Kimchi Bokkeumbap (Kimchi Fried Rice)

Hello lovelies! Thank you for joining me for another week of cooking adventures. I've been dying to make this recipe. I've been seeing Kimchi Bokkeumbap everywhere. It looks so delicious! It's also the one dish that almost everyone knows how to make. And now I know how to make it too :) I also really enjoyed that this dish was simple and easy to make. I have been so busy lately with work and looking for an apartment that I haven't had as much to devote to my cooking and writing blog posts. This is why I still haven't written about the EXO concert. But good news is, once I move I will have much more time to cook and blog since I will have a significantly smaller commute. Woo Hoo!
As you may know I am a huge BIG BANG fan. Most of the music I have mentioned in my posts has involved at least one member of BIG BANG, if not the whole group. This weekend they had their final concert of their MADE tour in Seoul. It was a huge event. This year is BIG BANG's 10 year anniversary and they have big things planned. They will have a new album coming out and outdoor concert later this year. This especially exciting because soon some of the members will have to do their mandatory military service and we don't know when BIG BANG will be all together again. They talked about this as well as their music in an article by the Washington Post. It's a pretty interesting read and only makes me love them more. I've talked a lot about their new songs as well as some of their old. This week I'm going to introduce you to an older song. It is called Cafe. There is just something about this song that makes me love it. I love T.O.P's English speaking part as well as his coffee themed rap. I also really enjoy G-Dragon singing the chorus. Taeyang and Daesung are amazing singers and their parts have so much feeling behind them. It is an interesting mix of all their talents and one of my favorites.  The next song on the list is Call You Bae by Jimin featuring Xiumin. I can't help but love this song because I love Xiumin. It's great to see him getting more singing parts. He's more talented than what he is given credit for. I also find this interesting because Jimin is a female rapper. Often times you'll find a song with a male rapper and female singer and in this song it's reversed. The video is interesting but a little strange. But the song is catchy and I'm currently enjoying it.
Now for the recipe! This week I tried out a recipe from a different blog. I think it turned out well. You  can find the recipe here.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups steamed rice
1 cup chopped kimchi
1/4 cup kimchi juice
1/4 cup water
2-3 tablespoons gochujang
3 teaspoons sesame oil
2 eggs
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
1 sheet roasted dried seaweed, shredded

Step 1.
Heat up vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat.

Step 2.
Add the kimchi and stir-fry for 1 minute

Step 3.
Add the rice, kimchi juice, water and gochujang. Mix everything together and fry for 6-8 minutes.

Step 4.
Lightly beat the 2 eggs in a small bowl. Move the rice to one side of the pan and add the beaten eggs to the other half. Allow the eggs to cook, moving around with a spatula occasionally as you would with scrambled eggs. Once cooked stir the eggs in with the rice.

Step 5.
Add sesame oil and remove from heat.

Step 6.
Sprinkle with green onions, sesame seeds and seaweed.

Now it's ready to enjoy. I have to say, I love this dish. It is spicy, filling and simple to make. This is a great dish to make with leftover rice. I know that I always make too much rice and this is the perfect way to use it. I also always have kimchi on hand. I've seen this made with tuna and it looked delicious. I think I may try that next. Thank you for joining me on this weeks adventure. Do you have a dish you think I should try? Mention it in the comments below. Have a wonderful week!

XOXO,
Rachel

Kimchijeon (Kimchi Pancake)

Hello! This week I have something fun an exciting for you. Instead of photos of my cooking I am giving you a video of me making the food. I'm so happy to be able to share this with you. I've had a few people tell me that it's so interesting what I'm doing and that people would actually enjoy seeing the face that goes along with the cooking. Well here I am! You can find both the recipe and video below. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel for new videos or you can follow along on Instagram.
I wasn't able to include any music in my video because I couldn't play music and film at the same time. But I do have a playlist to share with you this week. I am a relatively new BIGBANG fan and am still exploring all their music. I've recently found some of their older songs and I am loving it. The first song is Bigbang. Catchy title, right! I really enjoy how the song starts off with raps from both T.O.P and G-Dragon. The whole song is amazing, catchy and upbeat but the raps are the best part. T.O.P's parts are my favorite. He has an interesting style and I love how is voice melds with the music. The next song on the list is Good Bye Baby. Many of my reasons for loving this song are very similar to the previous song. I love how T.O.P's voice and lyrics bring you into the song. This song reminds me of a lot of 2000's American hip hop songs. Plus the video is amazing and I love the dance battle. You'll have to check it out for yourself!

Now time for the cooking!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound Napa Cabbage Kimchi, chopped into small pieces, plus 2 tablespoons of the brine

3 scallions, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup water

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Step 1. 

