Hot Chocolate on a Stick

Have you ever tried hot chocolate on a stick?

I had this delicious hot chocolate for the first time in a small bed and breakfast in Brugge, Belgium a couple of years ago.

I've always thought that hot chocolate is coming from the powdered mix where you just add hot water, which, of course, is still good and convenient. 

Then, I had tried this stick version of real chocolate melted in hot milk. It was so good that I would never wanted to go back to one of those packet kinds.

Belsnickle Cookies, so Christmas appropriate...

I was in the serious mood for baking this week.
There is nothing like baking good ginger spiced cookies around this time of the year.
The aroma, the flavor, the texture, and the spirit you feel...

I would like to introduce a very nice cookie recipe this week.
This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbook, "Cooking from Quilt Country" by Marcia Adams.
Yes, it is Amish cookbook (FYI; I am not an Amish..., but I adore them) and I found this German originated cookies are so Christmas appropriate.
It is soft ginger cookies with orange glaze on top.
Some calls them Belsnickle cookies - I like this name better for the season.

Kimchee Jjigae 2, the easiest Korean stew you can make

After indulging myself with deep-fried turkey feast for Thanksgiving and got busy taking all the Christmas stuff out to decorate the house afterward...

I simply don't have much energy to cook. 

But I gotta eat..., you know.

So here I am.

I am going to make an easiest Kimchee stew in the world.

Only 4 ingredients and you will get a nice pot of stew that can awaken your soul for the spirit of Christmas. 

All because I found a container of store-bought kimchee (kimchi) I purchased about 2 month ago that I totally forgot about its existence... (I left it in my 2nd fridge where I don't check often)

Gogalbi, not your ordinary galbi

 I am a southern gal and I have to admit that I really love southern style Korean food.

If you ever visit Busan of South Korea, there is a district called Nampo-dong; very famous for their seafood street vendors and restaurants.
You will smell smoky grilled fishes and other sea creatures on every little ally; Fun hang-out place with friends.

The dish I am introducing today is called "Go-galbi" originated from Busan.
It almost sounds like express take-out Korean BBQ dish but it is not.
Well, it can be..., I guess.
It is actually a mackerel(Go-deong-uh) slobbered in sweet tangy chili sauce.
They call it "galbi" because it is cooked like galbi and meaty like galbi.
I don't own a open flame brick BBQ pit in my cosmopolitan cave, so I will adapt the traditional cooking method into my everyday humble skillet over the gas burner.
It tastes as good as the ones in the restaurants.

Doenjang Jjigae, the ultimate Korean comfort

Doenjang Jjigae (Korean soybean paste stew) reminds me of my father.

As I recollect, he loved this stew.

My father passed away almost 6 years ago by car accident.

And I didn't even get to say good-bye to him.

After he is gone I realized that I never had a chance to serve this stew for him.

In fact I never got a chance to cook anything for him.

And that hurts me...,

and brings me to tears.

I know he would have enjoyed this stew very, very much.

My mother used fix this stew quite often just for him.

Of course her Doenjang paste is all home-made, and she has her secret to give this stew more depth.

Crisp Korean Beef Salad, and a jar of citron tea

It is a wonderful season...
to catch...
a cold these days.

You know that I am not asking you to get sick, right?
I mean most people I know have suffered from cold or flu, some with very nasty ones, this past week or so.
So I am going to introduce you a typical home remedy that Koreans, at least in my household, use when we get sick from those mean viruses.

Fried Anchovies and Peanuts, love or hate?

Before I start this post I would like to ask you if you've ever seen "Kimchi Chronicles" on PBS or on Youtube.

Marja Vongerichten did a wonderful job introducing Korean cuisine and I enjoyed seeing a few episode myself. She recently published her cookbook.

They launched Korean cooking video contest on Youtube and I thought you might be interested in.

Check the link below.

The Youtube video and the contest announcement

Give yourself a try if you are enthusiastic about Korean food. 

Who knows? You will be the chosen one! 

Hotteok, the Korean sweet pancakes

There is something about rain that makes you crave greasy sweet food.

It must be a global phenomenon thing... 

My American friends, Japanese friends, European friends, they all love to eat something sweet, something slightly greasy when there's water falling down from heaven.

It's been raining every single day here and I finally decide to make some Hotteok, the Korean sweet pancakes.

Besides I found a very special treasure the other day to make this sweet Goddess.

Radish Beef Rice Bowl

 

"No vitamins are better than fall radishes. So eat your radishes now!!!"

Every fall my mother forced to feed us radishes. 

