Food in South Korea

I had been looking forward to the food in Korea since I started planning my trip. There are some excellent Korean restaurants in New York and Northern Virginia, but a person could spend weeks in South Korea and try something new every day. Unfortunately, I had less than a week, so here are just a few of the many flavors on the peninsula.

First dinner in South Korea, in Gyeongju. So many dishes to taste!

Pass the kimchi!!

From a vending machine in Gyeongju. "Milky and fruity" just about says it all.

The famous Gyeongju snack -- ppang (bread) around a sweet red bean paste. They're really good -- filling, and not overly sweet. The bakery where you can see them being made is only a few blocks from where we were staying.

Bulgogi (beef) on the barbecue. 

With salad, soup and other side dishes (banchan).

An inexpensive Japanese-Korean fusion restaurant near the King Sejong museum in Seoul. I got something that was basically bibimbap with sashimi in it.

Some really fresh seafood from a market across the street from the World Cup stadium in Seoul.

No, I didn't buy any.

A cart in Insadong, Seoul, where three guys were making sweets of hardened honey, cornstarch, rice flour, and "seven kinds of nuts." They have a little chant prepared to show passersby how they make the treats.

A tea shop in the Insadong neighborhood of Seoul. Best cinnamon tea I've ever had. Comes with little cakes, almost like sweet rice cakes.

Good, greasy, chicken and potatoes from a small, very popular place called Reggae Chicken in the Hongdae area of Seoul.

Food in Japan

It's not all sushi. In fact, I would say that noodle shops outnumber sushi places by at least three to one. But a large bowl of spicy noodles is a perfect way to re-energize us weary travelers. The little regional sweets aren't a bad snack either. Here's a culinary photo tour of Japan, from Tokyo to Fukuoka.

One of many soba noodle places in the Shibuya neighborhood of Tokyo.

We couldn't read the noodle and topping options on the machine where you order, and the staff didn't speak English, so we pressed one of the main buttons and got a basic, and delicious, bowl of noodles.

Soy ice cream with mango sauce at a train station in Tokyo. It tastes kind of like soy milk, but it's quite good.

When you've just gotten off a morning train in Kyoto from Tokyo and you pass a bakery in the train station, this is what you end up eating for lunch. The greenish pastry has a melon-flavored filling, but I don't like melon so I can't tell you how it tasted. I did appreciate that I could find unsweetened iced tea on almost every corner.

At a little basement okonomiyaki place in Kyoto.

Making butatama okonomiyaki.

BBQ sauce, egg, pork, onions... sort of a cross between omelet and pizza.

Best convenience-store lunch-on-the-run I've ever had.

Sake in Nara.

A tiny restaurant in Nara recommended by our hostel owner. We wouldn't have found it without his directions, as it's down a little alley off the main shopping road. They specialize in unique, fresh foods. I ordered a tasty veggie and sesame seed omelet-type dish.

It was a little warm in Nara for soup, but it was good nevertheless.

Sakura (cherry blossom) flavored ice cream. Hard to describe the taste other than, it tasted like cherry blossoms! It was very light and a bit sweet. It tasted like the smell of being surrounded by trees full of cherry blossoms.

Lime soda at a Freshness Burger in Osaka. We joked about this chain restaurant when we were in Tokyo, but after wandering around lost in Osaka, this was just what we needed.

The soy burger was actually pretty good -- the generous amount of avocado on it helped.

Lunch from the grocery store in the Okayama train station. Filling, delicious and cheap.

Time to eat the snack I bought in Kyoto. Raw yatsuhashi -- a sweet wrap made from glutinous rice flour, with bean paste in the center. These are sakura (cherry blossom) flavored.

Finally, in Okayama, we go for some seafood! This one was tasty...

... as was this... 

This one was... chewy.

Lunch in Hiroshima at a busy okonomiyaki place near the Peace Park. This okonomiyaki is "Hiroshima style" and is a little different from the one we had in Kyoto.

We sat on stools facing the large grill.

