TToekoboki

Korean rice cakes are chewy, delicious and addicting.

TTOEKBOKI

12 ounces rice cakes

5 to 6 ounces fishcakes

2 cups soup stock (ie dried kelp. I used dashi)

1 onion thinly sliced

sauce

3 tablespoons gochujang

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon gochugaru

1 teaspoon minced garlic

garnish

sesame seeds

sesame oil

green onion

Soak rice cakes in warm water

Boil broth.  Add rice cakes, fish cakes and onion.Add sauce, let cook.  It will thicken as it cooks.

Serve with garnishes.

gochchang

Tteokbokki

Did you ever watch Maangchi on You Tube? Love her vidoes, she's cute, informative and fun.  This is one of  her dishes, well, inspired by one of her dishes.  I did not have the ingredients she had in her tutorial.  I did buy the rice logs frozen at our local Asian market.  I would like to make them some time though.  A future post... 

I did not have the fish cake, the next time I will be sure to add that.  I kind of made my recipe from a  bunch of different ideas on the internet.  Here is a link to one of the recipes.

TTEOKBOKKI

4 cubes vegetable bouillon (mine)

1 quart water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

juice of 2 limes

2 tabelspoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 generous teaspoon chili oil

1 tablespoon gochugaru flakes (Korean chili flakes)

1 tablespoon palm sugar

4 large cloves garlic

5 scallions sliced in 2 inch pieces

rice logs

Soak rice cakes in warm water for 10 mins.

In a large pot stir bouillon into water.  Add salt, white pepper, juice of two limes, fish sauce,  chili oil, palm sugar, gochugaru flakes and garlic.  Bring to a boil.  add rice cakes and onion. Bring to a boil again and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 10 to 20 mins until the rice cakes are fully cooked. 

Add the sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onion then quickly stir. Serve warm.

Korean White Radish Kimchi (Dongchimi)

I admit it, kimchi is pretty smelly stuff.  But it tastes great especially adding a dose of piquant to your meal.  I know it is not for everyone.  If you are not adverse to the fermentation process, go ahead, try this.  If its not your thing, then, hey, you now understand a little bit more about Korean food. Yeah, I know I am not Korean but I consider myself a cheerleader of ethnic food.  I don't know why that is.  Maybe if we could all eat each others food, maybe we would get along better.

Korean White Radish Kimchi (Dongchimi)

2 cups shredded daikon radish
6 Tbsp sea salt
4 Tbsp sugar
2 cups of water
Mix radishes with 3 Tbsp of salt and 2 Tbsp of sugar. Let stand for 1 day at room temp.
After 24 hours, dissolve 3 Tbsp of salt and 2 Tbsp of sugar into warm water.
Add liquid to salted radishes. Let stand for 1-2 days at room temp.
When broth has achieved a tart, vinegary flavor, store in refrigerator.

A mandolin makes shredding a breeze.

Korean Food: Marinaded Tofu

I have to say that the tofu that I flavored up doesn't come remotely close to the restaurant but that doesn't mean its not good because I found it to be delicious.  I do like tofu.  I know most people are instantly turned off when they hear the word tofu.  Don't be.  Tofu has amazing, chameleon like properties.  Give it a chance more than one time. I always tell my kids that just because you don't like something doesnt mean that you wont ever like it.  Apples can taste so different even.

After I started setting up the table I realized I needed something else to fill in that segment of the dish.  I told my husband to pick up some kimchee at our local grocery store, Wegman's.  Surprisingly he came back empty handed, they did not have it.  Ugh.  What to do?  Last minute, I thought of something that would work as Korean and is something that you might already have in your fridge.

Koean Style Tofu
Largely adapted from this recipe.

12 ounces firm tofu
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup green onions, sliced small

Press tofu between paper towel sheets or towels and press down with a cutting board and canned goods or some other heavy item.

Slice tofu block in half lengthwise.  Then slice each half into 1/4 inch slices.  Arrange slices as desired and pour sauce over top.  Garnish with chives or green onions.

 

Korean Food: Mung Bean Sprout Salad

Another awesome side that we totally love at the Korean restaurant, Mung Bean Sprout Salad.


