Experiencing Great Food and Travel Together!
“One must eat great food to make great food.” – David Kim
My recipes represent who I am. They have changed and have (hopefully) improved over the years just as I have. However, I have tried to keep two factors constant throughout this evolution: taste and simplicity. Every recipe I create or adopt as my own must be delicious (to me), and relatively easy to make. I hope you will find my recipes to be just that.
Cooking is a very personal skill and art form developed over time. It is also an expression of love. Often times, if you ask someone of their favorite food or food memory, they will tell you that the best (random dish) they ever ate was made by their grandmother. Grandmothers embody those two key elements: time and love. They have been cooking for decades and love to see their loved ones enjoy the food they prepared.
The one common theme you will find in my recipes, other than taste and simplicity, is… nothing. I love eating and cooking all types of food and it shows in my recipes. My recipes also reflect my family’s history of what I call random restaurateurism. My family, including myself, have owned and operated restaurants of many types and cuisine. From fast food to fine dining. Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Burgers, BBQ, Subs, and more. Some of my recipes are adapted from growing up in those restaurants. They may also bounce from traditional Korean dishes to modern French to Texas barbecue to something totally random. Recently, I have been trying to eat healthier and consume less processed foods so my recipes have evolved towards a healthier trend while maintaining yumminess.
A common ‘ingredient’ you will find in recipes is “salt and pepper to taste.” My recipes call for nearly everything to taste. I constantly taste my food while cooking and adjust ingredients to my taste. My recipes may contain a certain set of ingredients, but treat it as a guide rather than a rule so you can make them your own. Are you one of the 4-14% of the population that cilantro tastes like soap? Then replace the cilantro in my recipe with parsley or even omit it altogether. Are you dairy-free? Then replace the butter in my recipe with coconut oil. My final thought on my recipes is this: Don’t be afraid to try new things because you think you may not like it or because you haven’t liked a certain the way it was prepared for you before. I’ve known several people that hate cooked salmon, but have grown to absolutely LOVE raw salmon dishes. As with all things in life, try something new three times before deciding if you like or dislike it.
Korean Bracken Fern Banchan, Gosari-namul 고사리나물, is a delightfully simple and meaty banchan that is flavorful and has the texture almost of meat. This is one of my personal favorites and is super simple to prepare, especially if you use the water packaged fernbrake. The …
Korean Spicy Soft Tofu Stew, Sundubu-jjigae 순두부찌개, is an earthy, spicy, and down-home feeling stew that warms you up from the inside. I use a bone broth as the base, but there are several variations that can use a beef or seafood broth. At the …
Banchan (반찬) In recent years in my travels and restaurant experiences, I’ve seen a rise in (x) Tapas, with (x) being Spanish, Mexican, Italian, and even Ethiopian. Around the world, there are many similar styles small-dish foods in the name of Pupus, Hors d’oeuvres, Izakaya, …
Kimchi Stew, Kimchi Jjigae 김치찌개, the true 101 of stews made from the iconic kimchi, usually well-fermented kimchi making the best stews. This is the chicken noodle soup of Korea. As ubiquitous as rice in nearly every region.
Korean Braised Beef Banchan, Jangjorim 장조림, is a soy sauce braised banchan that can also include other vegetables such as garlic, peppers, onions, and more. It is like a cross between a braise and hot pickling but using a soy sauce based ‘brine’.
Korean Soybean Sprout Banchan, Kongnamul-muchim 콩나물무침, is another one of the typical and most common Korean banchan, and it is usually included in almost every meal. It is a very simple dish to prepare with minimal ingredients and steps to make.
Korean Steamed Soft Tofu Banchan, Soondubu Jjim 순두부찜, presents a warm, soft, tofu in a spicy salty sauce that end up creating a broth from the residual tofu broth. This banchan dish is best served during the winter where a warm and spicy side dish …
Korean Braised Baby Potatoes Banchan, Algamja-jorim 알감자조림, is a banchan made of baby potatoes braised in a sweet soy reduction. Once these potatoes are braised down to a gooey sweet and salty consistency, they are difficult to not finish in one sitting. The magic of …
Korean Spinach Banchan, Sigeumchi-namul 시금치나물, is like banchan 101. It is a deliciously balanced mix of greens, garlic, soy, sesame, and green onion. The seasoning mix can be applied to nearly any green and have the same delicious results. The key to this and most …
Tex-Mex Posole Verde Recipe – One warm Austin afternoon, my good friend Sisco brought over some of this wonderful soup for me as his grandmother had just made a batch earlier in the day. I loved it so much, I decided to try and recreate …
