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stanford on "The Kimchi Chronicles"

stanford — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:14:38 +0000

The last 2 episodes have been on beans and BBQ, respectively. The bean episode featured doenjang and mung beans, both of them interesting and delicious-looking. Marja is joined by a Korean "food guru" friend and the lady who runs <a href="http://www.fatmanseoul.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.fatmanseoul.com/</a> which is an odd choice as that blog is nearly defunct. In the BBQ episode the fatman seoul lady teases Marja about the number of shoes she travels with, this apparently is a joke amongst Marja's crew and handlers, continuing with the recurring "pampered Marja" theme running throughout the series so far. So far I'm still waiting for more on Marja reconnecting with her Korean history. Maybe it's still to come, or maybe I missed it, but there hasn't been anything about where Marja was born, or a cameo by her birth mother, or even much about Marja's own children reconnecting with their Korean heritage. I could be wrong but I thought this was something they were going to explore. By the way, Channel 13 is giving away a Kimchi Chronicles prize pack: <a href="http://www.thirteen.org/support/giveaways/kimchi-chronicles-giveaway/914/" rel="nofollow">http://www.thirteen.org/support/giveaways/kimchi-chronicles-giveaway/914/</a> Jean George whips up a galbi-style steak (no pear marinade!) and some kimchi butter. I've heard about kimchi butter a few times now and I'm totally skeptical of the idea. But it looked so good, I'm totally going to try this out. The recipe? Mix kimchi with butter.

stanford on "The Kimchi Chronicles"

stanford — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:23:30 +0000

Last Sunday was another episode, this one on Jeju seafood. And what would a report from Jeju be without stopping in on on the haenyeo, the female divers who gather shellfish? And so Jean George suits up and gamely dives with the ladies, while Marja and daughter spend the day being pampered in the hotel spa (which seems to be a recurring theme). Jean George is super-enthusiastic, but I have to say I only understand 60% of what he's saying: he mumbles a bit, and speaks fast with a French accent. I thought maybe it was just me, but every now and then the editors take pity on the viewer and subtitle what he says, but very rarely. He's probably too embarrassed to be subtitled all the time, but someone should tell him he needs it. It's just too hard to follw him otherwise. On top of this, Marja confuses "sea cucumber" and "sea squirt" in her voiceover. I'm going to assume the best, that this was a slip of the tongue. Still, someone should have caught it and fixed it, at times the show is just plain hard to follow. However, when they get back to America, they make their own fusion recipes, which again look really great to me. I might not understand all of what Jean George is saying, but I know what a good-looking dish is when I see one.

Soju123 on "The Kimchi Chronicles"

Soju123 — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:54:11 +0000

Now I know what to DVR-- thanks for the write-ups!

stanford on "The Kimchi Chronicles"

stanford — Tue, 24 May 2011 14:32:55 +0000

Last Sunday I watched the third ep of The Kimchi Chronicles, this one spotlighted green tea grown on Jeju Island. I always thought Boseong was known for green tea, but apparently the Jeju variety gets a nice flavor from the salty ocean air. This was news to me, so already I'm learning something new about Korea from this ep, a good sign. The first part of the show follows Marja and Jean-Georges Vongerichten as they learn about tea in Jeju, which is followed up in their home in the US where they use the ingredient to create their own interpretations of a Korean dish. This episode maintained the easygoing, gentle timbre of the first, the entire affair coming across as quite soothing. In fact, as Jean-George prepares his dish, Marja slips out for a facial and massage in what appears to be the "massage room" in her house. No doubt, watching someone get a massage makes for relaxing TV, but I couldn't help but feel that the segment was a bit ostentatious to the point of being otherworldly. Famous chef in kitchen working with an expensive ingredient; masseuse giving rubdown. All is well in the world. Having said that, Jean-Georges' end result, abalone with green tea, looked pretty awesome. The recipe, and all the others in the show, will apparently be posted at <a href="http://www.kimchichronicles.tv/" rel="nofollow">http://www.kimchichronicles.tv/</a>, which isn't finished yet. And there will be a book, too. All in all this show is off to a great start: it's beautifully shot, good natured, and the recipes look innovative and delicious. I'm definitely going to tune into more episodes, even though the 4pm Sunday air time is hardly a prime TV viewing hour for me.

