Trudging through the snow on your way home from work, it might be easy to pass up the street vendors huddled next to their fruit and produce. It would be unwise though, because underneath all the Jeju mandarins and winter radishes lie hidden treasures ready to be peeled, chopped, braised and boiled. If you are interested in culinary adventure, look no further than the humble persimmon and kohlrabi.
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I was recently given a Crock-Pot from a coworker leaving the country and spent a few good hours sitting and staring at the thing on the kitchen table. I’d used a slow cooker before, but never to any great effect. I’ll admit that I can be impatient at times, and I may have, at one point, not given a slow-braised fennel and lamb shank recipe the oven time it deserved. Since then, however, I’ve decided that Korea would be the turning of a new leaf and that I would learn to embrace the Crock-Pot.
We’re spoiled when it comes to seafood in this country. Things that would normally cost an arm and a leg back home are practically given away in Korea. Mussels have been a favorite of mine since I was a kid and something I usually associate with special occasions. A steaming bowl of fresh mussels bathed in white wine, garlic and parsley is a classic that highlights the shellfish in all its glory.
Apples and pork go together like makgeolli and pajeon. Or something like that. All I really know is that apples are in season and street vendors are practically throwing them at us. We should take the hint and start celebrating the beginning of fall by eating them.
I will admit that I have never been a big fan of mayonnaise. I always hated mayo on my sandwiches, and came to resent the blue jar of Helman’s in the fridge. I never trusted the way it moved. The slight jiggle of creamy white blobs sitting on picnic plates.
When I finally had my first taste of handmade mayonnaise, I started to understand what I was missing. Store bought mayo and homemade mayonnaise couldn’t be more different.
The texture and flavor is something much more subtle and begs for a lot more than egg salad and club sandwiches.
It's grilling season. Barbecues are popping up in between the downpour and charcoal is being stoked. I'm grilling chicken this month because it is the easiest (and probably cheapest) protein to get your hands on in Korea.
Summer in Seoul is marked by several important things: melon pops overflowing from ice cream freezers, sitting in plastic Family Mart chairs drinking bad beer, and mul naengmyeon for lunch. We are driven from our sticky, unairconditioned apartments out into the real world only to try and find relief from the heat and humidity.
Last month I outlined a recipe for making a foolproof risotto. If you tried your hand at the techniques and realized how easy it is, I think it is time to take your skills to the next level. This month we are going to fry that risotto. Deep-frying food scares off many new home cooks. Maybe it is the mess it creates, or the fear of 350-degree oil splashing everywhere. I will tell you now that with a bit of planning and attention to safety, you can avoid both and create a safe, clean cooking environment.
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