Korean Chicken Salad and announcement

Hello my dear readers,

I have an announcement to make...

This will be my last post. Yes, this site will go private after a short while.

Well, I am not saying that I am quitting blogging. I have moved my blog from blogger to a new site with my own domain name; http://www.beyondkimchee.com/

Please, visit my new Beyond Kimchee to get this recipe and others, and subscribe via email or RSS. 

Unfortunately I wasn't able to bring all my subscribers to my new site and I need your support to maintain my Korean recipe blog.

Looking forward to hearing from you as always.

Sincerely yours

Pan Fried Potato with Green Beans

I must be either a very simple minded or a extremely boring person.

How could I feel so happy for a single potato...?

I had one potato lounging on my counter and a handful of green beans that I wasn't sure what I was going to do with.

I was hungry and I wanted to EAT them both.., so I put them together.

What a JOY-ous day! I was quite happy how they turned out.

Green Onion Pancakes, and the story of a blue frog

Once upon a time there lived a young frog boy named "Blue".
They called him "Blue" because he was a very unusual blue frog.
Blue lived with his mother in a small cottage near a little stream deep in the mountain of South Korea.
His mother loved him very much and did the best she could to teach him, so that he could grow up to be well mannered and respectful. But alas! Blue was not the most obedient boy you can imagine. In fact he was quite rebellious and often showed the contrary behaviors.

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies, Oh! sugar, sugar

WARNING!!! Do not make these cookies.
Don't even dare to put one in your mouth, or your diet is over at the very moment.
I ate 7 of them and I regret...
I meant to eat only one, you know.

But if you really want to taste the simple gourmet flavor of true vanilla sugar cookies, make a batch by all means.
I don't even like sugar cookies but these are truly good; crisp on the edge yet soft in the center with speckles of vanilla beans.
Irresistible is the exact description of how good these are once you put one cookie in your mouth.

Kimchi, the easy version

Every once in a while I have this strong urge to make kimchi.., it must be the Korean blood in me!

So I made a simple cabbage kimchi called "mak-kimchi".

I have posted 3 episodes of how to make the authentic cabbage kimchi about a year ago.

Although the method of that type of kimchi in those posts will yield truly amazingly tasting kimchi, it is quite time and labor demanding work.

This version is basically quick and easy. "Mak" literally means whatever fast.

I will show you how easy it is to make delicious kimchi with its pungent yet refreshing flavor.

Even a novice to kimchi making can succeed with a great result. 

I bet you would like that.

My Teriyaki Chicken

Would you like to take a bite?

TERIYAKI CHICKEN is a universal food.  Everybody loves it and have their own way of making it.

I bet Giada de Laurentiis or Paula Dean have their own version.

I do, too.  :) ... although I am not sure if can say it is authentic.

Traditionally Teriyaki is made with Sake (Japanese rice wine) marinade, but I use pineapple juice and you don't need to marinade.

The juice adds wonderful flavor to the chicken and get rid of the gammy smell of poultry. It also tenderize the meat and keep them so moist. Did I mention it can be done less than 30 minutes?

Braised Tofu and Radish, the Korean tofu dish

I love tofu and I hope you do, too.

This has to be one of my favorite tofu dish.
Partnered with mellow radish and a little bit of chopped shrimp, I don't need anything else on my table to finish out a bowl of rice if I have this.

With a good source of soy protein, calcium, and vitamins from the radish, you have quite a nutritious dish that screams to be Korean.

Pomelo Prawn Salad, the easy Thai salad

Is it March already?

It must be spring then...

Living currently in a tropical land of SE Asia, I often loss the sense of seasonal changes.

Spring is my favorite season. 

I miss seeing green buds blossoming on the trees, daffodils and tulips popping out of garden, and people gathering around Home Depot to look for pretty flowers to plant on their yards. I was one of them.

But I enjoy living in tropical land these days. It does offer good culinary adventures.., a big time!

... Loads of tropical fruits and veges, awesome beaches, can't complain much.

Kimchi Gratin, Kimchi Casserole or baked Kimchi rice????

 

I liked the movie, "Julie vs Julia".

It is a true story about a woman named of Julie challenged all the recipes of Julia Child's first book in one year and blogged the process. 

My blue eyed husband suggested that I should challenge making different types of Kimchi everyday for one year and blog about it. 

I still don't know if he was serious or joking.

Well, for his sake, I am not making Kimchi everyday nor every week. 

But..,  I can come up with 365 Kimchi ideas though.

There are so many dishes you can make with Kimchi, not only to authentic Korean dishes but also to fuse with other cuisines as well. Possibilities are limitless and creativity is all you need.

Another Korean Spinach, the rustic version

 Korean spinach (shigumchi namool) is one of the most popular side dish (banchan) in Korean restaurants.
Generally they are seasoned in salt and sesame oil, and most people think that is the one and only way of making Korean spinach. But there are more...

I have posted my version of Korean spinach before and today I would like to add one more.
This one is more of southern style rustic version and brings different flavor to the ordinary Korean spinach. This is how my mother use to make and it is delicious.

Kale Meatball Soup, cloudy day with a chance of meatballs

"Cloudy day with a chance of meatball..."
What a perfect subtitle for this soup?

I often make soups for those days when there is no signs of bright sunlight.
I don't know..., maybe the biological system in my body commands the brain to do that.

