The Expat Table

OUR TRAINING

We were raised cooking for large crews of people in small/portable kitchens. For example, mom baked this birthday cake in the portable oven that sat over a gas range. (You can see it behind her head on the right.) This is how we learned to make homemade ovens for gas ranges like THIS ONE we made here in Korea a few Christmas ago when we really wanted cookies.

You will also notice that the table and cooking counter are made from found and reclaimed arctic timbers. They were raw, rugged and the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Kitchens don't have to be fancy and new to be loved and useful. In this kitchen we cooked three meals a day for up to twenty people. We baked bread, cakes, pies and anything else we could imagine. There were never excuses, there was just getting delicious things done.

In addition, all of our water was hauled from a nearby river and boiled for dishes and cooking, we sunk barrels into the ground where we kept items that need refrigerated and the nearest shop was a 500 mile flight away.

With all of these complications, we had to be very creative. We often ran out of important ingredients before new shipments could arrive. We had to find ways of making up for their absence in a way no one would notice. Which is how mom became the master of substitutions. She taught us how to do the same. Sometimes we would place all of our ingredients on the counter and brainstorm for ages, trying to imagine the food we had left could still make something. In the end, it always worked. We always found a way.

This is the sort of fun we love to have in our adopted international homes and the inspiration behind our fusion recipes. Our weird childhood was the perfect training for a happy and delicious expat life.

THE KITCHEN

You might find yourself thinking, "I can't cook all this. My kitchen is just too small." Well, here is our kitchen. This is where the magic happens. Actually, half our kitchen is in the entry way and the other half is on the porch (or rumpus room as we call it). We squeeze every last bit we can out of our little space and in return it loves us.

Cooking here is delightfully simple. We aren't overrun by excess we have what we need and only what we need. Each item in our kitchen is important and used. If it ever fades into disuse we pass it on to a new expat that needs it more than us. It's a magic system that makes us cook even more than we did when we had a giant US kitchen.

Since our pantry is small it holds very few prepackaged foods, instead we keep it filled with the staples needed to make things from scratch. It's nice to not have the space for crap because it keeps us from buying it. Notice we can't live without our imported molasses and ketchup :) Everyone has their Achilles heal.

Here are all our cooking utensils. We love that big red pot for canning and the two cast iron skillets are our pride and joy. Sometimes we look at it and wonder if there is anything else we need, but this really covers it.

On the porch you will find our little fridge and our pride and joy - the oven.

So there you have it. This is the space we have. These are the supplies we have. We are very curious what other people have in their kitchens so feel free to send us photos at theexpattable@gmail.com

THE FOOD

Korean Salsa

Alright, straight up, I'm in love with Mexico and I feel a little bit like I'm cheating on her by living in Korea. To make it more complicated. Mexican food can become a bit, shall we say, misunderstood when it makes the jump across the ocean. Now, I haven't figured out why this is but I'm determined to set it right without importing everything from home... because that's already been imported from Mexico. Bad carbon usage, bad. On the other hand, if it's not "authentic" I'm not eating it.
So, first things first, we've got to master the basics: Salsa

THE QUANDARIES

1. Cilantro is limited.

2. Korean's don't always like cilantro.

3. Korean garlic and onions are different from Mexico and need to be "toned down" in order to translate into a successful salsa.

THE SOLUTION

6 - 8 large ripe tomatoes

3 medium onions

6 green onions

3 cloves of garlic

1 table spoon whole coriander seeds

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro

4 spicy Korean Peppers

1 tablespoon apple vinager

3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

Sea salt to taste

1 tablespoon Korean chili powder (optional)

1/4 cup jalapenos (optional)

PREPARE THE TOMATOES

FIRST: Bring a big pot of water to a boil.
SECOND: Cut out where the tomato vine attaches and cut an X on the bottom. Put the tomatoes into the boiling water and blanch until the skin starts to come off.
THIRD: Take tomatoes out and peel, putting into a bowl. I use a spoon and tongs so that I don't burn my self.
FOURTH: Smash/Mash the tomatoes and drain off extra liquid, but not tomato juices until you like the texture.

PREPARE THE WHITE OR YELLOW ONIONS:

FIRST: Cut the onion up into small pieces, but not as small as you would do for Pico De Gallo.
SECOND: Lightly saute the onions in oil. Don't cook through, we are just softening them up a little so that their flavor mellows. It is better to cook them less than more.
THIRD: Add onions to Tomatoes.

PREPARE THE GARLIC

FIRST: Peel and mince into small pieces.
SECOND: In the same pan as the onion, add a table spoon or two of oil to a pan and brown the garlic. This soften the flavor of Korean garlic so that it enriches the salsa instead of overpowering it.
THIRD: Add the garlic to the tomatoes.

PREPARE CILANTRO/CORIANDER

FIRST: Grind coriander the seeds well however you can. There are many solutions to this. I have found that people who are unfamiliar with cilantro leaves are often still ok with ground cilantro/coriander seeds. On the same note, if you love fresh cilantro and can't find it, freshly ground coriander seeds will help fill that void in your life.
SECOND: If you find cilantro (it's usually carried in any "world" market). Chop it up into VERY fine pieces. The smaller they are the easier it is for folks new to the flavor to enjoy it. I've had success with very picky local eaters LOVING cilantro as long as I didn't go cray cray with it.
THIRD: Add to salsa and mix well.

FINAL TOUCHES:

FIRST: Dice up the green onion and toss it it in. We like the fresh, light "crunch" of it.
SECOND: Add lemon or lime to taste. (you can get limes grown on Jeju if you are particular like we are :)
THIRD: Add sea salt to taste. (We believe sea salt is a critical part of the flavor, but if you only have basic salt we are sure you will still be happy.)
FOURTH: Optional ingredients. Sometimes we want to take it to the next level and add a bit of Korean chili powder and about 1/4 cup of jalapenos which are imported.

COOKING NOTE: Cilantro and coriander are the same plant. The Korean palate understands cilantro/coriander seeds better than cilantro leaves. I have found that substituting ground coriander. Also, this salsa can be easily frozen for later.

TASTING NOTES: This recipe is a little more complex than most we make. It has been carefully designed to meet the needs of both the Korean palate and the palate of those in love with traditional Mexican food. We took the time to taste test it with both groups and both were very excited about it. In fact, the ate the bowl dry. Those in love with Mexican food called it, "Spot on". And Korean's asked, "Do you have special ingredients because this is better than any salsa we have had." No complaints at all about the coriander/cilantro.