Mung Bean Sprout Salad/Sookju Namul
Adapted from this recipe.

3 cups mung bean spouts

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onions


Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt.  Drop mung bean sprouts into boiling water and blanch for about two minutes.  Remove from heat and drain immediately. Add sesame oil and sesame seeds once they have been cooled.

Miniature Pear Tree Blossoms in our front yard.

Cooking Korean: Black Soy Beans

So yesterday was Mother's Day.  I said I wasn't going to cook.  I was going to make something ahead of time.  Not bother too much.  But I couldn't help myself  To be honest, I was so jazzed about making a meal I have been wanting to make for a long time.  A meal that for one reason or another I felt intimidated by.  And of course once you do what has been intimidating you, you feel so less, well, intimidated.  To be sure this meal is fairly easy peasy.  Many things can be made in advance.  If you have never tried Korean and want to try it, you may be enchanted by the the taste of everything- pickled vegetables and marinaded meats.  The only things you may need to get for your pantry to make Korean is sesame oil and soy sauce. Think pickled things.  Think the basics of soy sauce, garlic and green onions as your flavor boosters.

My step nephew just recently moved to S. Korea.  I follow along on his blog to see what he's doing and watch him discover Korea.  I am kind of living vicariously through him.  I don't know if he is hip with Korean food yet.  I sure am.  I hope he gives it a go.  My guess is that he would totally love bulgogi.  A favorite with most people.  I thought of him today while I whipped up the sides, wondering if he had tried any of them.,

So for the next six or seven posts I will be featuring the components of today's dinner. 

Hope you had a Happy Mother's Day.

Sweet Black Soy Beans ( Kongjaban)
adapted from this recipe at About.com

2 cups black soy beans, washed
2 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil

In a saucepan combine black beans and water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat so that mixture simmers. Simmer for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes add soy sauce and sugar.  Cook 10 to 15 minutes more.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Do not drain.  Keep beans in liquid to keep them hydrated.

*I had to double the recipe as my husband always hogs them all at the restaurant.  Yes, honey, I have to hurry and grab what I want before you scarf it all down.

Bi Bim Bop and Loads of Gratitude

Sometimes I sit here with my photograph up and my recipe all written and wonder what the heck am I going to write about.  I think, have I had any startling revelations lately... no.  Is there something exciting happening in my life to talk about.... no.  Is there some news to report that I find particularly interesting or captivating.... no.  Have I traveled anywhere to talk about that... no.  Am I really that boring?  Um, well, yes and no.  I think I am a pretty upbeat person and all in all, am pretty fun to be around.  But having kids has definitely slowed down the exciting factor in my life.  I am certainly not complaining about that.  Kids are a precious gift that I thank God for all the time.  Having them at such a late age makes me even more grateful.  And stable may be boring to some, but it certainly has its advantages too.

Sometimes I look around at other blogs and it's not that I feel jealous, well maybe it is.  I would love to travel and see the places that people talk about or live in.  I am really a vagabond at heart.  While I love my home I have always enjoyed travel and I have enjoyed moving to new places so I can discover what that particular city has to offer. 

When I take a step back though I realize that I have so much to be grateful for.  I am a stay at home Mom, because of this, as a family we have had to give up certainly luxuries in our life.  Like, I think I am sometimes one of the only person in Middle Class America that does not have a cell phone.  Does not have cable.  Does not have a second car.  Does not go on a vacation every year.  You know, really all that stuff doesn't matter.  Sure I would like these things.  Right now I am grateful my husband has a job that affords me the luxury of staying home with my kids.  Our sacrifices also afford me that luxury.  I am grateful for healthy, happy, vibrant children that make me laugh, cry,  and scream.  I am grateful for a husband that drives me absolutely crazy one minute and the next minute I fall in love with him all over again.  I am grateful for the abundance of friends in my life, the ones that are new, the ones that have been in my life forever, the acquaintances at the gym that make me smile when I go.

I am grateful of course for having food on my table, recipes to share with you.  That is where I travel.  I travel to foreign lands with my food.  I love to learn about other cultures and food is a great place to begin learning.