Add noodles and egg...

BBQ sauce...

Green onions and any other topping you ordered to finish it off.

So good.

Beef curry on Miyajima Island.

A delicious Miyajima snack called momiji manjū. It's a maple-leaf shaped cake around a flavored, sweet bean paste filling.

This one is brandy-chocolate flavored.

Very good, very spicy ramen noodles at a popular place in Fukuoka called Ippudo. I ordered the dish with added "layers" of spice.

Fried dumpling appetizer -- gyoza. Part of a delicious final dinner in Japan.

Chicken cashew stir-fry

There are a lot of recipes for this meal out there, so you can pretty much make it with whatever ingredients you like. Here's what I used (measurements depend on the number of people you are making for and how flavorful you want it).

Chicken cashew stir-fry

Canola oil
Boneless chicken breast
Frozen vegetable stir-fry mix
Frozen chopped spinach
Cashews
Toasted sesame seeds
Caramelized onions
Pineapple pieces
Low-sodium soy sauce
Black pepper

Dash of...
Ginger
Basil
Molasses
Lemon juice

Heat oil and add chicken, stir for about a minute and add vegetables and spinach. Cover and cook until veggies are no longer frozen. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook uncovered until heated through and chicken is done. Serve over rice.

Pumpkin bread with pecans, raisins or chocolate chips

Alright, folks, it's been a while. Let's get right to the recipes. Here's one for those who still have a can of pumpkin in the pantry.

Pumpkin bread

2 cups wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, salt
1 can plain pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
2 eggs (or egg substitute)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup soymilk or milk

possible mix-ins:
chocolate chips
raisins
pecan pieces

Beat eggs and add sugars, butter, milk, spices, vanilla, salt, pumpkin, baking powder and soda. Fold in oats and flour, then fold in whatever mix-in(s) you want. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour (leave plenty of room in the loaf pan for bread to rise while baking).

Vegetable noodle soup

There are so many good things about soup, beyond warming and filling you on a chilly day. First, it's easy. Really easy. Ok, creamed soup is a bit harder, but for regular ol' broth soup, you don't need to measure each ingredient exactly or add them in a specific order. Just throw everything in a pot, turn on the stove (or slow cooker) and go read a book. Related to this, soup can be completely custom based on the ingredients you like. If you don't like peas, don't add peas! If you like lima beans . . . well, you go for it. Also, soup is one of the least expensive meals you can make; it's filling, makes many servings, freezes well and doesn't require all fresh ingredients. Last, if you happen to have leftover lentils, this is a great way to use them.

Vegetable noodle soup

sodium-free chicken bouillon (use directions on package to determine water-bouillon ratio)
dry lentils
pinto beans
frozen vegetables (I used a few bags of mixed veggies that included peas, carrots, corn, onion, potato and celery)
whole wheat shell pasta, cooked
black pepper
sea salt
other spices/herbs to taste, such as bay leaves, marjoram and turmeric

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, stirring in bouillon, bay leaves (remove before serving), salt, pepper and other spices. Add other ingredients and reduce heat. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until ingredients are soft. While soup is cooking, make pasta according to instructions on the package. Drain and set aside. Add pasta to soup and heat for another couple of minutes. Serve with fresh bread or crackers.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Tuna loaf: An easy recipe for a busy month

I've made salmon loaf before, but that requires a bit more time to remove the skin and bones from the salmon. The canned tuna, however, makes for a seriously easy dinner.

