soon to come

A korean lives in Brooklyn.

Beer Bread

Beer Bread Recipe.  Easiest bread recipe ever!
No cooking experience needed.  Sweet flavor with just a hint of beer and butter.

Ingredients
3 cups of self rising flour
1/2 cup of sugar (you can use up to 2 cups if you want it super sweet)
1 can of 12 oz beer (Budweiser is always good, pale lager)
1/4 cup of melted butter

Sift flour into bowl,
add sugar and mix.
Gradually add beer, mix.
Add butter, mix.
The dough will be sticky and wet.
You can oil the loaf pan but since there already butter in the dough its not necessary.
pour the dough in to the loaf pan.  Put in to pre-heated 400 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.
Let it cool for 30 minutes. 
Slice and eat.  Great for breakfast toast or accompaniment to any meal.


*Its very important to use self rising flour.
Here's the video on how to, or you can watch it on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYDEvqyLCGM

Taste of Korea.

This is an awesome opportunity to try out Korean dishes.
And it's FREE
Here is the link to information.
http://hansik.org/en
Also
http://www.facebook.com/TasteofKoreaNYC?ref=ts&sk=app_195775240457717#!/TasteofKoreaNYC?sk=info
On Canal Street

Maangchi's Soon dubu jjigae. ( Soft Tofu Stew )

This dish is hard to explain.  It's a seafood stew with beef.  But the star of this dish is soft silken tofu called Soon Dubu.  So delicious!
This recipe is from Youtube megastar Maangchi.
Here is the full recipe with video.  I've made this recipe twice.
It's delicious and I highly recommend it.

* I made one change.  Instead of shrimp I used clams. 

Click  on the following link.

http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/soondubu-jjigae

Jjajangmyun (blackbean noodles)

Jjajangmyeon is a Korean version of Chinese dish.  It's a very common dish served everywhere in Korea.  It's cheap, fast, easy and delicious.

My version is left-over veggies from the fridge and pantry.  This dish has no meat, but traditionally it always has small strips of pork. You can add any type of vegetables.   Potatoes, frozen peas, broccoli and etc.  I personally like it with lots of raw veggies on top.  The crunch adds really nice texture and freshness to the dish.

 

Recipe:

Noodles– I used Soba noodles 'cause that's all I had.  Any kind is fine–even spaghetti works.

Enough for 2 servings.

Vegetables

1/4 diced red peppers

1/2 julienned red peppers

1 small cucumber julienned

1 small carrot julienned

1/2 small onion diced

1 clove garlic chopped

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 scallion diced

1 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)

sauce

5 Tbsp of Jjajangmyun sauce (click here to find out where to get it)

1 cup of water

1 tbsp of corn starch

1 tbsp of sugar

1 tbsp of canola oil

Directions:

In a large skillet or frying pan heat oil:

Saute all the vegetables that are diced.  About 7 to 8 minutes till soft. ( Julienned vegetable will be added raw when the dish is done) 

Also add red pepper flakes.  (optional)

combine water and cornstarch together, make sure all the cornstarch is dissolved.

Add Jjajangmyun sauce to vegetables, 

Stir in water/cornstarch mixture and stir.

Bring to simmer and let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.

The sauce should be gravy consistency and shiny.

Meanwhile boil noodles until done.

Move to plate or bowl, top it off with generous amount sauce and garnish with lots of raw fresh julienned vegetables and scallion.

Its delicious with kimchi of course!

Kimchi Fried Rice!!!!!

The ultimate Korean comfort food.  My mom and my grandma used to make this for me after school.

Every Koreans have their own version.  Some use butter, some add some leftover meat, some even use lunch meat,  (Spam is always good)  additional vegetable and etc.  This is very basic version.  Add to it whatever turns you on.

Recipe

1 cup of kimchi with some of the juice.  ( I use Kitchen shears to cut kimchi in to small bite size)

11/2 cup of left over rice.

1 fried egg

1 scallion chopped

1 tbsp of canola oil.  (I prefer canola over olive oil.  less flavor.  Most Korean dishes are finished off with drizzle of sesame oil which has a very strong flavor and aroma.

