Category: Recipes
My recipes represent who I am. While I focus on Korean recipes, I have much more than just Korean here as I love all cuisines, including Indian, Mediterranean, Italian, Japanese, Ethiopian, Chinese, and more! 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. Please try them, personalize them, and let me know how you liked them!
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The Ultimate Guide to Kimchi: Authentic Baechu Kimchi Recipe
Baechu kimchi represents the cornerstone of Korean cuisine, where humble Napa cabbage is transformed through fermentation into a complex, flavorful dish that graces every Korean table. This fundamental preparation of kimchi has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, acknowledging its profound significance in Korean culture. In Korean households, the making… Read more
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Mandoo Ssam: Korean Dumpling Lettuce Wrap that Amazes the Tastebuds
Mandoo ssam represents a delightful fusion of Korean flavors, where seasoned ground meat and vegetables are wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves, creating a light yet satisfying meal. This dish takes inspiration from both Korean dumpling (mandoo) fillings and the traditional Korean practice of wrapping food in lettuce (ssam), offering a quick and healthful way to… Read more
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Four Essential Korean Kimchi Varieties
Kimchi represents a cornerstone of Korean culinary heritage, where different vegetables are transformed through fermentation into complex, probiotic-rich delicacies. While most people are familiar with the classic Napa cabbage kimchi, Korean cuisine boasts hundreds of varieties, each showcasing different vegetables, seasonings, and fermentation styles. This diversity reflects both Korea’s agricultural abundance and the cultural importance… Read more
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Gosari-namul: Discover the Meaty Delight of Korean Bracken Fern Banchan
Korean Bracken Fern Banchan, Gosari-namul 고사리나물, represents one of Korea’s most distinctive and traditional namul (seasoned vegetable) dishes, where bracken fern shoots are transformed through careful preparation into a uniquely flavorful banchan. This dish speaks to the Korean connection with foraged ingredients, as bracken fern has been harvested from mountainsides for generations, particularly during spring… Read more
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Sundubu-jjigae: A Comforting Korean Spicy Soft Tofu Stew
Korean Spicy Soft Tofu Stew, Sundubu-jjigae 순두부찌개, represents the comforting, soul-warming side of Korean cuisine, where silky soft tofu simmers in a fiery, flavorful broth that’s both nourishing and deeply satisfying. This beloved stew has become a cornerstone of Korean comfort food, particularly cherished during cold weather or when feeling under the weather. The dish… Read more
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Six Essential Types of Banchan Explained
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, and Antipasta to name a few. In a Korean home or restaurant… Read more
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Exploring Kimchi Jjigae: Korean Soul Food Explained
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. Kimchi Stew is Korea’s ultimate comfort food – a hearty, soul-warming stew that transforms aged kimchi into… Read more
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Korean Jangjorim: A Flavorful Braised Beef Banchan
Korean Braised Beef Banchan, Jangjorim 장조림, holds a special place in Korean cuisine as a premium banchan that transforms humble cuts of beef into a deeply flavored delicacy through a careful braising process. This dish exemplifies the Korean cooking philosophy of patience and preservation, where time and technique elevate simple ingredients into something extraordinary. In… Read more
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Kongnamul-muchim: Easy Korean Soybean Sprout Recipe
Korean Soybean Sprout Banchan, Kongnamul-muchim 콩나물무침, is a beloved Korean side dish that has graced Korean tables for generations. These tender-crisp soybean sprouts are quickly blanched and seasoned with a perfect balance of garlic, sesame oil, and mild heat from Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru). As one of the most essential banchan in Korean cuisine,… Read more
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Delicious Soondubu Jjim: Korean Spicy Soft Tofu Recipe
Korean Steamed Spicy Soft Tofu Banchan, Soondubu Jjim 순두부찜, represents the gentle, nurturing side of Korean cuisine, where the delicate nature of soft tofu is elevated through a perfect balance of spice and seasoning. This warming dish holds a special place in Korean winter dining traditions, offering comfort and sustenance during cold months. Unlike many… Read more
