Results tagged “Korean food”

Ikea romance

Going to Ikea always makes me reminisce about the days long ago when I dated a Swede. He used to take me on dates to Ikea. We'd eat at the restaurant, filling up on Swedish meatballs and lingonberry jam, and then hold hands on our way to the food shop where we'd buy herring in a tube and negerbolls.

I put up with this sort of malarkey because I had let him convince me that being an ex-pat was a life that was filled with longing: for home, for friends and most of all, for food. How hard it must be, I thought, to move so far away from home and in an entirely different country. So I agreed to eat disgusting Swedish meatballs at Ikea, and in my heart, truly felt for the poor guy. I'd go to the Swedish store in Oakland and buy him funny little Swedish candies like Plopps, and just generally try and humor his reminiscences of how perfect life in Sweden was.

Having been an ex-pat now for coming up on three years, and having tried a lot of Swedish food, I now realize what a sap he was. Moving away from Sweden and missing Swedish food is like recovering from depression and missing that feeling of emptiness.

I can't say that there's not a lot of food from California that I miss--the burritos and Korean food particularly. When I was in Dublin, I missed them badly. But once I moved to London, which is a major city (much like San Francisco) I didn't walk around like missing the food of my home country was this cross I had to bear, and one that everyone else in the world should sympathize with. (Of course that doesn't stop me from shoveling as many super burritos down my gullet as I can possible stand every time I go back home.) I've learned that these things are manageable. I will probably change my tune once I move to Asia and can't find pancetta to put in my homemade tomato sauce, but for now, I'm surviving.

By Lina on June 13, 2009 6:28 PM

Korean tacos: my one hope for true love

So the other day my mother sent me this article about Korean tacos. Not just a Korean taco, but a Korean taco truck. I love Korean food, I love tacos, and I love street food. This could possibly be my most favoritest thing in the entire world. Mainly because I hate everything else.

Unfortunately, I don't live in Los Angeles (thank you, christ), so I had to make them myself. I've been penpalling with Jennifer of the EatDrinkTalk cooking school (read: I've been harassing her via email) and with her enthusiastic encouragement, decided to give it a go. Results below:

The picture doesn't do it justice because I still haven't read my effing camera book. This was one of my favorite meals ever. I made it with spicy pork, seasoned cucumbers, kimchi, seasoned green onions and seasoned soybean sprouts. However, I think almost any combo of Korean BBQ meat and banchan would be delicious. Beef bulgogi with kimchi and radish? Savage. Galbi with spinach and kimchi? Deadly. I think you'll have to include kimchi in everything if you want to be safe.

Recipes:

Spicy Sliced Pork aka Daeji Bulgogi

1 pound sliced pork sirloin

1.5 tablespoons chili paste

1.5 tablespoons sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (1/2 inch) piece of ginger, minced

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

black pepper

1 green onion, chopped (optional)

1/2 white onion, chopped (optional)

Korean pear (optional)

1. Combine the sliced pork with the chili paste, sugar, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and onion, if using. Let marinate for appoximately 30 min. (You can also throw in some mashed Korean pear to help tenderize the meat, if you're feeling up to it.)

2. Stir-fry the meat until thoroughly, usually around 5 to 7 minutes. Add black pepper if needed. add green onion, if using.

Banchan: Seasoned cucumbers, kimchi, seasoned green onions and seasoned soybean sprouts. Most Korean side dishes are seasoned with garlic, salt, sesame oil, red pepper and rice vinegar. I'm not going to put recipes here because they are super easy and all over the internet and none of you are going to make this anyway. If you do want to make anything, check out my favorite Korean cooking site: Maangchi

By Lina on March 3, 2009 6:44 PM

Tom Sawyer and Korean B-B-Q

Someone was telling me the other day that she's started hanging out at the bead store and making her own necklaces. This is, I think, much like Korean B-B-Q that you cook yourself at the table, or fruit -on-the-bottom yogurt. Just like Tom Sawyer conning his pals into giving him gifts for the privilege of painting Aunt Polly's fence, the "man" gets you to do all of the work, pay extra for the privilege and think you've gotten a swell deal. Don't fall for it.

