Momil Gooksoo in Soba Sauce

HELLOOOO! Is anyone still out there? I know I've been a really bad blogger and haven't had an update of substance in a long time. In fact, I feel kinda guilty coming back today since this post will also be a *non-recipe* of sorts. Anything not made from scratch, doesn't constitute as a *real* recipe to me. But I digress... I'm not sure if you've noticed yet, but I really like NOODLES. I

Drunken Noodles

Ingredients:

10 oz dried wide flat rice noodles
10 oz gai lan
10 oz shrimp
6 cloves garlic, minced
3-5 Thai bird peppers, minced
3/4 cup torn holy or Thai basil leaves

for the sauce:
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons black soy sauce
3 tablespoons golden mountain sauce or dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar


Directions:
Prep the dry noodles according to package instructions. Set aside. Whisk together sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. Heat a small amount of oil in a wok. Stir fry the garlic and chiles until fragrant. Add the shrimp, gai lan and sauce and stir fry, until it is nearly fully cooked. Add the noodles. Stir fry until the shrimp is fully cooked then stir in the basil. Serve immediately.

My thoughts:

Drunken noodles are a Thai restuarant staple. The origins of the name is somewhat cloaked in mystery but the most popular seems to be that these noodles are so spicy that you'll want to drink a lot. I've also heard that they are a good dish after you've had too much to drink. Frankly, I don't think you need an excuse to eat these noodles. My favorite version, which I reproduced here, has gai lan (Chinese broccoli) in it to make it more of a full meal; some versions are basically just sauce, protein and noodles. The trick to drunken noodles is using the correct sauce and if you can find it, holy basil or at least Thai basil. You can swap out the shrimp with an equal amount of chicken, pork or tofu. Ground meats work well too.

Pork Lo Mein

Ingredients:
1 lb char siu, cut into 1/4 inch thick, 2 inch long slices*
2 carrots, julienned
2 stalks celery greens included, diagonally sliced to 1/4 inch pieces
2 cups shredded napa cabbage
4 oz sliced bamboo shoots
10 (fresh) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 small shallot, sliced
1 bunch green onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch knob ginger, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil

for the omelet:
2 eggs
1 bunch green onion, sliced
drizzle sesame oil

for the sauce:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon shaoxing

to serve:
1 lb (fresh if possible) lo mein noodles
1 small bunch green onion, chopped (for garnish)

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions. In a small bowl, mix together all of the sauce ingredients, set aside. In another small bowl, mix together all of the omelet ingredients. Pour into a small hot nonstick skillet or crepe pan. Allow to cook through in a single layer to form a sort of egg pancake. Remove to a plate and slice. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the pork, ginger and garlic and stir-fry until the pork is just about heated through then push meat to the side and add all of the vegetables and the omelet. Stir-fry until the pork and vegetables are warmed through. Add the sauce and cook 1 minute. Toss with the noodles, garnish with green onion. Serve hot.

*We followed this recipe with the addition of a bit of red fermented bean curd mashed into the marinade. To make dinner a little quicker, we marinated the pork overnight on a Thursday, roasted it on Friday then refrigerated it overnight and used it to make lo mein on Saturday. This made the meal come together very quickly, there was no "downtime" on Saturday while the pork was roasting. The pork does not have to be hot when you add it to the wok.

My thoughts:

I don't think I have ever been in a American Chinese takeout joint where at least one customer wasn't eating or ordering lo mein. And why wouldn't they? You can't get more comforting or familiar than a heaping mound of noodles, vegetables and meat. Unfortunately, the lo mein found in most restaurants is a either a. very salty, b. very greasy, c. lacking many vegetables or d. all of the above. Luckily, lo mein is one of the easiest things to make at home. The most difficult thing to part is finding the fresh lo mein noodles but just about any Asian (we have the most luck at the Chinese and Korean stores) grocery or even a very well stocked "regular" supermarket will have them in the refrigerated section. Dried lo mein noodles are an acceptable substitution but the texture won't be quite the same and frankly, I don't find them any easier to find than the fresh variety. Anyway, making lo mein at home is a revelation if you've only had the takeout variety, it is fresh tasting and while the sauce tastes pretty much the same, it is grease-free.

