, add another spoon of doenjang, mixing in a separate bowl first before adding to the pot.

when the broth is to your taste, toss in the greens and simmer for just a minute until wilted.

remove from heat and stir in a splash of soy sauce to round out the flavor.

serve with market bibimbap or have a soothing cup of doenjang soup to start your morning.

mama's table... dal and rice

this monday was the first Mama’s Table, a weekly sharing of food around the communal table at SPACE.

thanks to my resourceful friend and freegan, josh, we were able to save a giant bag of lemon rinds - discarded from a popular local lemonade stand - from becoming trash and used them to make indian lemon pickles after our dinner of dal and rice. i can’t wait for those sour, spicy pickles to be ready to eat with my dal next time.

kitchiri (dal and rice)… and a beetroot salad

kitchiri is an ayurvedic dish known to detoxify and balance the body. because it is easy to digest, it is traditionally eaten when recovering from illness or by those undertaking panchakarma, an ayurvedic cleanse. there are countless versions of the recipe but no matter which kind of rice you choose or how many or few spices you use, kitchiri is always a simply delicious, belly-warming bowl of goodness. ghee (clarified butter) is usually the foundation of kitchiri but we found a light flavored oil works just as well and tastes just as good.

for the kitchiri…

a splash of light flavored oil (we like grapeseed)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
6 cups or water
1 1/2 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 cup brown rice, picked over and rinsed
sea salt to taste
a bundle of cilantro, finely chopped

in a big soup pot, combine the oil and onion over medium heat, cooking the onions until they soften. add the spices and salt, stirring to release their flavor. stir in the rice and lentils and stir fry for just a few minutes. add water and bring to a boil, then simmer for about thirty minutes or until the rice is very tender. add more water as you cook if you prefer a soupier dish.

check for salt and adjust as necessary. stir in the cilantro and serve warm, with a spoonful of your favorite indian pickle. you can make your own south indian lemon pickles or, if you're not feeling that ambitious, pick up a jar from your local indian grocer. my favorites are mango and lemon – delish!


for the salad…

2 or 3 medium sized beets
a handful of cilantro, finely chopped
a squeeze of lime juice
a sprinkle of cumin powder
a pinch of salt, to taste

combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and let stand for an hour before serving.

seoul vegan potluck

in only the second month of the seoul vegan potluck , a community was born. it was a lovely sunday afternoon, surrounded by new friends and beautiful food at SPACE, an urban oasis in the center of seoul, where wellness is on the menu daily.

we feasted on moroccan zaalouk, fig and walnut salad, roasted red pepper hummus, ratatouille and a late summer quinoa medley. bellies were full, friendships were made and SPACE was warmed by the coming together of our community in our humble oasis.

thanks seoul vegan potluck for a wonderfully tasty and heart-warming event last weekend and thanks chincha magazine for including my fig salad! can’t wait for next month at casablanca!