tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49326677768305693042024-03-13T18:31:15.514+01:00copenhagen kitchenmaking the best of my teeny tiny kitchen in copenhagen.minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.comBlogger249125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-78381877830799183462019-10-07T00:19:00.002+02:002019-10-07T00:19:53.835+02:00not-so-copehagen kitchenTrue to the header, this blog is again about moving.<br />
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Although I was having a ball living alone in Copenhagen, it was in fact lonely sometimes. After much consideration I decided to move in with my new boyfriend in a small city in Michigan. Quite a change after living in a European capital for the past 8 years and the bustling, diverse suburbs of Orange County before that. It's quiet but I enjoy it after living in the heart of the city and all the noise (and smells) that come with it.<br />
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It was stressful to move with 3 suitcases and 2 cats in tow through three different flights. I may have cried a lot; both from anxiety about my whining cats and sadness over leaving my friends and my life in Denmark. Although living there was tough in the beginning I managed to jump through most of the hoops I needed to stay there, learn the language, get a job, and make friends. It was a hard decision to leave it all behind but I always knew I had to come back to the States.<br />
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It has been a long time since my last post and a lot has happened since then! My boyfriend is now my husband, we bought a house, and we acquired a third cat! Maybe the biggest change in relation to this blog is the fact that I went vegetarian a year and a half ago. I never thought it would be possible for me, but here we are. I want to start up writing here again to keep track of some of the new recipes I've created and some of the vegan dishes I have enjoyed. But I do need a new name and I need to clean up the blog a little.minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-61059164955552017472015-03-31T16:00:00.001+02:002015-03-31T16:00:23.351+02:00italian food<center>
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stupidly i never liked italian food. sure, i have always loved pizza (who doesn't?) and enjoyed the frozen lasagne my mom left for my brother and i to eat when she was working late. but whenever someone suggested to go out to an italian restaurant, i would quickly try to change the venue to a vietnamese, mexican, korean, or japanese restaurant. growing up, italian food to me was olive garden or (later on) <a href="https://www.google.dk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bucadibeppo.com%2F&ei=ZPwXVaGXFIGvUa64gYgE&usg=AFQjCNFqBUMinaEWP623UJbfbvzNXyql0w&sig2=fYETDzTblMic0TyV6cju0w&bvm=bv.89381419,d.d24">buca di beppo</a>. i came to associate eating italian food with enormous portions of pasta accompanied by garlic bread, followed by the feeling of being sickly full of empty carbs and cream.
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so when <a href="https://sikoperbiru.wordpress.com/">my friend</a> said we should go to parma, my expectations were pretty low. not that i thought i would starve, but i thought if i could figure out anything about italian cuisine then this would be the place. pictured above is the first thing we ate in parma; a spaccaballe and a 'ham and cheese sandwich.' i put it in quotes because it is nowhere near the bland ham and cheese single sandwiches that i've been subjected to in the past. i'd previously read some positive reviews about <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/pep%C3%A8n-parma-2">pepen</a>, and we wandered in by chance. despite being 3pm, it was full of locals where other restaurants were closed for a break between lunch and dinner. and if there is anything i've learned from my travels, it's to get whatever the chef at a good restaurant recommends. these two were the result, and the PARMA ham and PARMesan cheese sandwich blew my mind. the bread isn't stellar but it fits well with the moreish prosciutto and the salty, intense parmesan cheese. we polished it off with a glass of white wine and left as happy tourists.<br />
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for me, parmesan used to be that powder in a shaker on tables in pizza places. eventually i learned to buy it in wedges or blocks and grate it freshly over pasta. but even the blocks you get in upscale grocery stores here usually can't compare to what you can get at a discount supermarket in parma for a fraction of the price. yes, of course i bought some and took it back with me. this plate was served to us at <a href="http://www.ombrerosseparma.it/">ombre rosse</a> with a couple of glasses of decent red. the two cheeses on top are two types of parmesan, and the other three are obviously blues. with honey and walnuts, it was the perfect dish to whet the appetite.
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in fact most of the meals i was pleasantly surprised by were the appetizers. parma ham, mortadella, and especially culatello. we had the privilege of tasting a batch from november 2012 at <a href="http://www.lagreppiaparma.com/english/">la greppia</a> and were floored by the flavour. how can a paper-thin slice of meat have so many facets? again, the bread was not great but maybe it was intentional as to not overshadow the meat. not pictured is an amazing plate of bottarga tagliolini that i regrettably couldn't finish due to our excessive snacking. i still have nightmares about leaving that pasta behind!<br />
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speaking of pasta, we did make our way out to bologna, where we of course had some pasta bolognese. or, as it is known in bologna; ragu. there it is served with tagliatelle instead of spagetti as the rest of the world does. all the food we had in parma and bologna was delicious, but i was particularly surprised by the pasta dishes. though they were sparsely dressed, they were certainly not light on flavour. it made me realize that the pasta itself is the star of the dish when made properly. so i do love italian food now! my feelings for olive garden are the same as before; you won't catch me there.minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-44057197127507222922014-11-09T13:22:00.000+01:002014-11-09T13:22:50.619+01:00changessoooo... i haven't been posting for a while because of the usual reasons. lazy. uninspired. but also because between this post and the last i have become a divorcée and obviously moved out on my own. my ex-husband and i are still on good terms and we 'share custody' of our two cats, which i am grateful for.
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/atherosclerosis/15561455470" title="IMG_0443 by mina kim, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0443" height="424" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7524/15561455470_9e63b54712.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">beet-pickled deviled eggs with kimchi</span></center>
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of course i have been cooking a lot; much more so now that i live alone. i was lucky enough to find an apartment to rent with a great location and nice kitchen with enough storage to keep all my appliances and knick knacks out of sight when not in use.
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/atherosclerosis/15722583966" title="DSC04641 by mina kim, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC04641" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7491/15722583966_4ffe805c14.jpg" width="333" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(packaged) cod roe sauce on homemade noodles</span></center>
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one sizeable undertaking i tried in my new apartment was to make tofu. it was a lot of work that yielded a pock-marked block of bitter tofu; not sure if it was because i used epsom salt or didn't keep it at the right temperature. however, it did have a lot of okara/biji leftover for me to work with, which tasted a lot better than the tofu. i made patties with it and froze the rest. as you can see, i've also starting making bentos again but hardcore! i started using instagram and have been harvesting a wealth of inspiration from other people's lunches from all over the world.
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/atherosclerosis/15744921991" title="IMG_2698 by mina kim, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2698" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7491/15744921991_76101a0804.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">owl tofu! with terong balado, spicy indonesian eggplant</span><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/atherosclerosis/15561993810" title="IMG_0437 by mina kim, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0437" height="333" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3945/15561993810_ef70eb1299.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">kenchinjiru with okara instead of tofu</span><br /><br />
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hopefully i can get back on the blogging horse instead of lazily posting on instagram. thanks to anyone who stuck around. ("
minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-55820766090567737242013-07-29T15:29:00.000+02:002019-10-07T00:30:29.553+02:00mom was hereyeah so my mom came to visit in may and made us all sorts of nice things to eat. of course i had grand plans of taking her out on the town and treating her to the best restaurants copenhagen has to offer, but she had other ideas. she really just wanted to hang out and cook with me; how can i refuse?! my mom also (predictably) brought a whole second suitcase full of korean and mexican ingredients; including two packs each of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unagi">bbq eel</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundae_(Korean_food)">soondae</a>!! is that even legal..? i don't know how i managed to squirrel away all of it into the kitchen cabinets, but eventually i made it happen. don't open any of the cabinets. >_><br />
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pan-fried zucchini, meat patties, and peppers stuffed with meat<br /><br />
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oxtail soup<br /><br />
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bbq eel and avocado rolls, chobap/inarizushi<br /><br />
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apparently it's a cool new thing to combine <a href="http://www.nongshimusa.com/our-products/meal-noodle/chapagetti">chapagetti</a> and <a href="http://www.nongshimusa.com/our-products/meal-noodle/neoguri">neoguri</a>, or so my mom tells me. the result is noodles with a moreish, spicy sauce. it's worth a try! just be sure to drain away the same amount of water as if you were just making the chapagetti.
it really was such a breath of fresh air to have her here. i've been living in denmark for 5 years now and i only get to see my family once a year; maybe twice if i'm lucky. though i like living here, i miss them very much. minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-4813037892102220752013-02-16T13:38:00.001+01:002013-02-16T13:39:32.533+01:00homesick at homei miss my mom.