Tuna loaf

3 cans light tuna (in water, drained)
2 T olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 C whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 C milk or soymilk
season to taste:
garlic pepper
cumin
basil
marjoram

Combine all ingredients and stir until well mixed. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 mins. Makes three mini-loaves.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Vegetable chili

This takes very little preparation and makes enough chili to last the week (or freeze half of it). You can also make it with other veggies if you prefer. I originally made this with yellow squash instead of carrots, but I decided the carrots would be better next time. Serve with shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Vegetable chili

about 5 cups presoaked, dried kidney and red beans
5 to 5 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 bag (about a pound) frozen cut carrots
10 oz frozen diced bell peppers (I used green)
1 pound frozen sweet corn
12 oz frozen chopped onions
1 medium eggplant, chopped
1 jalapeño, diced
3 cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes (no salt added)
1/2 to 1 cup red wine
2 tsp cocoa powder
season to taste:
black pepper, salt, coriander, chili pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper

Boil water, beans and salt in an 8-quart pot for about 1/2 hour. Add veggies, spices and wine and simmer for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours until beans are fully cooked.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Easy pasta with peanut sauce

If you like peanut butter as much as I do, here's a recipe that can be ready in 15 minutes and is a nice change from tomato sauce.

Easy pasta with peanut sauce

whole wheat pasta
natural peanut butter (no extra oils or sugars)
garlic
red bell pepper, chopped
milk (or coconut milk)
curry powder
ground cayenne pepper
spinach 
olive oil

Boil pasta according to directions. In a separate pan, heat olive oil and add large handfuls of spinach, stirring continuously until the leaves are just wilted. Set aside. In the same pan, over low heat, stir together one or two large spoonfuls of peanut butter and a little milk. As the peanut butter melts, add milk a little at a time until sauce reaches desired consistency. Add red pepper. Stir in garlic, curry and cayenne according to taste. Add the spinach back in, and follow with pasta until everything is well heated and mixed together.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Apple pecan pancakes with apple butter

Spring is in sight, so I continue to go through the winter foods I've had stored. This morning I took from the freezer the last bag of apples I picked in the fall, and from the pantry, a jar of apple butter I bought over Thanksgiving weekend in New Jersey. If you ever find yourself near Burlington, N.J., on a weekend, make a trip to the Columbus Farmers Market. Much of it is a busy flea market, but one corner is an Amish market with a deli, butcher and bakery. Go hungry because they also sell breakfast sandwiches and creamy, slow-cooked oatmeal. The apple butter I got there was delicious -- made with just apples, apple cider and cinnamon -- and went well over these hearty apple pecan pancakes.

Apple pecan pancakes

1 egg
1 T canola oil
2 T agave nectar (or honey)
6 oz plain lowfat yogurt
1/3 cup milk (I used hazelnut milk, which I found at Whole Foods and is delicious)
1/2 T molasses
3 T ground flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 T baking powder
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup barley four (or use 1 cup of wheat flour)
about 2 cups chopped apple
about 1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4-1/3 cup water, as needed

Whisk egg and add other ingredients until batter is well mixed. Make pancakes in skillet over medium-low heat and serve with apple butter.

Cranberry sauce and dessert

Even though I now prefer fresh cranberries, as a kid I loved jellied cranberry sauce. I used to eat it fresh out of the can -- with a fork to make it last longer. And our family Thanksgiving dinner would not be complete without the traditional "frozen cranberry mold" (this sounds questionable, but is actually delicious: jellied cranberry sauce and lemon juice, topped with whipped cream, vanilla and powdered sugar, frozen.)

When I visited Monticello last year, I picked up a book about Native American foods that has some interesting facts about cranberries: 

• originally, the English called them fenberries, with fen meaning bog. The name changed to craneberry because the stems of the fruit were curved like a crane's neck.
• mashed cranberries were used by American Indians as a cure for wounds, and to draw out poisons. They were also used in dyes, and were a symbol of peace.

Hundreds of years later... I had two cans of jellied cranberry sauce leftover from November and I decided to make two new recipes with them. Below is a recipe for a dessert inspired by lemon bars, and a breakfast bread/cake. Enjoy!


Cranberry bars

Crust:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

Mix ingredients and press into bottom (and halfway up sides) of a square, greased dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins.

Filling:
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 T lemon juice
3 T flour

Beat eggs, then mix in flour (on a low speed). Mix vanilla and lemon juice with cranberry sauce and add to eggs/flour. Pour filling over crust. If using topping (see below), spread over top of filling. Bake for another 30 mins. Let cool before serving (if you don't use crumb topping, sprinkle powdered sugar over top before serving).

