Kimchi Fried Rice from Well Fed, Flat Broke

I’m a localvore. I know, it sounds like some dumb, new-age, hipster thing, but really it just means that I like to support local business when I can. Usually, that means shopping at small, locally-owned stores and restaurants over larger, US-owned ones, or buying directly from producers at Farmer’s Markets.

So, there are few things that make me happier than when one of my fellow local food bloggers makes it big. Elizabeth Nyland over at Guilty Kitchen now has two cookbooks, and just this month, Emily Wight of Well Fed, Flat Broke just published hers: Well Fed, Flat Broke: Recipes for Modest Budgets & Messy Kitchens.

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Now, Emily and I have some common philosophies. Vancouver is a notoriously expensive city to live in. It is normal for us to spend 50% of our incomes (and sometimes more) on housing, as compared to most places, where that stat is around 30%. In my single-income household, housing charges are our biggest expense. The second biggest chunk of money that goes out the door? Can you guess? Food. Because we like to eat good. Both at home, and when we go out.

Shopping at local produce markets (I love Donald’s), and shopping seasonally are both great ways to save money.

The thing I love the most about Well Fed, Flat Broke, is how well it reflects our multi-cultural city. I’ve lived in other places, and struggled to get authentic ingredients to make dishes from other cultures. Here in Vancouver, we don’t have that problem–pretty much anything you need is readily available, although it may merit a trip across town.

Emily’s recipes reflect the influence of all these different cultures: Asian, Italian, Mexian, Korean, Indian, all with the whimsical touch of a gal from East Van.

I’ve made about half a dozen of the recipes from this book so far, and loved them all, including a fantastic bread recipe the incorporated garlic scapes and cheese. Today, though, I’m sharing her recipe for Kimchi Fried Rice. I recently got turned on to the world of fermentation, and am now making my own kimchi. Emily uses it in many recipes in this book (Emily is also a little obsessed with your digestive health). I loved this as a quick and easy dinner or lunch–you could also omit the egg and the bacon (or use a veggie bacon) to make it vegan.

You can meet Emily at the Well Fed, Flat Broke book launch at Barbara Jo’s on April 19.

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