Radish soup, radish salad, radish kimchee, ... and the radish rice - the worst one.

I HATED it.

I don't think radish is kids friendly vegetable at all. It is bitter and peppery. 

If you cook them they get mushy...,  and kids ain't like mushy stuff.

However my tongue has constantly been evolved. I love these peppery radishes now. 

I finally became a grown-up, hallelujah! 

Fall Rice in Pumpkin

 

Last October around this time I was in New England enjoying the fall foliage. 

The beautiful maple and oak leaves turning into orange and red, smelling the batch of hot clam chowder, looking through the displays of Jack-o'-lanterns on every house, I literally soaked up myself with seasonal beauties.

This year? 

Well..., the scenery has changed. 

I am surrounded by the palm trees, and the famous Patronas twin towers can be seen through my bedroom window.

Yes, I am in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Please, don't ask me how I like this city...,  yet.

(I almost killed a very old man who was riding motorcycle on my first day of driving. He was coming from the opposite direction in my lane. Don't worry, we didn't crash.)

Cabbage Pancakes

Hello there!!!!

Have I gone too long?

I am so sorry that it took so long to be back, but boy! what a summer I had...

First of all, I traveled to Korea to visit my hometown.

Then, my family had to cross the pacific ocean again to relocate onto a tropical land in SE Asia. Where? well, I will let you know in my next post.

It always takes some time to settle into a new place no matter where you go. I finally was able to put my family onto a routine so that I can come back to blogging.

Salmon Bibimbap, my summer goodbye

I hate to tell you this, but I better...
I need to take a break from blogging.

It is the time for me to hit the road again. Every summer I travel to far away places with my kids.
I like to show them the world they live in and experience things that they can't at school.
Nothing explains travel as close as what Saint Augustine said,
"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."

Last summer we traveled Europe, this year? Well, I like to keep it as secret.
But I will share with you all the highlights when I come back.
I won't be able to use my toys for a while; the kitchen stuff and my i-mac desktop that had been glued to my eyes. Instead I will be walking on the exotic country road far far away. Very excited.

Kimbap, Korean seaweed rice rolls and Billy Jean

"Thou shall not judge others."
This is one valuable lesson I learned earlier in my life.
Have you ever been surprised by someone who has an amazing talent that you never thought he/she would have? It came to a such surprise that you couldn't believe your eyes?

I was in middle school, provably 8th grade.
There was an interesting girl in my class. Her name was Mi-gyoung.
So quiet and shy, she hardly ever talk to anyone. She was an all-A student in every academic subjects. Wearing a thick glasses with messy hair, she looked just like one of those nerdy-smarty kid in many movies. She was always alone. Many, including myself, thought she was a boring person.

Vegetables in Coconut Milk, Sayur Lemak

I often think of the past 3 years in Hong Kong where I used to live.
Hong Kong remains dearly in my heart.
The busy hustling Causeway bay, beautiful repulse bay beach, riding old trams with locals, gorgeous HK view from the peak, Stanley market, restaurants in Lan Kwai Fong, Wan Chai Market, fancy designer shops, the quiet New Territory, many surrounding islands, and the food... Boy! It is so easy to indulge in food when you are in HK.
I miss them and I crave them all.

I have met so many wonderful people and learned to enjoy and respect this amazing city.
But out of all these exciting memories, there is one person that I often think of.

Cucumber Kimchee, easy peasy summer kimchee

Don't you just love SUMMER?

The heat, the humidity, the sweat, nicely preheated car in the parking lot, fully crowded beach, kids nagging out of boredom, loads of Popsicle boxes taking over your freezer, etc... 

Okay, these are not my favorite things of summer but there is nothing like sipping lemonade on your porch and watching the whole world goes by in front of your eyes.

Fresh Strawberry Pie, a trip to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania

 

Do you enjoy weekend getaway to country leaving the hustle and bustle city life behind, and soak up with fresh country air?

There is something about country that takes a special part in my heart.

I was not raised in the farm but just thinking of country life makes me feel like I'm home.

Last weekend I took my family to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. We stayed in a small working farm house with lots of farm animals. We learned to feed the calves and milk the cow. My kids had a blast by playing with kittens, ducks, bunnies, chickens, goats, etc.

We ate about 10 different pies in 24 hours time. Yes, 10 pies! All made from scratch... We even had rhubarb pie for breakfast. 

Pan Fried Rice Cakes, do you dare a devil?

I am a rice cake lover.
Yes, I know.... It is white food.
But I eat small portion and enjoy every bite of them, and go for a walk, sometimes, to remove the guilt out of my belly.

