SuperNaturale

greenbean · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 3039 Location: Saskatchewan

I just got back from a 2 week trip to South Korea (some of you may remember my post asking for advice) and have fallen in love with Korean food. I need to learn to make it at home! Fortunately we have a Korean market here, so I can get at least some ingredients. Anyone have any favourite recipes? I really want to learn to make:

-Pa Jeon
-Bibimbap
-Kimchee (particularly radish kimchee)
-this amazing soup I had at the 2 buddhist restaurants I went to... I think it was called sujebi - it was a white soup with buckwheat dumplings and greens. I've only been able to find non-veggie versions of it on line but the ones I had were vegetarian
-pretty much any kind of temple food
-Makgeolli, the unfiltered rice wine... yum! I bought a kit for this, so we'll see how that turns out.
- cinnamon-syrup filled rice waffles (drooool)

I'm veggie, but it's cool if non-veg recipes are posted too for other folks. I never knew how great Korean food was until I went there (I'd only really had crappy, oily versions of bibimbap a couple of times) and now I just want to eat it all the time! YUM!
_________________
"There will be a night sometime in the next week or two where I just put a podcast on and start gluing shit to myself. It will be a fine night." - enzyme

killr · Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 1399

I love bibimbap too. I have never made it at home, but Id love to see recipes others may share. I had it in a heated stone bowl and the rice becomes toasted and crusty. So good.

Mangchi.comhas really great videos.

petunia_843 · Joined: 20 Sep 2004 Posts: 2308 Location: Midwest

The only Korean food I've had is mandu, and I really like it.

midnightsky1686 · Joined: 06 Nov 2004 Posts: 1546 Location: Seattle

Random vegetarian question- does kimchi usually have fish sauce in it? A couple recipes I looked at called for it, but is that likely to be the case at a restaurant?

(O man, now I want Korean food!)
_________________
Midnightsky Fibers- great knitting patterns!
knitting blog

Morgan · Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 2149 Location: Sweeeeden

How did you like Korea other than the food?
Here's a recipe for veg pa jeon that I've been saving forever and have never tried. Which doesn't help you much, since that's really no better than google... But now I have the urge to go make it!

Mindnightsky- in Korea kimchi definitely has fish sauce in it. But I would think that in the US there would be more veggie options at a restaurant, and they'd have kimchi with and without the sauce. But that's just a guess- I'd like to hear what you find out either way!
_________________
The most overlooked thing about Morgan is that she's sort of like a really crappy version of Bea Arthur.
My tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/prettymuchthebestever

fuzzydice · Joined: 08 Apr 2004 Posts: 1272 Location: SE Virginia

Nothing to add other than it's very brave of you to go to South Korea as a vegetarian! I've always wanted to go, but was scared I'd have nothing to eat. Now, I'm inspired!
_________________
You were right about the stars; each one is a setting sun.
-Wilco

greenbean · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 3039 Location: Saskatchewan

Morgan - I LOVED it. Can't really comment on the mainland as I only spent 2 night in Seoul, but Jeju was awesome.

Fuzzydice - It was a lot easier because we were staying with friends who spoke Korean and were familiar with the food options, but I had a lot more interesting things to eat that I thought I would! I loved the vegetarian temple restaurants the best. Veggie in Korea is definitely do-able. That said - I did end up eating fish product by accident a few times (the worst was a dried shrimp piece hidden in a handful of peanuts.... yeeeeeargh!), so I'd be mentally prepared for such a possibility.

Midnightsky - The ready-made kimchi I've seen in the stores here all have had fish sauce in them, so my plan is to make my own. I bet it would depend on the individual restaurant.
_________________
"There will be a night sometime in the next week or two where I just put a podcast on and start gluing shit to myself. It will be a fine night." - enzyme

shortskirt · Joined: 10 Mar 2005 Posts: 956 Location: Canadia

I have no idea how to make it, but dosot bibimbap is one of my new favourite dishes. We just got a Korean restaurant where I live, and it's made its way into my regular roster of restaurants to visit. I just had it last night! I'm vegetarian, and they make it with tofu.

kitchen · Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Posts: 1301 Location: Toronto, Ontario

i 2nd the maangchi recommendation!

my beau is vegan, and korean. we make our own kimchee (we go through a big mason jar of it every weekend... there was no way we could afford store bought all the time). we've never put in fish sauce, always been super super tasty.

some things we have on hand always:
- gochugaru (korean hot pepper flakes.... essential for making kim chi and other banchan)
- gochujang (korean hot pepper paste.... added with veg and tofu for stirfrys.... kimchi fried rice etc)
- toasted sesame seeds
- jiajiang (korean black bean paste.... great for noodles)
- dashima (salted/dried seaweed sheets.... for bibimbap, soups and stews)
- duk guk duk (sliced rice cakes... for stir frys, soup, stews... we always get a big frozen bag and toss in a handful with whatever we're cooking)

.... i know theres more but i ccant remember it all!!!

i'm in the process of typing up a kimchi making tutorial.... but i'm kinda really lazy with stuff like that. hopefully i'll do it soon and remember to post the link up here!
_________________
THE MUNDANE IS TO BE CHERISHED