“Kimchi is more than just a trendy food item. Kimchi is a Korean person’s identity. It’s our pride and it’s a staple of our cuisine because it’s the only food that got Koreans through the harsh winter months, got us through the wars, the Japanese occupation and the Korean War.” Sarah Ahn

On this Special Edition of Kitchen Chat: A Taste of Luxury, History, and Hospitality, join your host, Margaret McSweeney, as she welcomes the celebrated cookbook author, Sarah Ahn of @ahnestkitchen on Instagram. Sarah and her mother Nam Soon Ahn co-wrote a heartfelt and acclaimed cookbook, Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes . In Umma, Sarah and her “umma” (mother) memorialize and share a rich exploration of Korean culinary heritage, family traditions that celebrate Korean culinary culture and hospitality, as well as the historical perspective of one of the world’s oldest culinary traditions.

Here is our video chat:

Join Margaret as she invites Chehn to share the heart of Umma, uncovering its significant history, treasured family narratives, and the traditions of hospitality woven throughout the book. Together, they will explore the art of preserving culinary traditions and the luxuriousness of comfort found within the simple, authentic flavors of her own Korean mother’s kitchen. Prepare to be immersed in a conversation that promises a true taste of history, served with the warmth and generosity of Korean hospitality. A true taste of luxury is sharing a meal with family and friends and celebrating the culinary traditions of loved ones.

Comfort, Dasida beef stock powder, Spam, Styled Food Shot, beef franks, fermented, gim, pork belly Comfort, Dasida beef stock powder, Spam, Styled Food Shot, beef franks, fermented, gim, pork belly

Kimchi is an inherent part of Korean cuisine and honors the country’s heritage. This dish also offers several health benefits that include probiotics. Kimchi grilled cheese is a nod to the past and a taste of the present. Sarah shares this recipe in her book. She says it was surprisingly one of the most difficult recipes to develop but one of the easiest recipes to prepare. The secret is to use munster cheese, sourdough bread and re-seasoning the kimchi before serving. Many thanks to Sarah Ahn and her team who graciously shared the recipe for Kimchi Grilled Cheese from the new cookbook, Umma:

Kimchi Grilled Cheese 김치그릴치즈

Serves 1

Total Time 30 minutes

Sarah 세라

Thanksgiving has always meant a trip to Costco with Umma to purchase their premade holiday foods. Of these, one staple we never skip is their macaroni and cheese. It’s creamy, cheesy, and comforting—a perfect complement to our annual Thanksgiving meal. Despite our love for this dish, my family never quite manages to finish it all on Thanksgiving Day. Of course, as with many other leftovers, Umma has found a way to bring the macaroni and cheese back to life after the holiday by pairing it with kimchi. The spicy kick of the kimchi elevates the creamy richness of the mac and cheese to a whole new level. It’s now a ritual in our household to enjoy them together after every Thanksgiving—a fusion of comfort food and Korean flavors that we cannot get enough of. Inspired by this family tradition and its delicious blend of traditional American and Korean foods, Umma and I endeavored to create a kimchi grilled cheese sandwich that celebrates this pairing. Our recipe brings together the rich and gooey goodness of melted Muenster cheese with the spicy, tangy flavors of kimchi, sandwiching them between buttery griddled sourdough bread slices. For even more depth, we include a layer of chopped green onion, along with a blend of seasonings.

Umma’s Kitchen Wisdom

A sturdy bread, such as sourdough, is ideal here to prevent the sandwich from becoming soggy. I use well-fermented Mat Kimchi (Cut Napa Cabbage Kimchi) to make this dish. If you wish to use store-bought kimchi instead, look for a well-fermented kimchi in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Labels will not always specify “fresh” or “wellfermented,” so here are some clues to help figure it out: The jar should contain wiltedlooking vegetables with muted, darkened color, surrounded by a thin juice. The texture will appear softer than fresh kimchi, and when you taste it, there will be a pronounced tangy sourness that comes from the longer fermentation. When measuring out the kimchi, simply pick it up with tongs with ...