Anyway...
One of the first thing I do in the morning is to check Korean newspaper via online, usually after CNN.com or FoxNews.com
-- Good thing that I speak two languages. Although neither of them I speak perfectly...

Lemon Coconut Crackle Cookies, thing 1 and thing 2

If someone asks me 3 random things that I want to avoid at all cost, that would be;
#1: Public speech --- gives me insomnia.
#2: A drunken man --- don't like the look nor the smell.
#3: Coolwhip --- I know I am weird, but I never had any good experience with this, so called "whipped dairy topping" you can find grocery stores anywhere in the U.S.

One of the worst dessert I ever had was a cake made right out of cake mix (without doctoring up) with Coolwhip as frosting that someone brought to the party many years ago. It was one of those moment that you, sort of, have to finish the plate in order not to offend the person who brought it.

Spring Cabbage Kimchee, the taste of home

 

Have you ever shed tears over a plate of food?

A while ago I was watching an episode of "Baking with Julia" out of boredom and I saw this world famous cook, the Julia Child, was weeping over a plate of brioche tart that her guest pastry chef made.

I had no doubt that the brioche tart tasted divine and I am sure Mrs. Child was so satisfied with it.  However people just don't cry over a plate of food no matter how delicious, scrumptious, out of this world it is. Why do you think she got so emotional over that tart?

Beef with Eggplant, This is not a stir-fry!

Korean foods are well known for its healthiness. 

It is not only because we do eat lots of vegetables with meal but also the cooking method we use to prepare the dish.

Stir-fry is perhaps one of the most popular cooking method in any Asian cuisine (of course Koreans do use that method in various dishes) but it is not the most common or popular way in Korean cooking to be honest with you.

"Muchim (무침)" is a skill to master in order to understand the Korean cooking.

Muchim involves some steaming and serious tossing, therefore no oil is necessary to cook the ingredients yet creates wonderful flavor balance without adding the extra fat in the dish.

Japchae Salad, modern twist with Korean chili vinaigrette

I still remember the nervousness I felt when I posted my first recipe. It was the Japchae, the famous Korean noodles. 

Miraculously people have been finding my blog ever since, in search of good Korean food recipe, and my original attempt of making this blog into personal recipe collection for my children has come this far. 

Thanks to all of you for the support and the encouragement.

Braised Beef Brisket, in Korean style

If you go to upscale Korean restaurants you will often see this braised Korean beef as a side dish along with the other 500(?) on your table.

It is meant to be served as side dish, usually chilled or at room temperature, but can be served as simple meal with some rice.

So tender and slightly sweet, this is the one side dish that will be gone as soon as it hits the table.
You can ask for more, but just letting you know, they will give you THE look that you don't wan to see.
After all, it is beef no matter how cheap the cut is...

Rice Cakes in Cream Sauce, snow white forever episode 1

There are times that I want something mild and creamy. 

Something..., if you allow me to say, "bland"?

I like rice cakes. I make soups, stir fries, even deep fries with them.

Typically Koreans make rice cakes with spicy chili paste but due to the recent fusion culinary trend in Korea, you can get quite creative with these guys. 

So I made this ultimate "stomach comfort" dish that can sooth your soul as well --- with cream sauce that you will love!!!

Cold Buckwheat Noodles w/ Spicy chili Sauce, Hot Sour Salty Sweet

Buckwheat noodles, buckwheat noodles...

I was craving something hot, sour, salty, yet sweet. I thought of the Korean style buckwheat noodles smothered with spicy chili sauce would calm down my craving and it did.

Fish Cakes with Vegetables, busy life easy recipe

Everyone is busy these days. 

And that "Everyone" wants quick and easy, no brainier recipes.

So here is one I can offer that can be prepared less than 15 minutes from start to finish, only "if" you can slice 1 green pepper, 1/2 onion and 1/2 carrot within 5 minutes and 30 seconds. 

I bet you can. 

And did I say you only need one flavoring ingredient to season this fabulous dish? 

...the bottled Oyster sauce! That's all.

Baby Radish Kimchee, only for the early birds

So I went to my handy-dandy Korean store the other day and noticed a bunch of ladies gathered-up in the produce section, head to head around the pile of green thingy, trying to grab them as much as they can. I went close to see what they are digging in for.  

For my surprise, those green thingy were the young Korean baby radishes. They are only available in spring (sometimes early in the summer). They came to market quite early this year.

They are basically baby radish that had been harvested when they just started to grow. Tender, mild, crunch..., they make wonderful Kimchee for the warmer season. They don't get available in the groceries that often. No wonder those ladies are packing their plastic bags with these cuties. Of course all of them were all Koreans! 

