Home Made Cranberry Sauce

December month is my a mini break month, I am free from all my Cookery, English home Cooking, and Korean Home Cooking. I am starting our own Christmas preparation countdown from 1st of  December

Free range Turkey/ bronze/ has been ordered , now I am making cranberry sauce. I make a lots of sauce to give to friends as a festive season gift, and for us for whole year. I found commercial cranberry sauce is too sweet and too smooth. We like a bit of texture and tangy . I am using 2 bags of  dried cranberry as well for the first time, it will add another slightly chewy texture as well.

1.5kg of  fresh cranberry. 3 oranges juice and zest. sugar. 2cups of port. 300g of dried cranberry.

my kitchen smells like heaven with all this sugar, spice, port! just like Christmas !!

Dry cranberry makes such difference,gives more depth in flavour and texture.

 I stored sterilised jar and small bottles. I am looking forward to wrap and send to my friends.

I found cranberry sauce is excellent accompany with Stilton cheese and  other strong cheese.

Well Well, tomorrow will be on to next on the list, perhaps chestnut, boiled, skinned and freeze for our chestnut, sage onion stuffing.

Korean Restauarants guide 2012 in England / book launch.

 We were invited by Korean Food Foundation to the Book launch of the Korean Restaurants guide book in England , 2012. It was held in Tate Modern , along with my cookery students and dear friends from sugar craft.

looking at the St Paul through evening light was delightful, it was very nicely done with fabulous Korean finger food, all my guest were so impressed by all.

Restaurant guide book contains all kind of information and map, their famous dishes , photo of dishes look so tasty. Perhaps, reading this, you like to have a Korean Restaurants crawl for a month at least.

This event shows how my Country has come long way to the better and grand , shows Korean hospitality is the best in the world , I think.   My mum used to say whoever comes in our house they should not leave without food and drink!

Korean food is getting a lots of attention along with Korean movies and drama, specially to young 30 something generation, Kimchi is also getting popular among the English chefs, it took a long time but it was inevitable, such  complex taste of kimchi can be used many kind of cuisine, I think.

Watch this space, as soon as this guide book is available in London, I will let you know.

Trip to Seville.

We had 5 days mini break in Seville from 5th of November, I , my husband and son,John were celebrating my husband birthday early in Seville. Get up 4:30 AM to be in Gatwick was worst part to using Easy Jet to  Europe. Arrived in sunny Seville was a bonus. Apartment we rent was in the middle of old town, 10 minutes walk  from Cathedral. perfect position and stylish 2 bed room and more importantly, beautiful market is only a few steps from the flat.I have to tell you this new iconic market building. it is not only the market for fish, meat and all the veggies and fruits but also it is a tourist attraction. very modern and quirky , wavy building, surrounded by a big space . It just look like art gallery than the market, I was so happy to see all kind of seafood and fish , even I found small soft shell lobster  here, which I have seen only South east of Korea, Masan where I come from. I had to buy them and cook to show my husband and son. sweet and soft meat is tastier than big normal lobster but they seemed not impressed by messy eating! Well well,
I do envy Spanish having such a beautiful building as the food market, even you do not like cooking, just love to go in, and buy stuff and have a go , British Government should invest this kind of market in every small city or town, I think

 Iberico ham were hung on the ceiling not only in the shops also every bar, very expensive but melt in your mouth, we all loved it with cold glass of beer.
Drink culture in Spain is so enviable , all of bars have full of people with small glass of beer and tapas,they do drink little, eat little and talk a lot and carry on like this for whole evening but actually they do not drink a lot, just happy to chat and laugh and most of all they drink  with food/tapas, it is very healthy way of drinking, we visit a lots of bars, we never seen any drunkenness by youngsters or oldies , even some bars are just in front of church but all very civilised, sitting on the church steps, beer in hand and engaging in deep conversation, they just know how enjoy the life !!

Should we allow only  half pint to the young people and try to avoid a pint glass , in U K?, big is not better always, we should educate and promote less drink culture. That's only my opinion. or campaign for ,drink but eat some food like tapas or even chips!!!.