Combine the kimchi, kimchi brine, scallions, sugar, flour and water in a medium size bowl and mix well with a spoon.

Step 2. 

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour the batter onto the pan and spread with the back of a spoon or spatula to form a large circle. Cook until the bottom is golden brown and crisp. About 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 3.

Carefully turn the pancake over. Drizzle the remaining oil around the edges of the skillet, then lift the pancake with a spatula to allow the oil to run underneath, and tilt the pan to spread the oil evenly. Cook until the pancake is light golden brown and crisp. Around 3 to 5 minutes. You can flip it one more time and cook for another minute.

Now your pancake is ready to serve. 

Thank you so much for joining me on this weeks adventure. Please let me know what you thought of the video in the comments below. I'd also love to hear your thoughts on what I should make next. I'm always on the look out for new recipes to try out. Next weekend is Lunar New Year. It is a big holiday in Korea. There is usually a big feast prepared for everyone that includes specific dishes that are made for this celebration. I'm hoping to share some of those with you next week. Until next time.

XOXO,
Rachel

Altang- Spicy Pollock Roe Stew

Hey there! How are you? I'm doing much better now that I am no longer sick. I'm glad to be back to my normal self. This week I have decided to make Altang which is a spicy Pollock roe stew. I had never encountered Pollock roe before but I was inspired to try this dish after watching the BIGBANG Happy Together Special. At the end of the episode they all have a dish that they brought and in T.O.P's dish he used a piece of salted Pollock roe on top and I thought it was interesting. Then I was perusing my new cook book and saw that this recipe used Pollock roe so I decided to try it. Pollock roe was definitely an interesting ingredient to work with. I would like to try a dish in future that utilizes the Pollock roe in its raw form.
This week my playlist has moved away from it's BIGBANG influence. Don't worry, I still mainly listen to BIGBANG but this week some other artists have caught my attention. The song Catch Me by UP10TION has been playing on repeat. It's such a fun and catchy song, plus the boys have got some cool dance moves. The music video is funny, strange and playful, plus you can turn on the subtitles so you know what the lyrics mean. I like to play this song in the morning because it helps to wake me up and get me going. The other song on my playlist is Crazy by 4MINUTE. This is one of my favorite songs. I love singing along with it because it makes me feel like a little bit of a badass. Girl Power all the way!
Now onto the recipe!

Ingredients
5 ounces Korean radish (mu) or daikon, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch slices and then into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tablespoons fermented soybean paste (doenjang)
3 cups water
1 (12-ounce) package frozen Pollock roe (naengdong-myeong-ran), thawed in the refrigerator
4 or 5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons Korean hot pepper flakes (gochu-garu)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 scallions, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
1 green Korean chili pepper (cheong-gochu), stemmed and sliced
1 red Korean chili pepper (hong-gochu), stemmed and sliced
1 ounce (about 1/2 cup) chrysanthemum greens (ssuk-gat) washed and left whole or cut into 3-inch lengths, or a small handful of basil.

Step 1.
Combine the radish, onion, soybean paste, and water in a shallow 10-inch pot or saute pan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the onion is almost translucent, about 12 minutes.

(I forgot to add the water during this step so my onions and radish cooked at a different speed)

Step 2.
Add the fish roe, garlic, hot pepper flakes, and salt, turn the heat down to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

 

Step 3.
Scatter the scallions, chili peppers, and chrysanthemum greens over the top of the boiling stew, cover, and cook for another 3 minutes. Serve.

I am really happy with how the recipe turned out. This stew was really delicious but really spicy. I think next time I'd add less red pepper flakes. I also think this would be a tasty stew to make with fish instead of the Pollock roe. I hope you all enjoyed this weeks adventure! I have some fun changes coming in the next few weeks so keep an eye out. I hope you have a great week!

XOXO,
Rachel

Gyeranjjim (Korean Steamed Eggs) and Oi Kimchi (Cucumber Kimchi)