Being a Korean housewife I had to be part of that early bird deal (they were selling very cheap) and was able to grab two bunches in the midst of all those desperate housewives.

So, I am going to show you how you can make a wonderful Kimchee with these babies. It is called  Yulmoo Kimchee (열무김치). It is easier and quicker to make (good news, right?) than most cabbage kimhcee. However, in most cases, this kimchee has more watery, juice like filling than other kimchee. The addition of fresh chili makes the juice so refreshingly cool and tangy once fermented. It will make a wonderful cold noodle dish - one of my old time favorite summer lunch, or a quick Bibimbap as well. A true rustic Korean way of enjoying the radish babies...

By the way, why all the babies have to be so cute whether they are of humans, animals, and even vegetables?

*****

 Here are what you need. Baby radish, Asian pear, red chili, Korean chili flakes, garlic, salted shrimps, anchovy sauce, ginger, garlic, onion, glutinous rice powder, and sugar.

 

First thing you need to do... Make rice glue. Combine water and rice powder and let it boil until it gets slightly thicken, about 3-5 minutes string constantly. It will be very runny like syrup. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.

 Cut off the piggy tails from the radish babies. Scrape off the outer skin gently with a blade of your knife. On the base, where the white meets green stems, remove all the soiled part of skin by cutting off a little.

Cut off the very end leafy part of the stem. They will be too tough. Discard!

You can say Good-bye or Sayonara to them. I usually save them to make soup, though...

 

Slice the radish to your middle finger size. Sorry! For being a decent educated woman, I just can't show my middle finger to you. Hope you understand.

 Rinse them gently twice. Be gentle! They are babies...  Drain well.

 Now you will need a good quality Korean coarse sea salt, about 1/2 cup.

 Take about 1/4 of these greens and sprinkle some salt all over. Repeat the layers.

 Let these babies to absorb salt for about 1 hr, turning once or twice in between.

You will see what salt did to these green guys. It sucked the life out of them.
Bad salt! No dessert for you!

 Rinse about 2-3 times and drain well. Be very gentle when you rinse them. DO NOT rub or massage. If you act rough on them they will be grassy on you.

 Meanwhile puree the pear in a blender. I love to see how the solid matter becomes liquid in one touch button.

 You want to filter the puree to get rid of the fiber and the foam. You will get clear juice that way, which creates gorgeous color and texture in Kimchee juice later on.

Process fresh chili, anchovy sauce, salted shrimp, garlic in a blender. You don't need puree finely on this guys.

 Now, get a big mixing bowl. Place the radish greens, add chili mixture, Korean chili flakes, sliced, fresh chilies and onions, sugar, and ginger. Pour the cooled rice glue and the pear juice.

 Very gently toss all together. Taste the juice to see if it is seasoned right for you. Add more anchovy sauce or salt according to your taste.

Two bunches of these baby radishes fit just right in a large ziplock container. 

Let it sit on the counter for 1-2 days and keep in the fridge for at least 1 week to ferment. 

This radish kimchee won't taste that good when freshly made but once they get fermented? 

Well, you won't get enough of them...

After one week...

Still vibrant in color,

Crunch yet tender greens,

The divine taste of the juice,

Behold! 

the Korean baby radish kimchee is ready to eat...

Baby Radish Kimchee

(열무김치, yulmoo kimchee)

2 bunches Korean baby radishes

1/2 cup Korean coarse sea salt

1/2 large onion, sliced

3 fresh red chilies, sliced

3 Tbsp Korean chili flakes 

2 tsp sugar

1 Asian pear, peeled, seeded, pureed, and filtered to collect clear juice

Rice glue:

2 Tbsp glutenous rice powder

4 cups water

Filling:

4 fresh red chilies, diced

4 garlic cloves

1/2" ginger stem, peeled or 2 tsp pureed ginger

3 Tbsp salted shrimps

1 Tbsp anchovy sauce

Make a rice glue by combining water and the rice powder with a whisk in a small pot, and bring to boil. Let it thicken, about 3-5 minutes, stirring constatnly. The glue will be very runny almost like a syrup. Remove the pot from the heat and let the glue cool completely.

Cut off the long tails of the white part of the radish greens and scrape off the dirty outer skin with a blade of your knife. Make sure to clean on the base where it meets the green stems. Cut off the very end leafy parts of the stems as well. Discard them or save them for other uses, such as soup.

Cut the greens into about 2 1/2" - 3" long pieces.

