Mama O's Kimchi

Kheedim Oh founded Mama O’s Premium Kimchi as a way to quench a starved appetite for his Mother’s kimchi and, most importantly, to share his family’s delicious and healthy recipe with others. He shared this story with us at Cook Out NYC on Governors Island.

Serves 2 | Cook Time 2-6 Hours

Ingredients
1 Head of Napa Cabbage
Hot Pepper Flakes to Taste
6 Cloves of Garlic, Grated
1 Teaspoon of Ginger, Grated
¼  Cup of Salt
1 Teaspoon of Sugar
3 tablespoons Lime Juice (Mama O's ingredient)

Instructions
1. Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the cores. Cut each quarter crosswise into 2 - inch - wide strips.

2. Place the cabbage and salt in a large bowl. Using your hands, massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to soften a bit, then add water to cover the cabbage. Put a plate on top and weigh it down with something heavy, like a jar or can of beans. Let it stand for 1 to 2 hours.

3. Rinse the cabbage under cold water 3 times and drain in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and dry the bowl you used for salting, and set it aside to use in step 5.

4. Combine the garlic, ginger, sugar, and 3 tablespoons of lime juice in a small bowl and mix to form a smooth paste. Mix in the hot pepper flakes.

5. Gently squeeze any remaining water from the cabbage and return it to the bowl. Using your hands, gently work the paste into the cabbage until they are thoroughly coated. 

6. Pack the kimchi into the jar, pressing down on it until the brine rises to cover the vegetables. Leave at least 1 inch of headspace. Seal the jar with a lid.

7. Allow the jar stand at room temperature for 1 to 5 days. 

8. Check the kimchi once a day, pressing down on the cabbage with a clean finger or spoon to keep them submerged under the brine. 

9. When the kimchi tastes ripe enough for your liking, transfer the jar to the refrigerator. Let it rest in the refrigerator for another week or 2 for best results.

King's Chicken Adobo

Chef King of Kuma Inn loves when this dish reminds the taster of their Mom. He was happy to share this recipe with us at Cook Out NYC on Governors Island. Adobo is the national dish of the Philippines. It embodies the influence of the Mexicans, Spanish and Chinese in Filipino cooking.

Serves 4 | Cook Time 40 minutes

Ingredients
Whole Chicken, Cut Up (approx. 3lbs)
8 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
1 Tablespoon of Black Peppercorns
5 Bay Leaves
1 Cup of Rice Vinegar*
¾  Cup of Soy Sauce
¾  Cup of Water
¼  Cup of Coconut Milk

Instructions
1) Combine all ingredients and let stand for at least 30 minutes.

2) Bring to simmer, cover, and braise for 40 minutes or until tender.

3) If desired, finish sauce with coconut milk and serve over rice.

Notes:
Typically the vinegar used is from sugar cane. Almost any clear or distilled white works well as a substitute.

Nigel's Fried Gefilte Fish

Serves 4 | Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients
1½ pounds ground fish (such as carp, pike, haddock or even salmon) 
½ onion
1 egg
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
½ tablespoon sea salt
2 cups matzo meal
¾ cup olive oil

Instructions
1) Grate the onion and combine it with the fish, egg, pepper and salt, and 3 tablespoons of the matzo meal.

2) Form the mixture into small balls, each about the size of a lemon. Roll each of these in the remaining matzo meal, creating an even coating.

3) Fill a pan with sufficient oil for frying, about ¼-inch deep. Set over a medium-high flame. When a sprinkling of matzo meal sizzles in the oil, add as many patties as will fit without crowding the pan.

4) Fry for 2 minutes on each side, at which point patties should be crisp and golden brown. Check that the fish is cooked all the way through (the center should be white rather than translucent). If not cooked through, continue cooking on lower heat.

5) Serve hot or cold with chrain (horseradish)

Damon's Maryland Blue Crabs

Philadelphia native, Damon has been eating Blue Crabs since he was just 4 years old, 6 years before his first slice of pizza. He tells his story on Governors Island in New York City.