Splash of soy sauce.  (Its like salt, add to taste.)

drizzle of sesame oil.

Directions

On a non stick frying pan heat canola oil.

Add kimchi and let it fry till kimchi is toasted looking.

About 5 minutes.

Add rice and stir well and cooked thru.  6 to 8 minutes.

Add splash of soy sauce and drizzle of sesame oil.

Garnish with scallion move to plate or bowl.

Finish off with 1 fried egg on top.

Its great with miso soup on the side.

Chickpea salad wrap/taco

This is a truly tasty, healthy, and guilt free dish.
Very easy to make.  Make a big batch and have it as a snack, wraps or as a side dish to your meal.
I used a low carb whole wheat tortilla's from Trader Joe's.  I lightly sauteed the tortilla with olive oil
and added the chickpea salad.

Ingredients.

Main star of this dish is the chickpeas.  After that you can add any kind of
veggies you desire.

Here is the list for mine.  I use these veggies because they don't get too soggy
after couple of days in the fridge.

1 can of chick peas (Garbanzo beans)  rinsed.
1 orange bell pepper
1/2 cup of diced tomatoes (Cherry tomatoes are ideal)
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
1/4 of small red onion chopped
1 chopped garlic clove

Dressing.
1 lemon squeezed
Splash of red wine vinegar
1/2 inch of ginger grated.
1/2 tsp of sugar or honey
Olive oil  (For traditional dressing its 3 parts oil and 1 part vinegar.  I use less oil and add a splash of water)
Salt and pepper to taste.

*Of course use any kind of dressing you like.
Feta cheese is a great topping for this salad.

Mung Bean Pancake/Bin dae Duk

One of popular Korean dishes are savory pancakes.  This one is one of my favorite.  The star of this dish is Mung beans/or Lentils.  So its also very healthy.

This is what Mung Bean/Lentils look like

Recipe.

1 cup of Mung beans soaked in water for at least 2 hours.
1/3 cup of rice flour/or plain flour
1tsp of kosher salt or 1/2 tsp of table salt
4 stalks of scallion chopped
1 small zucchini julienned.
1/2 cup of kimchi chopped
1/4 cup of pork diced.  (This is optional for those who want to keep it healthy)
1/4 cup of water or more for thinner batter.
2 tbsp Canola Oil.

Drain the beans and grind the beans. Grind to paste.
Put into large bowl and add all the ingredients and mix well.
Just like making pancakes add oil to pan on medium heat.
The pancakes are pan fried so more oil to achieve good browning.
cook 7 to 8 minuets on each side. It take time for the pancake to cook through.

dipping sauce.
2 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tsp of rice vinegar
1 crushed clove of garlic
1tso if sugar
mix well.

*

Kimchi.

Of course I have to do a post on kimchi.  This post is for all Korean's in Korea suffering kimchi shortage.  It is true.  Country is in a turmoil.

Ingredients

2 heads of Napa cabbage (quartered)

1/2 Daikon radish.

1 bunch of green onions.

2 cups of sea salt or kosher salt, enough to coat the cabbage inside and out. 

Water, enough to cover the cabbage while brinning. 

Prepare cabbage.
Coat the cabbage inside and out with salt.
Cover with water and let it sit in cool spot in your kitchen for at least 4 hours.
Rinse well, at least 3 to 4 times squeeze all the water out.

Mean while julienne the radish and chop green onions.

Kimchi paste
1 whole garlic peeled and roughly chopped
2 inch piece of ginger peeled and roughly chopped.
Korean pepper flakes. 1 cup. depending on hot spicy you like it.
1 large Korean pear or 2 Bosc pears peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 onion roughly chopped.
2 TBSP of kosher salt.
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of fish sauce (preferably 3 Crabs brand)

Add all the ingredients and puree them in blender or food processor till it
becomes and paste. Should be slightly watery paste. Taste. It should taste like good kimchi.
Add the julienned radish and chopped green onions.

Here is the important part. Use you hands. ( I wear rubber gloves)

Add all the ingredients except for the cabbage and mix well.
in a large bowl coat the cabbage with the kimchi mixture inside and out.
Make sure to add to every layer of the cabbage.
After done rolled the cabbage (liked cradled) with all the sauce put them in a sealed container and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 2 days.
Refrigerate for 1 week.
It should be ready to eat once it is refrigerated.
Gets better as it ages.