Rinse the baby greens twice gently and drain. In a large mixing bowl spread 1/4 of the greens and sprinkle the 1/4 of salt all over. Repeat the layers until all the green gets sprinkled with salt evenly. Let it sit for 1 hour, turning them once or twice in between. You will see some water extracted from the greens and the volume has been reduced to nearly a half. Rinse 3 times very gently and drain well.

Process all the filling ingredients in a blender or food processor. In a large mixing bowl combine the radish greens, sliced chilies and onions, Korean chili flakes, pear juice, rice glue, and the filling. Toss very gently with hand until everything gets incorporated. The whole mixture will have lots of liquid. Taste the juice to adjust your seasoning if you need. You can add more salt or anchovy sauce according to your taste.

Transfer the Kimchee into airtight container. Let it ferment on a room temperature for 1-2 days and continue to ferment in the fridge for 1 week before you serve. Serve cool.

Printable recipe

Kimchee Shrimp Cakes, farewell my Kimchee...

Oh, no! My winter cabbage Kimchee came to an end... :(

There was only one head of Kimchee left lonely in my Kimchee container. Alas! Tears streaming down on my cheeks (just the imaginary tears)... I have to say goodbye to her.

I have enjoyed stews, pan cakes, fried rice, and patties, etc with it all through the winter. It has been a wonderful culinary journey with my fabulous Kimchee this winter.

So for my final farewell party, I made Kimchee cakes with the help of shrimp and tofu.

If you have some nasty fermented Kimchee abandoned in the back corner of your fridge, bring them out to the world. This recipe will bring the dinner in snap. It is quick and easy to make, wonderful for weeknight menu.

Let's get our hands in action! But first, allow me to wipe off my tears... Thank you.

*****

The guest lists are; Kimchee, shrimps, tofu, chives, panko crumbs, eggs, sesame oil, sesame seeds, salt and pepper. 

I used 8 of 21-25 counts big shrimps. Dice them into small chunks.

Squeeze your kimchee to remove her juice. 

Chop her as fine as you can. 

Wrap the tofu tightly with the cotton cloth and squeeze him to remove his juice as well.

In a bowl combine shrimps, kimchee, tofu and some chopped chives (or green onions).

Add panko crumbs, sesame oil, sesame seeds, salt, pepper, and an egg. Then I realized...

One egg was not enough to hold the mixture together. They looked too crumbly.

So I added another egg and mixed all with hand by massaging them around. Looks just right.

You want to massage them so the tofu will get mashed and incorporated with everything.

Scoop a spoonful of mixture onto hot oiled skillet. Press gently to flatten down a bit.

I wouldn't worry about making perfect shape on these cakes. Save your worries to other things in life...

Pan fry them for 3-4 minutes on each side over medium to med-low heat, until nice and brown.

That is all to it. Quite simple and easy, right?

My sweet angel loved it.  I meant to serve them as a snack but she ate them like a dinner with some rice.

Time to say goodbye to my dear winter cabbage kimchee.

So long,

Farewell,

and

Auf Wiedersehen.

Winter has ended and the spring buds are popping everywhere.

My favorite season has arrived...

Cherry blossom festival is coming soon here in D.C.

I bet the blossoms will be in their peak in Japan as well.

My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Words can't describe their losses.

But there's always a hope blossoming somewhere,

and

I believe they will make it happen,

with their noble and strong spirit to unite...

Kimchee Shrimp Cakes

(새우 김치전, saewoo kimchee jeon)

makes about 15 patties

1/3 head (about 1/3 pound) Kimchee

8 (21-25 counts) large frozen shrimps, thawed and chopped

8 oz firm tofu, drained

1/4 cup chives or green onion finely chopped

2 large eggs

1/2 cup panko crumbs

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

pinch salt and pepper

some canola or grape seed oil for sauteing

Squeeze kimchee to remove its juice and moisture, chop finely, reserve about 1 cup.

Wrap tofu with a cotton cloth tightly and squeeze out to remove as much water as possible.

In a mixing bowl combine kimchee, shrimps, and tofu. Add chives, eggs, panko crumbs, sesame oil, sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper. With your hand, massage them around to mix so the tofu will get mashed and everything gets incorporated. The mixture should feel wet and sticky.

Heat about 1 Tbsp of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Scoop a spoonful of kimchee shrimp mixture on the skillet and gently press down to flatten a little bit. Saute for 3-4 minutes on each side until nice and brown.

Adjust heat so they won't burn. Drizzle more oil in the skillet if needed.

Serve hot with some rice or eat as it is.

Printable recipe