Kimchi Stew

I LOVE going to Chinatown. We just discovered Chicago's Chinatown last week when we went for the New Year's parade. Of couse we had dim sum and bubble tea. But we didn't get a chance to visit the grocery stores. So I went back this weekend, just for a boatload of Asian produce. I got bok choy, enoki mushrooms, napa cabbage and lots of other things I don't know how to make. My husband picked out a jar of kimchi and I thought of a Korean hotpot. I've had that before in Ktown, but have never attempted it myself.

I started with the Chinese chives, sauteed. Then add kimchi and sauté. 

Add water and bring to a simmer. It needed some flavourings. I should have gone with kochujang, but I didn't have any. Instead I added sriracha and fish sauce.

Rehydrated some shitakii and added those (sliced) and the broth as well. Tofu chunks go in as well. 

Simmer simmer simmer. 

Taste test - slurp... tastes good to me! Add a dollop of rice and good to go. Great for a cold freezing Chicago winter's night. Just the right amount of heat and spice. Love the smooth texture of the tofu, the chewyness of the shitakii and the crunch of the kimchi. 

Polenta Cakes

I've had this log of polenta in my fridge for a while now. I got it at Trader Joe's on a whim. No idea what I wanted to do with it, but I knew I would figure something out. A few months later, it still sat there. The date on the package was still valid so I thought today was as good a day as any to experiment with it.

I've watched enough Food Network to know that I need to slice it and grill it. With a 20º temperature and 2 feet of snow outside, I was in no mood to be grilling. The slices when in my griddle with a bit of olive oil. Sizzle away! 

As for the topping, I had very little to work with in my fridge. I dug around. Mushrooms, good. Frozen shrimp, even better. Manchego cheese, great! A quick saute on the mushrooms with an onion and salt-pepper. The shrimp I shelled and sliced in half lengthwise (which turns them into cute curls once they're cooked!). Then doused them with cumin, chili powder and salt and into the frying pan. 

Once the polenta cakes were nice and crispy on both sides, I topped them with the mushrooms, a few shrimp and a shaving of cheese. They were almost too pretty to eat! 

The polenta was soft and mealy in the middle and crunchy on the edges. The mushrooms had a great earthiness that balanced out the spice from the shrimp. I didn't realize how filling this meal would be, but a good 6 hours later I was still quite content. I'll be picking up another log at TJ's soon enough. I can think of a few more topping variations that would work well. Goat cheese and caramelized onions? Grilled eggplant? Roasted cherry tomatoes and basil with a balsamic reduction? Pulled pork?
Yuma-dum-dum!