*note.  There are many options to making kimchi.  You can add salted shrimp, more chili powder, some traditional recipe's call for making the paste with rice flour. 

Martini

How to make a martini.

Martini, in my view is the king of all cocktails.

Its elegance, traditions, and simplicity can’t be matched by

any drink in the history of alcoholic beverage.

There is 1 very important rule to making a martini.

NEVER EVER SHAKE THE MARTINI!!!!!

(Any self respecting bartender should know this rule)

Why?  “BECAUSE IT WATERS DOWN THE ALCOHOL”.

A true martini is about 3 shots of pure chilled vodka/gin

For the price of one drink.

Oh and that thing about James Bond drinking martini shaken.

"It’s a movie and it’s not real".

Oh, and one more thing, if there any other ingredient then vodka/gin and dry vermouth it is not a martini. 

Just because the drink is in a martini glass, it does not make it a martini. 

Ingredients

Ice, Vodka/Gin, Dry vermouth, olives or lemon rind

Recipe

1 Chill a martini glass.  Fill it with ice cubes or put it in the freezer.

  (The goal is to make it as cold as possible)

2 Fill a pint glass with ice, pour chilled vodka/gin to the glass. 

    I usually count to 3.  4 On a bad day.

   Here is the hard part.   STIR gently.

3 Remove the ice in the martini glass.  Pour a drop of dry vermouth and swirl.

   Pour out the vermouth. 

4 Very carefully with a strainer pour very cold and very chilled vodka/gin into    

    martini glass.

5 Garnish with olives skewered on a toothpick on the side.    
   (Olives take up valuable space in the glass) 

Option:  Lemon twist.  Peel a lemon rind twist over the martini to add zest oil  
               to the martini, gently curl it and lay it on the rim of the glass. 

Bacon

I mean really, is there anything better?  Especially cooked over camp fire? 

Portrait of a butter.

Need I say more.

Chicken Liver Pate.

This is how you impress people.  Making real pate from scratch.  The easy version.

Ingredients.

1 1/2 stick of butter.  (Don't be shocked, Jacques Pepin uses 2 1/2 sticks of butter)
1 pound of chicken liver.
1 shallot sliced.
2 cloves of garlic chopped.
3 to 4 stalks of fresh thyme.
2 small or 1 large bay leaf.
Splash of dry sherry, white wine, cognac, bourbon or dry vermouth.  ( All I had was dry vermouth)
1/4 cup of chopped parsley.  (Optional)
Salt and pepper to taste.




Melt 1 stick of butter in pan in med/low heat.
Don't want to burn the butter.
add thyme and bay leaf saute for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add garlic and shallots.  Saute till shallots are soft.

Add chicken liver cooked till pink inside.
about 5 to 10 minutes.

Fish out the bay leaf and thyme.
Add to blender or food processor.
Add splash of dry vermouth.

Blend smooth.

Pour into a ramekin.  Let cool to room temperature.  pour melted clarified butter.  (The other 1/2 stick of butter) on top of the pate.
Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hr.


Serve as a topping for your favorite bread or crackers.


*It should last 2 weeks in the refrigerator if not used.







 

Japanese Hot Pot.

Its that time of year.  This is a great cold weather dish that should warm you up.
All Asian's have there own version of hot pot dish. 
I like this one for light and more delicate flavors of all the vegetables.

This is Kombu.  Dried seaweed.

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• Ingredients
• 8 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms soaked and sliced.
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped.
• 1/2 inch of ginger diced
• 1 shallot sliced.
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4cup mirin
• 2 TBSP of sugar.
• 2 (6-inch) pieces kombu
• 1 yellow squash sliced.
• 1/2 package of tofu diced.
• 3 stalks of green onions diced
• 1 cup of Asian chives diced.
• 4 ounces daikon, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 medium carrot (about 4 ounces), peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 4 ounces napa cabbage, sliced
• 1 package of enoki mushrooms
• 1 pound (2 blocks) frozen, precooked udon noodles, or 8 ounces dried

Soak shiitake mushrooms in water for atleast 5 hours.  Save the water from soaking.  It will be used as a stock.
Place the kombu in the bottom of the pot, add the liquid from the shiitake mushroom.
Add all the ingredients in a pot except for the noodles.  Close the lid and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the noodles close the lid and simmer for additional 10 minutes.

