Men’s Journal recently published an article singing the praises of Dennis Lee‘s Namu Burger, which is one of the signature dishes on Namu Gaji‘s menu. After calling it the best of the Asian-influenced remakes of the hamburger, Lee was kind enough to divulge the recipe of the components of this “stoner food” burger. As I…
Recipe: Pickled Hakurei Turnips
In another recipe inspired by my ongoing adventure with a community-supported agriculture subscription, I pickled a small bundle of hakurei turnips. These radish-sized Japanese turnips that are smaller than the turnips most Americans see in grocery store. They have a delicate flavor and usually eaten raw or roasted. I thought about either roasting or stir-frying…
Recipe: Fried Seasoned Zucchini (호박볶음 hobak bokkeum)
Zucchini are coming into season in California now, and I received a medium-sized one in my community-supported agriculture package last week. I could have again made 호박전 hobak jeon (zucchini pancake), which is always tasty. Another option was 궁중 떡볶이 gungjung tteokbokki, the royal ancestor of the spicy, warm 떡볶이 tteokbokki (rice cake stew). Yet…
Recipe: Swiss Chard Kimchi
Swiss chard can conjure up a culinary cringe akin to that for kale, but this taming-of-the-chard recipe harnesses the softening, bold-flavored characteristics of 김치 kimchi recently employed to conquer kale. A couple of months ago, I joined a community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm affiliated with our local community college. I’m still reaping its bounty each week,…
Review: Food Café near Busan Station, Busan, South Korea
Our last meal in Busan was at a restaurant called Food Café, which has several locations in and around Busan. We went to the one right across the street from Busan Station. We had to have something for lunch before our KTX high-speed train trip to Seoul. Hubby’s bubbling doenjang jjigae, right when it arrived…
Quick Recipe: Cinnamon Basil Bulgogi
Cinnamon basil, aka Vietnamese basil, is popular in soups, salads and stir-fried dishes in that country. I decided I decided to try the herb in an intra-Asian fusion version of 불고기 bulgogi, because the savory-sweet sauteed beef dish is a form of stir fry. Last week, I received a small bundle of it in my…
Recipe: California Fresh Garbanzo Hummus
Unlike edamame (soybeans in the pod), fresh chickpeas are hard to find — and even more challenging to work into a recipe. But with exploding popularity of hummus in the United States, more farmers are growing the legume. A recent box of produce from our local community-supported agriculture farm contained a bundle of fresh, still-in-the-pod…
Recipe: Korean Bok Choy With Beef
In another installment of creatively coping with the cornucopia coming from our local CSA (community-supported agriculture) farm, my veggie surprise for the week was choy sum. Try some choy sum in a Korean-style stir fry. (Tammy Quackenbush photo) Though it’s a variety of 복 쵸이 bok choy, choy sum isn’t like the bok choy most…
DIY Kashrut in Korea is a bad idea
Here’s a prime example of how just a little knowledge can get you into trouble. There was a CU (formerly known as Family Mart) convenience store within walking distance of our hotel during our stay in Seoul. My hotel in Yeoksam had a small kitchenette and a refrigerator, so I took the opportunity on a…
Recipe: Kale kimchi (케일 김치)
Recently, I joined a CSA (community-supported agriculture) farm affiliated with our local community college. Our CSA promises, “a share of whatever is ripe and ready to eat.” Much ado about kale? Try turning it into a very spicy, garlicky kimchi. (Tammy Quackenbush photo) That share recently included a small bunch of kale. Hubby is not…