Crumb topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 T butter

Mix first four ingredients and cut in butter. 


Cranberry-apple breakfast cake

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T canola oil
1 egg
2 T lemon juice
1/2 cup milk or soymilk
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 can jellied cranberry sauce, mixed
2 cups apples, chopped

Beat egg and add brown sugar, oil, lemon juice, milk, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, oats and flour. Mix in apple sauce and cranberry sauce. Fold in chopped apples.  Pour into greased pan and bake at 375 degrees for about 55 mins or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Spinach and salsa

In a complete reversal from the last post(s), this is one of the laziest dinners ever (not counting oatmeal). It doesn't look all that pretty either. But it's not bad. In fact, it was good enough to make the blog. So, here's to easy cooking.

1 bag frozen chopped spinach
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
12 oz medium salsa
olive oil
lemon juice

Heat olive oil (about 1 T) in a skillet, add broccoli, cook until it begins to soften. Add a couple teaspoons of lemon juice. Add spinach and cook until heated through (stir often). Stir in salsa and heat a bit more. Done. 
Eat with crackers or chips, or over rice. 

Chicken, potatoes, hummus, apple crisp and other good food

Carrot hummus, caramelized onions, pita bread

I love having dinner guests because I can make a multi-course meal without filling the fridge with leftovers. This was my menu for a Lebanese-inspired dinner (I still have sumac to use from my trip to Lebanon). I was probably most excited about the carrot hummus turning out, and successfully attempting caramelized onions. 


Brussels sprouts, potato and onion
Add sumac and some lemon juice to this recipe

Chicken 
With sumac, onion and peppers

Carrot hummus
With za'atar and caramelized onions

And for dessert... 
Simple apple crisp 
With ice cream, of course

Bonus recipe: 
Cucumber yogurt dip
Good with pita, or over spring greens as a side salad

Carrot hummus with za'atar and caramelized onions

Carrot hummus

5-6 carrots
2 cans chick peas
olive oil (about 1-2 T)
tahini (about 2 T)
lemon juice (about 1 T)
diced garlic (about 2-3 cloves)
salt
za'atar
caramelized onions (I followed these directions and used 4 yellow onions)

Cut carrots in halves or thirds, toss with olive oil and roast in oven until soft. Purée carrots in a blender (add some olive oil and water to help blend). Rinse chick peas and purée, adding garlic, salt, olive oil, water, lemon juice and tahini a little at a time until it reaches the right consistency and taste. Mix hummus with the carrots and dust top with za'atar. When ready to serve, top with a little more olive oil and caramelized onions. Serve with pita bread and these other dishes.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Cucumber yogurt dip

Cucumber yogurt dip
(also known as tzatziki, one of my favorite foods)

1 cup plain yogurt
garlic, diced
pinch of dried mint
lemon juice
1/2 English (seedless) cucumber

Remove skin from cucumber. Grate cucumber and use paper towels to absorb much of the water in it. Mix with yogurt (the thicker the yogurt, the thicker your dip -- use regular yogurt for something that will go over salad, or Greek yogurt for a pita dip). Season with lemon juice, garlic and mint a little at a time until reaching preferred taste. When I visited Greece, I had tzatziki almost every day and each restaurant made it slightly different. Enjoy as part of a full dinner with these dishes.

Chicken with sumac, onion and peppers

Chicken with sumac, onion and peppers

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 yellow onions, cut into strips
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 red pepper, cut into strips
fresh parsley, chopped
dried thyme
ground sumac
salt
ground pepper
juice from 1/2 lemon

Sauté onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, stir, then add peppers for a couple minutes. Add chicken pieces and season with salt, pepper, sumac, thyme and lemon juice. Add a little water (1/8 to 1/4 cup) to keep the chicken from drying out. Cook for a few minutes before adding parsley. Cover and simmer on low until chicken is done.
Serve with these other dishes!