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again, i wish we'd spent more time here! osaka didn't seem like so much in the daytime, though i can't say i spent too much time outside of shops and department stores. but at night, the city was teeming with people looking for late-night eats and of course drinks.<br><br>
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a friend who i met in copenhagen at a couchsurfing party was gracious enough to take me to her favourite takoyaki place. 'octopus balls' may sound like a sad prank of a meal, but i promise you it's delicious. it's a savoury, spherical pancake with bits of octopus inside and slathered with a brown sauce and bonito flakes. seeing how thin she is, i was surprised when she suggested we get okonomiyaki afterward. it was about 9pm; i don't mind eating late, but i have to say i wasn't expecting to in japan.<br><br>
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thankfully the okonomiyaki place was pretty popular, so i got to digest a bit while waiting in line. once seated, we got to watch the cooks at the bar expertly forming our dinners. the batter seems to be very similar to takoyaki, but with many more options on fillings. we split two very common pancakes; one with pork belly and cabbage and another with green onion and cabbage (a.k.a. negiyaki). the toppings are also similar to their round counterparts with the brown sauce and the addition of kewpie mayo. equally delicious. <br><br>
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i wish we had spent more time in kyoto.
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we were only there for two days, but i think 2 weeks in japan was about all the dane could handle. we stayed at <a href="http://www.guesthouse-bon.com/e-index.html">guesthouse bon</a>, a nice homestay which was recommended to me by a friend. it is not a ryokan or hotel, it's like someone's home with several additional bedrooms. our host was so kind; showing us points of interest on his wall covered by a hand-drawn map and even picking us up and dropping us off at the nearest subway station. it's a beautiful city, one of the only places in japan where the charm overshadowed the food for me. but that's not to say that we didn't have some good meals there!
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unlike osaka and tokyo, this is not a port city. of course in this day and age it is much easier to get fresh fish in landlocked areas, but the traditional sushi in kyoto is preserved. pictured above is a particularly good sabazushi, which is lightly pickled mackerel covered with what i think is thinly-sliced kombu. the flavour is not as delicate fresh fish, but it's delicious! it is a little on the large side though, so i had to bite it in half. i always feel a bit self-conscious when i fail to eat sushi in one bite. >_>;
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we also happened upon a hole-in-the-wall noodle shop while on our way to the silver pavilion. i ordered soba noodles and the dane got udon. my dish came with a mackerel braised in soy sauce. it was very flavourful! it wasn't very complicated but it didn't cost much either and it really hit the spot.
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the silver pavilion was lovely, but packed with people. almost all of them were japanese, which is definitely a step above american tourists. yes, i realize i am american too, which makes it all the more embarrassing when their voices carry over everyone else's in the metro in copenhagen. anyway, i got bitten by 15 mosquitos (or the same number of times by a single mosquito..) and then we made our way over to the next famous spot.<br><br>
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the sight of all these bright red gates is really something. i have seen many photos of it and once we got there, the dane pointed out; how did they manage to take those photos? it is really hard to get both rows of shrine in the frame, especially with tourists walking in both directions. the photo above is actually the back of the gates where you can see the donor of each one has signed it. after seeing only two sights, we headed to osaka... but not without getting a kyoto-style bento for the road!
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we experienced a lot of good food in japan, not least of all the lunch boxes that ranged from simple breakfasts to elaborate works of art to be consumed on the bullet train. there was so much care put into arranging each one and so many different flavours to choose from.. and (usually) very reasonably priced! this bento was about 1,270 yen (around $15 usd). the ones you can get at convenience stores for breakfast look a bit less exciting, but the price matches at 200-600 yen ($2.50-7.50 usd). ever since i can remember, people have been telling me that japan is a very expensive place to visit. but compared to copenhagen, most things are a bargain! we walked away from most of our meals with very reasonable receipts. <br><br>
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upon returning home, my husband announced that he would like to try bentos for his own lunch. although some wives would have rolled their eyes at the prospect of an added workload, i was stoked! his health has deteriorated during the year and i have been bugging him to let me pack a lunch he can take to work. normally he will eat a shawarma or sandwich from a shop nearby; not the healthiest or cheapest way to go about things. pictured above is the latest one i've made for him; (canned) tuna rolls, soy sauce packet, <a href="http://www.marukaiestore.com/p-2869-house-tofu-burger-patty-mixwvegetable-186oz.aspx">tofu patties</a> and a bear-ful of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcestershire_sauce#Japan">tonkatsu sauce</a>, potatoes and carrots cooked in <a href="http://www.efooddepot.com/products/bamboe/4632/bamboe_bumbu_sop_(meat_soup_seasoning)__hypen__1_dot_7oz.html">indonesian soup</a>, and a clementine. <br><br>
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after a week of bentos, what's the verdict? he loves it! the convenience of not having to worry about what to eat today or when is a good time to take a break to go buy it, coupled with the money saved makes it a no-brainer. plus it gets him to eat a couple more vegetables than he normally would, and eat more rice and less wheat. i pack a lunch for myself anyway, so it's not really so much extra work for me. the only problem is that he has a fridge but no microwave at work, so i have to plan a meal that will be enjoyable (and safe!) to eat cold. over the weekend i invested in the project by buying a 20kg bag of japanese rice.. for 400kr!! omg. my mom will probably scream when she reads this. japanese and korean products are not widely available (or inexpensive..) in copenhagen, so once my stock of items from 100 yen shops has run out, it will take a bit more creativity to blend elements of the danish madpakke with the japanese bento and korean doshirak. minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-44877205774537781212012-10-26T10:39:00.002+02:002012-10-26T10:42:16.274+02:00tokyo<center><img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8467/8121487924_d1c3be881b.jpg></center><br>
yet another travel post! it may seem like i go on a lot of adventures, but really this year is an exception. normally in my free time, i sit at home and twiddle my thumbs and cook to keep insanity at bay... heh heh. but this trip was a long time coming. even before my husband and i were married, we fantasized about going to japan together. we had only traveled twice together besides to and from our respective homes; new york and new zealand. we had a blast together and were looking forward to doing it again. fast-forward to 4 years later and we haven't traveled to any new places at all. luckily when we got married, my parents gave us money towards our honeymoon. and that's what this was, a belated honeymoon to japan. ^^
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oh, the food. the service was impeccable at every restaurant we ate at; i am not used to servers being so polite after living in copenhagen for 4 years... ok! that's the first and last jab at denmark for this post. while my husband was more interested in eating as much quality sushi he could fit into his tummy, i was looking forward to comfort foods like freshly-made <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen">ramen</a>/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udon">udon</a>/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soba">soba</a>, <a href="http://justbento.com/handbook/bento-culture/two-approaches-katsu-sando-plus-more-japanese-sandwiches">katsu-sando</a>, <a href="http://norecipes.com/blog/mentaiko-pasta-recipe/">tarako</a>, pretty much anything with tofu.. i did get to eat all those lovely things, but i feel like i didn't eat enough noodles. the ones i had were all very good, with perfect bite and length. nothing sadder than a short noodle when you are expecting to slurp. (;
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they have a tendency to eat eggs quite raw in japan; which i have absolutely no problem with, since they take the necessary precautions. i never got sick from food in japan, even though i was served almost raw eggs to crack on top of the tsukemen pictured above. and the yolks are bright orange! you can also get them already cooked (somewhat) at convenience stores if you have a craving. seems like those shops are much better in asia than any other place in the world, or at least it seems that way to me. i only ate breakfast once in a hotel because you can always find a delicious bento at the convenience store and they will warm it up for you. or if i wasn't feeling hungry, i'd just buy an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umeboshi">umeboshi</a> <a href="http://justbento.com/handbook/bento-basics/onigiri-omusubi-faq">onigiri</a> for later. everything was delicious, i don't remember tasting anything i didn't like. even tomato chocolate.. it took a while, but it grew on me. ^^
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along with seeking out and ingesting all the food, we did do some sightseeing. in tokyo we went to <a href="http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/koishikawa/index.html">koishikawa korakuen gardens</a>, <a href="http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm">tsukiji market</a>, and attempted to enter the imperial gardens which turned out to be inexplicably closed on the one day we had time to go. it was closed sunday, and monday was a national holiday.. 'health and sports day.' grrrr! i highly recommend visiting the other two places, though. contrary to what i've read online, you don't need to show up at tsukiji market at the crack of dawn unless you want to watch the tuna auction or line up at <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1066444-d1663012-Reviews-Sushidai-Chuo_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html">sushi dai</a> or <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1066444-d1689062-Reviews-Daiwazushi-Chuo_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html">daiwa zushi</a>. we weren't interested in a 5am wake-up call, so we moseyed along at our own pace and reached the outer market at about 11:30. it was still bustling with activity and we sat down to a delicious (and reasonably-priced) sushi lunch at a random spot. afterwards we poked our heads into the actual fish market, which was all but shut down. merchants were hosing the place down and the boxes were empty, but we did get to witness two guys wrestling with a slice of tuna.