stanford on "The Kimchi Chronicles"

stanford — Fri, 13 May 2011 16:34:56 +0000

Last Sunday was the premiere of The Kimchi Chronicles on PBS, billed as a star-studded exploration of Korean food & culture. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwIhQG6DVCg" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwIhQG6DVCg</a> Being a somewhat of a "kimchi chronic" myself I was looking forward to this and learning more about Korean food. Watching the first episode, it's clear to me that this show is aimed at inquisitive Americans who've never tried Korean food. The whole production is very low-key, easygoing, and nonthreatening. They introduced only a couple of ingredients and concepts very patiently so as not to overwhelm. At one point Hugh Jackman gets uncomfortable at the sight of hot pepper paste, and they are quick to reassure him that it's not going to get out of hand. They talk about bibimbap and BBQ, and how delicious and healthy and easy it is, and there is nary a Korean face or accent in sight, and no hangul either. They are trying to coax apprehensive Americans into trying it out. It's very pleasant. The show is sponsored by HMart and the Korean government who have an obvious stake in the success of Americans loving Korean food, and the show's creators have stated that they aren't going the "Bizarre Foods" route and things like live octopus are not going to be included. Each episode is going to concentrate on one ingredient at a time, nice and slow and thorough. Will it be popular with Americans? Surely fans of guests like Heather Graham might tune in and get exposed to Korean food by accident. Apparently a large part of the upcoming episodes will center around the host exploring her heritage as a Korean adoptee, so if that story is interesting people might get invested in it. From what I saw, I think a lot of Korean adoptees in America will be interested in this show if they don't know much about their Korean heritage and don't speak Korean. As for a kimchi chronic like me, this first episode was pretty remedial, but they haven't even got to Korea yet, so I'm going to give them a chance. The Kimchi Chronicles airs on channel 13 in New York, almost every Sunday at 4pm. <a href="http://www.thirteen.org/schedule_search/?searchString=kimchi+chronicles" rel="nofollow">http://www.thirteen.org/schedule_search/?searchString=kimchi+chronicles</a>

stanford on "LA Weekly: Koreatown's Top 40"

stanford — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:12:44 +0000

A really great article by Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Gold on the best restaurants and bars in Koreatown. I know it's old (2004), but I was surprised at the depth of his knowledge of Korean food, the entertaining way he writes about it, and his startlingly original puns: <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/2004-02-05/eat-drink/koreatown-s-top-40/" rel="nofollow">http://www.laweekly.com/2004-02-05/eat-drink/koreatown-s-top-40/</a> His intro to a bibimbap restaurant packs more commentary and knowledge into a few sentences than most bloggers get in to a whole week: <blockquote>Bibimbap, a dish of rice mixed at the table with vegetables, chile paste and perhaps a fried egg, is reputed to be the Korean staple most suited to the Western palate, the dish that may someday be as popular among Californians as the pizza or the teriyaki stick. Yet some of the worst Asian meals I have ever eaten have come from Koreatown bibimbap specialists, including the mall restaurant whose 20-item bibimbap tasted like leftovers scraped from a fast-food salad bar, and a popular bibimbap chain whose gooey specialty proved uniquely inedible. The kitchen-sink aspect of the dish tends to play into the worst tendencies of a particular type of cook. But in the right restaurant, bibimbap can be fairly spectacular, the flavors of the vegetables heightened and melded by the heat of the chile paste, the different intensities of crunch becoming almost contrapuntal under the teeth. </blockquote> The restaurants are almost besides the point. Some of the spots he writes about have closed, but many of these places still exist. Someone has mapped them all out in Google maps, if you want to follow along: <a href="http://bit.ly/eMjBGQ" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/eMjBGQ</a>

sliter on "New Bon Chon Chicken in Manhattan!"

