WHAT WE ARE

This is a group of loosely associated foodies working together to make life more delicious.  We love spending time in the kitchen and we want to share that joy with others who.  If you would like to be part of our little group fill out the easy little form we've provided to make it all simple for everyone:  This is the form.

WHAT WE AREN'T

We are not food service professionals.  This is a place of sharing, not selling.  Everything you swap will vary in taste, flavor, perfection.  These are homemade foods, not mass produced food stuffs.  The beauty is in the variety, the unpredictability, and the humanity of it all.  We aren't people who take ourselves to seriously and this is not a "western food only" zone.  It's open to every delicious thing you can come up with.

WHAT IT INVOLVES

How will I know when the swaps are happening?
Participants are asked to contribute on a schedule that suites them.  We will use these to make an annual calendar of events starting in March.

How often will I need to swap?
You will be expected to participate in swaps at least 3 times each year.

Do I have to be present to participate?
No, you do not have to be present to swap.  However, you must provide product to be swapped.  If you bring it or someone else brings with with a list of what you want, that's just fine.  We can have your items shipped to you wherever you are in Korea.

How will we make sure the trading is equal?
We will work out a fair marketing points system for items.  When you bring your items you will be given a certain number of points that can then be used to swap for other items at the swap.  We are working on a cute and clever name for these points, but for now they are called points.

THE 5 SIMPLE RULES

1. Don't be an ass.  

2. Give the good stuff.  

3. Respect the group.

4. Don't be high maintenance.

5. Be reliable.

JOIN THE SWAP

 

You Are Here

Where it all begins.  An idea.

THE KITCHEN

FROM: England

LIVING: South Korea

This last weekend we finally had the opportunity to visit one of Korea's most dedicated expat home brewers in his fantastic little home brewing hideaway on the outskirts of Seoul.  His small three bedroom apartment was decked out to the teeth in everything a person would need to make the beers of his dreams. 

On this particular Sunday a small group of beer making newbies and experienced brewers had gathered to make and IPA that our host, Rowan, had decided on.  It was delightful to have the opportunity to be part of a group so excited and willing to share their knowledge and passion for brewing.

Although our host, had quite the setup, most brewers in Korea make it happen in their studio apartments. So if you are interested in home brewing, don't worry about having as much space as our host.  With that said, here is how the day went:

We started the day by sampling the many grains Rowan had on hand.  We instantly found great value in this, not only as people interested in making beer, but also as beer drinkers.  Tasting the ingredients gave us a deeper insight into the flavors we have been tasting all these years.  It was like things we hadn't even known were a mystery finally made sense.

After that it was time to get started and grind up the grain for the beer.

While one group was working on grinding the grains, inside a second group was prepare the water for brewing.  Boiling, adding tablets, and filtering.  It quickly became clear that brewing is one of those magical things that is best done with a group of people who love talking, problem solving, and who aren't in a big hurry.  You know, the best kind of people.

Then there was the mixing of the grain, the water and getting it cooking.  We love stirring so we did that whenever we could.

After these basics were taken care of, it was time to break out a few of the past beers and give them a try.  They were of course, delightful.  As were the stories of how they weren't right, what could be done better, and the tales of all that had happened on that brew day.  Each bottle held a memory of community, adventures, dreams, hopes, and ideals.  It was like opening a moment in time that had been trapped in a bottle.

During each step of the process we tasted the progress.  To be honest, we would drink that as is.  The grains are just delicious.

For a long time it was mostly just sit and wait, but at a certain point, things started to go pretty quickly. 

And with the addition of a little soju and the yeast, bam, an IPA ready to ferment and eventually bottle.  That's sure a lot of beer.

On the long subway ride home we couldn't help but feel we had just witnessed the whole point of this expat life we have chosen.  It's about the stories we create with those around us and save in our memories for future lazy Sundays.  The stories that age into rich and vibrant tales of adventure and turn us all into heroes in someones mind.

To learn more about brewing your own adventures in Korea, check out these links.  There are so many stories yet to be brewed:
Seoul Brew Club: http://www.facebook.com/groups/161208454016072/ 
Seoul Home Brew: http://www.seoulhomebrew.com/
Home Brew Korea: http://www.homebrewkorea.com/

You Are Here

 

 THE ITEM

Homemade Kimchi

When you are lucky enough to be offered homemade kimchi, just say yes.  Even if you hate it, take it and give it to a friend who loves it because it's culinary gold.  Personally, we find that unlimited kimchi is one of the many delicious perks to living in the countryside.  Our current supplier is one of our employers whose family has become like family to us.  This is just one of the boxes delivered this year during 김장 (kimchi making season).  In addition to this, we are allowed unlimited refiles for the rest of the year.  

You might be thinking, "Isn't this a bit of an overkill for a bunch of foreigners?  Not in our kitchen. We have already finished half of this giant tub in only last three months.  It's just magic in about everything we put it in.  We don't eat kimchi because we have to, we eat it because we love it.

The two kimchi based recipes we make the most of are these :

Kimchi Fried Rics:

Kimchi Jjigae:

You Are Here