By Lina on February 3, 2009 3:11 AM

The meal that made me homeless

The other night I made one of my favorite Korean dishes, ojinguh bokkeum, spicy stir-fried squid. I made it with not only squid, but mussels and shrimp as well, just for a laugh. The next night, soon after I polished off the leftovers, my flatmate came home for a chat. After about an hour of inane small-talk he finally got to the point. I'm being asked to leave my flat because my cooking stinks. As in, actually smells too bad for my Italian flatmates to handle. "We just didn't realize that you'd cook so much Asian food," he said lamely. "When we were advertising the flat we had decided that we weren't going to let any Pakistanis in for that reason, the curry, you know."

Interestingly enough, I had let some Chinese cabbage go to waste last week because I thought making my own kim chi might be sort of inconsiderate. Now that they've decided to evict me, though, I'm going to put a few prawns in the lining of their mattresses while they are gone for Christmas. We'll see who stinks then.

By Lina on December 11, 2008 10:36 PM

Lina: Pig in the City

My first day in London left me chastened. Despite all of the dire warnings from the Dublin taxi drivers, ("You'll not like it there, love, everyone always in a rush") I was certain that London would be no problem for me. I've lived in New York, after all. New York has twice the population density of London, so I was confident that I was twice as tough as I needed to be to live in the Big Smoke. I was surprised, then, when I found myself being the sort of person that would stand still in the middle of crowded pedestrian thoroughfares, looking up at gigantic buildings, mouth slightly open, until I've been run into and yelled at by loud, angry Britons.

I'm still confused as to which way to look when crossing streets, and the added traffic of a major metropolitan city has me completely befuddled. I'm not yet familiar with the coins yet, so rather than holding up lines of people, I've been paying only with bills. After two days, already, I have a huge pile of useless change. I went to the store today to buy sugar and stood at the counter for a few minutes, desperately trying to figure out which coins to hand the woman behind counter. I was embarrassed and sweating, and finally the woman took pity on me and grabbing my hand, took the appropriate change out of it, and handed me the remains. Awkwardly I thanked her, trying to neutralize my accent, and trotted out the door.

Then yesterday, I decided to explore the cities Korean restaurants. My first stop (Korean Kitchen. 32 Windmill Street, Picadilly Circus, London, W1D 7LR) served me a bowl of soup with a hair in it. I showed the waitress, and she sent it back. I waited 10 minutes for another soup, and when it arrived, it had a black hair delicately balanced on top of a piece of tofu. Interestingly, I was not offered a free meal or anyone's firstborn, but they did suggest I wait for a third bowl of hairy soup. I left, and made my way to Jin Korean Restaurant, 16 Bateman Street London W1D 3A. As I was eating my lunch, a cockroach crawled out from the in-table bbq equipment and pranced across the table. He finally crawled back in, and I attempted to ignore the situation until a pair of antennae poked out and waggled at me, as if laughing. I put an upside-down plate over the hole, and mentally teleported to my safe space.

Last night I went to visit some friends in Whitechapel, in London's East End. When I left, I didn't take directions, confident that with the help of my A-Z I'd make it to the tube station. "It's Ay to ZED not Ay to ZEE, Lina. Yank."

Of course my ingrained sense of direction--my father calls me a topographical cretin--got me completely lost and as I wandered the streets of Whitechapel at midnight, I grew increasingly more terrified.

Lina stream of conciousness: I'm going to get mugged. That will be so humiliating. Wait, I know this street name. This is exactly where the serial killer Jack the Ripper stalked his prey! I'm going to get murdered here. Hang on, Jack the Ripper only killed prostitutes. I'm not a prostitute. I'm going to be fine. Oh shit. Everyone here thinks all Americans are whores. I'm so dead. I'm so dead. I'm so dead. Oh wait, there's the tube station. Yeah, I'm street smart. Phew.

So my first 48 hours left me feeling less cosmopolitan than I had hoped.

But then this morning, after having a crumpet and a cup of tea (seriously), I hit the streets and found a Chinese market, a Japanese market and a Korean market all within 7 minutes of my flat and I perked up. Even the local Spar (it's like 7-11) carries strange Asian snacks. After stuffing myself with a half-dozen Korean delicacies, I sat back, content with my new geographic position. I know that going to a couple of Asian markets and eating a little banchan doesn't sound like a big deal, but to me, it is. I'm so delighted to be back in a big city and to have access to all of the funny little things that one can't find anywhere else.