sliter — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 13:05:49 +0000

Love it...but its still to cold to break out the grill..we put every thing on the grill,..its just a fun time to be out side with the family..this is the only time i get to give orders like " go get me a beer"..and my girl friend says.".you need anything honey"and i say"its really hot over here by the grill,can you fix me a cold beer with a lime slice and some salt on it honey" --------------------------- <a href="http://www.simplybarbeques.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">http://www.simplybarbeques.co.uk/</a>

sliter on "New Bon Chon Chicken in Manhattan!"

sliter — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 13:04:10 +0000

Maangchi on "New Bon Chon Chicken in Manhattan!"

Maangchi — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:27:58 +0000

My seasoned fried chicken recipe is posted! <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/korean-fried-chicken-kyochon-chicken" rel="nofollow">http://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/korean-fried-chicken-kyochon-chicken</a>

stanford on "Mongolian beef made with soju"

stanford — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:54:59 +0000

"You can use any kind of cooking wine you want... but I'm usin' soju." <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohpw2e5_4jA" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohpw2e5_4jA</a> Yeah, that's our boy! Nice work, PPOP!

stanford on "Food Gallery 32 in New York City"

stanford — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:50:58 +0000

Branch, Ryan, branch! I haven't been to Song 7.2 but it's not exactly getting rave reviews: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/song-7-2-new-york" rel="nofollow">http://www.yelp.com/biz/song-7-2-new-york</a> Chris Hansen at Serious Eats has been doing some great posts on Korean places in Flushing: <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/01/flushing-pork-belly-at-tong-samgyeop-gui.html" rel="nofollow">http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/01/flushing-pork-belly-at-tong-samgyeop-gui.html</a> <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/01/flushing-gamjatang-geo-si-gi-queens-korean-review.html" rel="nofollow">http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/01/flushing-gamjatang-geo-si-gi-queens-korean-review.html</a> also this: <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/01/fast-food-international-kyedong.html" rel="nofollow">http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/01/fast-food-international-kyedong.html</a> Flushing is really the place to go for Korean food.

ryanct203 on "Food Gallery 32 in New York City"

ryanct203 — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:04:38 +0000

No Stanford, haven't been here yet. I have been to Eataly though, just went last week. I usually eat at Kum Gang San, but I have been meaning to branch out a little bit. There are so many good places. I want to try Song 7.2 in the East Village. Have you been there? <a href="http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/song-72/" rel="nofollow">http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/song-72/</a> ryan :)

stanford on "Food Gallery 32 in New York City"

stanford — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:17:18 +0000

Has anyone been here yet? <a href="http://midtownlunch.com/2011/01/05/food-gallery-32-youve-seen-the-inside-now-lets-eat/" rel="nofollow">http://midtownlunch.com/2011/01/05/food-gallery-32-youve-seen-the-inside-now-lets-eat/</a> The guy doesn't exactly give the food a glowing review. Still, I think the concept is interesting, kind of a low-rent Korean version of Eataly.

stanford on "Korean grocery shopping in Brazil"

stanford — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 22:00:08 +0000

Great video walkthrough of how to shop for Korean ingredients in a Brazilian grocery store: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPfMBEDYMN8" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPfMBEDYMN8</a> Not sure what she's going to make, but it will probably be in the next video. I found this via koreataste.org - she entered a contest there so if you like the video click thru and give her a thumbs up!!! <a href="http://www.koreataste.org/lang/en/en/blogging-en/how-to-choose-your-ingredients" rel="nofollow">http://www.koreataste.org/lang/en/en/blogging-en/how-to-choose-your-ingredients</a>

walterj0hns0n on "Pocha 32 (New York City)"

walterj0hns0n — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 20:35:04 +0000