We stumbled in to the tiny bar, cooking Churo in the morning,and afternoon. oh,boy, it was so good, crunch but light batter with bitter chocolate sauce, the bar man shout like fish auctioneer, Chuuuuuuuro to the old guy who seemed frying only this chuuuuuuuuuuro for 100years!!!, it was perfect !!!

By the way in Seville has full of Seville orange trees,no other tree in sight, well how  appropriate!, we had fabulous meal at the, Veneria San Telmo, Basque cuisine in tapas style.

Photos; Market building from the street.
  Typical Bar(actually, Rick Stein firmed here)
  Fish Market.
Churo

Holiday in France, Pau

Last week of September our family had a week in Pau, south west France , Our villa was looking at Pyrenees and sit on the  top of sloppy vineyard, it was just like a room with a view kind of house.But it was a long drive , spent 2 night on the way, La Rochelle is very charming old port and bustling with holidaymakers.
Pau is very near Bilbao and San Sebastian, we even we managed to have lunch in San Sebastian, and afternoon tea at Biarritz!
Whenever I am in France,  I like to be in a villa with a comfortable kitchen, I do enjoy shopping in the local supermarket, specially the fish counter. I could even buy fresh anchovies there, I use to eat anchovy's/ grilled or stewed in Korea and Greece, believe me, they are so tasty, simply grill with a pinch of salt.
We had  three course set menu lunch at  Chez Ruffet,  one star Michelin restaurant, in the village of Jurancon, about five minutes from our villa. The food was well presented, and we ate in a small, but very pretty courtyard.

I was very annoyed with the head waiter, They all think, we, English never had French food and explain with broken English with manner of superior. I would like shout at them, ' do you know how many French bistro and restaurant in London? do not treat us like we are having lunch first time at 1 Micheline French Restaurant!!!, Having said the starter was excellent,lobster bisque with grilled prawn on the to along with shaved cauliflower top. Main course was very disappointing for me, roast rabbit saddle wrapped in the foil and served on the bed of artichoke moose, 2 tiny leaves of Brussels sprout. the dish was so pale it looked very unattractive , taste was no memorable either. It needed some kind of crunch texture, like salad , only two tiny green leaves look very mean.
Desert was a star, well made brownie with pear and pepper sorbet on the top.

We all had relaxing holiday, a sunny weather was a great bonus. We thought food is not cheap in the cafe or bistro than here in UK or even expensive, but I loved cooking with local ingredients, also price of meat and vegetables are not cheaper than UK, only fish and sea foods are better..
Here are the pohotos of our villa and  lunch at the Jurancon, starter and desert.  

Kimchi, kimchi, kimchi, kimchi /김치

In my fridge 1 have 4 different kind of kimchi, it is due to buying too many seasonal kimchi, ingredients from Mr, Chang, (  from Germany). I was like a little kid in the sweet shop the other day. i buy all my shiso leaves ( in Korean gettnip) from him when comes to UK, I have known him by accident ,one year in New Malden, As I need lots of shiso for my shiso pesto and my Korean cookery, He always calls me in August when he comes to New Malden with all kind of wonderful Korean Veggies. I do not know how he can grow all the Korean vegetables like in Korea, taste and texture.. Well last time I was his shop,(actually a  van in the car park), I could not resist to seeing all the wonderful, cabbage and white radish( daikon) and baby white radish.Thinking I have not seen these and not eaten certain Kimchi for 30 years, isn't it crazy?? as I get older, memory of food is so special, and it takes me to my childhood and in certain place. Is that only me? or I am truly and plainly getting old!

 Making a kimchi takes at least half day, making 4 different kimchi, well, I was very greedy and since I am living far from New Malden, I have to take this chance. Baby radish kimchi is very special, crunch to bite and sweet, spicy. I just have to make it . My fridge is bursting with my 4 kimchi Jars and now I am busy planning with what kind of Korean food  goes well these kimchi.. Hearty beef soup with crunch radish kimchi, Slow cooked belly pork with cabbage kimchi, noodle in the watery kimchi so on. 

