I made japchae for a korean food picnic recently. When I visited my counselor friend recently, I said, we talked about the korean picnic I organized. She wasn’t able to come, but she was interested in the kinds of food I prepared. She even asked the recipe for japchae, so I explained it to her. And then I remembered that I spilled some of the japchae “sauce” on one of my notebooks. And so I said, “Oh, Ms. Counselor, you’re interested in japchae right? I couldn’t save you any, but I spilled some sauce on my notebook. Maybe you’d like to smell it? haha” And she did. She said it smelled delicious and was different from ordinary noodles. I thought it was a little funny.
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My cookbooks
Which to get? Both are best sellers and either one is a good choice if you want to learn Korean home cooking. my first book has all the recipes for all the essential Korean pastes and sauces, but my second book Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking has more recipes.
Maangchi's recipes by category:
Kimchi
Essential Korean dish
Side dishes
Banchan makes the meal
Rice
Our most important grain
Pancakes
Savory & simple
Rice cakes
Tteok for every occasion
Stews
Jjigae is our comfort food
Noodles
Long noodles = long life!
Soups
Guk at every meal
Sundubu-jjigae
Soft tofu stew
Gimbap
Seaweed paper rolls
Desserts
Special sweet stuff
Main dishes
Consider these mains
Mandu
Korean dumplings
Anju
Drinking food
BBQ
The Korean way to grill
Fried chicken
Double-deliciousness
One bowl meals
Nutritious & convenient
Street food
Quick & fun
Easy
Anyone can make these!
Lunchboxes
Dosirak made with love
Appetizers
These could be first
Fermented
Taste of centuries
Staple ingredients
Korean cuisine basics
Mitbanchan
Preserved side dishes
Pickles
Quick-brined
Spicy
I love spicy food :)
Nonspicy
There are plenty!
Beef
For meat lovers
Seafood
Surrounded by the sea
Pork
Some new dishes to try
Chicken
Our most delicious
Vegetarian
No fish, meat or chicken
Vegan
No animal products at all
Temple cuisine
From Buddhist temples
Korean Chinese
Chinese style Korean
Snacks
Quick dishes on the run
Korean bakery
Breads & pastries
Porridges
Good for your health!
Cold dishes
Icy, cold, or just chilled
Drinks
Fruits, grains & herbs
Not Korean
Fusion and western food
That Japchae looks delicious! Funny thing, today I went to H- Mart here in Portland to get ingredients to make Spicy Beef and Radish Soup, Japchae, and Bibimguksu. I was so excited and overwhelmed at all the good food- fresh fish, kim chi of all kinds, banchan of all kinds and everything. I saw ponytail radish so I bought some to make ponytail radish kimchi!! I got carried away and bought fresh mackerel but I will freeze it to make braised mackerel tomorrow. The nice Korean man at the store was trying to help me find noodles for bibim naengmyon and japchae. He showed me the instant noodles and he said, ” Here, this is easy for you!” Also, we have japchae already made in the deli” I politely said, “Oh no, I like to make my own japchae. He looked at my full cart and smiled and walked away! People think just because I don’t look Korean, ( I am half Korean) I don’t know anything about Korean food, but no! I listen to Maangchi and she teaches me!!
So, I’m going to make braised mackerel, spicy beef and radish soup, japchae, bibimguksu and bibimnaeng myon. That will keep me busy for the next few weeks. I bought lots of side dishes including spicy anchovy but I like yours better Maangchi. This one is only salty- not sweet. I love the salty sweet flavor of the spicy anchovy dish.
I hope you are well Maangchi! Thanks for all your talent and generosity of spirit with all your recipes!!!
lisa
p.s. I would love to post a pic of me and my food that I make but I don’t know how! I am not good with the computer- can you tell me how? : )
Thank you so much for sharing your cute story with us. Your friend will get addicted to your delicious Korean dishes and eventually she will make her own Korean food sooner or later.
: )