Riding Shotgun

This is a creation that has come to define how it is that I cook now.  It really isn’t kimchi.

I started making this about a year ago in Melbourne, Australia and was amazed at the impact it was having on people so far away from the alleyways of these flavor’s origins.

I call this a Salty Sweet Shrimp Flat Chive Kimchi.

But, again, it’s not really a kimchi.  It’s not pickled nor fermented.  It’s best fresh within a few hours and not after weeks in your refrigerator.

It’s made with an emulsified vinaigrette and tossed gently with your fingers.  There is cracked black pepper right at the end.  Toasted sesame seeds and tons of garlic.  There is ginger and soy sauce.  Sesame oil and red chili flakes.

And weirdest of all, it’s tied together with more oil but feels as light as a dandelion blowing in the wind.  It’s an anomaly, kind of like what my life has become.

It’s not kimchi more than it is a new form of a salad.  And we all know salad, right?

This one, though, just kind of stanks in a delicious way.