Pad See Ew

Ingredients:
3/4 lb thin cut boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bit sized pieces
8-10 oz dried or fresh wide flat rice noodles
1 bunch gai lan (Chinese broccoli), sliced diagonally
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons black soy sauce
1 tablespoon mushroom flavored soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 egg, beaten

marinade
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons black soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 Thai bird pepper, minced
1/2 teaspoon palm sugar
salt
white pepper

Directions:
Place the chicken and marinade in a resealable bag. Marinate 30 minutes. Prep the dry noodles according to package instructions. Set aside. Whisk together the sauces. Set aside. Cook the egg in a single layer in a nonstick skillet. Break into strips. Set aside. Heat a small amount of oil in a wok. Stir fry the gai lan until fragrant until bright green. Remove to a bowl. Add the garlic and stir fry until fragrant. Add the chicken (discard the marinade)and stir fry until almost cooked through and slightly charred on both sides. Add the fresh or prepped dried noodles and half of the sauce. Stir fry 1 minute, the noodles should char slightly around the edges. Add the egg and gai lan. Stir fry and toss with remaining sauce. Serve immediately.

My thoughts:

Pad see ew is a staple at many Thai restaurants. It has a balance of sweet-savory that is really appealing even if you are, like me, a spicy food lover. I had a lot of fun developing a recipe that mirrors what I've had at my favorite restuarant. Cooking each bit individually is key to this recipe's success. Marinating the chicken infuses it with flavor and helps the chicken stay juicy. Take care not to let too much of the actual marinade into the wok or the final dish will be too saucy. The bit of sugar in the marinade helps achieve the "wok char" on the noodles and chicken that adds a smoky flavor and complexity to the dish. It tasted fresher and better than what I've had out and I made it in less time than it takes to get to the restuarant and park.


Note: The really wide fresh (or dried) rice noodles needed for this dish can be difficult to find. Substitute the widest noodles available.

Veggie Udon - ?? ??

The following is one of my "cheat" meals, meaning it's not completely from scratch. I make this a lot on lazy Saturdays and Sundays when I don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen. First bring 3 cups of water to a boil with a strip of dashima. Here's where I cheat. I add 3 TB of the udon sauce. It's quick, it's easy and tastes a lot better than

Seafood Kalgooksoo - ?? ???

My friend and I were dining at Moo Dae Po II (I wonder why it got such a bad review on yelp?) the other week and they had this seafood noodle pot that they gave us at the end. They used thinner noodles at the restaurant, but kalgooksoo noodles is what I had in my pantry so it had to do. Not to be a noodle whore, but these didn�t taste that great. =/ I would suggest choosing a thinner

Shrimp with Garlic Chives & Garlic Stems Tossed with Noodles

1 lb medium shrimp
1 bunch garlic chives, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 bunch garlic stem, cut into 2 inch long pieces
4 king oyster mushrooms, diced
3 green onions, green parts diced
1 tablespoon canola oil

sauce:
3/4 inch knob ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup Shaoxing wine
1/4 cup shrimp stock
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

8 oz fresh egg handcut noodles, cooked

Directions:
Whisk together the sauce ingredients. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large wok. Stir fry the mushrooms, garlic chives, garlic stems and green onions until the mushrooms are cooked throguh. Add the shrimp. Pour the sauce over and stir fry until the shrimp are fully cooked. If the sauce looks runny, add a slurry of 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water and stir. Toss with noodles.