So here, I gathered up some greens that I have in my fridge, and dumped in the chicken stock, and crossing my fingers for a magic.
Of course..., for being a domestic witch I pour the magic potion, cast a spell, and "Voila!" - the very comforting Kale Meatball Soup is born!!!!

Mac-Jeok, the Royal Korean Pork

I am a Korean, 100% inside and out, but I hardly watch Korean dramas nor listen to K-pop.

I guess I must be a mutant or something.

Well..., I just don't have time and patience to sit and watch 50+ episodes of much complicated human relationship.

Then, one day about 3 years ago my sister, who is another mutant in the family, told me about a drama called "Daejanggum (a jewel in palace)" and said I must watch that since I am a foodie.

It is about a palace girl in an olden time in Korea who was a cook, then became a first female doctor to the king. The drama was made over 10 years ago and became a huge hit all over in Asia.

I finished the entire 54 episodes (which is very unusual) not only because of the great story line, but also the many interesting palace foods that I've never heard of.

Tofu Broccoli Salad; simple, healthy, and yes, it's delicious!

"Only bad witches are ugly..."
This is what Glinda, the pretty Good Witch of the North, said to Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.
I don't think she ever realized that some bad witches can be quite beautiful.
At least Elphaba, the Bad Witch of the West, was.
She had a certain radiance that captured the winkie prince Fiyero's heart, which the pretty Glinda herself couldn't.

Last month I drove over 4 hours to Singapore with my family to watch "Wicked," the famous Broadway show. It was undoubtedly a great show and my kids just loved it.
But for some very WICKED reason, I kept thinking of "broccoli" while I was watching.
How bizarre!

Old Time Beef Stew, the ultimate winter comfort

Everyone has their own way of making beef stew more flavorful.
Some adds tomato sauce, some pours fancy red wine or beer, some throws herbs and even orange zest...
Me?
I just use water.
Yes, water with a couple of beef bouillon cubes for the intense beef flavor.

Apple Brownies, another easy apple dessert

Chocolate is not the only dude that can turn into brownies. Apples can, too.

I was invited to a friend's BBQ party, but forgot to think of what to take with.
I urgently needed quick and easy dessert to make with things I already have in my kitchen, so that I don't have to run to the grocery store in the famous afternoon KL traffic.
I looked into my fridge and found some apples, I always have walnuts in the freezer... Aha! the light bulb in my brain just got turned on; 'I am going to make apple brownies!'

Deep Fried Winter Vegetables, healthy or not?

 Every winter I miss one particular snack that I used to get as a child in Korea.

Loaded with thinly sliced winter root vegetables, and coated with simple batter, then deep fried in hot oil..., this deep fried vegetables are perfect winter snack not only on the streets of Korea but in any household.

My dilemma is that, can this be considered as healthy?

Well, yes and no - depends on how you see it.

I would like to consider it to more of "yes" side.

Root vegetables are packed in nutrients and fiber. No comments on that.

Korean Fried Chicken 2, the spicy version

I received a revelation (?).
"Thou shall make another KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), nevertheless it shall be spicy...".
It was a still small voice that came from my hungry stomach, ha ha ha!
I had posted a non-spicy version of KFC and this is a sequel episode.

Yangzhou Style Fried Rice, and trip to Yangshuo

"Oh my! Look what I got?"
To my surprise, I found these gorgeous royal blue rice bowls hidden in a box that I abandoned in the storage.
I totally forgot about these beautiful bowls for a few years.
The memory started to flow and I remembered that I got them somewhere near Yanzhou Yangshuo, China.

I traveled Guilin and Yanzhou Yangshuo, two of the most scenic old town of China, several years ago. The scenery along the Li-river supposed to be stunningly beautiful and I was excited to enjoy it, but alas! It was raining and foggy when I took the cruise. All I saw was the misty fogs and the silhouettes of gorges behind.
With disappointment, I was walking on rural streets of unknown town near Yangzhou Yangshuo without much expectation after I landed.
 It was quiet and peaceful to wander around. I peaked at local's daily life, seeing them playing Mahjong, many sitting on their front door smoking...

Bindaetteok - Savory Mung Bean Pancakes

 

I am very excited to present a special recipe today.

A while ago I was contacted by "Kimchi Chronicles", the sentational PBS series on Korean food. 

Marja Vongerichten, the wife of famous chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, shared true beauties of not only many Korean delicacies but the cultures that follows. I have been a big fan of the show and enjoyed many episodes.

It is my honor to be as their first guest blogger to present a post.

So here I am, presenting a wonderful savory mung bean pancakes called Bindatteok.

Kimchee Tofu Dumpling, Our New Year Tradition

If you come to my house, you will find at least one or two packages of frozen dumplings stored in my freezer any time of the year. I purchase them from the grocery stores, of course.

But during the New Year, I like to make home-made dumplings with my family.

It is a fun activity that you can do with anyone - young or old, and you can store them in the freezer for later use if you can't finish them all at once.

Koreans love dumplings. We steam them, pan-fry them, deep-fry them, boil them, and throw them into soups and stews. Yes, some even juggle with them (?). 

What can I say more?

Trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope all of you had a wonderful time during Christmas and the New Year, enjoyed glorious food with your families and friends. 

Last week I put my family on a budget airline and flew to Chiang Mai, Thailand to spend a week. We had a fabulous time. 

Chiang Mai is in northern Thailand, close to the border to Myanmar and Laos.
You will find an amazing beauties and cultures of Thailand in this area.  I thought I would share with you some of highlights on my trip to this exotic place.