Serves 4 | Cook Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
36 Live Blue Crabs
¾  Cup of Seafood Seasoning (such as Old Bay®)
½  Cup of Salt
3 Cups of Beer
3 Cups of Distilled White Vinegar
Cup of Seafood Seasoning (such as Old Bay®)

Instructions
1. Right before cooking, carefully place each crab upside down and stick a knife through the shell, just behind mouth.

2. Combine ½  cup seafood seasoning, salt, beer, and vinegar in a large stockpot over high heat. Bring to a strong simmer.

3. Fit a screen over the beer mixture and layer the crabs on the screen. Be sure that the crabs are above the simmering liquid. Cover.

4. Steam crabs until they turn bright orange and all of the blue/green color is gone, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼  cup seafood seasoning before serving.

Notes:
Best if you catch the crab yourself.

Fran's Lokshen Kugel

Fran’s mother Rose never allowed her to help out in the kitchen so she taught herself this recipe and many others through trial and error.

Serves 8 | Cook Time 30 minutes
 
Ingredients
Salt to Taste
1 Package of Wide Egg Noodles
½ Cup of Sour Cream
1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
2 Cups of Small Curd Cottage Cheese
½ Teaspoon of Cinnamon
4 Eggs
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla
½ Cup of Sugar

Instructions
1. Set oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. The noodles should not be cooked through.

3. Drain the noodles and return to the pot. Stir in the butter, cottage cheese, sour cream, cinnamon, and a generous pinch of salt.

4. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Pour over the noodle mixture and mix until well combined. Transfer to the baking dish.

6. Bake for 50 minutes or until the pudding has set. Remove the pudding from the oven. Turn on the broiler.

7. Slide the dish under the broiler and let it cook, watching it carefully, for 1 minute, or until the top browns. Remove from the oven and let the pudding settle for 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

Notes:
Not a diet lunch

Fran's Chicken

Aunt Fran may hate the unsavory sight and smell of the filthy chicken coops she grew up with but she know that these smelly poultry make for a tasty dinner. 

Serves 4 | Cook Time 1 hour
 
Ingredients
1 Chicken
2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
4 Large Onions, Sliced
¼ Cup Ketchup
2 Tablespoons of Oil
2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
½ Cups of Water

Instructions
1. Roast chicken uncovered for 1 hour at 350℉. 

2. Saute onions with brown sugar, ketchup and soy sauce. Pour over chicken, cover and bake an additional ½ hour or more. 

3. Serve hot or cold. 

Notes:
Don’t keep the chickens too cooped up! Buy free range when possible to support human farming practices.

The Soup Doctor's Kreplach

The Soup Doctor remembers fondly the Kreplach of his childhood holidays. It was taboo for men to be in the kitchen so he did not have the opportunity to watch his mother closely as she cooked when he was a boy. Despite this, he is now a passionate cook and recently presented the oral history of Kreplach at the Eldridge Street Synagogue/Museum.

Serves 8 | Cook Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Wrappers /Dough
3 Cups of Flour
1 Teaspoon of Salt
4 Eggs, Beaten
3 Tablespoons of Cold Water
1 Tablespoon of Salt

Meat Filling
2 Tablespoons of Corn Oil
¾  Cup of Finely Chopped Onion
½  Pound Ground Chuck
1 Egg Yolk
2 Tablespoons of Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 Teaspoon of Salt
¼  Teaspoon of Pepper

Instructions

1. Heat corn oil in a skillet; sauté onions until nicely browned, remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Add meat to the pan and sauté on high heat, stirring frequently until all meat is browned. Put the onions back in, and sauté with meat, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Let cool.

2. Sift flour and 1 teaspoon salt into a large bowl, and create a well in the center. 

3. Pour eggs into the well, and, wetting your hands, knead into a dough. Add water, and continue kneading until dough is smooth. Roll dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, cover the bowl with a damp cloth, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

4. On a well - floured board, roll dough as close as possible to paper-thinness with a floured rolling pin. Cut into 2 - inch squares. You can roll each individual square a bit thinner before you fill it. Have bowl with beaten egg, a teaspoon, and filling at hand.

6. Fill each square with a teaspoon of meat and seal the dough with egg with and boil the Kreplach until tender.