Whet your appetite for Gwangju’s 2011 Kimchi Festival by watching these videos from prior festivals. If you want to go, it will be held from October 15-19 near Jungoe Park. For more info, go to the KTO (Korea Tourism Organization) page.
Secret Recipe Club: Raspberry Ssamjang (라즈베리 쌈장)
I have this obsession of taking every non-Korean recipe and trying to put a Korean spin on it. When I have a “eureka” moment, the result is published here. Just a suggestion: Serve this sauce with some grilled Korean barbecue and lettuce or large leafy herb (깻잎 kkaennip/shiso/perilla shown here) for a low-carb lunch or…
Review: Korean Village Wooden Charcoal BBQ House, San Francisco
The restaurant was nearly empty when we sauntered in at 1:45 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. Two men were engaged in an animated conversation in a Chinese language at a table on the opposite side of the restaurant, their words echoing off the walls and the mirror that stretched the length of one side of…
Recipe: Noryangjin-inspired Poktanbap (폭탄밥) aka ‘Bomb Rice’
Seoul-Suburban, one of my co-conspirators on Nanoomi.net, posted this comment about a new dish they discovered while exploring the neighborhood around the famous Noryangjin Fish Market: I passed carts offering bibimbap, bulgogi hot dogs, deopbap, omurice, hamburgers, bokkeumbap, and something that one cart called poktanbap (폭탄밥), or ‘bomb rice.’ This last one was something…
Where are you going for Chuseok? I suggest Gangwon-do
“I got a week off for the Korean Chuseok Holiday, so I escaped from Seoul and took an express bus to Gangwondo Province. It took 4 hours. I visited three areas–Gangneung on the coast, Mt. Odaesan National Park, and Seoraksan National Park. I went alone, which was not a problem for me….” For more information…
Help for putting your plates in their place
“It is valuable to know your place, even if that place is temporary.” —Dune Your plates, forks, spoons and glasses do not intuitively “know their place.” Human hands must put them in their place. The conventional rules of the European/American formal dinner table can be so confusing. Now there’s a guide for the perplexed. The…
Korean movie popcorn curries favor with exotic flavors (Curry popcorn?)
When I lived in Korea, I didn’t find much of a selection of snack food at the movie theater closest to my apartment. I recall a few options for soft drinks, plain dried squid and popcorn. Yet the dominant aroma in the downtown Chuncheon theater we visited to watch the original original Men in Black…
Secret Recipe Club: Vanilla Salted Buttery Breakups
Be not ashamed of mistakes and, thus, make them crimes. —Confucius (551–479 BC) My Secret Recipe Club assignment this month comes from the Bright Morning Star food blog. The powers that be in the club assign a blog from which to make a recipe, but participants can chose any to make. The blogger then reveal…
Chefs grapple with ‘authentic’ Asian vs. California cuisine
Is “authentic” just a synonym for “traditional,” and how does that color restaurant patrons impression of an Asian-American restaurant’s menu offerings? This was one of several topics up for discussion during Monday night’s Asian Culinary Forum on “Talking ’bout My Generation: Asian Chefs Reinventing Asian Cuisine.” It was easy for me to catch the ferry…
Iron Chef Myeong Sook Lee’s Pre-dipped Bulgogi French Dip Sandwich for Sempio
Iron Chef Myeong Sook Lee calls this sandwich a “top ten Korean fusion dish.” Watch the video for the English translation. I have reprinted Chef Lee’s Korean translation for those who prefer Korean. Pre-dipped Bulgogi French Dip Sandwich Ingredients (4 serving) A. 1 lb beef B. 1/2 cup BBQ sauce C. 1/2 cup 다진파 (minced…