Here is a popular dish called gaeran jjim (steamed eggs) that I made a few weeks back and just found on my photo roll. I’ve made this several times in the past but never using a traditional ttukbaegi (earthenware pot), which is the norm at most Korean restaurants for practically every soup and stew because it keeps the food scorching hot throughout the meal. Ironically, the dish [Read more...]
With some leftover ingredients in the fridge, I was able to make a very nice version of spicy mapa dubu (aka mapo tofu) using tteok (rice cakes) and the regular ingredients of ground pork and tofu. For the past few weeks I have putting tteok into most, if not all, of the dishes that I have been making to add more substance and chewy goodness to everything, and it was no exception with this [Read more...]
After experiencing some awesome burgers at Left Coast Artisan Burgers in Itaewon, I decided to make my own version of a Korean burger. What is a Korean-style burger you ask? Well, I have no clue to be honest, but I know it should include the basic Korean staples, which means a hefty amount of garlic, peppers, and mushrooms (sorry, kimchi did not make the list). All in all, everything [Read more...]
Wanting to utilize new ingredients in my cooking, I picked up fresh seafood items at the nearby outdoor market. The main ingredients purchased were jukumi (baby octopus) and saewoo (shrimp), and I simply stir fried them with onions and green onions in a spicy gochujang-based sauce for a quick n easy dinner. For those unfamiliar with Korean cooking, most of the stir fried [Read more...]
Instead of cooking up large cuts of steak and eating like a carnivore as I did back in the States, my time in Korea has allowed me to enjoy a balance of flavors and ingredients every time I visit a Korean BBQ restaurant. I can never get enough of the banchan side [Read more...]
Gamjatang (literally “potato stew”) is my favorite Korean stew for its hearty and rich flavors, but unfortunately it is one of the most time-consuming and laborious dishes, if done the traditional way. The pork neck bones (pork spare ribs okay too) first need to be soaked in water for at least an hour to drain the blood, and then should be boiled at [Read more...]
Although there wasn’t a lot of time for cooking or eating, I got to experience a semi-instant tteokguk for New Year’s Day thanks to a good friend of mine who is also adept at cooking (yah, someone else finally doing the cooking!). For those who are unfamiliar with tteokguk, it is a traditional dish enjoyed by many (if not all Koreans) during the New Year’s and Lunar New Year holiday. The rice [Read more...]
I recently got my hands on a lesser known ingredient called duduk (더덕, bonnet bellflower), which is a thin, long root with a stringy, fibrous texture. It’s related to doraji (도라지), which are also bellflower roots, except of a [Read more...]
With many ingredients still remaining from the WWOOF CSA organic sampler box, I wanted to make good old fashioned dwenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), but later found out the dwenjang paste was only two years past the expiration date (yeah, I’m serious!). Thankfully, there was a similar alternative in the fridge in the form of miso, [Read more...]
Whenever I want something warm and comforting and quick, I always gravitate towards one of my favorite college food dishes that I would make in bulk to last me a good week, Korean-style curry. This is one of the few Korean dishes that anybody make without a lot of prepping and it’s really a no-fuss dish. Basically, it’s just as easy as making instant ramen minus the noodles. In [Read more...]