By Lina on October 5, 2008 9:06 PM

More on kimchi and Korean cooking

"I think kimchi is on the verge of becoming the next salsa," predicted Jim Poris, senior editor of Food Arts magazine, at a recent conference at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena. "It's great on hot dogs."

So same day I decide to post about my momentous decision to make kimchi, I find that that bastion of well-written news, the SF Chronicle, has beaten me to the punch and written an article about the stuff.

Cooking in Common: Korea's kimchi addiction catches on in the West

Also, in a bid to avoid too much active employment, I spend the day watching Korean cooking videos on YouTube. Through this endevor, I found my new favorite website, ever.

Cooking Korean Food with Maangchi

By Lina on January 31, 2008 6:34 PM

Making kimchi

I'm not sure why I've finally decided to make kimchi, because I've found a brand available here in Ireland that's really good, finally. But my dad sent me a recipe that was for a reasonable amount--most recipes are to make about 80 gallons at once, and no matter how much I love fermented cabbage, I'm just not going to go there. So I made this recipe once and it ended up being so salty that I almost tore my face off. So in the face of defeat, I made it again. It was the perfect amount for me, 1 ball jar, a pint, I think? And without the extra two cups of salt, it's pretty good.

1/2 large Chinese or Napa cabbage
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup Korean chili powder
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
1 teaspoon crushed ginger
2 tablespoons sugar
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin

Dissolve the 1/4 cup salt in water (in a bowl). Throw in the cabbage and let sit overnight. The next day, squeeze the cabbage and get the water out. Slice into kimchi sized pieces. In mixing bowl add salt (don't overdo it kids), pepper, pepper powder, garlic and ginger. Stir it around. Add the green onions and pack it all into a jar of some kind. Leave it at room temperature for a day, then refrigerate.

More about kimchi and pics and stuff here.

By Lina on January 31, 2008 3:05 PM

Soybean paste stew, or one of my many attempts to be Korean

Korean food is one of my favorite things. Strangely enough, there's not a whole lot of it around Ireland. I saw a ton of Korean places in Rotterdam when I was there over New Year's, though. But that's neither here nor there. Tonight I made a soybean paste soup (dubu doenjang jigae) and it was pretty good. What's nice about these sort of soups is that you can basically put anything in, or change the amounts to fit whatever you have, and it generally works out.

I used:
1 t sesame oil
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 zuchinni
1/3 Chinese cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced daikon (radish)
2 green onions
1 cup diced tofu
2-3 T doenjang (fermented soybean paste)
1 T gochujang (red chili paste)
1 t red pepper powder
1 t dashida (Korean beef stock) for that nice msg flav
1 t soy sauce, because despite said msg, I still wanted more salt

I cooked the onions and garlic and then threw the rest into the pot with about 4-5 cups of water. Walked away for about 20 minutes and when I came back, dinner was ready. Serve with rice. Because I'm a beast and am constantly concerned that I don't consume enough calories, I like to throw a raw egg into many of my Korean soups and mix it around in the final minute of cooking. Completely unnecessary.

Here's another recipe from my favorite Korean cooking site for this type of soup: dubu-doenjangjjigae

By Lina on January 29, 2008 8:49 PM

The yearly Valentine's update

I'm running out of soul-crushing stories from Valentine's past, but I suppose I can share that last year on this fateful day I found myself in a Korean karaoke bar and ended up walking out in tears before midnight. This might be because my singing ability can only be described as heinous, or so I told myself on the two mile walk home.

This year, though, I decided to be proactive and sent the Polack a love poem. I was a little nervous--I've learned from my traumatic past relationships that one should never let a boy know that one likes him. There is nothing that can ruin a relationship like signs of affection. However, I decided to drop my guard and let him know how I truly feel. Although I'm too shy to post the entire text here, I will give you a one line sample:

'Why would I have ever let this Pole stick it in my Jewish hole?'

No one can say that I don't know how to bring the romance.

If you've never read my Valentine's posts from previous years, it's well worth it to check them out:

My Valentine's playlist.

6th grade Valentine humiliation.

The blow-up doll Valentine.

Let me get my hands on your mammary glands.

By Lina on February 14, 2007 8:51 AM

Back to Cali, or 8 Weeks of Self-Improvement

So I wrote this on January 17th, but apparently never posted it. My next post will be an update on how my self-improvement plan is going. Instant gratification!