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<center><img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8043/8124323236_fed587f43f.jpg></center><br>
we only got to see a fraction of the city so i'm hoping i can go back someday. especially for the shopping! be on the lookout for places like <a href="http://www.tokyu-hands.co.jp/en/">tokyu hands</a>, <a href="http://www.muji.eu/">muji</a>, and <a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2077.html">100 yen shops</a> for cool stuff that won't put a dent in your wallet. besides not eating enough noodles, my other regret of the trip was not buying enough groceries and clothes! especially packs of umeboshi and seaweed at tsukiji. i did get some but my suitcases were almost halfway under the weight limit. it's very unusual for me to not be right at 23kg! i should have bought more stuff... but i was thankful for the lower weight once we got home. we live on the second floor (third floor to americans) of an apartment with no elevator, so coming home from trips is hard in more ways than one! my husband was probably also grateful, as i tend to squeeze provisions into every corner of the flat. but he'll thank me when the zombie apocalypse is upon us...
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<center><img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8473/8124270705_a301e760ac.jpg></center>minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-66496622943946274322012-10-02T13:35:00.004+02:002012-10-02T13:50:43.629+02:00prague<center><img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8309/8042804345_a1d72d6b44.jpg></center><br>
a couple weekends ago, i went to prague with a <a href="http://thisindonesian.tumblr.com/">friend of mine</a>. no sightseeing plans or things to do in mind, we are just starting to enjoy the concept of the ladies only weekend trip. last year we went to berlin with <a href="http://shetalkslikejune.com/">another friend</a> and had a blast. actually i am a little ashamed to say that we go to these great places and all we really care about is the food and shopping. well, all europe is the same, right? >_>
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<center><img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8030/8042804431_885f341c4f.jpg></center><br>
the cuisine seemed to be pretty much meat and potatoes/bread and cheese but still tasty and fairly inexpensive. we happened to wander into <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d1233955-Reviews-Restaurace_Trilobit-Prague_Bohemia.html">restaurace trilobit</a> on a side street of one of the busier areas. lucky for us, the beer was cheap and the place was good despite being mostly empty. i ordered a steak in gravy with dumplings and what i got was what you see above. i was definitely expecting something else but the thin piece of beef was tender and the gravy was delicious, albeit maybe a little too sweet. however i wasn't too crazy about the 'dumplings' which was some boiled dough that was cut into slices. as you can imagine, the dish went very well with czech beer. the lack of patrons turned out to be a good thing as i later discovered that smoking is allowed inside. <br><br>
<center><img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8457/8042804193_3cfe60c634.jpg></center><br>
one thing that is found on pretty much every pub menu in prague is chicken. to be specific, chicken breast with cheese. this one is from <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d1089649-Reviews-U_Cipu-Prague_Bohemia.html">u cipu</a>, another unassuming place we stumbled across. it was pretty full of both people and smoke. despite the smoke, my chicken with mozzarella tasted great. there was a bit of somewhat sour cabbage on the side that i also appreciated. i thought i ordered croquettes instead of fries but i guess there was a misunderstanding; i received them later when i was pretty full. what i was expecting was maybe two or three deep-fried potato and cheese palm-sized patties but what i got was a bunch of little balls. they were still good, but would have been better with some ketchup. what can i say, i am an uncultured american. (;
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<center><img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/8042804123_b5d69dd65d.jpg></center><br>
surprise! chicken again. this one from <a href="http://www.restauracetitanic.cz/">restaurance titanic</a> was the one slightly dry chicken breast i got; the previous one was nice and juicy. the broccoli and cheese inside made up for it. also, i ordered mashed potatoes and i suppose i was expecting something creamy; this looks more like 'smashed' potatoes. anyway they were fine, the beer was good (and the same price we'd become accustomed to paying; 30 czk), and they had free wifi. can't complain so much, eh?
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the one cultural thing we did was go to the sedlec ossuary a.k.a. the bone church. though small, it was worth the trip for me; although we did manage to screw it up a little. after arriving by train in kutná hora station, we were advised to take the local train to the bone church. in reality it is within walking distance but the actual city of kutná hora is not. we ended up waiting for the local train to take us back to the station for a long time, and then found out that the train back to prague wasn't coming for a few more hours. we decided to go poke around kutná hora to kill time and finally spotted the bus which was actually a van. wasn't so much to do there but we at least got some fries and a beer to tide us over until we got back to prague.<br><br>
our tip to travelers that are looking for the bone church: walk from kutná hora station. the city proper is not a must-see, but if you need to kill time then you can either take a bus/van or walk it if you have an hour (each way) to spare. i think we wasted about half a day wandering around and waiting here instead of shopping back in prague. don't make the same mistake as us! (:minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-58002146390470789192012-08-06T11:31:00.000+02:002012-08-08T20:10:42.301+02:00no recipeso, danish summer is (or should i say "was") not all it's cracked up to be this year. there have been more cold/windy days than sunny, with lots of rain to add insult to injury. but that did make the local strawberries taste even better than i remember last year. there haven't been any strawberries jams or pies made, as we've been content with eating them straight out of their punnets. anyway, it hasn't been hot enough to avoid cooking on most days, so here is a bit of what's been going on in my kitchen. <br><br>
<center><img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7724039000_e1f242752d.jpg><br>
mussels and soba<br><br>
<img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7248/7724038856_87e826da76.jpg><br>
chili crab<br><br>
<img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8427/7724038714_6037392b77.jpg><br>
a strange mix of balinese food; chicken in coconut milk, water spinach, fried tempe, and rice<br><br>
<img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8282/7724038564_7fe8eac8c3.jpg><br>
jjajangmyun<br><br>
<img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7724038384_82e9f9419e.jpg><br>
soondubu<br><br>
<img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8426/7724038248_2de8bcfda1.jpg><br>
pho accoutrements. sorry, the soup was made from a packet. I:<br><br>
<img src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8430/7724038096_b73760b650.jpg><br>
pandan chicken.<br><br>
<img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7260/7591263872_f2e8cbcb96.jpg><br>
clockwise from top right: spicy bean sprouts and green beans, water spinach, fried shallots, that chicken in coconut milk again, and coconut rice</center><br><br>
i've been making a lot of indonesian dishes lately. i feel like a traitor, haha! in the following months i'll try to make more korean food. (:minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-37692914958453502482012-05-19T13:12:00.003+02:002012-05-19T13:25:00.162+02:00relæwhenever i read in the paper about how copenhagen is the <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/26/travel/copenhagen-food-travel-guide/index.html">culinary capital of europe</a> or someone mentions how <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/travel/in-copenhagen-a-new-food-mecca.html?pagewanted=all">lucky i am</a> to be living here, i am honestly annoyed. just look up the restaurants that are listed in such articles and you'll realize that not everyone can afford to indulge in gastronomic adventures every month, much less every week. i'm not saying that said restaurants do not serve good food; i've only been to a few of them. but to me, at least, a 'culinary capital' is somewhere that just about <i>everyone</i> has the opportunity and will to eat well. hong kong, san sebastian, and new york come to mind. i've been witness to many danes settling for <a href="http://copenhagenkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/03/seedy-success.html">rugbrød</a> with cucumbers or some cold meat topping for lunch. i am not talking bad about rye bread, i enjoy it myself. but for lunch, every day of the week? no thanks.<br />
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<center><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8150/7226000488_6e7a70f37c.jpg" /></center><br />
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my little brother finally came to visit me in copenhagen in the beginning of may. he is very enthusiastic about food, so this was the perfect chance for me to check out some of the places that are bringing attention to the city. of course noma, being the so-called '<a href="http://www.theworlds50best.com/awards/1-50-winners/noma/">best restaurant in the world</a>,' was at the top of our list. but due to the short notice of my brother's visit, there was no chance we could get a table.. maybe next time. <a href="http://www.google.dk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant-relae.dk%2F&ei=qGu3T-HEHOij0QXh-rT-Bw&usg=AFQjCNGJWy-KYpqMGRPC0ulXgLJOS4RQvQ&sig2=vD8Ym-foFvBJh5q03khnrw">relæ</a> is only about 10 minutes walk from our flat, located on the trendy street of jægersborggade. the area had a shady past with gunfire and drugs, but it has cleaned up well and is now home to hipster-friendly shops and restaurants. the thing about relæ is that despite the humble interior and reasonable prices, it has recently been crowned with a michelin star. the price of a four-course menu is 355 DKK ($60 USD), same with the vegetarian menu, and the supplementing wines. though it could be argued that it should be cheaper than the regular menu, how many michelin restaurants have you been to that cater to vegetarians?<br />
