catch-up with korean cooking

despite the lack of posts on the subject, i am still cooking korean food. or at least some things that could be considered that. this kimchi fried rice turned out really well, despite some strange ingredients. red bell pepper, kidney beans, and pineapple. PINEAPPLE. well, haven't you ever had pineapple fried rice before? i'm not a big fan of this fruit on pizza, but i can't deny how well it goes together with kimchi to make a sweet-spicy-salty-sour combination. try it at home, kids.


i'm proud to say that a few weeks ago i finally made galbi! for me it was something of a little feat, as i am far from well-versed in cooking meat. and without a grill, flesh almost always turns to something inedible in my hands. i remember once my mother asked for help with a thanksgiving turkey. having never dealt with meat before (and being 9 years old) i wasn't sure how to go about prepping the frozen bird. i tried soaking it in hot water to speed up the defrost before she got home. but upon hearing her shouts and cries, i figured it probably wasn't the right thing to do. yet the people i fed this galbi to kept eating more and more.

galbi: korean-style marinated meat
my mom's recipe!

800-1000g pork or beef (just about any cut will do)
100 ml soy sauce
4 tbsp brown sugar or honey
6 cloves of garlic
1 medium-sized onion
4 tbsp sake, beer, wine, or 7-up
pinch of black pepper
about a thumb's worth of fresh ginger
one small pear (asian pear preferred, but any will work)
2 tsbp sesame oil

slice the meat thinly. if you're having a hard time doing this, try freezing the meat for an hour or two before slicing. throw everything else into a food processor or blender. if the cut of meat you're using is not one of the tender bits, add half a kiwi to the sauce. pour the marinade over the meat and keep it in the fridge. after 24 hours, i highly recommend that you grill it but pan-frying works too. suggestions: eat with rice wrapped in lettuce, chopped up in bibimbap, or in a burrito! rice completes it. be thankful for your mother and enjoy.

this soybean soup was made with a hand-blender a few months ago, before i was united with my beautiful blender. it seems like winter has skipped over fall here in denmark and i'm so happy i have the blender to help me make all the soups i'm craving nowadays. but i prefer to eat soybean soup slightly chilled, so i'll just wait until spring rolls around before i make this again. right now i feel like having some dwenjang chigae. (: