Kim Chi for St Pats cabbage

Soups...good idea, I will try it

Old kimchi makes good soups or kimchi fried rice...

I use napa cabbage for my kimchi. Sometimes I add radishes (any color, I love 'em all), and sometimes shredded carrots. Keep it at room temp 2-3 days, until the liquid starts bubbling so I know the fermentation has started, then place in fridge and wait another day or two. We try to eat it up within a week and a half so it's still crunchy. Any longer and the fermented flavor is too strong for our tastes.

I like fresh kimche, while it still has a bit of crunch. after a week or so, it is too slimy for my taste.
Try the oriental cabbage for better results. Variations include chunks of korean radish mixed in. Korean radish can be 3 feet long and 30 pounds; one goes a long way.

Yaki mandu is to die for.

My Korean friend got me to try Bulgogi, Kalbi, and kimchi with side dishes 25yrs ago,still eat it every chance I get.

Disclaimer in honor of my Irish Ancestors:
I wouldn't dare to serve kimchi as a St. Patrick's day dish for fear of retribution from beyond-the-grave! :W

That said, and per every other day of the year:

I'm a kimchi lover, too and can verify that ordinary green cabbage is a poor substitute for the traditional Napa. On the other hand, Napa is a poor substitute for green in uses like stuffed cabbage rolls (or corned beef and cabbage), so it all evens out in the end, eh?

My favorite recipe for homemade kimchi is the one found at this site. That's for the traditional "whole" kimchi, but there's also a recipe at that site for the easier cut kimchi. Both recipes call for the critical key ingredient of rice "porridge", an essential nutrient for the bacteria that gives the unique flavor to authentic kimchi.

FYI:
The fermentation process is greatly impeded by refrigeration. I keep fresh batches in a "cool" place for at least a few days before refrigerating to slow down/arrest the process.

The site above also has TONS of other recipes/how-to videos for all kinds of other Korean dishes. :)