An Edible Voyage

June 2021 Cooked rice, kimchi, an egg, gruyere.  That's all you need for kimchi fritters.  They don't look much but make the most delicious snack, fancy starter, or main event of a meal served alongside salad. I saw these on the Instagram page of a pub I've never been to in Australia.  Ottolenghi also has a recipe.  I keep things simple.  Heat a pan with a little oil, mix a few generous spoonfuls of kimchi, an egg and lots of chunks of gruyere (the more, the better is my motto when it comes to cheese) in to a portion of cooked rice, spoon blobs of your desired fritter size in to the hot pan, flip once the bottom is set and crispy - the crispy bits make a delightful contrast to the gooey centres so don't skimp on the pan time! Enjoy on their own or with a mint, yogurt and cucumber dip.

June 2020 I'm often wary of miso.  I think it's the thought of it that I don't like.  And it's very easy to go overboard, adding too much and eclipsing all other flavours in a dish.  But, most of the time, I do actually enjoy the strong umami taste.  I was a little skeptical of how it would work as the main ingredient of this pasta 'sauce', and although I feel it would be too much as a main dish, it makes an elegant starter, taking minutes to prepare.  Asparagus is lightly pan fried with miso, mixed in to cooked fettuccine with a little of the cooking water, and topped with dill, fresh from the herb garden.