Welcome back for another adventure in Korean cooking! In my previous posts I had focused a lot on foods that can be a main dish. This week I decided to branch out and try making some Korean side dishes. So instead of one recipe this week I made two. I was inspired to make Gyeranjjim (Korean Steamed Eggs) and Oi Kimchi (Cucumber Kimchi) after trying them at a Korean BBQ restaurant. They are both delicious and somewhat simple to make.
I struggled a bit with this weeks music selection. In previous posts I have mainly talked about BIGBANG and EXO. I would like to branch out and start introducing you to other Kpop artists and including some female artists as well. However most of what I listen to right now is BIGBANG and EXO. For me when it comes to music I get really attached to certain artists for a period of time. I am a very loyal fan and when I like a band or artists they make up the majority of the music I listen to for that period of time. EXO was my band of choice for a few months but since I was introduced to BIGBANG's music my focus as shifted. I think that the members of BIGBANG being very close in age to me as well as them writing their own songs has influenced this shift. I still think EXO are great  but I feel more closely connected with BIGBANG.
My two favorite songs this week are both solo tracks from members of BIGBANG. The first song is "Turn It Up" by T.O.P. This song was release back in 2010 and was featured on G-Dragon and T.O.P's collaboration album. T.O.P is a very talented rapper. I really like his style and I think his deep voice adds something sexy to his songs. This songs is fun and a bit cocky which I think is why I like it so much. I will also admit that I am extremely jealous of T.O.P's ring collection. My second favorite song this week is "Ringa Linga" by Taeyang. Taeyang is an exceptional dancer and I love watching his music videos because they usually showcase this talent. He posses this style that often reminds me of Usher or Omarion. This song makes me want to create choreography. I think it would be amazing to choreograph a dance with Taeyang.
Okay, now on to the cooking! Both recipe's are from the Korean Bapsang. You can find the Recipe for Gyeranjjim here and the recipe for Oi Kimchi here.

Gyeranjjim (Korean Steamed Eggs)

Ingredients:
2 large eggs (I used organic)
1/2 cup anchovy broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped scallions

Step 1.
Beat the 2 eggs and then run through a sieve to break the egg mixture down into a smooth liquid consistency. Make sure to pour slowly and be patient with this step because it can take some time. If you would like to skip this step just make sure to whisk the eggs more.

Step 2.
In your oiled ramekin or small ceramic pot mix the eggs with the anchovy broth and salt.

Step 3.
Cover and simmer over medium low heat on the stove for about 5 minutes. Add the scallions and cook until the mixture is set (about 2 minutes)
*I used a ceramic pot for this dish. If you are using a ramekin please refer to think provided for Gyeranjjim to see the other cooking instructions.

I cooked the eggs a little too long and they were not as soupy as most Koreans like but it still tasted delicious :)










Oi Kimchi (Cucumber Kimchi)

Ingredients:
3 Korean cucumbers
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1/4 small onion, thinly slices
1-2 scallions, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

1-1/2 tablespoons Korean red chili pepper flakes (gochugaru) I used 2 tablespoons to make it spicier.
1 tablespoon fish sauce (myulchi aekjeot)
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame seeds.

Step 1.
Slice the cucumbers. I did them in round slices but in the recipe she cuts them lengthwise. Sprinkle the cucumbers with salt and make sure they are evenly coated. Let them sit for about 30 minutes.

Step 2
Drain the cucumbers in a strainer to remove excess water but do not rinse.

Step 3.
Add the onions, scallions and the remaining ingredients to the cucumbers.

Step 4.
Mix everything together until the cucumbers are well coated. This will be ready to eat in about 20-30 minutes but can be left at room temperature for a few hours to overnight to expedite the fermentation process. It is best to eat this within 3-4 days of making it.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks recipe. As always I enjoy making them and sharing the process with you. I do sometimes make mistakes or things do not always come out perfect but that's okay. We are all human and I share my mistakes with you in hopes that it will encourage you to try making one of these recipes. If it doesn't come out the first time, it is okay. The important part is that you tried. See you next week for another adventure.

Xoxo,
Rachel

Kimchi JJigae (Kimchi Stew)

As you may have noticed there has been a name change for the blog. In addition to music and cooking, I love makeup and skincare products. I recently got some amazing Korean skincare products and makeup and I wanted to share them with you. So now I will share all my passions with you! You will still get recipes every week but I will also post about new skincare products that I like or makeup that I love from Korea. Sound good? Ok, great! Lets get started on this weeks recipe.
This week I decided to make Kimchi JJigae. It's getting colder here and what better way to warm up than with this spicy, hot soup! This dish is really great because you can use older Kimchi to make it. Kimchi is a staple in most Korean homes and used all the time. If you have a container in the fridge and its been there for a while, instead of throwing it out, you can make kimchi jjigea.
If you have read my other posts you know that I usually listen to BIGBANG or EXO. This week is no different. I am on a BIGBANG/G-Dragon kick at the moment. The music is so GOOD! I can't get enough. Recently BIGBANG performed at the MAMAs(Mnet Asian Music Awards) and their performance was spectacular! I really love that they started with their song LOSER. I hadn't really noticed this song before seeing their performance but it has quickly become one of my favorites. It's such an emotional song and I think many of us can relate to feeling like a loser. We all have times where we feel alone, and are down on ourselves. I read an article that discusses the meaning behind the song. It was inspired by their lives in the spotlight and even though they are held in such high regard, they are still human. I think in this digital age where we are granted access to so much information we forget about privacy. It is great that these musicians and celebrities share themselves with us but we need to remember they are human too and deserve privacy and compassion just like everyone else. I think many fans are so demanding and often forget that their are such things as boundaries. I hope that in future fans will be able to appreciate them but still allow them space to live their lives.
Now it's time for the cooking! This recipe is from the Korean Bapsang and can be found here.