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Korean Braised Potatoes: Authentic Gamja Jorim (감자조림)
Gamja jorim represents the everyday comfort of Korean home cooking, where humble potatoes are transformed into a flavorful banchan through careful braising in a soy sauce-based liquid. This dish exemplifies the Korean cooking principle of transforming simple ingredients into something special through patience and technique. In Korean households, these glazed potatoes are a beloved banchan… Read more
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Refreshing Sigeumchi-namul: Korean Spinach Banchan Recipe
Korean Spinach Banchan, Sigeumchi-namul 시금치나물, represents the elegant simplicity that lies at the heart of Korean banchan culture. This vibrant green spinach dish, with its perfect balance of sesame, garlic, and soy, has been a cornerstone of Korean home cooking for generations. In Korean households, the preparation of sigeumchi-namul is often one of the first… Read more
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Posole Verde
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 a version for myself. Posole Verde represents the beautiful fusion of… Read more
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Rich Yeongeun-jorim: Korean Braised Lotus Root Banchan Recipe
Korean Braised Lotus Root Banchan, Yeongeun–jorim 연근조림, represents one of Korean cuisine’s most intriguing and beloved banchan, where the humble lotus root is transformed into a glossy, sweet-and-savory delicacy through patient braising. This dish perfectly exemplifies the Korean culinary tradition of finding beauty and deliciousness in ingredients that might seem unusual to outsiders. The lotus… Read more
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Musaengchae: A Delightful Korean Spicy Radish Salad Banchan
Korean Spicy Radish Salad Banchan, Musaengchae 무생채, represents the vibrant simplicity of Korean banchan culture, where a humble root vegetable is transformed into a crisp, refreshing delicacy through a perfect balance of seasonings. In Korean homes, this radish salad is as fundamental as kimchi, gracing tables throughout the year and serving as a palate-cleansing counterpoint… Read more
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Refreshing Oi Muchin: Quick and Easy Korean Spicy Cucumber Salad Banchan Recipe
Korean Spicy Cucumber Salad Banchan, Oi Muchim 오이무침, represents the refreshing simplicity that lies at the heart of Korean banchan culture, where the crisp freshness of cucumber meets the bold, spicy-savory seasonings that define Korean cuisine. This beloved dish appears on Korean tables throughout the year, but holds a special place during hot summer months… Read more
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Instant Pot Egg Bites
Instant Pot Egg Bites Recipe – One day, as I stopped by my local Starbucks for a nitro dirty chai latte, I noticed a pair of interesting looking egg bites in the counter display. I inquired and they said they were the new ‘sous vide’ egg bites and they were yummy. I took them up… Read more
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Elevated Avocado Toast
Avocado toast has become more than just a trendy breakfast option – it’s established itself as a modern breakfast classic that perfectly balances nutrition and satisfaction. This Elevated Avocado Toast recipe is a simple yet sophisticated dish representing the evolution of breakfast in American cuisine, where wholesome ingredients meet effortless preparation. What began as a… Read more
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Country Loaf
My country loaf recipe is a very simple but produces a wonderfully versatile bread. I use this bread for everything, but especially as toast, paninis, and crostini. I’m not a good baker by far, and I can even say that I’m terrible at it. Baking seems so much more of a science than cooking, but over… Read more
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Pumpkin Spice Coconog
My Pumpkin Spice Coconog recipe is a hit during the fall/winter season. It’s a non-dairy version of a PSL that’s all natural, healthy (or at least not unhealthy), and I hear it tastes better too! Try this rich and delicious recipe that tastes like a pumpkin pie in a mug! My Pumpkin Spice Coconog recipe is Whole30… Read more
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Baba Ganoush
For some unknown reason, I naturally dislike the taste of eggplant. I have tried probably over a dozen preparations of eggplant across at least six types of cuisine with no success. A few years ago, I tried baba ganoush at a Mediterranean restaurant in Austin (that shall not be named) and I hated it. Not dislike,… Read more