I am grateful for all of you who visit my blog, I love the comments. They remind me that I am not alone and that there are other people who are surfing the net like me looking for companionship, commaradare, similarities, differences, opinions, (shopping), a laugh... just simply a connection.

Bi Bim Bop (Korean)
adapted from this recipe

1 pound sirloin tip steak or meat of your choice
1 cup teriyaki sauce (recipe follows)
3 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
2 cups bean sprouts
8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large radishes, sliced or julienned
2 cucumbers, sliced

4 eggs
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Marinade for vegetables:

You can use seasoned rice vinegar or
mix together:

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Hot chile paste, to serve on the side

Freeze the beef for at least 1 hour to make it easier to handle. Slice, cutting across the meat's grain, into 1/4-inch-thick strips, or smaller. Marinating the beef will certainly kick the flavor up a notch but I didnt find it totally necessary because there is a lot of flavor going on here already.


Cook the rice so that it is ready when you want to assemble the dish.


In a medium sized sauce pan bring about four cups of water to a boil, drop in sprouts and allow to cook for only 20 seconds, then remove the sprouts rinse under cold water (to cool them enough to stop the cooking process). Drain on paper towels. Set aside.  Next, cook the spinach the same way.

In a small bowl, mix the sprouts with 1 or 2 tablespoons of the vegetable sauce (seeand half the garlic. In a second bowl, do the same with the spinach. Set aside.

For the marinade: In a small bowl, mix together sugar, salt and vinegar. Set aside.

Marinate in enough of the vinegar mixture - a little more than half - to coat all the cucumber pieces. Slice the radishes into thin strips and marinate in the rest of the vinegar mixture.

Heat sesame oil in a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the beef, discarding marinade, and add beef to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef cooks through, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on how thinly the pieces are sliced. Set aside and keep warm.

Into the same skillet, crack the eggs and fry each egg about 5 minutes on one side. Then flip over and fry for 30 seconds on the other.

Divide rice among serving dishes. Spoon beef, sprouts, spinach, cucumber and radish into their own discrete areas decoratively on top of the rice. Top each with the fried egg. If you wish, spoon some chili paste into each serving and stir the ingredients together. Or let each diner mix his or her own bowl.

Serves 4.

Teriyaki Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup rice wine (mirin- not rice wine vinegar)
1 teaspoon black or white pepper

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Vegetable Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sesame oil

1 teaspoon black or white pepper

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Makes 3/4 cup.

KOREAN food rocks!

More about this pretty little sugary rose later...

Usually for Valentine's my husband and I stay home. Too crowded at restaurants. Plus, we just dont go gong ho about it. This year, we decided to go out. We went off the beaten path to avoid the crowds. We went to a restaurant called Young's. They have Korean food. Wonderful, yummy, Korean food. The older woman who was our waitress/server was the one of the sweetest persons. Have you ever noticed some people, when you meet them, are just sweet? Period.

My husband ordered eel. Yup, slimy, stinky, slithery eel. But that's my husband, willing to try anything at least once. I LOVE that about him. Well, our lovely server, just was so tickled that he ordered eel on Valentine's Day. She said her husband likes to eat eel, as she giggled and covered her blushing face. (I just fell in love with her, so sweet!). We gathered that eel must be an aphrodesiac. Sure enough to Koreans, it is. Read all about it here.

Did I try it? Yup, I did. In my mind I pictured the Moray Eel. If I had read the article above before going to the restaurant, I wonder if I would have tried it. It tastes like trout. It's not overly fishy but it tastes earthy/gamey, a bit like Catfish too. Which makes sense because they are both bottom feeders. With a piece of pickled ginger, it was very delicious. By itself, not my kind of fish. My husband, well, he loved it. Said he will never order anything but that from their restaurant. Loved it.

Me, I had bulgogi. I know, very conservative. Shrimp Shumai, bulgogi, kimchi, how can a girl go wrong? Then, there is my favorite of the banchan (side dishes that are served with the meal), which is kongjaban (a black bean that is sweet and nutty). It will definitely be making an appearance in my abode!

And for all of you who want to know if eel is an aphrodesiac... just what kind of blog do you think this is? (Insert a smile here.) I do not kiss and tell.