kimchi, beef, ramen, and small explosion

Suddenly out of nowhere,
I'm craving some Korean kimchi. It is strange because I don't usually like kimchi so this is strange. I taste a lot of different kimchi but I never fond of the taste.

Except one in some small restaurant in Jakarta (that i doubt if its still open today). It was 10 years ago maybe (now I feel old!). That was the first kimchi I ever like...ever. It is the only one that i can manage to eat.

Eating in Korean restaurant would be a luxury for me since they are quite expensive and they have *uncommon* type food so I rarely want to eat it. Couple times I went and i got really confused when I read the menu...they all look the same to me.

Have I mentioned that they all look RED for everything? (seems they love spicy things so much). It give me that eerie-creepy feel somehow seeing almost all the food in super-reddish color.

Anyway since in Finland it started to get autumny, coldy, windy and super darky (with additional cold and flu sickness also) plus I binge-watched this awesome Korean woman "Maangchi"

That kimchi-stew-soup seems so warm...spicy...and hot...
perfect for this time of the year!

I must make those!

But then again I was super-skeptical at first since kimchi sounds so fancy and hard to make. And I don't want to buy store-bought-kimchi, they usually horrible plus the Asian market is far from my home (I'm to lazy to go).

After couple googling and reading Maangchi blog again and again, I found a simple recipe to make in here.  I didn't use any raw squid or other raw seafood like the original recipe, It is scary just to think about putting them altogether...euuughyyy...

So let's start by chopping the most important part of the kimchi ; chinese cabbage! (kiinaankaali)

I love the cruchy-crunch sound they make when you cut these :D

I have a funny-stupid moment doing my *first* kimchi. 

I didn't realize that I should give more space in the glass jar that when I check it after 2 days there's some *fizzy-fishy* stuff happening. I was panicked and open the jar without thinking too much.

And then *sploorrrchh* the kimchi exploded bursting everywhere from the jar.

lesson learned here ; 
fermentation give you carbon dioxide reaction

*ouch*

*The culprit of the kimchi-explosion

After a painful kitchen cleaning, I split the kimchi in 2 jars afterwards to prevent more explosion. Fortunately its only the *kimchi sauce* that bursted out. All the vegetables are safe and really yummy to taste.

I am satisfied with the result and even make one more easy Korean dish "Yak-gochujang" (Fried gochujang). It consist beef, pine nuts, honey (mmmmm honeyyy) and Korean fermented chili paste "gochujang". This kimchi is really good when you mix it with other food, especially with ramen noodle soup.

I should try more Korean foods in the future after this ;)

sus-shi-shush.

Last week i'm craving for some japanese foods. But i am too picky and I don't want to spent more money since i went to the dentist to end my tooth-ache-misery-drama.

I am not a person who like to cook lots of various foods at the same time. I always try to avoid making japanese foods like sushi. 

But anyway, 

i finally try to make it and understand completely why it quite pricey ( and expensive ) in restaurant.

When i still at work in Indonesia, one of my friend always woke up at 04.00 - 05.00 in the morning just to prepared sushi for us. She need to be at workplace at 08.00 and always made a lot of batch ( you can check this late post here ). How did she manage to do it that fast! it took me almost 4 hours for 4 types of sushi! XD

Here's the result, though i'm sure i can do better the next one! :p

*please ignore the burnt part and the odd size sushi...pfffttt*

After i made all the sushi and ran out of the ingredients, I still have more sushi rice left. So i just turn it into onigiri...though this is not an original onigiri since they didn't put vinegar in it. But anyway better than going to the trashbin. I made some homemade furikake also and mix it together. 

The leftover *flower* carrots really nice for the decorations, isnt' it? ;)

What i've learned 24022012.

Some week ago, i have an urge to eat chinese potsticker ( jiao zi ). I want to make it myself but get scared of failing it.

Then i push myself at last to make it, and it turns out well and nicely even the look of it not so promising i think, here's the evidence ;

The taste are pretty same with what i remember when i still in Indonesia. I really happy that i tried it, it's not too hard actually, i will make more of this later.


#Life, is the same. 


We always afraid to do new things for the first time, after you try it and experience it yourself, you eventually gain more courage to do it more and making it better. 


Learning from your mistake in the past and move on into new challenges.