I never been in NY but I heard if you really looking for a nice Korean foods, Stanford is best place for you. Love the watermelon.. very tasty! <a href="http://www.aviglatt.com/">kosher new york</a>

Nyla on "Pocha 32 (New York City)"

Nyla — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 17:40:26 +0000

I definitely gonna try this place sometime soon thanks for the post definitely will do the watermelon hollow

unchienne on "It's a gochuchang smackdown!!"

unchienne — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:17:46 +0000

I just finished up my container of Chung Jong Won gochujang (I go through it pretty fast), and so I purchased the one the bloggers suggested. I have to say that it's pretty good. Very spicy and less dark and bitter than the Won version. The color is pretty bright, the taste a little on the sweet side (though not as sweet as Wang), and the burn is very nice. More spicy than either the Wang or Won versions, though I did get the one with the fully red chili pepper on the box...don't know if maybe that means it's hot rather than mild. I'm probably going to switch over to this brand as it works in my recipes better. The others had such a strong aged/roasted taste that it sometimes overpowered the sauces I made with them and I had to try and "brighten" the taste with more sugars. This one stands pretty well on its own.

stanford on "Video of a Korean supermarket"

stanford — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:46:14 +0000

There's a Canadian couple living in Korea who make entertaining videos, if you've never seen them they are a lot of fun: <a href="http://www.eatyourkimchi.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.eatyourkimchi.com/</a> They posted a simple video of what it's like in a busy Korean supermarket, just before Chuseok. The backstory is, there were 2 large supermarkets, and one burnt down, so the Kim's Club next door is getting all the business. Just before Chuseok is a crazy busy time for shopping, so you see how crowded it gets... <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH7J-nZBeZA" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH7J-nZBeZA</a>

stanford on "New York Korean Film Festival 2010"

stanford — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 14:39:48 +0000

The New York Korean Film Festival is from Sept 22 to Oct 3 this year: <a href="http://www.koreanfilmfestival.org/" rel="nofollow">http://www.koreanfilmfestival.org/</a> Can anyone recommend me any of these films? <a href="http://www.koreanfilmfestival.org/films" rel="nofollow">http://www.koreanfilmfestival.org/films</a> None of them sound familiar to me.

stanford on "NYC Korean food lovers' meetup - Sept. 22"

stanford — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 01:38:56 +0000

The guy who runs the zenkimchi.com (Korean food news blog) is organizing a meetup of like-minded Korean food lovers at 7pm in Seoul Garden on Sept 22: <a href="http://twitter.com/ZenKimchi/status/24194559006" rel="nofollow">http://twitter.com/ZenKimchi/status/24194559006</a> map: <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/2PsP" rel="nofollow">http://goo.gl/maps/2PsP</a> Apparently it's a good place for soondubu?

Souavarat on "It's a gochuchang smackdown!!"

Souavarat — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:15:58 +0000

Interesting post...I've only ever tried the Wang brand. Does price factor into this survey? Do the more expensive brands taste any better? Next time I am at the Super H-Mart I'll have to look out for the brands. Thanks for the input!

unchienne on "It's a gochuchang smackdown!!"

unchienne — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:59:15 +0000

Cool article. Thaks for posting the link to it. I normally buy whichever one seems popular...which is usually the one on sale. ;) Which in most cases is the Wang or Chung Jong Won brand. Wwang is a bit sweet for my tastes though. Gochujang can be doctored in most cases...add a bit of garlic, sugar, vinegar, etc...to fit your tastes What I want to know is which is the best Tangjang. Here lately I've been getting tangjang that's too dark and bitter. Makes my tangjangjigae taste not too good. What's your personal favorite?

