Kimchimari

Did you know that this non spicy Rice Cake Stir Fry with Soy Sauce (궁중떡뽁이 Goongjoong Ddukbokki/tteokbokki) has been around much longer than the more common red spicy version?  The name Goongjoong/gungjung/Kungjung/Koongjoong means royal court and so you can guess where this dish comes from. The Korean Royal Cuisine (궁중요리 Goongjoong Yori) as we know today […]

Life is somewhat better now. The weather is also finally cooling down and I finally feel like cooking again. Yesterday was the first night in a long time where it was very cool and not so humid. Amazing how the weather affects your mood and appetite. For the last couple months, I really did not […]

If you have ever been to a Korean restaurant, chances are you probably have had chopchae/japchae(잡채), either as a menu item or as a side dish. And if side dish was the only way you had it – then I’m afraid you probably had a very poorly made chopchae. It sometimes makes me mad when […]

I recently bought some brisket from an American grocery store. But when I brought it home and cooked it, it looked and tasted different from the Yangjimeori(양지머리 – also labeled “brisket”) that I usually buy from the Korean supermarket. And this is not the first time– it has happened to me many times before and […]

This Korean Gogiguk (고깃국) or Beef Soup/Broth is probably one of the simplest soups to make ever. It is also one of the most important to learn because it can be the foundatio for many other Korean soups such as Mandooguk (만두국), Yukgyejang(육계장), Mooguk (무우국)…etc.  But you may be surprised how wonderful it tastes- just […]

This Oyi Namul(오이나물) is also sometimes called Oyi Bokkeum (오이볶음) which literally means cucumber stir fry. When you saw the name of the dish, you might have thought – “What? Stir fry cucumbers? How can that taste good?”.  But you will be surprised how good this tastes – the slightly pickled cucumbers have such a […]

I have just posted Shabu Shabu-Korean style on my other blog – What’s for dinner, Mom?. It is a wonderfully nutritious and delicious meal that is simple to prepare and also a lot of fun to eat! Enjoy!

I already posted my dduk guk recipe but this is a different take on it – I used beef stock instead and added dumplings. In some ways, this recipe is even simpler to make because the garnishes are easy. Dduk guk is something that all Koreans eat, but based on which province you live in, […]

Every New Year’s day,  Koreans make Dduk Gook/Tteok Guk (떡국) and share it with their family and guests who visit their homes. During the New Year holiday, many Koreans travel back to their hometown. They visit their parents and elderly relatives to pay their respects by bowing (Saebae 세배) to them, wishing them health and […]

Recently, I hosted a Korean dinner party for our American friends at home- some of whom have never tasted Korean food before. So it was a bit of a challenge to come up with a menu that could show the authentic taste of Korean food but at the same time would not be too much […]