My thoughts:

I was excited to see garlic stems at H Mart yesterday. The texture (crisp and solid) and shape is similar to green beans but they have a mild garlic flavor that is rather addictive. They are sold in bundles of stems that are about 1 foot in length and curly. Don't confuse them with the soft garlic scapes commonly found at the farmer's market which are more tender and green onion-like. Garlic stems are the thicker, crunchy parts.. H Mart also had my favorite garlic chives (you can always tell they are garlic chives by the flowers on the tip) and oyster mushrooms on sale. Who can resist. Combined with fresh shrimp for under $5lb, I knew what I had to make. This was great, the flavors of the shrimp shone and the mild garlic flavor complemented rather than overpowered. A new favorite.

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

Ingredients:
10 oz grilled or sauted chicken breasts*
8 oz somen or soba noodles cooked, drained and cooled
1 1/4 cup spicy peanut sauce
chopped dry roasted peanuts
chopped scallions
julienned seedless cumber
steamed snow peas
mung bean sprouts


Directions:
Slice the chicken breasts into long, 1/4 inch wide strips.

Toss the noodles with the peanut sauce. Top with grilled chicken and the remaining ingredients to taste.


*This is totally optional but if you don't have leftover chicken on hand to use, this is a yummy (20 minute) chicken marinade that complements the dish.
3 tablespoons roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or 2 tablespoons ginger juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

My thoughts:

When I make this, I like to serve everything (except the peanut sauced noodles) in separate bowls so everyone can take as much or as little of the toppings that they want. When I made the peanut sauce for the first time I couldn't wait to try it on other things. The most obvious idea was some sort of noodle salad. This particular noodle salad is the perfect mix of creamy, crunchy, crisp and green. Not to mention quick to make and super cheap! This is the best peanut noodle salad I've ever had, it really is all about the sauce.

Jengban Momil Gooksoo - Buckwheat Soba Noodles in Spicy Sauce - (?? ?? ??)

I realized I hadn't updated the recipes on this blog in a while, so I came up with one of my fave dishes for a warm day. Needed Ingredients: Buckwheat Noodles 1/2 cup julienne red cabbage 1/2 cup julienne cucumber 1/2 cup julienne carrot 1/2 cup julienne onion 1/2 cup julienne Asian pear thinly sliced perilla leaves thinly sliced red leaf lettuce

Savory Savoy-Shiitake Dumplings

Ingredients:

6 oz savoy cabbage, finely diced
1 oz bean thread noodles, soaked and cut into 1/2-inch strands
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
7 re-hydrated shiitake mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 bunch scallions, minced
1 inch knob ginger, grated

round dumpling wrappers

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. In a wok or skillet, quickly stirfry the filling until the cabbage is just softened. Allow to cool. Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper Fold the wrapper in half to form a half moon shape, pinching the wrapper tightly together. Make sure no filling is peaking out or they will break while cooking. Steam or boil the dumplings (I like steamed best). Serve hot. Leftovers can be refrigerated and re-steamed the next day if need be.


Excellent with my favorite dipping sauce.

Makes 35-45 dumplings.

My thoughts:

These are some tasty dumplings. The ginger, garlic and green onion add a lot of flavor that is nicely absorbed by the shiitake mushrooms. These are vegetarian (vegan, actually) dumplings but between the noodles, cabbages and the mushrooms they are pretty hardy and can almost sub as a meal.

The half moon shape is the easiest dumpling shape to master but it is still quite attractive. You can get fanicier with the crimpling but when steamed, these dumplings are stars even simply prepared. Half moon or crescent shaped dumplings are traditonal fare at Chinese New Year celebrations. While this filling isn't stictly traditional, it makes a good addition to the New Year's table.

Other recipes suitable for Chinese New Year that have been featured on Coconut & Lime include Lion's Head, Longevity Noodles and garlic chive dumplings.

Thai Noodle Salad with Turkey and Shrimp

Ingredients:

for the dressing
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 Thai green chiles, thinly sliced
juice 1 lime
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1 tablespoon tamarind juice (optional)


salad ingredients:
1/2 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
3 oz bean sprouts
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut up

for the meat:
2 cups shredded, cooked turkey
1/2 lb steamed, peeled shrimp
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 Thai chiles, diced
1 clove garlic, minced

Plus:
10 oz rice stick OR bean thread noodles

to serve:
3 tablespoons chopped toasted peanuts
1 lime, cut into wedges
diced green onion

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients, set aside.


