winter

autumn

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!

summer

spring

re-purposed

korean roof tile re-purposed to hold silverwear

morning at the market

a perfect morning at the market getting ready to start the spring issue!

bibimbap

bibimbap with sauteed sauerkraut, winter greens and toasted pumpkin seeds…

from HIBERNATE, the winter edition from the kitchens of pinch and dash

soymilk

wild mountain greens

nature’s bounty from the hills, wilted in boiling water for a quick minute, given a cold rinse and tossed with sesame oil, sea salt and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds…

yellow date tomatoes

look at what i found! they translate from korean to yellow date tomatoes but clearly they are orange and they are beautiful!

balsamic poached eggs with purple rice, mushrooms, chives, and my new tomatoes…

obstructure

lazy sunday slurping noodles, nose running, intense heat

sweet and spicy mingle together like friends around a table

home-cooked stew of braised potato, onion, carrot… a veggie version

some friends of mine have started an inspiring project called Obstructure. Obstructure provides a series of “ob”stacles to a community of writers, visual artist, performers or anyone else with ideas to spare. it is the artist’s challenge to transform the obstacle into the “structure” that will become their art which will then be compiled into a quarterly ‘zine. Obstructure is based in seoul but open to creatives anywhere in the world so come join us!

the theme of Obstructure’s first issue is sijo, a traditional Korean poem comparable to Japan’s haiku. each participant was given a challenge specific to his or her talents and interests. what you see above is the product of my sijo challenge, titled andong jjimdak, which led to three great meals of one of my favorite foods shared with some of my favorite people.

rice bowl

food this good can (and should) be quick and easy. i love cooking but rarely do i feel like putting together something elaborate that takes more than an hour to cook. so most nights, i make a big pot of brown rice (enough for morning leftovers!) and top it with whatever fresh veggies i have in the fridge - steamed, stir fried, or roasted.

i have a shelf full of spices but i prefer to let the vegetables’ natural flavors work on their own so just a bit of salt and pepper and maybe a dash of nutmeg - my current favorite - is all that’s needed. top with chopped scallions for a fresh twist or add some toasted pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and a drizzle of olive or sesame oil for protein and good omega fats and your dinner is complete.

giving thanks

This year, I spent my favorite holiday thousands of miles away from home. Thanksgiving is a celebration of family and of sharing rich, heart-warming comfort foods with those we love. In Seoul this Thanksgiving, my new family of friends and i put together a vegetarian thanksgiving feast warm enough to fill any expatriate's heart and belly with all the memories of food and family they can handle.

We and 20 other eaters from our community gathered around a warm stove this last Saturday, cooking together, reflecting on thanksgiving memories, and sharing a meal of beautiful seasonal food. on the menu:

mulled winewarm leek and apple salad with wasabi vinaigrette
sweet potato latkes with persimmon chili chutney
pumpkin risotto with homemade ricotta
pumpkin bread
ginger snaps
persimmon kombucha
and of course... ryan's mama's apple pie :)

It was an event to remember and a very satisfying way to share a most beloved tradition with new friends from around the world. 

WARMTH | a vegetarian thanksgiving feast

Fall is here, pilgrims, and the holiday season is just around the corner. It's time to bid farewell to our beloved bowls of mul nangmyeon and usher in a new season of WARM foods and cozy ondol-heated evenings. And what better way to do that than to gather around a WARM stove with other food lovers in Seoul, just in time for American Thanksgiving?

We can't think of a better way... so we're doing it. On Saturday November 2oth, at the O'ngo Food Communications School in Insadong, we're hosting a vegetarian feast around the theme of WARMTH. Join us for a hearty taste of seasonal vegetarian foods, from WARM mulled libations to a WARM apple dessert.

30,000w per person includes a WARM apertif, four courses of seasonal comfort foods and good company. Bring a homemade vegetarian dish of your own and get in for 20. (note that the cooking studio has a handful of ovens, so let your imagination run wild here).

Come early if you'd like to help cook the meal and swap a few tricks for preparing new Thanksgiving recipes with Korea's bounty of fruits and veggies. And regardless, be sure to bring your own WARM memories from Thanksgivings and falls past to share!

persimmon chutney

the first frost has fallen and it's getting cold here in korea. while the ginko and maple trees are dying a vibrantly colored death, the persimmon trees have already lost their foliage and look like naked christmas trees ornamented in bright orange globes of glass. this time of year, all the persimmon trees are decorated with fruit and, as a result of the practical korean tradition of giving food as gift (a tradition i wholeheartedly intend to take with me), we have received many a bag of the sweet autumn fruit.
their sweetness is perfect enough eaten fresh but, with so many rapidly ripening persimmons to work with, i was inspired to use them in almost everything i ate this month. here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy persimmons and i hope you will enjoy them too...

frozen and eaten with a spoon... a natural sorbet!
spiced apple and persimmon compote with yogurt.


persimmon chili chutney...

6 fuyu persimmons, peeled and diced
1 lemon, juiced and 1 inch of peel retained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
6 whole cloves
8 peppercorns
1 green chili, minced
4tbs vinegar
1t salt
½ cup sugar
¼ cup Water
1tsp cumin seeds

simmer the cumin seeds, cloves, peppercorns, chili, salt and sugar in the vinegar, lemon juice and water until spices have steeped, about 15 minutes...
add onion, garlic and lemon peel and simmer for an additional 10...
add persimmon and cook over low heat for about 40 minutes until thickened.
serve over anything and everything!

rice harvest

korean tea

korean tea is different from what we commonly regard as tea because it can be made by using fruits, grains, and roots... much more than just leaves.

korea's commitment to eating seasonally extends beyond fruits and vegetables. it has been said that by ingesting the season's bounty as tea, our bodies assimilate the season's vital energy (chi). traditional teas embrace centuries-old wisdom used to link human life to nature. just as we naturally desire water after eating salty foods,  teas made with seasonal ingredients provide elements our bodies crave at particular times of the year.

autumn's tea is omija. in korean, 오미자 (omija) means 'five taste berry'. the five flavors of this berry - sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and pungent - are uniquely distinct but can be somewhat compared to a cranberry.

our region of mungyeong is said to be the finest omija-producing region in the country. the pristine conditions deep in the mountains provide the perfect environment to cultivate the berry prized by epicureans and herbalists alike.

the omija harvest has just come in and i was oh-so-pleasantly surprised to receive a gift of the idolized berry from one of mayo's co-workers. i delightedly washed my three kilos of omija, layered them in a large glass jar with equal parts white sugar and sealed the lid to start the 100 day fermentation process. i'm thrilled to observe my berries as they ferment into the sweet and sour fruit extract i will be using to make omija tea to keep me warm in the new year!

autumn glow

autumn's last glow over the rice fields...

veggie cooking school

my darling friend ryan and i have recently joined forces to share our love of vegetarian food with the seoul community.  we held our first seasonal, local vegetarian cooking class last month and are whipping up the final details for our next gathering on october 23rd at O'ngo Food Communications Culinary School in insadong, seoul.

take a look at what we did last month...

and stay tuned for more info on october's event, themed:
WARMTH-an evening of warming fall harvest food and warm hearts around the table

a taste of what we'll be sharing:

mulled wine
warm spinach and pear salad
ginger and seasonal greens soup
pumpkin risotto
and a heart warming apple dessert

... just in time for my favorite season