Kimchi Bloody Mary

This past weekend I attended the Appalachian Storytellers edition of the Blind Pig Supper Club at Claxton Farm in Weaverville, North Carolina. One of my favorite dishes on the star-studded menu was Louisville chef Ed Lee's Pork Schnitzel with Gravy, Chow Chow, Kimchi Purée & Ham Salt. What made it particularly good was the balance of the sweet and thick chow chow with the fine, spicy hot kimchi. More affirmation that I really need to make it to one of his restaurants some day.

The specific taste of Lee's kimchi purée was familiar and I realized that it was this Kimchi Bloody Mary that it reminded me of. I developed this recipe for the gals at Gordy's Pickle Jar, but it's inspired by the amazing kimchi bloodies at the D.C. Korean restaurant Mandu-- a brunch favorite no longer convenient now that I live in West Virginia. This recipe is a close second and is still one of the best bloody marys I've ever had, topping the list along with Mandu's and my friend Mike's homemade version we had in the Lost Creek Farm sauna this New Year's Day.

The recipe works best with Gordy's spiced and briney Bloody Mary Mix, but if you can't source that where you are, substitute your favorite mix, whether store bought or homemade.



Kimchi Bloody Mary

Ingredients
1/2 cup of kimchi, processed in a food processor until very fine
1 1/2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime (reserve other half for garnish)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped very fine
1 1/4 cup Gordy's Bloody Mary Mix (or your favorite mix, store bought or homemade)
1 squirt of Srirachi sauce, to taste (optional, as Gordy's mix is already spicy!)
3 ounces vodka
1 cup ice cubes

Directions
In a blender, combine all ingredients, reserving the ice. Divide ice into 2 glasses and pour drink mixture over ice. Serve with a lime wedge. Cheers!

Related recipes:
Colcannon Pie
Gordy's Cherry Pepper Spread Galette
Heirloom Hand Pies with Bacon, Cheddar & Thai Basil Jalapenos
Mayday Cocktail

Whole Grain Bread Pudding with Apples & Pecan Streusel

I'll admit,  I've never been that big of a fan of bread pudding. Mostly it just hasn't been on my radar-- my family didn't really make it and the times I've had it, it was often a bad combination of too sweet and too mushy. But I recently had a glut of leftover whole-grain bread from Bread Furst bakery via the P St. Whole Foods that I didn't want to go to waste, so decided to give bread pudding another chance.

From both the process of making it and some subsequent research, I realized that bread pudding bears many of the qualities I value in food. It's thrifty, humble--not flashy, and has a storied past, with historical touchstones in ancient Egypt, Medieval Europe, and the Civil War (both the Blue and the Gray made it in their respective camps, though it was often rather meager and lacking sugar). It also appears in both southern and northern classic cookbooks-- including Mary Randolph's The Virginia Housewife (1884 ed.) and the 1918 edition of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, with small variations according to region. (See Food Timeline for more historical info).

Using whole-grain bread really turned bread pudding around for me-- instead of soft and saccharine, it became dark, hearty, and complex. I like the Kitchn's recipe because it's very adaptable to whatever you have on hand-- an aspect in line with the essence of bread pudding. For me that was apples and pecans, but you can really throw in whatever you have in your pantry.

Whole Grain Bread Pudding with Apples & Pecan Streusel
Adapted from the Kitchn

Serves 6

Ingredients
For pudding:
5-6 cups stale whole grain bread, torn into bite-size pieces (I used a variety of Bread Furst breads)
2 1/2 cups whole milk or your favorite non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk)
3 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract (or bourbon for a kick)
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt
2-3 large baking apples, cut into bite-size chunks

For streusel top:
1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/3 cup pecans, roasted and coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
1. Butter an 11-inch cast iron skillet or equivalent baking dish and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Add bread pieces and stir until incorporated.

2. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least an hour or overnight so bread can absorb the custard.

3. Meanwhile, make the streusel by combining brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.

4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees F and remove bowl from fridge. Add apple slices to pudding mixture and stir to combine. Pour into the buttered skillet or baking pan and distribute evenly.

5. Place in middle of the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes. Halfway through (after 25 minutes), remove skillet and and sprinkle with streusel, then bake for 20-30 minutes more. Pudding will be done when a toothpick or fork inserted in the middle comes out clean and the bread pieces are beginning to toast.

6. When done, remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm. Leftovers can keep in the fridge for about a week.  

Related recipes:

Apple Pie with Salted Caramel Glaze

Apple Raspberry Pandowdy

Fig Pistachio Tarte Tatin

Rosemary-Raisin Bread