Prepare noodles according to package instructions. Set aside. In a skillet, heat the oil then saute the chiles, and garlic with shrimp and turkey for 1 minute. Toss with dressing, salad ingredients and noodles. Sprinkle with peanuts and diced onions. Serve with lime wedges.

My thoughts:

Every year I get a lot of "what to do with leftover turkey" requests. Frankly leftover turkey was never much of an issue in my family (we just ate the meal, had a sandwich and maybe made soup and that was it) but since I've had this blog, I've been making Thanksgiving-like meals way in advance so I can post new holiday recipes leading up the event and come up with creative leftover ideas.

While checking out the competition, I've found most turkey leftover recipes are either a. some sort of creamy casserole, b. Mexican food or c. chili. All of which are well and good (and I still might make a chili this year) but I was thinking of something a little lighter. The last thing I want after a day of heavy food is more stick to the ribs fare. So I came up with this Pad Thai-inspired salad. It is substantial enough to serve as a meal but much lighter and healthier tasting than what you probably had on Thanksgiving.


Note: I used bean thread noodles but I think that rice stick (normally what is used in Pad Thai) would be great as well. I actually only used the bean thread because I had a package of them and not the rice stick like I thought. Despite being rather different noodles I think both would work because they are neutral tasting and delicious even when served in cold dishes.

Seafood Udon Soup

Ingredients:
6 dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated in 1 cup hot broth (reserve the broth)
4 cups shrimp broth
1 1/2 cups raw frozen or fresh mixed seafood
1/3 cup dried wakame (cut up)
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 inch knob ginger, grated
2 tablespoons akamiso miso paste
10 oz udon noodles
1 carrot, sliced into strips



Directions:
Bring the broth, ginger and garlic to a boil. Add the noodles and carrot and continue to boil until the noodles almost soft. Add the wakame, mushrooms, mushroom broth, seafood and miso paste. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the seafood is cooked thoroughly and the noodles are soft. Serve hot.

My thoughts:

I actually made this for lunch the other day and it was so tasty, I felt like I had to share. What I love is that it doesn't take much longer to make than heating up a can of soup but it is 100x better. It is also a perfect quick dinner for those days when just transitioning into cooler weather; it is warm and comforting but not heavy.



A couple of tips: Whenever I make something with shrimp I save the shells (and heads) and make a quick broth with water, the shells, carrots, garlic, celery, onions etc and then freeze it for a future use. You can defrost it in minutes by heating it (frozen) in a shallow pan over low heat.

If you are using frozen mixed seafood (I get a great mix of squid, scallops, mussels, shrimp and a few other treats at my local Asian grocery) toss it in the soup still frozen. Aways use seafood that was frozen raw for best flavor. Frozen cooked seafood can get rubbery when recooked.

Some udon noodles have very specific cooking directions. If the directions are very different than simply boiling them as my recipe calls for, you might want to prepare the noodles according to the package instructions then add them when you add the seafood.


I don't like a very brothy udon soup so if you would prefer a more liquid soup or if an inordinately large amount of the broth evaporated during the cooking time, add a cup of hot broth or water to the soup before serving.

Pork & Cellophane Noodle Salad

Ingredients:
8 to 10 oz cellophane noodles*
2 thick cut pork chops or about 8 oz of pork tenderloin
1 thin skinned, low seed cucumber, cut into strips
2 carrots, cut into strips
1 bunch scallion, diced
1 bunch baby bok choy or Shanghai cabbage, chopped

for the marinade:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice (I actually used key limes)
1 clove garlic, sliced

for the dressing:
1 Thai chile, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice (again, I actually used key limes)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon agave nectar



Directions:
Marinade the pork for about 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the pork and cook thoroughly, flipping once, about 10 minutes. If the chops are very thick, cover the pan for a few minutes of the cooking time. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions. Add the bok choy in to the water/noodles during the last minute of soaking. Drain. I actually put it all my beloved salad spinner and spun it dry. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in small bowl and set aside. Slice the pork into thin strips. Toss with noodles, bok choy, carrots, cucumber and dressing. Serve cool.

