Chinese Cabbage

Spicy Stir-fry Chinese Cabbage

• 1 pound Chinese Cabbage (or ½ whole Chinese cabbage)
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 onion
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, for stir-frying
• 2 - 3 teaspoons chile paste, according to taste (or 1 teaspoon of chili powder)
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine, dry sherry, or white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 - 2 teaspoons soy sauce, optional

Preparation:

1.    Rinse the cabbage and pat dry. Remove the leaves and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces. Finely chop the garlic. Finely chop the onion.

2. Heat the wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the chile paste (or powder). Stir-fry for 30 seconds.  Add onion and stir-fry for 5-8 minutes, then add the garlic. Stir-fry for a few seconds until fragrant, and then add the cabbage.

3. Stir-fry the cabbage for 1 minute, splashing with the rice wine or dry sherry and stirring in the salt.

4. Add the water. Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer the cabbage for 3 minutes.

5. Turn the heat back to medium-high. Stir in the honey. Stir in the soy sauce if desired.

6. Cook briefly to mix everything together. Serve hot.

Kimchi

… a traditional Korean fermented dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings

Servings: Makes 1 1/2 Quarts

Author Notes: The favorite kimchee vegetable is Chinese (or Napa) cabbage. The Koreans ferment it in enormous quantities. They then pack the kimchee into huge earthenware jars, bury the jars in the ground up to the neck, and cover the lids with straw until the kimchee is needed. Kimchee almost always includes hot pepper, usually dried and either ground or crushed into flakes. Because the ground dried hot pepper sold in Korean markets is generally fairly mild, Koreans can use generous quantities. Some of the Mexican (and New Mexican) ground peppers now sold in supermarkets are comparable. If you can't find ground pepper with a moderate heat level, you might combine sweet paprika and cayenne to suit your taste.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon pickling salt 6 cups water
• 2 pounds Chinese (Napa) cabbage, cut into 2-inch squares
• 6 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths, then slivered
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons Korean ground dried hot pepper (or other mildly hot ground red pepper)
• 1 teaspoon sugar Instructions: Makes about 1 1/2 Quarts

1. Dissolve the 3 tablespoons salt in the water. Put the cabbage into a large bowl, a crock, or a nonreactive pot, and pour the brine over it. Weight the cabbage down with a plate. Let the cabbage stand for 12 hours.

2. Drain the cabbage, reserving the brine. Mix the cabbage with the remaining ingredients, including the 1 teaspoon salt. Pack the mixture into a 2-quart jar. Pour enough of the reserved brine over the cabbage to cover it. Push a freezer bag into the mouth of the jar, and pour the remaining brine into the bag. Seal the bag. Let the kimchi ferment in a cool place, at a temperature no higher than 68° F, for 3 to 6 days,until the kimchi is as sour as you like.

3. Remove the brine bag, and cap the jar tightly. Store the kimchi in the refrigerator, where it will keep for months.