Ingredients
2 cups packed bite size kimchi (fully fermented)
4 ounces fresh pork belly (or other meat with some fat)
1 to 3 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) adjust depending on heat preference
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 cup juice from kimchi
2 cups of water (use 1/2 cup more if kimchi juice not available)
6 ounces tofu
2 scallions
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1.
Cut up the pork belly and kimchi into bite size pieces. Slice the tofu and cut up the scallions

Step 2.
Place the kimchi, pork, gochugaru, ginger and garlic in a pan and place on medium high heat. Cook until the pork is cooked and the kimchi has softened. This should take about 10 minutes.

(mmm looks yummy!)

Step 3
Add the kimchi juice and water. Reduce the heat to medium and let it all boil for about 20 minutes.

(it's getting there)

Step 4
Add the tofu and scallions. You can also add salt and pepper to taste but I did not. Allow this to boil until the tofu is cooked. It should take about 5 minutes. Serve while bubbling from the heat.

I found this dish to be very enjoyable and easy to make. It was delicious, spicy and filling. I think this dish will be amazing to make all year round. Next time I'll add more red pepper flakes or try to use more kimchi juice. Kimchi is so flavorful and delicious and next time I make this I would like to get even more of that amazing taste.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks adventure. Let me know what you thought in the comments below. If you have any dishes you would like to recommend please leave them in the comments. Until next week!

Xoxo,
Rachel

Tangsuyuk (Sweet and Sour Pork)

Last weekend I went out with some friends in Koreatown and we ate so much amazing food! One of my favorite dishes from that night was sweet and sour pork in Szechuan sauce. So this week I decided to make tangsuyuk. Tangsuyuk is a Korean take on a Chinese dish. This dish is so delicious and can feed a lot of people. I think this would be a great dish to make if you are having a few friends over. You can drink Somaek (Soju and Maekju(Beer)) and eat this tasty dish. I also hear this dish is great for when you are hungover ;)
This week I am in a dancing mood so my playlist is more upbeat. First song on the playlist is Fantastic Baby by BIGBANG. I love this song! The beat is amazing and instantly gets me dancing! The video is equally amazing. BIGBANG definitely knows how to put on a show. Their videos are nothing short of spectacular. The next song on my playlist is One of a Kind by G-Dragon. This song not only makes we want to dance but to rap as well. Yes, I like to rap. G-Dragon is a very talented singer, rapper, songwriter and producer. He is definitely one of kind. His music videos are always phenomenal. They contain thought provoking imagery. I definitely recommend checking them out.
Now on to the cooking! This weeks recipe is another wonderful recipe from the Korean Bapsang. I am so grateful that she makes these delicious, easy to follow recipes.

Ingredients :
10 ounces of pork loin
salt and pepper

Batter:
1 cup potato starch (or corn starch), soaked in 1 cup of water
1 egg white
1 tablespoon canola oil

4 cups canola or vegetable oil for deep frying

Vegetables:
1/2 small carrot
1/4 small onion
1/ small green bell pepper
Pineapple chunks

Sauce:
1 cup water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Starch slurry (1 tablespoon starch in 2 tablespoons water)

At least 2-3 hours before cooking combine 1 cup of starch with 1 cup of water and refrigerate until ready to use. During this time the starch and water will separate. Before using you will drain the water off the top.

 Step 1.
Cut the pork into bite size pieces. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix together.

Step 2.
Cut up all the vegetable into bite size pieces. I used the whole carrot and the whole bell pepper because I like lots of vegetables.

Step 3.
In a pan add 1 cup of water with the rest of the sauce ingredients (leaving out the starch slurry) Bring everything to a boil until all the sugar melts. Then turn the heat off. We'll finish the sauce after the meat is cooked.

Step 4.
After you drain the water off the soaked starch, combine it with the egg whites and oil. I used my hands to mix everything together. The starch will be stiff but the oil and egg white will help to loosen it up. Once everything is combined place the pieces of pork in the mixture, making sure all the pieces are coated.

