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)