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Here are the 4 kimchi.  1. Cabbage Kimchi( Baechu kimchi,)

2. Non spicy Cabbage watery Kimchi( Mul kimchi)

3.Baby radish Kimchi ( Chonggak Kimchi)

4, Radish Kimchi ( Ggakdugi)



 

Samgyetang ( Giseng &Chkien Soup)/삼계탕

This Spring chicken soup has medicinal quality in Korea and specially eat during the very hot Summer, because Koreans believe Heat has to be treated by Heat. It is very oriental way of thinking. This soup is good for the energy boosting , having very long hot, humid Summer in Korea, time to time, we need this kind of highly nutritious soup to boost our energy. I found it's  much easier to make this soup in UK because baby chicken is widely available all year around.

1 baby chicken

2 tbsp sticky rice

1 head of garlic

1 dry small ginseng root

1 small piece of ginger

2-3 jujube

1. Clean the chicken and remove excess fat and  dry with kitchen tissue.rice and soak in the water at least 1 hour, drain and leave for 20 minutes.

2.Soak ginseng for 20-30minutes, stuff chicken cavity with soaked  rice, garlic( skin off), jujube and cross leg to keep the stuff inside.

3.In a large pan put stuffed chicken , ginger, ginseng, add water ( up to chicken)  and boil on the high heat for 20 min. and simmer for another 50min. to 1hour until soup looks milky .

Serve whole chicken in a brown Korean stew dish ,with very finely chopped spring onion and salt and black pepper in the small 2 separate bowls.
4. This is a main meal, usually  1 chicken per person,  cut  off meat with spoon and  mix with sticky rice form the cavity, season with salt and pepper, add chopped spring onion. Samgyetang is a non spicy soup., with garlicky ,light ginseng flavour ,it is truly energy boosting soup!, Also  very heart warming soup.

This soup is a perfect meal for not only hot and humid, tiring Korean Summer but anywhere or any season., I think ! 

Food Festival

I had  a ticket Foodies Festival, at Battersea Park, I had very busy last week of July, guests from Korea, My daughter leaving to Far east for a very adventurous holiday for 6 weeks. I thought too Young to have back packing Holiday ,being 20, young and no fear, what can I do?

Finally Sunday, 31st, I dragged my tired body and mind to the foodie festival, but there were no

   atmosphere, until i got to Spanish paella corner, in the huge pan , cooking paella looked having a party and a lots of people stood ,waiting for their lunch, £ 6 a bowl( smallish),smells good and visually pretty. but £3 would have been a right price. still it does not like festival for me.

I was rather disappointed by all these pop up food festival over the years, and does not look inspiring or even interesting , too small, not too many things in there and you have to pay for it!!!

 or I am too spoiled ,coming from foodie town in South Korea.

This Festival seemed much less things in My hometown, Masan's daily markets. or even French village .Whoever organize this so called festival, specially pay a good money(£15) ,try harder than this more like pop up market.Anyway food is talking about all types of media,

but  All I can hear that modern British working life has hardly any time to cook., Cooking needs only short time if you have willingness. and desire for good food, home food is the best surely!!
I found cooking is my best relaxation and more therapeutic than anything but not everybody will be the same  as me but, i can blame the government not having Cookery Class at school, Can I ????? 

Bought  some fat Turkish spicy olives, it was good, but creamy Feta cheese was too creamy for my taste, I  love grainy Feta cheese we used to buy at the little shop when we were in outside of  Athens.

Coming home ,in the train , my mind was travelling to my hometown, South East Korea, Sea-town, Masan, I loved daily visit to the market, the noise and looking at the all kind of shapes of fish, sea food, sea veggies, you can buy anything, fish, seafood, meat vegetables, fruits,.

One day I love to travel Korea, write  about all regional food, and Spain, south France, Italy are the my dream traveller's food land, well. If only I can afford!!

 I was at Masan,South Korea 2010, very happy to say it was still the same  but only made more orderly and roof has been put up , it was such a joy  walking around to seeing all those my childhood food and the smell!