Step 5.
Add the 4 cups of oil to your pain and heat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pieces in the oil one by one. Cook only a few pieces at a time, you don't want to crowd the oil. Cook the pieces until lightly browned, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. When you take the pieces out of the oil place them on a plate with a paper towel. The paper towel will soak up the excess oil.

Step 6.
After all the pieces have been cooked, heat the oil back up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then add all the pieces of pork and cook them until golden brown. After they are done cooking, let them rest on a plate with a paper towel.

Step 7.
Bring the sauce that we made earlier to a boil. Add the carrots and onions. When the sauce boils, add the starch slurry and stir well. The slurry will thicken the sauce. You can add more sugar or vinegar to get the sauce to the desired taste. I didn't add extra sugar or vinegar to my sauce. Turn off the heat and then add the bell pepper and pineapple chunks. The bell pepper will lose its color quickly if boiled in the sauce.

Step 8.
Combine the sauce and pork together and enjoy. There is a dipping sauce that you can make but I think the pork is delicious on its own.

Thank you for joining me on another adventure. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. If there is a dish you would like me to make please comment below. Can't wait to see you next week for my next adventure.

Xoxo,
Rachel

Tteokbokki (Spicy Stir-fried Rice Cakes)

Hey there! Welcome back! This week I have decided to make Tteokbokki. This was one of the recipes they made in the Try Guys video. It looked interesting and fun to make so I thought I'd try it out. From what I understand Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food and I can see why. This dish is spicy, filling and all around amazing. The main ingredient of this dish is garaetteok, which is a cylinder-shaped white rice cake. While the rice cake can seem so simple I think it is one of the coolest ingredients. I also like to make brown or white rice to go with the Tteokbokki. I know, it's a lot of rice but that's the way I like it.
And of course we need a playlist to go with the cooking! This week I went with some more BIGBANG. Since this is street food I felt their track We Like 2 Party was fitting. It's such a fun song and makes me want to spend time with friends doing crazy things. I also really love the music video. It's different than their usual music videos in that it has a more relaxed vibe. It's like they invited you in and showed you a little bit of their world. Enjoy! Now just imagine me rapping along to T.O.P's part and cooking. Fun, right? Although, my hair will never be on T.O.P's level, his hair is always on point. #HairGoals.
In addition to BIGBANG I also decided to listen to EXO. EXO recently did a collaboration with Star Wars and released a new track called LIGHTSABER. I think it's a fun track and the garaetteok are kind of like little chubby lightsabers. EXO was the first Kpop group whose music I really enjoyed. I think it may be because I'm nostalgic for the boy band days. EXO makes fun, catchy songs with amazing dance moves to go with it. Normally their videos showcase their awesome dance routines, however, the video for LIGHTSABER is different and it doesn't feature all 9 members but I enjoyed the Star Wars theme. Overall it's a cool video.
Ok now on to the actual cooking! This recipe so from the Korean Bapsang's blog. I really enjoy her recipes and I find that they are easy to follow.

Ingredients

1 pound tteokbokki tteok (about 24 3-inch long rice cake pieces)
1 sheet of eomuk (fried fish cake)
4 ounces green cabbage
1-2 scallions
3 cups anchovy broth (or water)
3 tbsp of gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste)
1-3 tsp gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) amount depends on how hot you would like the dish.
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Step 1.
Make the anchovy broth. I had some left over from my previous recipe so I used that. While you are making the anchovy broth and cutting vegetables let your rice cakes soak in water for about 20 minutes.

Step 2.
Cut up the cabbage, scallions and fish cake. I usually use two sheets of the fried fish cake instead of one. I also like to cut it into triangular pieces so it looks nice :)

Step 3.
In a large pant add the anchovy broth, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium heat, mixing all the ingredients together until the gochujang is dissolved.

Step 4.
Add the rice cakes and bring to a boil once more. Allow this to cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the rice cakes have become very soft and the sauce has thickened. Make sure to stir it so the rice cakes don't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Step 5.
Add the vegetables and fish cakes to the mix. Continue to boil until everything is cooked. About 4-6 minutes. You can taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as need. I don't usually change the seasoning but that might be different for you. Add the sesame oil and sesame seeds right before turning of the heat.

Now it is ready to serve! In the recipe she mentioned that this dish doesn't reheat in the microwave very well and to heat it up on the stove with some anchovy broth. While I think it would probably taste better that way, I have reheated it in the microwave and it was still delicious.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I greatly appreciate your support! Let me know if you have any suggestions on what I should make next. I look forward to connecting with you all next time. Have a great week!

Xoxo,
Rachel