ZenKimchi

Since I started making my grandmother's banana bread for my girlfriend, she has been stocking "dead ripe" bananas in the freezer whenever she finds them at the market.

I was happy to find that pig's feet are fairly cheap in Korea, as opposed to soup bones, which are so expensive you'd have to get them on layaway. Either I miscommunicated with the lady at the butcher, or she just ignored me because I was a stupid foreigner, but she told the butcher to chop it into four sections and split the feet. It actually turned out to be a blessing because it gave me an opportunity to try two different techniques. Details on the Food Journal. German Roasted Eisbein (basted in dark beer) And trust me. Kimchi goes great with German food. Korean sauerkraut. ChefJohnny's Braised Trotters DISCLAIMER: Actually, I based it on ChefJohnny's recipe -- followed it in spirit with what I had available. And I was too lazy and hungry to make rillettes. Question, though. Most of the readers of my web site in Korea don't have ovens. Is it possible to come out with similar results by stewing the trotters on the stove top rather than braising them?

I was just in Fukuoka last week, and I saw dried anchovies at the fish market. They do exist in Japan, at least.

When we make Dwinjang Jjigae, we sometimes use the anchovies. We sometimes use dashi. The goal is to get a fishy broth. It has become one of my most favorite sublime dishes in Korea. I call it the "stinky miso." The flavor depends on the Dwinjang you use. A few months ago, we discovered a restaurant that made a punch-you-in-the-stomach Dwinjang Jjigae. We raved about it so much that the owner gave us a bag of her own secret Dwinjang. We have been using it at home, and I still can't fully dissect what the owner did to make it taste so good. Eun Jeong thinks she mixed in some minced garlic and ground anchovies and let it sit a bit longer. A good Dwinjang Jjigae is supposed to smell and taste like a stinky cheese soup. Which explains why Eun Jeong loves it when I make Welsh Rarebit.

Have watched the first three shows so far. Makes me miss home.

The sparkling ones I have tried have been old kimchis -- at least over a year old. The first time I had one was two years ago at a friend's house during Chuseok. I've since come across it in a rare moment in nice folksy restaurants.

So far, it looks good. Craving oi kimchi now. Oi kimchi and naengmyeon -- ah, summer! Man, it really is freaky how big and fat ginger is in America compared to the scrawny mudcaked ones we get in Korea.

I think it was mentioned in another thread that it could be related to a similar dish in China called bing. It translates to "Red bean ice" somthing.

There is also that honey rice black vinegar that has been heavily advertised this summer. EJ mixes it with water and drinks it after eating what she considers greasy food (read: anything I cook).

As much as I love Korea and Korean food, I am also a cruel merciless critic of Korean food culture at times, especially when it comes to foreign food. Here are the rules I have been coming to discover: RULE #1: Western food must taste as close to candy as possible. If you can sweeten it enough for kids to like it, then everyone else will like it. You can't have any strong odors, nothing greasy, and for goodness sake, it can't be savory. It is a crap shoot on whether or not that ham and cheese sandwich you got at the bakery is slathered with ketchup, kiwi sauce, or just sweet corn syrup itself. RULE #2: We are no longer a poor country, but we must act like it. Especially in pretentious situations Wine bars and whiskey bars in Korea are laughably depressing. They are all dolled up in black and purple lighting, trying to look sophisticated with the plasticized girls who are there to talk to the patrons. You sit there at this expensive bar, and it is quiet. You get a small plate of stale nuts or tiny slices of dried seaweed while the bar girl stares at you uncomfortably, wishing she paid more attention to English classes in high school. These places try to give a look of sophistication that is intimidating but gets it all wrong in making it uncomfortable -- offering their classic whiskey and milk sets for $150. RULE #3: Foreigners are fat because they don't eat Korean food So nothing should be deep fried and if so, it should always be served with kimchi or something pickled -- preferrably sweet (see RULE #1). RULE #4: This is exactly how they serve it there Don't even think of trying to correct the pizza guy by saying you don't need sweet pickles with your pizza and spaghetti. You are supposed to have it that way because that's how real Americans and Italians eat pizza and spaghetti. "But I'm American," you say. That does not matter. You are in Korea. We are Korean. We are right.

Here's a link to the transcript.

I actually stayed at the Polynesian resort in Disney w/my grandparents when I was 10. Unfortunately I don't remember much about the food. Although, I do remember having an awesome brunch with all the Disney characters. I probably had egg beaters, microwave bacon, and pancakes. ← I think my experience at the Polynesian Resort at 8 years old was what started me getting interested in exotic foods. We weren't staying at the Polynesian Resort, but my parents wanted to have dinner there. I remember it being different, and I really liked the tiki glass my dad's drink was served in. We brought it home, and it was my favorite souvenir. For years, I made little tropical drinks at home to put in my tiki glass. I don't know if there was a point to that story -- I'm sure it was way off topic.

Dogs still love me... heh, heh.

Ah, I was going back through some old pics, and I found what we think was one of the things Tony was eating. These, I'm pretty sure were chicken gizzards. Loaded with garlic and black pepper -- oh, flavor was so good. Texture -- oh, so bad. (Oh, and those are my core eating adventurers Brant and Young Joon.)

Heh, heh. That there's dog soup and steamed dog in my avatar.

These are what I consider man foods in Korea: Cow Intestines Grilled with Soju Still Squirming Squid and Octopus SundaeGuk: a spicy heavy stew with all the nasty bits of blood sausage, intestines, cartilege HaejangGuk (Hangover Stew), usually including big Fred Flinstone racks of pork spine and coagulated cow's blood BulDalk and DalkBal (Spicy Charcoal Grilled Chicken and Chicken Feet) -- Never eat these when you have something to do the next day. You will spend much of it on the Thinking Chair.

Noryangjin's a good idea!

You know, I'm still not sure. I've watched that scene three times now. Yes, I see the gizzards, which is what I tried. Yet Tony is holding something up in his chopsticks that looks different in a few quick shots.

There's the Wikipedia article on Korean Cuisine, which I've thoroughly tainted with my input and pics.

Where can I get that book? I've hunted Amazon, WhatTheBook (Korea), and Google, and I can't find any place that sells it. Would it be at Kyobo? EDIT: I found an online version at the Korean Agriculture and Fisheries Board site (which co-produced the book). Click on Kimchi in the Western World >> Le Cordon Bleu

Off the top of my head, I know of Korea House. It's royal cuisine. It's done for tourists. Yet I hear it's good.

Mary, good blog! I just added you to my Food Links on ZenKimchi.

Oh yeah, the takoyaki -- Osaka's big contribution to Seoul street cuisine. Gimme some octopus balls, yeah!

Friends have been suggesting I start a group for people wanting to follow Tony Bourdain's philosophy of experiencing the most out of cultures through food and to find the most sublime meal. I set it up on my food site, and people who are in Seoul or will be in Seoul can sign up (it's safe). We're planning a big dogmeat excursion some time this summer.

I thought it was gizzards the whole time. I have had these things a few times before. They taste great, but the texture is unsettling. Meat ain't supposed to have the crunch of vegetables. My guess is that they are gizzards, but it's more entertaining to say that they are the "House of Poo." I mean, this is a country where a popular costumed children's character's trademark is farting every time he's happy.