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<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/7226000578_07322905d9.jpg" /></center><br />
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the vegetarian menu started with thinly-sliced kohlrabi wrapped around cucumber and lemon balm and topped with roasted caraway seeds (see top photo). sadly, the most i can say about this dish was that it was interesting. i wasn't crazy about the texture of anything, nor the cucumber soup it was served in. however, it did whet our appetites; we polished off the perfect bread and olive oil that was presented earlier. the wine pairing was jacquere ’11, jacques maillet vin de savoie. the next course was leagues better; marabel potatoes cut into noodles, wrapped around pecorino and seaweed (hijiki?), and served in a cream with seaweed (wakame?). i never imagined potatoes in this way... this should be a huge inspiration of vegetarians everywhere. <br />
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<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/7226000648_e590886d6a.jpg" /></center><br />
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the third dish was half a head of romaine lettuce (possibly poached?) topped with cured, shaved egg yolk and dotted with olives, served on top of a pool of stinging nettle sauce. i've never eaten anything like this before. the yolk reminded me a bit of salted duck egg, but with the texture of shredded cheese. it was actually a very salty dish, on the verge of being too salty. but the crisp white wine took that away with every sip; bouchat ’09 de guy blanchard, mâcon. my brother had the accompanying juice menu instead of wine, and i'm sorry to report that he didn't like them. they were not all sweet as he expected; in fact the first juice tasted very much like my cucumber soup. i'm not saying you shouldn't try it, but don't expect them all to be fruit juices. (;<br />
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<center><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/7226000742_91dd25027c.jpg" /></center><br />
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when i first looked at the menu, i didn't know if we would be offered dessert at all or maybe we would have to order it separate from the menu. when the fourth course was presented to us, i realized that "sunchoke, malt, and bread" was our dessert. the sunchoke a.k.a. jerusalem artichoke was made into an ice cream and the peels were saved to become sweet roasted chips. little bits of bread were soaked in malt, creating an almost raisin-y taste and texture. this was a very pleasant, not-too-sweet dessert. i love sunchokes and we do use them from time to time at <a href="http://copenhagenkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/11/tuesdays-are-my-favourite.html">the soup kitchen</a>, but i never would have imagined them in this way. the wine pairing was actually a cider; eric bordelet sidre tendre, normandie. it had just enough acidity to cut through the mild sweetness of dessert.<br><br>
i don't want to hype this place too much but it really was very good, and not just for the price. service was on point and each dish was explained to us in english by the chefs. i'm still far from convinced that copenhagen is the culinary capital of anywhere except denmark, but if you're traveling through then this is good eats.<br />
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<b><a href="http://restaurant-relae.dk/">restaurant relæ</a></b><br />
<i>jægersborggade 41 </i><br />
<i>2200 københavn n </i><br />
<i>+45 3696 6609 </i>minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-43375888336129659522012-05-17T10:17:00.001+02:002012-05-17T10:19:12.712+02:00turkey, part 2<br />
<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/7214112158_fe11ebe0a0.jpg" /></center><br />
you may not feel the love in big cities like istanbul or ankara, but when you go to less-populated places in turkey the locals' hospitality is legendary. our tour guide told us that it was not uncommon to be offered to join the dinner table if we knocked on the door of someone's residence in the evening. unfortunately we weren't invited anywhere, though my dad did try his best to get some young girls and also some boys my age to invite us to dinner. though the girls had a hard time understanding him, they did point us in the direction of a restaurant they liked... at least from what we understood. it advertised a turkish-uzbek menu and looked very small inside, like someone's living room. maybe it was a friend of one of the young girl's family? in any case, it looked inviting to us.<br />
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<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7099/7214112228_291d82a0a3.jpg" /></center><br />
luckily the turkish owner/server spoke very good english and welcomed us warmly. my parents ordered way too much food, as usual. i think they are like me in that they enjoy trying new foods.. but at the same time i sense they hold those tough times after the war close to their heart and like to see a lot of food on the table. in any case, the owner's uzbek wife cooked up the dishes very quickly and at least i was overwhelmed by the spread. of course we started with bread and the ubiquitous lentil soup, which i quickly fell in love with. followed by lamb manti; dumplings that are steamed and smothered in yoghurt and drizzled with hot sauce. a mixed grill platter with lamb and chicken and a few vegetables. the most delicious dish served was also the most deceptive; uzbek pilaf. rice is a funny thing in turkey; i think most americans think of rice as a bland starch to cleanse the palate from the main dishes which are presumably mostly meat. the rice dishes we were served on this trip were almost always bursting with flavour, usually cooked in butter or olive oil and carefully simmered with broth. this pilaf was no exception. there were generous hunks of lamb along with chickpeas and grated carrot, and half a head of roasted garlic as the cherry on top. of course we didn't waste one clove of it and spread it greedily on the bread.<br />
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<center><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5323/7214112056_b01a5d355d.jpg" /></center><br />
during the meal, the owner offered to put on some traditional uzbek music and chatted with us a bit. apparently he had been born in this city, ürgüp, and moved to istanbul for school. after marriage and kids and divorce, this small town called to him and he moved back. he found his new wife and they opened the restaurant together. it seemed like a place the locals enjoyed; the other diners were an old man smoking and drinking raki and a group of young ladies talking over lentil soup and occasionally checking on their babies. everything had been homemade and so delicious. it was such a privilege to eat with and talk to this man and wife team. they were even kind enough to pose for a photo with my parents. <br />
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<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7214112004_a740feed0e.jpg" /></center><br />
if you are ever passing through ürgüp, you'd be doing yourself a favour by eating here.<br />
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avyan saray<br>
(close to the intersecton of)<br />
atatürk blv and sarıhan sk<br />
ürgüp, nevşehir 50400<br />
turkeyminahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-35393658886583074592012-04-10T10:40:00.000+02:002012-04-10T10:40:30.811+02:00turkey, part 1<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7214/6914656250_b0b57f7496.jpg></center><br />
where do i even begin?<br />
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sad to say, it never occurred to me to travel to turkey. when someone mentioned the country, all i could think of was women with headscarves and kebab. of course now i am very ashamed since i found out that the food is not all meat and bread and the women are not all covered from head to toe. the big cities of istanbul and ankara were especially liberal. i even caught a glimpse of a girl's inner thigh as she was walking down the long pedestrian street. obviously, people looked but it was a far cry from being yelled at or beaten. why did i have so many misconceptions of this place? i blame american media and education, but i can't escape part of the blame myself.<br />
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<center><img src=http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5335/6914656040_e1fe98501f.jpg></center><br />
despite aforementioned misconceptions the main dishes in turkey are, in fact, mostly meat and snacks are mainly bread. but <a href="http://www.ivu.org/phrases/">vegetarians</a> and the <a href="http://www.celiactravel.com/cards/">gluten-intolerant</a> shouldn't be worried, as long as they know how to express to their needs. a lady in our group was carrying celiac cards with her in turkish, very smart! instead of being served bulgur or bread, she got the lovely rice that was cooked in butter, minus the şehriye (a type of pasta). as for myself, i was able to get some relief from the endless meaty meals through mezeler; side dishes or appetizers which were luckily mostly vegetarian. i must have eaten tomato and aubergine cooked in 10 different ways. all delicious!<br />
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<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7097/6914655752_db9b565076.jpg></center><br />
if you weren't able to get enough of what you needed at the table, the markets offer naturally vegan and gluten-free snacks of olives, fruits both fresh and dried, nuts, halva, and lokum, which we know as 'turkish delight.' the flavours blew my mind. of course i have eaten an orange before! obviously i have tried turkish delight and halva! but here, it tastes different. even the texture is better in everything. and don't even get me started on the hand-squeezed juices...<br />
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<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7127/7063775849_493e8ed6ba.jpg></center><br />
people are proud of what they are selling in the markets. they are not trying to rip you off. as i walked down the aisles with my camera, most of the shopkeepers invited me to take a picture with them and photos of them with their wares. you are encouraged to bargain, this is what market life is about. if you don't want to barter, go to the supermarket or a department store. turkish people have pride, as they should! i only saw two beggars during the 2 weeks i was traveling around western turkey. one was a woman with no feet and another was a squeaky-clean, smiley little girl who seemed to be doing it just for fun. even the shopkeepers hissed at her and shooed her away from their stalls; they seemed to be ashamed of her. you might see old women selling small knitted socks or pocket tissues in istanbul, but they are not begging; they are merchants. <br />
