THE FOOD

Easy No Fuss Chocolate Fondue

So I can talk for days about why this little pot is one of the only things you need in your kitchen, but all I really need to says is, "Perfect, easy, no mess chocolate fondue that stays melted while you eat it." 

THE SOLUTION

A Korean ddukbaegi pot.

So how does it work?  These little monsters are like tiny dutch ovens.  They heat evenly and hold that heat well for a prolonged period of time.  This means you can sit and lazily enjoy your rich chocolate fondue without clumping, burning, double boilers or keeping that stupid little candle lit.

Plus, this little baby can be used for a plethora of other foods (click here for 5 Great Korean Recipes) as well. Put simply it's just a practical thing to have in your kitchen that turns everyday into fondue day.

So here is what you do.

Place the Korean ddukbaegi on the stove over a low heat.

Add a little veggie oil to the bottom of the pot (we use olive oil).

Add a bunch of delicious chocolate to the pot.

Stir carefully and slowly as chocolate melts.

Eat with fresh fruit of your choice.

WARNING

This little clay pot will stay VERY hot for a while so don't grab it with your hands.  No really, its HOT.

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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.

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 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

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Here is what I use for everything.

Small can are rewarding and satisfying.

I mean, I know folks with huge ones

but they're totally useless
because they don't know how to use them.

So stop using your small kitchen
as an excuse
not to cook delicious food.

The majority of the worlds recipes 

were created over an open fire 

with one pot and, maybe, 

a knife and a spoon.
Trust me, you have all you need.

Here is what I like to have:

Pot & Strainer
Clay pot
Mixing bowl
Frying pan

Big knife *

Paring Knife

Cooking Spatula

Rubber Spatula *

Mixing spoon

Measuring cup

Measuring spoons *

Can opener *
Meat thermometer
Candy Thermometer
Tiny graters
Mortar & Pestle
Masher
Bullet mixer/chopper/grinder
Cutting board
(not pictured because I forgot it)
Espresso pot :P

A Few Specific Tips:

If you can get a pot/strainer combo to save space.

Korean pot works like a double boiler and small dutch oven.

You don't need to go crazy with a big grater.  These work great.

I use these for a lot of things, including making my own ovens.

Since you often need to grind your own spices this is worth it.

A simple blender/food processor.

Hopefully this helps you feel 

more confident about getting started.

Gourmet cooking doesn't have to be expensive.

All you need is imagination,

a passion for research,

fresh ingredients,

and yummy science.

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This is one of the larger fridges we've had.

THE QUANDARY

All right, you still need more room in your fridge.  Who doesn't?

THE SOLUTIONS

There are lots of things that don't need to go in your fridge.  Like, a lot.  Of course, you don't want to screw up and put the wrong thing on the counters so check out this article from www.lifehacker.com.  Our list is a little different, but he offers good advice.  We've done a lot of research for our choices, but we recommend you do even more research for yours.  We all need to make our own choices and we are more adventurous than most since we grew up without traditional refrigeration.

FRIDGE NOT RECOMMENDED

• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Honey
• Onions
• Unpeeled garlic

FRIDGE NOT NECESSARY 

• Peanut Butter
• Bread
• Bananas
• Baked Goods
• Oils 
• Apples
• Eggs
• Fish sauce
• Soy sauce
• Ketchup
• Store bought mayo
• Butter
• Sourdough if you're feeding it

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A gift from a parent that would never fit in my fridge.

THE QUANDARY 

Our fridge is tiny.  Like, really tiny.  So one solution for making more room is... Are you ready for this?  Hold your breath, it's a big one.  

A SOLUTION

If you buy your eggs fresh from the market you don't need to refrigerate them.  What?  Yes, that's right.  We keep our eggs in the cupboard.

Honestly, few people outside of North America gives a rats ass about refrigerating their eggs because they buy delicious ones laid by real chickens on real farms.

So unclench thee buttocks, get thee to the local market, and leave those eggs out with wild abandon, (for up to two weeks) and you aren't going to die.

Don't believe me? Feeling like a pansy? Well, just google it why don't ya? Read all the arguments,and make an informed choice.

I find that I need the space in my fridge more than I need to be freaked out by rules created for industrial farmers for their frankeneggs.

If it helps you feel more confident, it's easy to tell if your eggs have gone bad.

Just drop them in water, a fresh egg don't float.

For that matter, if it floats we all know it's a witch.

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It's Christmas.

There has to be cookies.

Supplies: Boxes, Tinfoil, Tiny Nails, Metal Rack

Electric Meat Thermometer

Size to fit over range.

Insert items to bake.

Have neighbors over for delicious goodness.

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