Korean Archives – Piedmont Grocery

Somethin’ Hot On The Side
I love Korean BBQ. I love it because it is interactive and allows for a lot of variety. I also like it because it forces you to actually have a sit-down meal while you wait for the food to be done—people talk and catch up without being in a rush. As much as I like grilling up some pork belly, my favorite part of Korean BBQ would be the items you order on the side.

Kimchi pancakes? Japchae noodles? Korean pickles? Yes, please!

But, hands down, the one dish that I must have no matter who I go with or where, is the Kimchi Sundubu Jjigae (or Korean Silken Tofu Stew). It could be 90 degrees outside, and I would still order this stew. It is spicy, velvety, bubbling hot nirvana. I have been craving it lately probably because it’s been cold.

The problem is, I won’t be able to get to my favorite place anytime soon but I found this recipe that only takes 30 minutes to make. Nothing says happy Wednesday like a fiery bowl of tofu, right?

Kimchi Sundubo Jjigae (Korean Silken Tofu Stew)
Adapted from Korean Babsang
Yields 2 servings

This quick-to-prepare and hearty stew is made with thinly sliced meat and kimchi. If you wish, you can add an egg to the nearly boiling broth at the time of serving.

Fry It Up In A Pan
So, I have been continuing my Korean cuisine adventure. It’s been fun and certainly informative. The food has been great. But, I think I now know the reason it’s better to go out and get Korean food. Of course, home made is better, but if yours is not a daily Korean kitchen you will find that having the correct ingredients and the variety of ingredients can be overwhelming. My pantry is not set up to handle this. For example, I wanted to make my favorite tofu stew and it called for kimchi. The kimchi recipe made eight pounds! I like kimchi but with pounds is a bit much. And, my sister will only take so much off my hands. In a nutshell, this quest has made me tired.

As much as I wanted to make truly authentic Korean food (and I am still working on it) my interest has wandered to the dishes that are a little easier to make—and that don’t require a multitude of ingredients that I may only use once.

My main focus has been the pancakes. I love the pancakes. For me, no Korean dinner is complete without at least one pancake and one is usually not enough.

I love these anytime. They’re great for lunch and even better in the middle of your table as a side along with your Galbi or Bulgogi. My favorite are the seafood pancakes but I won’t say no to a kimchi pancake or even just a plain scallion pancake. I’ve also just discovered zucchini pancakes that are served with a pine nut sauce. YUM! I am the only person in my house that would even think about eating zucchini. So, those will be reserved for the nights when it’s just me…whenever that may be.

Korean Seafood-Scallion Pancake (Haemul-pajeon)
Adapted from Maangchi’s Real Korean Cookin
Yields 2 or 3 servings

This pancake recipe calls for shrimp and squid which is pretty mild in flavor. If you prefer, you can ditch the squid and use shucked oysters instead for a stronger flavor. Read more…