---

The last three-and-a-half months in Dublin have destroyed me physically. I'm not sure if it's the damp weather, socializing every night, or the proximity to attractive men, but my body has begun to deteriorate at an unheard of rate. Said deterioration includes the yearly bout with bronchitis, but also at least two broken toes.

I'm on the plane back to California right now, where I have to stay for approximately 8 weeks while I wait for my visa/work permit. I already have four doctors appointments lined up for tomorrow, all of which I suspect will help turn me into a better person.

That's what I've decided. I'm going to use the eight weeks I'm back home to become a better, more attractive person. I've purchased the books 'Learned Optimism' and '10 Days to Self-Esteem,' and am hoping to start a self-help book group with my morbidly depressed (and self-help accepting) American friends.

Other things I'm hoping to do during these 8 weeks:

Perfect my Korean cooking skills so I can bring my expertise back to Dublin, where the Korean food is sub-standard

Take a pole-dancing class. As I'm dating a Pole, the reasons behind this should be self-explanatory

Write regularly

Follow a daily schedule

Improve flexibility so I can get my mitts within six inches of my toes

Lose the 6 pounds I gained in Dublin

Play tennis

Go to spas and get massages

Learn all of the moves in Pat Benetar's 'Love is a Battlefield' video

Eat massive amounts of vegetables to make up for the last 3.5 months

These are just a few of the things that I am going to do to make sure that when I return to Dublin, I will be both hot and yuppified.

I'm glad to being going back home, though, I have to admit, I love Dublin. It's an amazing city and I'm having a fantastic time. But I miss knowing where to go to get my shoes cobbled, my polka dot sheets, being able to dry my clothes in the dryer rather than on a "drying horse," Korean food, Japanese food, wet, California burritos, the hyphy movement and all Bay Area hip hop, malls, sunshine, ghost riding the whip, high-quality denim, my HMO, medicating my problems, seeing minorities, buying things at reasonable prices, those shoes I got at A.P.C. that I very nearly forgot about, Netflix and Law and Order: SUV. I miss these things. I'm glad for the time at home so I can go back to hating it again.

By Lina on February 6, 2007 10:48 AM

Strangely happy

I'm happy in Dublin. It's weird.

In response to a complaint from a Dubliner that I only write about things that I am dissatisfied with, here's a list of things I like in Dublin:

The accents. So cute.

Hilarious, dry Irish boys who say to me, "It took me 6 hours at the pub with you, but I've finally realized that you are the most sarcastic person I've ever met in my life."

Hot foreign boys.

Riding bicycles with handsome Dutch boys with prominent cheekbones.

Cab drivers always talk to me, whether I want them to or not. Generally they are interesting or funny or both, and always ask me where I am from and tell me stories about that time they went to California.

That cab drivers here can afford to go to California.

Boys here dance!

I don't need a car. I walk.

The term "taking the piss."

Nightlife on weekdays.

Day trips all over Ireland.

Weekend trips all over Europe.

Food being described as "lovely, gorgeous, grand and brilliant." None of these words are ones I would think of to describe food. They've revolutionized language over here.

Speaking of language, the Irish vernacular includes many words and expressions that we phased out over a hundred years ago in America. When they have a buzz, they call it "merry." I love it.

The international feel--because of the low tax rates companies are basing their main operations in Dublin and bringing employees from all over Europe. Doing wonders for my project.

My job here is great.

People are funny, fun and like to socialize. Nuts.

There's history here. We don't have that in the States.

It's beautiful.

The streets where all the doors are painted primary colors.

In general, my peers are not obsessed with wearing clothes only because they are expensive. For once, I'm the most shallow one. I think this will be a good influence on me.

Today I found a store called "Asian Market." It has amazing products covering a range of cuisines: Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indian. Most importantly though, Korean.

Chat log of the day:

Lina: I have kimchi now
Lina: I'm so fucking happy
Pamela: that's all you need
Pamela: and I do not need cigarettes or boyfriends
Pamela: I'm happy with my creativity
Lina: I do not need cigarettes or boyfriends
Lina: I'm happy with my kimchi

I think maybe I could stay here for a while.

By Lina on November 12, 2006 9:45 AM

SMS

I saw a list of text messages on the Internet, and decided to see what's on my SIM. Apparently, I haven't yet learned about deleting these things. I think it's time to start.

