Making Korean Food at Home

[jschyun]

I thought of two more cucumber pickles, they're actually my favorites. Both are based on long thin Korean cucumbers pickled in brine, just salt and water.

Oi jjang achi 1-

Rinse the salt pickled cucumber

Slice into 1/3" rounds

season with garlic, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, sesame salt, a little sugar.

Oi jjang achi 2-

Rinse salt pickled cucumbers with water

tear into strips with your hands (this is where a picture is worth a thousand words)

Place in a jar, top with cold water and add some finely sliced scallion tops.

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Have you tried those Persian cukes for all your cucumber needs? They're awesome! All the Korean people I know prefer them to the Korean cukes. Even the restaurants here use them, at least the good ones do. You'll find them in every Korean market, at least the ones I've been to lately. Okay, so I don't get the chance to cook/make kimchi/etc as much as you guys. But I'm very good at feedback when I eat other people's food, haha. And those Persian cucumbers rock.

[touaregsand]

Have you tried those Persian cukes for all your cucumber needs?

I just thought those were Korean cukes.

[jschyun]

Have you tried those Persian cukes for all your cucumber needs?

I just thought those were Korean cukes.

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You know, I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't start coopting them for ourselves. I just love seeing "Persian cucumber" written in Korean when I go shopping. I feel all international every time I see it. I love how the mound of Persian cukes is (well, generally) huge compared to the puny mound of korean cucumbers. Hahaha. But damn, trying to find seeds is impossible.

[v. gautam]

Are Persian cukes another name for 'Armenian' cukes or 'Serpent melons'? if so, these latter are the same, and Cucumis melo. Try Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

[Chris Amirault]

I noticed a lot of brown rice for sale at the Korean market that got me jonesing, but I don't have any recipes for it. I used some leftover brown rice for a quick leftover bibimbap at lunch today and it seemed to work well. What are some recipes that use brown rice?

[touaregsand]

Just substitute brown rice for white rice in any recipe. Way back when, brown rice was much more common in Korea than white rice. The rich folks could afford the refined stuff. Nowadays, everyone seems to be eating white rice.

[jschyun]

Are Persian cukes another name for 'Armenian' cukes or 'Serpent  melons'? if so, these latter are the same, and Cucumis melo. Try  Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

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No the ones I am talking about are definitely C. sativus, not C. melo.

At the bottom of this page is a very good pic of it. Also pictured is an Armenian cuke so you can compare.

(OT) Believe me, I have really asked around about getting seed. here's a thread about my sad quest My family always pesters me to grow Persian cukes for them, and ignores all the other great cukes I grow, those ingrates.

Also,

These days, there seems to be a trend towards serving white rice mixed with other grains. For instance, I've seen japgotbap (rice mixed with other grains and stuff) appear on menus all over town, esp in the last year. Organic food is also important. Nobody wants pesticides in their food.

[touaregsand]

I admire egulleters who take photographs of their dishes. I always forget.

Last night we I had yukejang soup, rice and pickled scallion tops. My husband had bbq, rice and napa cabbage kimchi. The kids had rice, pan fried whole fish and seaweed soup. I suppose I don't really need to mentioned the rice.

Tonight I had Korean style fried chicken. I just bought it, although I do know how to make it. I have an aversion to smell fod food frying in the house. The kids had tofu, kim and fish cakes. Husband had sausage (beef polska kielbasa), rice and kimchi. It's a take on a Hawaiin meal of fried Spam, rice and kimchi.

I have thoroughly spoiled my family by catering to individual taste buds and requests at meal times.

I will post recipes as requested.

[Chris Amirault]

Last night we I had yukejang soup....

I will post recipes as requested.

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Here's a request!

[jschyun]

One thing I'd rather have at home is BBQ because I always feel disappointed at how pricey it is at restaurants, not to mention the small portions.

[touaregsand]

Sorry to be slow to post in this thread. I am committed to it more than I'm expressing these days. I'm in the middle of doing research for other things.

Yukejang- Spicy Beef Soup

Simmer 1 ¼ lb Beef Brisket or Skirt Steak in water for about 1 hour

Reserve the cooking liquid

Shred the beef into strips with your hands

Season the beef with a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce, ¼ cup Korean Red pepper flakes (more or less to suit your tastes), salt and pepper to taste, lots of garlic (maybe 5 cloves, finely minced) and a 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil. Toss the ingredients well untill all the meat is covered with the seasonings.

2 Bunches of Korean Leeks (they are longer and thinner than "western" style ones. You can substitute regular leeks or scallions). Slice the them into 3" long strips, add the green portions if they are tender.

Blanch 1/2 lb. mung bean sprouts in boiling water for about 3 minutes (I always cover the pot, something some sort of smell my mother told me about). Drain, rinse under cool water, squeeze out excess moisture.

Saute the leeks in a big pot with a little oil, add the beef and sautee for a few more minutes. Strain the reserved broth into the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Add a handful of fern bracken 15 minutes into cooking, add the mung beans 20 minutes later (taste for seasoning and adjust to suit your tastes). Cook on low heat for about 30 more minutes.

[Chris Amirault]

That sounds fantastic! You ought to put it over on the Recipe Gullet.

[touaregsand]

I had this for lunch yesterday. I've already posted these photos in the cooking forum a while back. But since we're talking about making Korean food at home specifically I thought I would post them here.

Cold soft tofu seasoned with soy sauce, scallions, sesame seeds, rice wine vinegar and red pepper flakes (optional) would be more "authentically" Korean. But I really like Bonito Flakes.

[Soup]

I'm not a big fan on presentation (I preferr that taste and smell as the real test) but I must say the the picture looks AWESOME. A better looking Beebimbap I've not seen at any restuarant. Do you deliver?

Soup

[Chris Amirault]

Made a damned fine bibimbap tonight with brown jasmine rice, which went really well with the other ingredients. Acceptable? Sacrilege?

Oh, and thanks, Soup!

[touaregsand]

Made a damned fine bibimbap tonight with brown jasmine rice, which went really well with the other ingredients. Acceptable? Sacrilege?

Oh, and thanks, Soup!

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Sacrilege! Big fat red letter S for you!

I'm having bibimbap for dinner tonight. I just walked to the Korean market and bought the vegetables already prepped.

[touaregsand]

My mother made seafood rice with a perilla leaf relish the other night. This is a photo of reheated leftovers. My mother of course would serve it on traditional dishes which I do not have.