*also known as vermicelli, bean threads, bean thread noodles, or glass noodles, they always make Mister Cellophane get stuck in my head.



Note: You might have noticed that I actually used my crinkle cutter instead of slicing the vegetables. It is just as easy as using a knife and since the salad is so simple, it added some extra visual interest. Totally unnecessary though.

Yield: 2-4 servings

My thoughts:

I always find making dinner in September a daunting task. Some days it is as hot as July and on others it is downright chilly. Salad can be a perfect choice but tomato season is waning so I can't muster up too much enthusam for a leafy salad. Instead, I opt for salads like this, hardy but not heavy and boasts juicy meat and crisp vegetables. It is perfect for a hot day or one with a bit of a nip in the air.

This is another recipe that is truly more than the sum of its parts. It is a complete meal that goes from raw ingredients to finished product in under 15 minutes-perfect for a busy weeknight. The dressing is divine-be careful to really mince that pepper though, you don't want an unsuspecting diner to get a big chunk of one of them, they are pretty fiery-and just coats the noodles with flavor. Using pork chops is a great short cut, they cook quickly and stay juicy even when thoroughly cooked. This salad holds up well overnight so you might want to make a bit extra to have for lunch the next day.


If you like this you might also enjoy:

Cold Black Rice Noodle Salad with Mixed Vegetables

Superlative Sesame Noodles

Swiss Chard, Beef, Tofu & Shrimp Summer Rolls

Pork Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb thick cut pork chops
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 rice paper wrappers*
1/2 pound rice stick noodles
1 cucumber, in thin strips
2 carrots, in long strips
1 head red or green leaf lettuce
fresh mint

pork marinade:

2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon black sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced


dipping sauce:

1 quarter cup roasted peanuts, ground
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated garlic



Directions:
First, mix marinade ingredients in a small bowl and marinate pork in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a skillet Add pork and cook until pork is cooked and sauce has thickened, covering if needed. Cut into thin strips. Then, boil rice stick noodles for 5 minutes and blanch in cold water. Cut noodles into bite-sized pieces.

Whisk together all ingredients for the dipping sauce, set aside.

Fill a wide bowl or pot with warm water. Each rice paper wrapper must be soaked individually. For each roll, soak a wrapper until pliable and soft. Remove the wrapper and spread out on a clean surface. Add a small portion of the noodles towards the middle of the wrapper. Add a portion of the lettuce, a portion of the meat, and mint. Fold the rice paper from both sides in towards the middle, then lift the end closest to you and roll away from you, grabbing all of the filling, and roll until the spring roll is closed. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve at room temperature.

*Sometimes labeled spring roll wrappers. Not to be confused with refrigerated egg roll wrappers, they are round, brittle, translucent and sold directly off the shelf.



Yield: 6 rolls

My thoughts:

Summer rolls (g?i cu?n) are salads convinently served in roll form. They are a bit of work but it is worth it, they are quite filling and we often have them as a meal unto themselves. They can also keep for a few hours in the refrigerator if you cover them with a damp towel so they can be made ahead. For this version I kept the filling simple and made a yummy dipping sauce which takes them to the next level of deliciousness and cut down on the prep time.

Jjol Myun - Korean Rice Noodles w/Spicy Sauce - (??)

