Saturday, May 19, 2012
Kimchi Paste ( 김치 양념 )
Making kimchi is not as difficult as many will lead you to believe. Sure, you can purchase kimchi from your local Korean market in various forms...but, often it is expensive and the portions are too large for a small family like mine. That is why I prefer homemade kimchi. It is inexpensive, and if you make too much, you can give it away to friends.
This post is specifically how to make just the kimchi paste. The paste is used to apply to prepared vegetables of your choice. I will post how to make different kinds of kimchi later on. The recipe I like to use is an adaptation from the above cookbook by Taekyung Chung's,"The Korean Table." I have made various changes to adjust to my family's personal tastes. My family tends to favor kimchi on the sweeter side, more ginger, garlic, and with less seafood taste.
The recipe yields about 3 1/4 cups, stored in a air tight glass jar:
1 cup Korean coarse red pepper flakes
1/4 cup Korean fine pepper powder
1/2 cup water
8 cloves chopped garlic
1/4 cup peeled minced ginger
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
At the time I was making this recipe, I recently moved and did not have any of my food processors with me, so I chopped the ginger and garlic by hand. It worked just fine. Chop ginger and garlic first, then mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Once it is all mixed, add to a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two months.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Monthly Korean Food Meet-up
Kimchi Pajeon (김치 파전)
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The stars aligned and my friends and I were not only in town, but available to try out one of these amazing meet ups! Lisa does an excellent job explaining all of the dishes and checking to make sure that everyone is having a blast. She works hard cooking and taking photos at the same time! The entire meet up is completely fascinating- the food is explained, placed on the tables, and then you dine and ask questions.
The FEAST of Korean style cooking started with Kimchi Pajeon (김치 파전) pictured above. I absolutely loved it because the pancake was super crispy and the kimchi inside was cut into just the right size bits. The pancake was also nice and thick, but not too greasy. There are not many places that can make a pajeon this good. If you have never had one before, it is a definite must-try for a savory item. The flavor profile is completely different from a Chinese style scallion pancake or an Indian style bread.
Bulgogi Jongol just when it started to boil. |
Bulgogi Jongol again, being cut up into bite size pieces. |
Kkang Pung Ki (깐풍기) |
Kkang Pung Ki is an addiction of mine... So whenever I dine at a restaurant that serves Korean-Chinese dishes, I have to order it. Everyone makes it differently, some people put bell pepper, corn, jalapeno, and/or even ketchup. No matter what, I have never had a disappointing version of this dish (*knock on wood*). Anyways, the version from Rice freakin' rocks!
Panchan (반찬) side dishes |
I highly recommend checking out the Lets Cook Tampa meet ups if you live in the Tampa area and are interesting in trying Korean cuisine. We cannot wait to go back again!
Rice Restaurant and Lounge 7525 W Hillsborough Ave
Tampa, FL 33615
(813) 889-7766
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