stanford on "Makkoli in the 70s"

stanford — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:55:39 +0000

A really interesting account from an American Peace Corp volunteer who was in Korea in the 70s (perhaps Cholla from the sound of it) <a href="http://www.korea4expats.com/news-peace-corps-korea-mahkollee.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.korea4expats.com/news-peace-corps-korea-mahkollee.html</a> <blockquote>The custom was to down the first bowl quickly, pass that along to a higher-level person (at our age, that was almost anyone) and be prepared to slosh down another bowl quickly before taking our time over a third. However, remember that pot? It held 6 bowls – so two bowls for 3 people drained the pot, and it was urgent to order another – so 3 people would then have 4 bowls at least. Further, Koreans felt one should not stop with an even number of bowls, so the math got progressively more complicated. That this math was accompanied by more mahkollee made matters more challenging.</blockquote>

stanford on "2nd Annual Korean BBQ Cook-off"

stanford — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:48:13 +0000

Some photos & blogging from the event: <a href="http://happy217.wordpress.com/2010/08/08/korean-bbq-annual-cook-off/" rel="nofollow">http://happy217.wordpress.com/2010/08/08/korean-bbq-annual-cook-off/</a> <a href="http://twitpic.com/2cuq4j" rel="nofollow">http://twitpic.com/2cuq4j</a>

Maangchi on "2nd Annual Korean BBQ Cook-off"

Maangchi — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:42:27 +0000

Thank you, Stanford! I wish I would be there, too!

stanford on "2nd Annual Korean BBQ Cook-off"

stanford — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:41:59 +0000

Look, I know the first one had it's problems, but this looks like a lot of fun: <a href="http://kbbqcookoff.com/" rel="nofollow">http://kbbqcookoff.com/</a> WHEN: Saturday, August 7, 2010 from 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm - 2:00 pm – All-You-Can-Eat contest with mystery ingredient * - 3:30 pm – Soju Mix-Off, sponsored by Jinro and Sauce LA - 5:00 pm – Cook-Off competition - 6:15 pm – Awards ceremony WHERE: Los Angeles, California, USA. The event will take place on the upper parking lot of the 3600 Wilshire building, located at 3600 Wilshire Blvd. Between Kingsley Dr. and Harvard Blvd. Map: <a href="http://bit.ly/a3ZIMA" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/a3ZIMA</a> EVENT DETAILS: - FREE entrance! - All plates will be sold for $5 each (cash only) - There’s a beer garden! - Go green! Carpool, bike or exit the purple line Metro stop: Wilshire/Western or Wilshire/Normandie - FREE bike valet via Flying Pigeon LA will be available at the event from noon – 6 pm. KorAm Magazine is giving away VIP tickets: <a href="http://iamkoream.com/special-giveaway-vip-tickets-to-the-korean-bbq-cook-off-and-more/" rel="nofollow">http://iamkoream.com/special-giveaway-vip-tickets-to-the-korean-bbq-cook-off-and-more/</a>

GraceM on "It's a gochuchang smackdown!!"

GraceM — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:31:59 +0000

Thanks, Stanford! I should have been more careful. The Chung Jung Won O'Food Organic was the worst, for sure. The two Wang types we tried were the next worst. But then the Chung Jung Won Sunchang was one of the best. All these companies make so many kinds!

stanford on "It's a gochuchang smackdown!!"

stanford — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:44:05 +0000

Great blog, Grace! Really interesting for people like me. But I thought Chung Jung Won was #6 (worst) and Wang was #5 (second worst)? Anyway I don't know if everyone is reading your blog now, but if they aren't I saw you had another interesting post about visiting Sunchang, which is famous for making gochujang: <a href="http://oneforkonespoon.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/the-gochujang-village-of-sunchang/" rel="nofollow">http://oneforkonespoon.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/the-gochujang-village-of-sunchang/</a>

LuccaQ on "It's a gochuchang smackdown!!"

LuccaQ — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:39:29 +0000

I'd have to agree with Grace on the Chung Jung Won. It's full of flavor and well balanced.

GraceM on "It's a gochuchang smackdown!!"

GraceM — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 02:11:36 +0000

No, the worst was Wang! But thanks for posting this, I'd love to hear what other people think, especially because we didn't try Sempio or Haioreum.