Needed:Jjol-myun Noodles - Korean rice noodlescarrot - juliennedcabbage - chopped thinkongnamool - 1 cupoh-eeh (cucumber) - sliced thin (didn't have it today)purple cabbage - chopped thin (didn't have it today)sauce: 4 TB red pepper paste, 3/4 TB red pepper powder, 2 TB sugar, 3.5 TB vinegar, 1.5 TB rice wine, 2 TB 7-up (or sprite), 2 TB minced Asian pear, 1 TB minced garlic, 1/2 TB sesame oil,

Pancit Bihon

Total Cooking Time: 45 minutesAfter making the kimchi jjigae, I prepped dinner for today. Anything to save time in the kitchen...One of my favorite Filipino dishes is pancit. It's kind of like jap chae or chow mein...only Filipino style. I have a Filipino coworker who taught me how to make this. B always brings the YUMMIEST Filipino dishes to our office and shares them with us. I washed and

Jja Jang Myun - Korean Noodles with Black Bean Sauce - (???)

I thought I would make Munchkin some Jja Jang Myun this morning. It's Korean style noodles with a black bean sauce. I guess the easiest way to explain it would be Korean-style Spaghetti. =PFirst bring a pot of water to a boil and ready your noodles.While the water is boiling, get your vegetables ready.Chop up about 1/2 cup each of onions, squash, potatoes, and carrots. You can add mushrooms and

Jap chae - Glass Noodles with Beef and Vegetables - (??)

I hardly ever make jap chae at home because it's a bit tedious and just so much easier to buy pre-made at the K-market. But I know a lot of people are interested in learning how to make jap chae, so I decided to make it today when I knew I would have time.Needed:jap chae (glass noodles) - I would say I ended up with roughly 4 cups of cooked noodles.3/4 cup of julienne carrots1 cup of beef cut

Shrimp & Scallop Noodle Bowl

Ingredients:
for the sauce:
1 1/4 cup shrimp stock
2 inch knob ginger, sliced
2 inch knob galangal, sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, sliced
1 teaspoon palm sugar dissolved in 1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

for the stir fry:
3/4 lb shrimp
3/4 lb scallop
6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms
2 carrots, in matchsticks
2 head Shanghai cabbage, sliced in 1/4 inch wide pieces horizontally
1b fresh egg noodles, boiled 1 minute then drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil



Directions:
Bring the shrimp stock, ginger, galangal, and lemongrass to a boil. Boil until it is reduced to 1 cup. Strain out the solids. Stir in soy sauce and palm sugar then whisk in the cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Quickly stir fry the garlic then add the carrot, mushrooms and cabbage. Stir fry until the cabbage is just starting to wilt. Push the vegetables to one side of the wok, then add the seafood into the empty space. Stir fry until the shrimp and scallops are almost completely cooked through. Add the noodles and sauce. Stir fry until the noodles are soft and the sauce is mostly absorbed. Serve hot.

Yield: 2-4 servings.

My thoughts:

This was one of the tastiest noodle dishes I've made in a while. The noodles absorb all of the delicious broth and accent rather than obscure the natural brininess of the shrimp and scallops. It is also an exceptionally quick yet impressive looking dish to make, especially if you have a basic shrimp stock* on hand. I like to make stock whenever we have shrimp and then freeze it. You don't even have to defrost it ahead of time, it defrosts very quickly over medium heat in a saucepan. I then flavor it to accent the rest of the ingredients of whatever I am making. In this case, I was using Asian ingredients so I used Thai-influenced add-ins. It really elevates the dish into something special.


*Basically just water, raw shrimp shells, shrimp heads if possible, lemon peel, onions, parsley etc boiled until it reduces and then skimmed of solids.

Kimchi Gooksoo - (?? ?? ??)

I made yulmoo bibim gooksoo today. You can pretty much make this however you want with whatever kimchi you have on hand. I just happened to have yulmoo kimchi in the fridge that needed to be used up.First make the cho gochujang sauce. You can even buy ready made sauce. I used 6 tb gochujang, 2.5 tb vinegar, 1.5 tb sugar and then I threw in some sesame seeds to give it texture. Set this aside