Text message selections:
Cant have too many male nurses around you. Had any niggerballs lately?
You forget I have seen your dirty website, read your filthy stories, and endured your obscenity enough to know better.
I just discovered a new delightful korean
I despair of you.
zis is qiz eyes full of tears zat i have 2 inform u zat i already am at waterloo. bisous
Has he tried to rape you yet?
I made you squeal. I can die happy!
Perhaps we can convince her it never happened
I am morally drunk. There is no difference. And the DMV sucks.
Have you pulled you beast?
tiki bar
So let's say 11pm at the Hilton, room 1125 in building 2?
i quit and then got fired
I love you.
Feel each other up. Ready, set, go!
No it wouldn't. Besides, you should always chew thoroughly.
OMG!!! WHERES BLINA!!!
Uh, yeah.
There's always next time! I feel really sick, must have gotten impregnated by the wall.
The theatre. On the grass. Look for the flag.
So my rap lyrics are just crap to you?

By Lina on August 11, 2006 9:07 PM

Still on the sidewalk

I realize that my lack of updates could be interpreted in such a way that one might be led to believe that I finally succumbed to the Valentine's misery that I've long been threatening (up the road, not across the street). Yes, dear reader, I did cry--sob, even--this Valentine's Day eve, per my yearly policy. The only noteworthy aspect of this year's debacle is that it took place in a Korean karaoke booth. Other than that, pretty par for the course.

By Lina on March 2, 2006 2:00 AM

I am forming an army of Linas and together we will achieve world domination.

Now, as you may recall, there has been some excitement here at shutitdown now that a new Lina has been introduced into my life. I was talking to my golden-haired doppelganger the other day, and I was waxing philosophical about my website.

Other Lina: "What do you write about on there?"
Me: thinking: quick! try not to sound like a stalker! "Um, well, I wrote about you, I mean, uh, how I met another Lina and, uh, it's all in good fun I'm not crazy, I swear. hahaha"

So I went on to tell her how I had written that when I heard that there was going to be another Lina in my class I had hoped she would be short and stout ala a little teapot. And then I explained to her that I had decided that would be a bad idea.

Other Lina interjected and said, "because that would bring down the value of Lina."

Now, as you may recall, this is the PRECISE wording I used to explain why I was glad Other Lina was not homely. At first I thought perhaps Other Lina had already found my webpage and was stalking me, and not the other way round for once, but no. We, the Linas, had a psychic connection that caused us to think in the same, albeit slightly insane, way.

Take this as a warning people, your complete and total subjugation is at hand.

If perhaps, you think that getting me a birthday gift may spare you, you couldn't be more right! Get ready folks, 03-03-03 is rapidly approaching and I couldn't be more depressed about it.

dreamsyannie: hello

Auto response from Lina: never trust a big butt and a smile.

dreamsyannie: hello
dreamsyannie: is this lina yoo
dreamsyannie: a 5th grader
dreamsyannie: korean
dreamsyannie: hello?
dreamsyannie: ugh

By Lina on February 20, 2003 2:04 AM

Friday Five...food!

Today's Friday Five.

1. What is your favorite restaurant and why? AGGG! I LOVE FOOD. So I have a whole theory about how the only food I should eat out is should be asian food, because this is the only food I can not cook with any degree of skill. Most other things I eat out I think I could make as well or better as the resturant. So back to the point here, I LOVE SUSHI. Like, it's been my favorite food since I was 4. I LOVE SUSHI. God yes. So some of the Sushi resturants around here are my favorite. There is also this Korean resturant in San Francisco that I love, but I can't remember the name. Sorry about the lack of specifics, kids.
2. What fast food restaurant are you partial to? God, thinking about a McDonald's cheeseburger makes me all gooey inside. But I haven't had one in years. I want one. Now. I don't allow myself to eat stuff like this often, because I eat so much other fatty (but not fast) food.
3. What are your standards and rules for tipping?I tend to get fairly pissed at waitstaff when they are rude to me. Here in NY it happens a lot. I tip 15% or so, but if they aren't total cunts I hit the 20% mark. Which is where it always should be.
4. Do you usually order an appetizer and/or dessert? Nope, too expensive. If my grandpa was taking me out, hell yes I would.
5. What do you usually order to drink at a restaurant? Water.

More updates later.

By Lina on April 12, 2002 11:31 PM

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