Kimchi Stew

I belong to a food forum group called eGullet.com. There I am known as Domestic Goddess (originally I wanted to be Domestic Diva but it sounded too snobbish). One of the threads I frequently post is the PMS Cravings thread. It's a thread where boys/men are outlawed and PMS-suffering women can vent or confess their cravings or what they just stuffed themselves with.

Well, it's that time of the month again and the craving for salty food has begun. For me, one of the perfect PMS-comfort food is Kimchi Jjige (Kimchi Stew). It's a spicy-sour-savory stew with lots of kimchi slices and fatty pork slices. The stew can be as simple as just kimchi, Spam slices, garlic and water. It can be as extravagant as clean-out-your-veggie-bin stew.

I was fortunate enough to have a good friend show me how to cook Kimchi Stew like her grandmother does it. Some recipes on the internet just calls for dumping everything in a pot and let simmer. I believe my friend, Pippi's, recipe brings out the best flavor in the stew.

Kimchi Jjige (Kimchi Stew)
2 cups of sliced kimchi, strips about 1x2 inch wide
1/2 cup kimchi juice
1 head garlic, minced
1/2 pound fatty pork, cut into thin, wide strips
1/2 tsp. salt
1/e tsp. MSG
2 cups water
2 tbsp. cooking oil (I use corn oil)
1/2 zuchinni, cut into half and then half-moon slices
1 cup tofu, cut into 1x1 inch cubes

1. In a flat, bottom stew pot, add the cooking oil. Set the heat to medium and when the oil is hot, add the kimchi slices. Saute for 3 minutes until the color has changed.

2. Add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute. Add the kimchi juice and pork. Let simmer for a minute and then add the water. Bring to a strong simmer and let cook for about 20 minutes. Add salt and msg.

3. Add the zuchinni slices and tofu cubes when the water has cooked down to half. Let simmer for a couple of minutes and serve the stew in bowls with freshly cooked rice.