Ready to eat.  There is really nothing to serve with.  Everything is in the pot.

Quick and easy pizza.

Pocket less pita.  Extremely versatile bread.  I use it often as a pizza dough.  This is healthy and easy.  Make your own by adding any toppings of your choice.

This one is with frozen spinach, artichoke ,feta cheese, shaved parmesan cheese and olive oil.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
1 whole wheat pocket less pita bread.
1/2 cup fz. spinach thawed.  (Squeeze all the water out)
1/2 cup of artichoke thawed.
Enough feta cheese and Parmesan to cover the pizza.
Drizzle of olive oil.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Add all the ingredients and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

More tools for kitchen

Clothes pin.  Its a work of art.  Cheap, simple and reusable almost forever.

Chocoflan cake, the impossible cake!

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Often served as a birthday cake in Mexico.  Flan on top of chocolate cake with caramel sauce.
Baking this cake is easy with an impressive result.

Ingredients

Box of your favorite chocolate cake (I used Duncan Hines) or your own recipe.
1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce 

Flan

• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated 
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon extract 

For the flan: In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Blend on high for 30 seconds. 
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make the cake batter.
Coat a Bundt pan with a little butter or spray oil, then coat the bottom with 1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce.
Pour in the cake batter on top of the caramel sauce.
Pour flan mixture on top of the cake batter.

Cover the bundt pan with aluminum foil tightly.
Place the cake pan in the a large roasting pan with water.  This technique is called bain-marie
Place the cake in the middle rack and bake for 1 hour.  To check if the cake is done poke the cake
with a toothpick.  If it comes out clean the cake is done.
Cool the cake on a rack for atleast 1 hour.  Place in the refreferator for atleast 2 hours.  (This will set the flan).
Take it out of the refrigerator let stand for about 30 minutes.
Invert the cake on a platter.

Korean pork BBQ/Daeji Gui

 I am big fan of pork.  This is my favorite pork dish.  It's also delicious as a sandwich.

Ingredients.

1 Pound of Pork thinly sliced.  (pork tenderloin is usually a good option)
1/2 Cup of gochujang.  (Korean red pepper paste)
1/3 Cup of soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp of rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp of sesame oil
1/2 Inch of ginger grated
3 Garlic cloves finely chopped
2 Tbsp of sugar
1/4 Tsp of black pepper.
1/4 Cup of green onions for garnish.

Mix all the ingredients together well and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hrs.
Grill on a med/hot charcoal grill for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until it cooks.
Serve with steamed rice, red leaf lettuce, and other popular Korean side dish of your choice.

* If you are wondering about my grill in the photo, it's a bakers rack for cooling cookies and cakes.
It works great for vegetables as well.  It keeps your food from falling into the charcoal between the wires.

Gochujang/Red pepper paste

This is the infamous gochujang.  Used in so many Korean dishes.
Extremely versatile.  It can be added variety of dishes, not just Korean.
For example its great to use in you BBQ sauce, mix it in with a little white
wine and butter serve with pork, chicken or fish.  Also add a little to your burger mix.

Korean Cucumber side dish

This is a delicious and easy side dish.
You can skip the salting the cucumber part.  Reason for salting is to get all the liquid out of the cucumber.  That way the dish not too watery.

Ingredients

1 English cucumber sliced 1/4 inches thick.
1 Tbsp of salt
1 scallion chopped
1/2 Tbsp of grated ginger
1 clove of garlic chopped
1/2 Tsp of sesame oil
1 Tbsp of soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp of sugar
Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt the sliced cucumber and let sit for 1/2 hour to an hour.  (This is optional)
Rinse well and pat cucumbers dry.
Add all ingredients and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

This dish is great for many cuisines.
Great on sandwiches, add to your favorite salad, Also great side dish for seafood.