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Simple apple crisp

Fast, easy, reasonably healthy, delicious: My kind of dessert. I made a few changes, but the basic recipe is from my mom (thanks, Mom!). This is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top...

Simple apple crisp
4 cups apples, chopped
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup water (unless using frozen apples that have been thawed -- they have enough extra water)

Mix apple pieces with honey and 1/2 tsp cinnamon (and water if using fresh apples). Spread in bottom of square glass dish. Combine butter and brown sugar; mix in flour, 1 tsp cinnamon and oats. Spread topping over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Muddy Buddies brownies

The fun thing about trying new recipes is that you never really know how they will turn out; sometimes recipe experiments go horribly wrong, and sometimes recipes that are in the process of going horribly wrong turn into something quite good. This was the latter. I was attempting to make "reverse" Muddy Buddies, using white chocolate and cocoa powder. But, the combination of white chocolate and honey I made was not something that would spread well over the cereal. In an attempt to save dessert, I pulled out of my pantry a box brownie mix. I crushed the cereal into the white chocolate mix and poured the brownie batter over top. The result was a sweet, uniquely flavored brownie. Moral of the story -- don't be afraid to try random recipe ideas, and don't give up halfway through if your idea isn't working!

Muddy Buddies brownies

8 cups Chex rice cereal
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
cinnamon
cocoa powder
1 box brownie mix
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
2 egg whites, beaten

Melt white chocolate chips and butter in the microwave and stir with honey. Mix with crushed rice cereal. Spread evenly in a greased dish. Lightly dust top of cereal mixture with cinnamon and cocoa powder. In a bowl, combine brownie mix with oil, water and egg whites (this may be different from the directions on the box). Pour brownie mixture over the cereal, letting it settle evenly in the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Brown soup bread

I call this soup bread because it's hearty and a great side for winter soup. It also takes very little time to prepare, as it doesn't require yeast.

Brown soup bread

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup barley flour
1 T amber agave nectar (can sub. honey)
2 T ground flaxseed
2 egg whites
1 T canola oil
1 T molasses
2 tsp baking soda
6 oz (one container) plain, lowfat yogurt
1/3 cup water
golden raisins (op)
oats (op)

Beat egg whites until fluffy, mix in flax, oil, molasses, agave, yogurt, water and baking soda. Fold in flours and raisins, if using. Grease and flour a cookie sheet. Shape the dough into a loaf and place on the pan (the dough is sticky -- use flour on your hands!). Use a knife to make a split in the top of the bread. Sprinkle oats over the top and bake for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Winter vegetable and bean soup

Winter is not my season. Dark, cold, sleepy. But hot soup and oven-fresh bread were made for January and February. It's inexpensive, makes the house smell wonderful, and makes lots of food (freeze the leftovers!). The best part is how easy it is to make -- throw a bunch of raw ingredients in a slow cooker in the morning, and hours later, dinner! I often plan what type of soup I will make by what frozen veggies I have in my freezer that need to be used. Here's a filling soup that I'll be enjoying for many meals to come...

Winter vegetable and bean soup

2 cups dry lentils
2 1/2 cups presoaked chickpeas
2 cups presoaked barley
2 cups chopped onion (about one bag frozen)
one small package frozen kale
2 cups frozen green beans
1 cup frozen green peas
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
2 T lemon juice
6 tsp chicken bouillon (sodium free)
1/2 tsp each dried oregano, parsley, marjoram and turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
sea salt and black pepper to taste (I used about 2 tsp each)
10 cups water*

Prepare dry chickpeas and barley by soaking in cold water overnight. Combine all ingredients in a large slow cooker and set on high for about four hours. Then, cook on low for another three hours. I had to keep adding water because the soup was getting so thick, but eventually I couldn't fit more water in my slow cooker. If you have a larger one, add more than 10 cups of water. Otherwise, just add some hot water before serving to thin it out a bit. Enjoy, and stay warm!

(Recipe by H. Farrell)