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<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7037/6914656132_e625eefd58.jpg></center>minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-84249529920794197212012-03-17T15:01:00.000+01:002012-03-17T15:01:35.339+01:00daikon flowers<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6989758191_a19f217e66.jpg></center><br />
when i was younger i didn't like daikon much, but as with many other childhood dislikes i think of this humble root vegetable differently now. it's wonderful in kimchi, soup, braised... but i haven't been able to enjoy the leaves here. they're not available in any store, as far as i know. luckily i got the idea to save the tops from a japanese kitchen video (which i unfortunately can't find now) where the lady of the house saves the tops from her carrots and radishes. all she does is put them a plate with some water.<br />
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<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7179/6843634484_1f6e18c222.jpg></center><br />
i tried it with a daikon top leftover from a kimchi-making party i held last week. i left it in a sunny windowsill and made sure there was always water in the plate and it grew like... well, a weed! all it needs is to have a little bit of leaves on top already. whenever i make kimchi with my friends, i can use anywhere from 2-10 daikon radishes. i'm glad that now i won't waste the tops and i get daikon leaves and flowers out of it. possible uses? salad, sandwich, pickled (in kimchi!), stir-fried, soup, or in vegan sushi.minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-9068827102855947982012-03-03T11:19:00.001+01:002012-04-09T15:54:17.298+02:00we are now with cat<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7055/6802498350_4c1349b79f.jpg></center><br />
my husband and i finally got two kitties! the striped one is seven of nine and the black one is uhura. i am so in love with them, even though their little claws are constantly marking their territory (me and husband included..) and their shenanigans wake us and they kick litter around like they hate it... but the thing that probably stresses me out the most about them is, you guessed it, their food.<br />
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<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7037/6802498496_8e13ddbd06.jpg></center><br />
i've owned two cats before, but that was back in california where my parents did most of the important stuff for them. though i gave them their hated baths and brushed them and fed them, it was my parents that bought the cat shampoo and food and hair cuts. now that it's me who is purchasing, i did a bit of research and at first i wanted my cats to have a raw food diet. i've come to realize that doing it in copenhagen is insane. there is no way i could afford to keep up with a diet like that! but when you think about it, cats should be eating wet food, chasing down their prey a bit, getting nutrients from bones, liver, etc. i feed them a 50-50 mix of <a href="http://www.hillspet.com/hillspet/utilities/selectLanguage.hjsp">hill's</a> food for kittens and sterilized young cats, as recommended by the cat shelter we bought our kittens from. though it is a bit more expensive than whiskas or whatever is in the supermarket, i feel good knowing that they aren't ingesting crap made mostly of vegetable protein and e-numbers. and it is way more affordable than buying fresh meat and bone meal for them.<br />
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<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6802498530_708457e28b.jpg></center><br />
occasionally i give them some meat chopped into little pieces, but only if we are going to have it for dinner. i have also treated them to cod roe and sardines, which they are crazy about. if they smell a chicken roasting or some stock being simmered, they think it's treat time and the meowing symphony takes off. i really hope they are getting all the nutrients they need.. and i cringe to think of how i'll be if/when i have a kid. i'll be drawing up charts and sorting food based on most efficient nutritional intake. i'll have to quit my job to keep up with all the research... hmm, maybe it's best that crazy people like me don't have children. ^^;<br />
<br />
so what do you feed your cats?minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-41098684464044723232012-02-16T12:04:00.004+01:002012-02-16T16:54:24.993+01:00auntie alice's galbi jimlast christmas my aunt alice made a <a href="http://copenhagenkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/01/christmas-in-california.html">wonderful beef dish</a> in a slow cooker. the meat was very tender and packed with flavour! in korea, meat is rarely eaten the way it is in america; usually it is presented as a side dish instead of the centerpiece of the meal. this dish is so flavourful that you only need a little bit with rice... and you really must eat it with rice so you can soak up all the lovely sauce! (:<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/6885705209_00276fb2e2.jpg></center><br />
<br />
<b>aunt alice's galbi jim</b><br />
serves 12 as a side, 8 as a main<br />
<br />
2.3 kg chuck roast or brisket<br />
900 g steamed small yellow potatoes (optional) <br />
handful of shiitake mushrooms (optional)<br />
2 medium-sized yellow onions, cut in half<br />
1 small or medium-sized korean radish, peeled and cut into big chunks<br />
5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks<br />
1 cup broccoli or brussels sprouts, cut into bite-sized pieces<br />
10 garlic cloves, peeled<br />
2 peeled slices of ginger, about 3 cm each<br />
1 cup soy sauce (regular, not light)<br />
1 cup granulated sugar or palm sugar<br />
1/8 or 1/4 tsp ground black pepper <br />
pinch of salt<br />
<br />
wash the meat, trim off the fat, and cut it into big chunks. heat a nonstick frying pan on medium-high heat and sear the meat chunks for about 30 seconds on each side, then put them in the slow cooker with 5 garlic pieces and the ginger pieces. cook the seared meat on the low setting for about 4-6 hours until the meat is cooked. the meat should be intact and the broth should not be a reddish color. <br />
<br />
on the same nonstick frying pan on medium-high heat, lightly cook the radish, carrots, yellow onions with 5 garlic pieces and add pinch of salt. do not fully cook the vegetables. <br />
<br />
drain all but 2 cups of the meat broth from the slow cooker, reserving the rest for use in another recipe. add cooked vegetables, broccoli or brussel sprouts and add the rest of the ingredients. if using dried shiitake mushrooms then add them now, but if they are fresh then add them a few minutes before serving. cook on high for about 2-3 hours or you can cook on the low setting for a few more hours, depending on when you are serving. (:minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-63755370983497420212012-02-08T20:54:00.000+01:002013-11-23T23:13:27.510+01:00more bali<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6835749603_e2f8f16498.jpg" /></center><br />
<br />
ever since i got a few epic cookbooks on my last visit to the states, i've been itching to make another <a href="http://copenhagenkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/sort-of-balinese-dinner.html">balinese feast</a>! i invited <a href="http://shetalkslikejune.com/">two</a> <a href="http://thisindonesian.tumblr.com/">friends</a> over the see the new flat; the perfect excuse to cook up a storm.. as if i need an excuse. eating this food makes me feel like i am somewhere warm, even though the weather is pretty crummy outside. clockwise from the top is masi kuning (yellow rice), be siap base kalas (chicken in spicy coconut milk, serosop (braised banana flower and jackfruit), <a href="beelittlefood.blogspot.com/2011/09/balinese-salad-urab-bali.html">urab bali</a> (bali-style mixed vegetables), and in the center is berkedel jagung (corn fritters) and fried tempe. <br />
<br />
<blockquote><b>be siap base kalas / chicken in spicy coconut milk</b><br />
<i>adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bali-Cookbook-Lonny-Gerungan/dp/1856267156">the bali cookbook</a> by lonny gerungan</i><br />
serves 4<br />
<br />
1 chicken, about 1.3 kg<br />
1 lemongrass stalk<br />
3 tbsp vegetable oil<br />
spice paste<br />
3 salam leaves (if you don't have them, leave it out)<br />
400 ml thick coconut milk*<br />
1 tbps melted palm sugar (corn syrup is an acceptable substitute)<br />
salt to taste<br />
<br />
separate the legs and breasts of the chicken and cut the carcass in half. trim the lemongrass, bruise the stalk, and tie the leaves together in a knot. heat the oil in a wok and fry the spice paste for about 3 minutes. add the lemongrass, salam leaves, and chicken pieces, and then stir-fry for about 2 minutes. add the coconut milk, melted palm sugar, and season with salt. simmer the chicken for about 35 minutes, until the juices run clear. serve the chicken in the sauce with rice. <br />
<br />
*if you want to take this dish to another level, you can make the thick coconut milk yourself. grate the flesh of a coconut, mix with a cup of lukewarm water and soak for 15 minutes. squeeze and knead the soaked coconut in the water. strain, pressing out all the liquid through a fine strainer set above another bowl.<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
<b>spice paste for chicken</b><br />
9 candlenuts<br />
½ tsp white peppercorns<br />
½ tsp black peppercorns<br />
5 shallots, peeled and finely sliced<br />
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped<br />
5 bird's eye chilies, sliced<br />
5-cm piece of fresh galangal, sliced into coins<br />
3-cm piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and finely chopped<br />
<br />
use a mortar and pestle to pound the candlenuts and peppercorns into a fine paste. you may be tempted to use a food processor, but the taste and texture is definitely different. add the shallots, garlic, chilies, and turmeric, and pound again to a paste. add the galangal and bruise it a bit, leave it in larger pieces so you don't accidentally bite into one... </blockquote><br />
<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6835749719_8620520826.jpg></center><br />
<br />
<blockquote><b>masi kuning / yellow rice</b><br />
<i>adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bali-Cookbook-Lonny-Gerungan/dp/1856267156">the bali cookbook</a> by lonny gerungan</i><br />
serves 4/6<br />
<br />
500 g white rice (i used jasmine)<br />
1 lemongrass stalk<br />
1-cm piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and grated<br />
100 ml thick coconut milk*(see above)<br />
3 salam leaves<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
