Kimchi made its morning show debut on the Today Show with Matt Lauer and the famed chef David Chang showing how he makes his version of kimchi.  David is out and about promoting his “Momofuku: The Cookbook”, which was published this week. If you would like the Napa Cabbage Kimchi recipe we featured early this week, click here.

David Chang’s “Momofuku: The Cookbook” will be out in bookstores on Tuesday and here’s one of the first recipes shared with the public: Napa Cabbage Kimchi.  If you don’t know David Chang, then he’s someone you should get to know because he’s the boy genius that the culinary world has embraced.  He’s doing it in the most difficult city to win in and that’s New York with his 4 restaurants: Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Momofuku Ko and Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar.  Try out David’s Napa Cabbage Kimchi from his famed Momofuku restaurants.

At Momofuku, we make three types of kimchi: Napa cabbage (paechu), radish (from long white Korean my dishes or, failing that, Japanese daikon), and Kirby cucumber (oi). Our recipe has changed some since I learned it from my mom, who learned it from her mom. I add more sugar than they would. We let the fermentation happen in the refrigerator instead of starting the kimchi at room temperature and then moving it into the fridge when it starts to get funky. At the restaurant, we let the kimchi ferment for only a couple of weeks, instead of allowing it to get really stinky and soft. There’s a point, after about two weeks, where the bacteria that are fermenting the kimchi start producing CO2 and the kimchi takes on a prickly mouthfeel, like the feeling of letting the bubbles in a soft drink pop on your tongue. It’s right around then that I like it best.

Makes 1 to 1 ½ quarts

INGREDIENTS
• 1 small to medium head Napa cabbage, discolored or loose outer leaves discarded
• 2 tablespoons kosher or coarse sea salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 20 garlic cloves, minced
• 20 slices peeled fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 cup kochukaru (Korean chile powder)
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup usukuchi (light soy sauce)
• 2 teaspoons jarred salted shrimp
• 1/2 cup 1-inch pieces scallions (greens and whites)
• 1/2 cup julienned carrots

DIRECTIONS
Cut the cabbage lengthwise in half, then cut the halves crosswise into 1 inch wide pieces. Toss the cabbage with the salt and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a bowl. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Combine the garlic, ginger, kochukaru, fish sauce, soy sauce, shrimp, and remaining ½ cup sugar in a large bowl. If it is very thick, add water 1/3 cup at a time until the brine is just thicker than a creamy salad dressing but no longer a sludge. Stir in the scallions and carrots.

Drain the cabbage and add it to the brine. Cover and refrigerate. Though the kimchi will be tasty after 24 hours, it will be better in a week and at its prime in 2 weeks. It will still be good for another couple weeks after that, though it will grow stronger and funkier.

Source: MSNBC

Is David Chang the wunderkind of the food world?  Depends on how early is early for success.  It would be safe to say that David Chang is a food genius because he simply cooked what he really wanted.  Luckily for us and the many foodies in New York, we’re glad he chose cooking (what he really wanted to do) over golf because that’s what he almost trained to be before he discovered his real calling in life.  David Chang didn’t have immediate success but went through some soul searching before arriving at success – all before thirty.  He’s coming out with his cookbook which is appropriately titled “Momofuku,” which is the common name in for all of his reataurants:  Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Momofuku Ko and Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar.

Momofuku tells the stories and recipes of your first three restaurants. There’s no real sex, drugs and scandal, but lots of fear, anger, desperation and joy of the Korean-American boy who studied religion, taught English in Japan and fell hard for ramen – “soup with noodles in it, topped with stuff. That’s it. I love ramen but the sanctimony that’s often attached to it is a bit too much.”

I’ve personally eaten at all his restaurants and even had the once great pleasure of eating with David and having him order for us.  He is simply a genius!  But the genius wasn’t that evident when he first opened up shop not to long ago.

My restaurant bombed after a month. I couldn’t keep my chefs or waiters happy. They constantly demanded food, water and rest. My menu never progressed beyond garden salad, bruschetta, tiger prawn platters, margarita pizza and fruit plates. No dim sum, yakibuta ramen and saffron tea at Buffalo Gal’s – I wasn’t qualified to cook them or buy the ingredients.

I blew too much money on uniforms, pretty stoves, wallpaper and flooring. I didn’t sink every waking hour into my restaurant and it showed. Customers marched out fuming. My restaurant sucked, but at least it sucked in obscurity running a virtual eatery at Restaurant City on Facebook.

David Chang’s book Momofuku will be hitting the store shelves on Wednesday, Oct 28th.

Source: TheStar.com

Corey Lee, of Thomas Keller’s French Laundry, is causing a lot of curiosity and buzz lately because he’s going to go off on his own to open a restaurant in San Francisco.  We all know about the brilliance of David Chang with his Momofuku restaurants in New York, but not many know about Corey Lee.  How good is Corey Lee?  For starters, he won the Rising Star Chef of the Year award from the James Beard Foundation.  Interestingly, he started off his career washing dishes and after stints at New York’s Daniel and Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York, he finally became chef de cuisine at one of the most famous restaurants in the world at French Laundry: a three star restaurant according to the famed Michelin Guide.  So what did Corey Lee learn from his time at French Laundry?
I think it really has to do with commitment and the work ethic. Those things go hand in hand. When I started here, Thomas was here working almost every service, and working past every service. It’s that kind of dedication that allowed him to have the success he has now and allowed him the opportunities he has now. It’s that hands-on approach that struck me right away and stayed with me. It’s the kind of chef and operator I want to be.

David Chang is the most heralded Korean-American chef in the U.S.  He’s been called one of the great contemporary geniuses of cooking.  How many people do you know create their own Kimchi butter?  Well David has partnered up with NBC New York for a contest where the winner will win a free lunch prepared by David …. that is if you can find him. Go to NBC New York for more details>