Korean perilla (깻 잎)

 Korean Perilla (wild sesame leaf)  Korean Perilla leaves or kken eep has a very unique fragrance to it.  It is actually wild sesame leaf, not to confuse with the sesame that we all know as "sesame oil" and sesame seeds.  Perilla leaves do not grow from the sesame seeds that you can buy in just about any mega mart. Perilla is from the dul kkeh (wild sesame) seeds.  koreans eat the perilla pickled and steamed as a side dish, cut into pieces for soups such as Gamja tang (korean potatoe soup with pork neck bone), and soon dae gook (blood sausage soup) and many others. Perilla is also very popular to combine with red leaf lettuce and eaten as a wrap for the korean B...

Read more »

Gochu jang (pepper paste) 고 추 장

The biggest challenge in cooking different ethnic cuisines is unfamiliar ingredients and spices.  This is Korean Cuisine 101, detailed expanations of korean veggies, spices, herbs and other ingredients. Gochu jang (pepper paste)  고추장 Gochu jang is a very importan ingredient  because this fermented pepper paste is unique to korea only.  which mean that it can not be substituted.  it is made from the korean red chili, dried and then finely ground.  when i lived in Colorado Springs my mom worked us like slaves to pick these peppers in Pueblo.  it was one of those "u pick" and pay by the pounds.  she would dry these peppers on our yup you guessed it.... garage and drive way inside the Peterson Air...

Read more »

Jeju Island

Jeju's famous Avalone and seafood jongol (stew) Jeju is a beautiful Island; it is the Hawaii of Korea!  what i enjoyed the most other than the view and the weird speaking koreans is the excellent seafood. to the left is Jun bok haemul jongol in other words it is a soup/stew with lots of veggies like nappa cabbage, turnip, green onions, tofu with fresh shellfish like Avalone, conch, shrimp, octopus and huge variety of clams.  unlike most korean haemul jongols (seafood stews) this one has a clear broth untainted by the korean crushed red pepper (gochugaku) it was mild and refreshing. horse back riding in Jeju traditional korean kitchen in Jeju green tea fields  why do i have a picture of pineapples...

Read more »

dae gu

Last May i went to visit my sister in Dae Gu South Korea.  We toured Seoul, Gimpo, Dae Gu and all the way south to the Jeju Islands.  My goal was to try local and regional cuisines and then try to figure out how to make it.  This was my husbands first trip to anything Asian.  He was in for a culture shock. somewhere in between these buildings is a huge shi jang market I've come back to my "mother land" several times since i came to the states but this was the first time in Dae gu.&nb...

Read more »

Hawaii

Over the summer i went to Hawaii to meet my sister there as a half point.  She was stationed in Camp Walker in Dae Gu S Korea and i was coming from Tampa Florida.  I got to look around the beautiful main Island and check out the local "hawaiian" cuisine. let me tell you, i had to remind myself that i was still in the United States because everything had a Asian feel to it. especially Japan.  It was an interesting and beautiful experience.  my little family   3 "cousins" climbing tree, and supposedly you can take one of the home with you after the luau There was so much asian fusion going on it was difficult to distinguish the authentic Hawaiian cuisine.  One hawaiian restaurant served Galbee, eggs...

Read more »

Bul dak bal (fire chicken feet)

Ingredients3 lb chicken feet3 1/2 inch chips of ginger Preparation Chicken feet Boil chicken feet with several chips of ginger for prox 35 minuteWash feet and clip nails and then add sauce and mix well.  broil or grill the seasoned feet till it has a little flame chars or "blacken" it This is served as is with a cold glass of beer.  Chicken feet is not a meal it is what Koreans call anju.  Anju is foods that koreans like to eat while drinking. Sauce2 tbsp soju (optional)11/2 tbsp Soy Sauce2 tbsp Sugar1tbsp  crushed  fresh ginger2 tbsp  crushed fresh garlic2tbsp Gochu jang (korean fermented pepper paste)2 gigantic jalepeno  or more!!!!!! Roughly chopped1/2  of a onion roughly chopped3 tbsp gochu garu...

Read more »

Loubieh bi Zait (green beans with olive oil)

Loubieh bi Zait (green beans with olive oil Ingredients (6 servings)1 large bag of frozen whole green beans (by all means if you have fresh green beans use it) 2  onions chopped 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil 2tsp Lebanese 7-spices (equal parts of powder ginger, fenugreek powder, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, and all spice) 1tsp salt or to taste PreparationDefrost green beans or if they are fresh wash and remove stems. chop onions then saute them in olive oil and salt in a pan deep enough to hold all the green beans.  Saute in medium heat till the onions are soft and almost threatening to brown. Prox 10 min.  add the green beans, a little more salt and 1tsp 7-spices, mix well. Let green bean simmer for 25 min stirring...

Read more »

Lebanese Tabbouleh

Lebanese Tabbouleh  Ingredients (6 servings)3 bundles of Italian flat leaf parsley 1 bundle of fresh mint (not dried) (optional) 1/2 of an english cucumber 8 roma tomatoes chopped/diced real small 1 small onion chopped finely 1/4 cup of fine Burghul (fine cracked wheat #1) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (just a drizzle) 1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed preferred) 1tsp salt or to taste PreparationWash and dry all vegetables Cut stems off parsley and mint then chop finely or ( divide it in half and pulse about 3 or 4 times in food processor...your supposed to hand chop them but...if you don't tell I won't.  Mine came out just as good.  Just  remember you need to pulse it not blend it.  You want it chopped fine but...

Read more »