<br />
trim the lemongrass, bruise the stalk, and tie the leaves together in a knot. put the rice in a pan, add the coconut milk and enough warm water to cover by 2 cm. add the lemongrass, turmeric, salam leaves, and salt. bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 8 minutes. stir the rice with a wooden spoon, bring down to a simmer, and cook until the water has evaporated. transfer the half-cooked rice to a steamer, ensuring it rests above the water. i put the rice in a fine-mesh strainer in a pot with water at the bottom. cover and steam until tender, about 15 minutes. you may have to add more water to the bottom after a few minutes if it all evaporates.</blockquote><br />
it was a pretty risky setup, as i'd only made the long bean and sprout salad and the yellow rice before. everything was good except the occasional bite of supremely bitter galangal, which <a href="http://thisindonesian.tumblr.com/">my indonesian friend</a> suggested leaving in larger pieces, and *gasp* under-cooked chicken. i was really embarrassed about the latter, especially since i wasn't the one who got that piece. though i have come a long way with cooking, i haven't really been practicing on animal proteins so much. luckily at least <a href="http://shetalkslikejune.com/">one of my friends</a> was brave enough to come to dinner at my place again.. well, you win some and you lose some. ^^;minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-73867688342981999592012-01-09T19:58:00.001+01:002012-01-14T14:31:28.430+01:00vegan carnitasafter we got back to denmark, i was in the mood for some wholesome food to balance out all the sushi and meat we'd been eating in california. good thing i had a vegan dinner planned in advance with some friends! even though i had scheduled it the day after our arrival, i never felt stressed during the prep; the dinner came together so easily! i soaked the beans before i went to bed and threw them in the slow cooker in the morning. i added bay leaves, a handful of peeled garlic cloves, a small onion cut into quarters, cumin and coriander seeds. when i got home from work, it was finished! i made <a href="http://www.abirdinthekitchen.com/home/2010/8/3/mexican-rice.html">the rice</a> and coarsely chopped some cabbage and carrots while the 'carnitas' cooked.<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6667968949_a206967f92.jpg></center><br />
<blockquote><b>jackfruit carnitas</b><br />
<i>adapted from <a href="http://cleangreensimple.com/2011/06/jackfruit-carnitas/">clean green simple</a></i><br />
serves 2 hungry people as taco filling<br />
<br />
1 tbsp vegetable oil<br />
1 can young green jackfruit (around 550g)<br />
1 medium red onion, chopped<br />
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 chipotle chile, minced<br />
1 tsp of adobo sauce from the can of chipotles<br />
2 tsp ground cumin<br />
1/2 tsp smoked paprika<br />
1/2 tsp chili powder (or more, depending how spicy you like it)<br />
1/8 tsp cayenne powder (ditto)<br />
1 tsp mexican oregano<br />
1 tbsp liquid smoke<br />
2 tbsp soy sauce<br />
1 cup vegetable stock <br />
juice of half a lime<br />
pinch of cinnamon<br />
salt and pepper<br />
<br />
heat the oil in a pan. add the onions and jackfruit and saute until the onions soften. add the garlic and stir it for about 30 seconds. turn off the heat and dump the jackfruit mix into the slow-cooker. add the rest of the ingredients and cook on high for an hour. mash it up a bit or pull the pieces apart with forks about halfway through. if you like it a bit saucy, it's ready! if you prefer the ends crunchy, dump the contents back into the pan (hope you didn't wash it already) and saute until most of the sauce has dried up. serve on corn tortillas warmed in the oven and enjoy!</blockquote><br />
sugar and gluten were omitted from the jackfruit, as i had to take my guests' dietary considerations into account. everyone seemed to enjoy their tacos, with the green and red salsas and 7 bottles of hot sauce i laid out... muahaha! this dinner was totally worth lugging that big bag of corn tortillas in my carry-on luggage! omg, my bag was so heavy with goodies... it's a miracle i was able to get both pieces of luggage up the steps into our apartment! of course i was too stubborn to ask my husband's help this time, as he always complains that i am stuffing too many things into the kitchen. <br />
<br />
<strike>request</strike> plea to green grocers in denmark: stock decent corn tortillas! or even masa harina! PLEASE. ;_;minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-55490519358760578682012-01-08T13:04:00.003+01:002012-01-08T13:06:30.365+01:00christmas in californiaevery other year, the dane and i fly to america to spend christmas with my family instead of his. this year was our second time spending the holidays in california. it's always a strange feeling with the sun nearly constantly shining and the temperature sitting around a balmy 21°C/70°F. but the gaudy decorations are still all over the shops and the crappy songs are playing 24/7 on the radio. we don't celebrate christmas in the traditional way with caroling or the roast goose/duck/ham/turkey. meat actually plays a fairly small part in the korean diet compared to americans. but this was definitely not a traditional korean meal either. <br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6658539633_71a0e6001a.jpg" /></center><br />
galbijim! in a slow cooker! the dane told me that though the meat looked dry, it was very tender and delicious. my aunt alice made this. hopefully she'll give me the recipe soon so i can post it >here<. (; <br><br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6658539383_241d553ab7.jpg" /></center><br />
soba salad! light and fresh, perfect for a sunny day like... christmas eve?!<br />
<br />
<br />
<center></center><center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6658538879_fce3775aeb.jpg" /></center><br />
my aunt silvia's delicious fish. top salmon with a mixture of mayo, pepper, and fish eggs. in the oven and there you go! if you add salt, i'd only use very little since the fish eggs are pretty salty. everyone went nuts over this, especially us 'kids.'<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6658539129_9e9eeb181a.jpg" /></center><br />
a nice assortment of veg. my grandma grew the leaves on the top left, dried them, and stir-fried them with garlic and soy sauce. she said it is kind of like collard greens. then we have some spicy water spinach(?) and pickled radish and carrot.<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6658539513_cb6c94d52d.jpg" /></center><br />
sorry, this ddeokbukki was not made in the slow cooker. it was only used to keep the dish warm after it was stir-fried. it was very moreish with rice sticks, fish cakes, bell peppers, and some little bits of meat.<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6658538993_04ed6039fa.jpg" /></center><br />
my mom's japchae! she topped it with some egg strips this time. i don't know why, but every time i make it, it doesn't taste nearly as good as hers or my grandma's. (;<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6658539767_b70fbe6a02.jpg" /></center><br />
epic rice is epic. chestnuts and beans come together in this rice cooker to make a great cold-weather dish that really sticks to your bones. too bad there was none of that cold weather around.<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6658539245_ae86b184ff.jpg" /></center><br />
poor copper... my aunt's dog was kicking up quite a ruckus seeing all these people and smelling all the good food, but not being let into the living room. we did let him out into the backyard after this pathetic pose and later they took him on a walk. <br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6658539901_fcc7fe2c6f.jpg></center><br />
here is my wonderful christmas lunch plate! i know, it looks full... but it is mostly vegetables, grains, fish, and a little bit of meat. also, i didn't get seconds. i wasn't able to get any decent photos of the acorn jelly salad or the chicken wrap in their serving trays, but you can see them here. delicious!!<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6658538731_788abc6182.jpg" /></center><br />
while we were eating outside in the lovely weather, we spotted an uninvited guest! a bird of prey swooped down in the backyard and caught what i think was a mouse. it landed in a tree and started digging in with the rest of us. what kind of bird is that?<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6658540043_8b8a6f9e15.jpg" /></center><br />
and then the desserts came out... madeleines with plump blackberries and powdered sugar. these were so good that i ended up eating two. i tried not to think about how much butter went into them, even though it was my aunt alice herself who gave me <a href="http://copenhagenkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/03/madeleines.html">the recipe</a>, along with two madeleine pans.<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6658540177_9a5fd0e7e1.jpg" /></center><br />
this chocolate trifle was probably my favourite, although it was probably the least labor-intensive out of all three desserts. there is just something about the combination of pudding, cake, whipped cream, and crunchy toffee that is so comforting. <br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6658540323_2d4114d36b.jpg" /></center><br />
the irish cream cheesecake was good, though i could only manage a sliver of it. it was thankfully not as rich as the typical new york cheesecake. my aunt alice, the queen of sweets in our family, made all the desserts! though my mom is a great cook, her baking is nothing to rave about... sorry, mom!<br />
<br />
so that is how we spend christmas eve in the kim family, or as my dad calls it, the kim dynasty. it will be another 2 years before we spend the holidays like this again, but i'm looking forward to celebrating a traditional danish <i>jul</i> with the dane's family again next year. maybe i can even bring a dish of my own to add a little korean to the table, hah! hopefully there will be some snow on the ground then, and it will feel like a real christmas. ^^minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-87962364252025590452011-12-18T12:22:00.001+01:002012-01-08T13:08:11.214+01:00vegan mac and 'cheese'this loosely-written recipe is perfect for fall weather! just add as much of everything as you like. it's nowhere near as unhealthy as the real thing, especially if you use whole wheat pasta like i do. but it does have that strange neon orange glow that reminds you of the stuff in the box with the powdered cheese. (;<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6530418017_1aa4a75439.jpg></center><br />
<blockquote><b>vegan macaroni and 'cheese'</b><br />
<br />
10-15 leaves of sage<br />
100g of vegan butter or palmin (coconut oil)<br />