Sometimes we scared at first before even try it because see or hear other people said it is hard. But until you try it yourself, how do you know if it really hard? who know if it really easy?


It's like when you open one door, 


the other will open also for us. 

sushi party girls.

Once upon a day, there's 3 girls who works in the same company. 

They always work together as a team of designers and when they not working they have fun time hanging out for culinary adventure ( other things like shopping and more eating, of course ). 

°picture : trivia ; somehow they always spent +/- 150 thousand for 3 of them 

Some people told them they were look alike and though they are sisters. They have a different style and taste, but somehow they can still enjoying doing things together. One of them love drawing a lot, the other love fashion and socialize, and the last one love travelling and cooking

The last sister always making breakfast for the other, especially japanese foodie like sushi. Everybody know that she'd be happy to make something for them and always put a lot of effort to do it. She like to experimenting on anything ( who know she'd probably make the other some guinea pig for her cooking...whoopsie :p ) like making this cutie crabby-style-sushi ;

This are typical-normal-breakfast for them in the morning. A full set of fancy sushi, along with the wasabi, sushi soy sauce and set of hot tea plus 3 doggies that always waiting ( looking with puppy eyes-mode ) for some snacky-snack dropped. 

Currently they separated by situation, each of them choose a different way for life. It's a really sad situation to be. But a day later when they can met again ( corrected ; a must :p ) it will be the same like the ways they usually do ; culinary adventures, shopping, gossiping, etc. 

After all they are soul sisters.

The end, for now...or should i say, to be continued : )

5 simply heaven for me : 11112011

Wow i just notice it its 11-11-11 today, it's a really unique eh? Many couples do their wedding today so they can get a *lucky* date. My mom said she got 4 invitation for today and more of my friends complaining they even got more, lol ; )

back to the post ; p

1. christmas comes early , we bought a hanging christmas lamp for living room and get a christmas calendar from a girls scouts. Pretty!

2. dottie angel book, finally arrived! i fell in love at first sight when one of blogger showed this in their post. I love how detailed they put the design and using lot of whimsical stuff. Just lovely.

3. pack of cutie dried mushroom, my parents in law dried the mushroom we picked and it was awesome to have this for whole year ahead. They will *poof-ing* out when you put them in water. My partner *jokingly* said in the wild they will pop out from the ground with ploop-ing sound after the rain! ; )

4. strawberry plant, strawberry plant to keep indoor from my partner's dad, i hope this baby will thrive here so we can get a tiny-weenie-berries later.

5.  recreating famous painting, doing american gothic painting with my partner! We took photo first then he did the repainting on it. it turns out really nicely don't you think? make me want to recreating of other famous painting also ;D

pesto-pancake-salmon-salad.

Doing a lot of trial and error are really good practice. Especially in cooking.

Some of the attempt will bring you disaster-even-dog-won't-eat-it and sometimes like...heavenly. 

I think I know why Japanese cooking anime or manga have that bizarre outrageous expression when someone taking a really *extra-good* cooking. I did feel almost like that sometimes when eating nice foods.

Like today's trial and error gave me a really nice outcome.

°picture : hmmmmm, pesto pancake

cooking for pleasure.

Every people have their own place where they can express themselves and have a peace in mind. Bedroom, work room, library, maybe bathroom ( well some people, honestly ) etc.

Kitchen, is one of my place to be.


i live for eating, it is the root of my love for cooking. I usually get lost myself when it come to cooking, a self-indulgence and stress relief believe it or not.

I'm not an expert for it, nor a i can say i'm really good at it. Cooking is for fun to me, to mix all kind of ingredients and herbs, try new things, experimenting, it must be enjoyed not a must to do.


A nice clean kitchen is a must. It's the same with when you taking a bath you have to do it everyday so you stay clean and nice. I don't think you want to take it just once a week right? you'll be a threat for other people.

Picky is one word for me also when it come to decorating and adding utensils.
A bright one near windows, and lots of indoor plants will add plus point in it, who wants to stay whole time if the place is scary looking room with stains everywhere, dark, damp, and looks eerie. I don't think so.

This week my partner do some installment in the kitchen. A place to hang the utensils, more spices rack, and shelf for more plants near the table. And guess what, he did it all by himself, i really happy and proud of you! :D

Not to forget a cute apron for cooking! how can it be more cuter than polkadot-laced apron for it...there's no any cuter apron than this!*dance* :D