1 medium-sized butternut squash<br />
a portion of elbow macaroni or other pasta of your choice<br />
<br />
chop the sage and mix it with vegan butter or palmin. set aside. <br />
<br />
heat the oven to 200°C. cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds, saving them for later. set the squash halves cut side down in a baking pan and roast until a fork and pierce the skin easily, about 45 minutes. take halves out of the oven and when they're cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out and purée.<br />
<br />
cook your pasta in salted water according to the instructions on the package. drain all the water except a deciliter or so.<br />
<br />
put some of the sage butter in a pan over medium-high heat and add about 3 deciliters of squash purée (though it depends on how much pasta you are using). when the butter melts, add your cooked pasta and some of the cooking water; just enough to make the consistency to your liking. salt and pepper to taste. you can also add nutritional yeast or black salt to make it more cheesy.<br />
<br />
you will most likely have some sage butter and squash leftover, it's good on potatoes too if you get sick of this recipe. (:</blockquote>minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-36688792275210297732011-12-15T21:38:00.001+01:002012-04-10T10:41:29.111+02:00the vegan side of hong kongi was really happy to see my friend <a href="http://dingdongitslifeinhongkong.blogspot.com/">R</a> again, and even got to stay at her flat in the city. that last time i saw her was almost precisely a year ago, only in london. i hope we meet up again next october! since my friend is mostly-vegetarian-sometimes-pescatarian, i was curious to see how she was faring in the land of chicken stock and pork filling. i was surprised to find that she was doing pretty well! <br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6517285291_053a9818f0.jpg></center><br />
harvester is a vegetarian buffet joint close to R's flat. it just looks like a regular cafe with no eye-catching decor, aside from the smattering of health foods for sale that are sparsely displayed on some shelves. but the buffet is amazing! it is a little on the pricey side when compared to the local fare, but i think the extra money is worth it. you pay for the buffet by weight and then you can take as much soup or congee as you'd like. the offerings for that day were: fake pork in tofu, fake fishcake, fried asparagus, broccoli with fake chicken, and a stir-fry with fake squid. the consistency of the chicken and squid were almost too convincing, the chicken even had 'skin' and 'goosebumps.' well, i guess they would be chickenbumps. <br />
<br />
<b><i>harvester</b><br />
shop a-b, yardley commercial building<br />
3 connaught road west (sheung wan)<br />
hong kong <br />
tlf. 2542-4788</i><br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6517285449_57c1506476.jpg></center><br />
we had another epic lunch at life cafe, a hip vegetarian cafe that serves alcohol and filling meals along with coffee and cakes. english seemed to be the language of choice here, with all the expats that were milling about. R ordered the quesadilla in the lovely pink tortilla. i had the tempe burger, which was absolutely perfect! the tempe was cooked just enough so that i couldn't taste the fermented mushiness and the red onion relish gave a nice tang. the only thing i would have added was a bit more ketchup, but hey, i'm american. i needs my ketchups. and the service was so good already that i didn't want to bother them more. guess i've been living in copenhagen too long. (;<br />
<i><br />
<b><a href="http://www.lifecafe.com.hk/">life cafe</a></b><br />
10 shelley street (Soho)<br />
hong kong<br />
tlf. 2810 9777</i><br />
<br />
sadly, that was about all the vegetarian food we ate in the two weeks i spent there, aside from the 3 times we cooked at her flat. kitchens are usually not so big in those hong kong high-rises, so people tend to eat out more. kind of nice, but also kind of sad. i really missed cooking while i was there!minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-70607734989800007002011-11-13T18:41:00.001+01:002012-04-10T10:41:42.472+02:00hong kong<center><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6228/6340766670_10afe103ce.jpg" /></center><br />
first of all, let me warn my vegan and vegetarian readers that this is <i>not</i> a veg-friendly post; that's coming later! the purpose of my trip was to visit with friends and also to attend a friend's wedding dinner in china. funny that the three of us met in the first module of our danish language course! i was in hong kong for about 2 weeks and it was pretty much nonstop eating and shopping with a tiny bit of sightseeing thrown in for good measure. let's just get the dim sum out of the way first. P:<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6038/6340766468_179d9b3c7a.jpg" /></center><br />
i've eaten a lot of dim sum in my lifetime; both in california and denmark and also once in singapore airport. now that i finally had the chance to try it in hong kong and china, i can say that the places i've been to in orange county are more authentic than the two decent dim sum places in copenhagen. but there were a few differences that stood out. in hong kong, the dumpling wrappers were rolled very thin and the radish cakes had big chunks of radish and shrimp (instead of a consistent texture). also, it seemed generally less oily than copenhagen and more than california. i had the honor of watching a woman in a noodle shop rolling her own dumpling wrappers and eventually wrapping some. i saw it with my own eyes and still don't get it. the fluffy buns were slightly sweeter than i'm used to, with the lightest feel! i need to learn how to make char siu bao like that! o_o<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6219/6340767988_c13bc38630.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">pickles to start</span></center><br />
i would dare to say that one of the best meals i had there was at a private kitchen. i love the idea and wish i could do something like that in denmark... but there's that whole problem with me having only a work visa for echocardiography and my lack of enthusiasm for becoming a permanent resident... anyway, sìchuān cuisine da píng huō served us 12 courses of plate after plate of amazing food. not pictured are 2 bowls of palate-cleansing soup that the low light was not kind to. corkage is very reasonable so we brought a bottle of white and later ordered another one from the menu. i wish i could remember the names, as they went surprisingly well with such strong food. <br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6227/6340768148_1d773e68c5.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">glass noodles with peanuts and chilies</span></center><br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6226/6340768286_11b3e0f3a3.jpg><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">chicken with peanuts</span></center><br />
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<center><img src=http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6051/6340768420_e685505d31.jpg><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">braised beef cheeks(?)</span></center><br />
in the background of this photo you can see some vegetarian dishes that they made especially for my friend. how thoughtful! (:<br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6233/6340020565_218fdf955c.jpg><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">pork sticky rice with sweet potatoes</span></center><br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6216/6340768798_237a78b0bf.jpg><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">pork(?) dumplings</span></center><br />
<br />
<center><img src=http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6033/6340021151_ac14e4dbbc.jpg><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">mabo tofu</span></center><br />
okay, now i really like spice but this dish was just insane. from the very first bite, the schezuan peppercorns did their job numbing my mouth... and then the chilies kicked in. we all ate a little bowlful but i stubbornly took a second helping. hey, it tasted good! this dish haunted several of us for a long time... i didn't feel completely right until after we got back from china a few days later; my stomach was really complaining! this was probably one of the spiciest dishes i've ever eaten. ><
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to finish, we had a not-too-sweet tofu pudding. it helped take a bit of the edge off of the mabo tofu and was a nice close to the seemingly never-ending meal. then the wife and husband team who own the restaurant came out to thank us for coming and she sang opera! i was blown away. <br />
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it's quite intimate since the room is only suitable for about 40 diners and only 2 seatings. and you can really tell that they pay attention to every detail of the food... and the price? well, a bit expensive more expensive than traditional chinese restaurants in the area but absolutely worth it. there are a handful of other private kitchen in hong kong. i can definitely recommend the experience! <br />
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sìchuān cuisine da píng huō<br />
49 hollywood road (central)<br />
hong kong<br />
entrance on graham street!minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-14209733799162660422011-11-02T16:00:00.000+01:002011-11-02T16:00:36.784+01:00gapshida!<center><img src=http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6115/6305790708_f6c4054fdd.jpg></center><br />
recently a series of fortunate (at least for me!) events brought me face to face with my food hero, <a href="http://maangchi.com">maangchi</a>! for some reason, i had no idea that she was planning to come to denmark in october for her <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/gapshida">global cooking show</a>. in september, she contacted me to ask if i was still living in copenhagen and that she was looking forward to meeting me. of course i told her i was elated! but a few days later, the organizer for the copenhagen meetup could no longer participate and maangchi asked me if i could do it. <br />
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o_o<br />
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only my husband knows the sheer joy i was feeling when she asked me. <br />
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at first we had planned to meet at my apartment if there was less than 10 attendees or at a restaurant if there were more. eventually, the headcount grew to over 50... woah! <a href="http://copenhagenkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/11/tuesdays-are-my-favourite.html">kafa-x</a>, the soup kitchen i volunteer at, graciously allowed us to use the building for the meet up event. because there were too many people to cook for, maangchi decided to make it a potluck, which was easier for us and also gave a good variety of great food. even still, we did a lot of work shopping around at chinatown market and <a href="http://copenhagenkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/torvehallerne.html">torvehallerne</a> and prepping the food afterwards. yes, there is a cooking video that will appear at some point, as i was able to find a cameraman (pictured above). he's a friend of mine who is hopefully now inspired to cook some korean food at home. (:<br />
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there was so much food! the table was totally packed with plates and bowls. maangchi and i made beef and radish soup and also a spicy pork stir fry. for my friend the cameraman, we made a vegan version with mushrooms instead of pork. among other things, people brought pickled tomatoes, broccoli soup, pumpkin soup, stir-fried chinese greens, frikadeller, kimchi (duh), kimbab, potato cakes, red cabbage salad, carrot salad, butternut squash and pear salad, and some lovely desserts. two guys even brought about 10 bottles of soju, wow! i don't even want to think about how much that cost here in copenhagen. D:<br />
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these three girls were a big surprise; they came all the way from sweden to meet maangchi! one of them even made some really good korean fried chicken. i was so impressed... i will definitely invite them to the next kimchi-making class. (:<br />
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the next day, maangchi invited me to her hotel room to have lunch. turns out that she had a little picnic stashed away in her luggage! with the little travel rice cooker, seaplant sheets, kimchi, dried anchovies, spicy dipping sauce, tiny shrimps, tiny dried fish, and squid, it was one of the best meals i've had in copenhagen in a long time. we wrapped everything up in the seaplant sheets and made a long kimbap roll. after lunch, i took maangchi for a classic tour of copenhagen. of course we had to see the little mermaid first, as she's advertised in every denmark travel brochure. then we walked by the old fortification of kastellet, the palace of the danish royal family, nyhavn, the pedestrian street, and then city hall. phew, that was a lot of walking! sorry, i didn't take any photos... i just wanted to relax and hang out with maangchi, haha! she posted some <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/blog/gapshida-copenhagen">fun photos</a> already. <br />
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by the time we got to city hall we had only eaten some ice cream in coffee (yes, you read that right!) and tea since lunch, so we decided to eat dinner at my favourite chinese place. that's right, we went to <a href="http://copenhagenkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/01/sanctuary.html">magasasa</a>! we ordered some very spicy fish in a LOT of chili oil and the spicy crab, both off the sichuan menu. obviously we ate it with rice! it was so good after our long walk in the chilly weather and a great meal to see me off to hong kong. (:<br />
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the next day i didn't have time to see maangchi again as she had another engagement and i was busy packing for my own trip. at that point it hit me how privileged i was to have her all to myself for a whole day, haha! the more we talked, the more i realized we are the same 'species.' we'll probably meet again someday. after copenhagen, she continued her cooking adventure in australia, new zealand, singapore, indonesia, malaysia, and the philippines! safe trip, maangchi! ^^minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4932667776830569304.post-82304751225097035162011-10-07T13:01:00.000+02:002011-10-07T13:01:10.224+02:00sort of balinese dinnerwhen my friends asked about <a href="http://copenhagenkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/bali-part-1.html">my trip to bali</a>, i told them it was 50/50. good because of the great food and beautiful scenery. bad because everyone was trying to make a buck off me and my family, some people even borderline harassing us, and also i got sick. but i guess the food left a bigger impression on me than i thought! i love balinese food and the hellish spiciness. when i took a cooking class at the villa, the chef and i made the fish in banana leaf so spicy that i was the only one eating it (with sambal!) after my family members each took a single bite.<br />
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lately i have been craving indonesian food like mad! it may or may not have anything to do with the fact that my husband and i have temporarily moved to a flat which is much closer to the asian markets by the central station. now that the shops are almost neighbors to us, i feel like making only asian food all the time! but of course i know my husband, so there is always a loaf of rye bread lying around the kitchen for when he doesn't want to eat 'weird' food. :P<br />
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yesterday i had friends over for dinner and made bali-style beef rendang, accompanied by <a href="http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/nasi-uduk-betawinese-scented-coconut-rice-fid-279101">coconut rice</a>, <a href="http://beelittlefood.blogspot.com/2011/09/balinese-salad-urab-bali.html">bali-style salad</a>, and sambal. though the ingredients list and amount of work may look daunting, the taste of the finished dish is definitely worth it. of course this is copenhagen, not ubud; so some of the ingredients weren't available to me. for the salad, i swapped out lesser galangal for fingerroot and the coconut was just regular dessicated coconut that i toasted in a dry pan. honestly, it was still very good! however the rendang disappointed me a little since it was not dry, as the authentic stuff should be... actually it looks like dog food! whatever, i love a good sauce and this sauce was incredible! all in all, it should have cooked for much longer to get drier and browner. but there are plenty of leftovers to cook longer. (:<br />
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<blockquote><b>sambel tomat (spicy tomato sauce)</b><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">adapted from chef rai nuriana at </span><a href="http://www.furamavillasandspa.com/" style="font-style: italic;">furama villas</a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">yield: about 500g</span><br />
<br />
75 mL vegetable oil<br />
100 g shallots, peeled and sliced (the small ones you get at the asian market)<br />
50 g garlic, peeled and sliced<br />
60 g bird's eye chilies, sliced (obviously use less, seeded, or bigger chilies if you can't take the heat)<br />
25 g palm sugar chopped<br />
1 tbsp belacan (roasted shrimp paste)<br />
300 g tomatoes, chopped<br />
quarter of a kaffir lime* <br />
salt and pepper<br />
<br />
heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over moderate high heat. add shallot and garlic and saute until golden. add chili peppers and saute until softened. then add shrimp paste and brown sugar and saute until the sugar browns a bit. add tomatoes and saute until soft. remove from heat and cool down. coarsely grind the cooled mixture using a mortar or blender. heat the mixture again and add kaffir lime, salt, and pepper to taste before serving. <br />
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*unfortunately i could not find fresh kaffir limes in copenhagen so i used a regular lime. not the same taste at all, but i did what i could. i highly recommend you use kaffir limes instead of regular limes if it's available. ):</blockquote><br />
<center><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6092/6219419931_64fe3d7e28.jpg" /></center><br />
<blockquote><b>beef spice paste</b><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">adapted from chef rai nuriana at </span><a href="http://www.furamavillasandspa.com/" style="font-style: italic;">furama villas</a><br />
<br />
3 shallots, peeled and chopped (the smalls ones you get at the asian market)<br />
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped<br />
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and chopped<br />
30 g galangal, peeled and chopped<br />
6 bird's eye chilies, chopped (obviously use less, seeded, or bigger chilies if you can't take the heat)<br />
15 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleurites_moluccana">candlenuts</a>, chopped <br />
3 tsp coriander seed<br />
3 tbsp black peppercorns<br />
30 g palm sugar, chopped<br />
150 mL vegetable oil<br />
6 <a href="http://www.uni-graz.at/%7Ekatzer/engl/Euge_pol.html">salam leaves</a><br />
3 star anise<br />
1½ tsp belacan<br />
<br />
grind all the ingredients coarsely in a food processor EXCEPT oil and salam leaves. heat the oil in a heavy saucepan or wok, then add the ground mixture along with the salam leaves and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. set aside and cool before using.<br />
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<b>rendang daging (braised beef in coconut milk)</b><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">adapted from chef rai nuriana at </span><a href="http://www.furamavillasandspa.com/" style="font-style: italic;">furama villas</a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">yield: serves 6 people as a main</span><br />
<br />
beef spice paste (recipe listed above)<br />
6 tbsp vegetable oil<br />
1.2-1.5 kg free-range beef <br />
6 stalks lemongrass, bruised<br />
6 salam leaves<br />
6 kaffir lime leaves<br />
3 cups water<br />
1½ cup coconut milk<br />
salt and pepper<br />
fried shallots to garnish (or eat straight out of the bowl!)<br />
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heat the oil in a heavy stockpot. add the spice paste and fry over low heat for 2 minutes. add the beef, lemongrass, salam leaves, kaffir lime leaves, and water. bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer for about 30-40 minutes. add the coconut milk and bring it back up to a boil. reduce to a simmer again and cook until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens, about 1-2 hours (but don't be afraid to cook it for longer as long as there is a little liquid in the bottom of the pot). season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with fried shallots. serve with steamed rice and sambal.<br />
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if you're making this the same day you will be serving it, be sure to make a little extra, as it tastes infinitely better the next day! P:</blockquote>minahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16826573872609394686noreply@blogger.com2