Still i am painfully trying to recreate my childhood food when I am in England , and hold on to my dearest memory.

Photo; My hometown, Masan's daily open market, 2010
Red  sea- food is the kind of sea squat from only South east coast of Korea, inside this hard skin has soft bright orange colour flesh,  has fantastic earthy and sweet flavour, slightly tangy taste . I miss this most , I have not seen in Europe yet .

Pasta with Chicken (marinated in garlic, lemon, olive oil and shiso pesto)

I made this pasta dish remembering a visit to Bologna. We had pasta with rabbit marinated in garlic and oilve oil, it was so tasty. I came up with this recipe. Since I cannot find rabbit meat easily in our area.  I made it with chicken thigh meat and shiso leaves instead of basil.

4 Chicken thigh/ boneless, skinless 1 per person

Chopped garlic 2tsp

Ex.V oilve oil 2 tbsp

Chopped chilli (1/2, seeded)

Shiso pesto 2tsp

Salt, pepper. lemom juice

1. Chop chicken thigh meat very small( 0.5cm cube), set a side. in a bowl, put garlic, lemon zest, oilve oil pepper, salt and 1tsp of lemon juice , mix well and add chicken meat, leave in the fridge for 2-3 hours at least.

2. Heat pan with oil, cook onion , chilli, chicken meat , add shiso, when chicken is cooked season and add 2tbsp of dry white wine, and cook  brifly on the high heat and check the seasoning, finallay chopped shiso leaves (2 tsp) , mix well with cooked pasta and serve. It is tasty as in Bologna I think, do try at home. 

 

Tteokboggi / Rice Cake with Vegetables in Spicy Sauce (떡 볶기)

Tteokboggi is a very popular street food in Korea, I used to buy tteokboggi on the way home from school in the late afternoon, could not wait until dinner time,  to comfort my empty stomach, Most of Korean audlts have a  fond memory of tteokboggi , and one of the most popular street food for the forever hungry Korean teenagers.

I am often asked by my cookery class ,mostly they are curious about Tteokboggi that have seen in the Korean movie or drama.  I like to make with thin and bite size of rice cake to enjoy with drinks, a snack for the grown ups .

Rice cake/tube or flat 100g

Braising Steak  or pork fillet 100g.

Celery stick, shitake mushroom, carrot, onion, red ,yellow, green pepper 

Crushed garlic, Gochujang ( Korean chilli paste),chicken stock

1.Cut rice cake to bite size ( prefer 3cm cube or thin tube ), Cut all th vegetables like match stick 5m long, meat as well, in a small bowl, 1 tbsp soy, 2 tsp sesameoil 2tsp sugar, 1tsp garlic with a pinch of pepper and stir well,add meat leave to marinate for 20 minutes.

2.   Heat oil in a pan , add onion, mushroom,carrot, celery, cook for a few minutes then rice cake,pepper, In a bowl put stock, add gochujang( 2tsp) stir well and pour into the rice cake mix, add garlic and cook slowly , if you like to have spicier , add more gochujang, fianally put 2 tsp sugar cook  for 2-3 minutes. and serve with a pinch of toasted sesame seed on the top

Kimchi Jjigae ( Kimchi Stew) /김치찌게

Kimchi Jjigae has to make with fermented cabbage  kimchi, freshly made kimchi does not have special flavour that fermented kimchi have. it would be just spicy cabbage stew not kimchi jjigae. It has to be cooked slowly , simmering for loong time. Like any stew ( beef stew etc..) it is tastier on next day . I  am guessing this kimchi jjigae was developed by a changce to use up old fermented kimchi, as all Korean house hold has kimchi all the time, so well fermented kmchi has to use up to make freshe one, all the time.  It is a heart warming dish, and kind of comfort food, specially during  cold Winter month. One of my korean cookery class's lady described kimchi jjigae as a big hug , like a warm loving human touch, I think that was a perfect description. well, we all need a big hug now and then.

1/4 of fermented kimchi

100g shoulder or belly of pork( diced)

1 pack of tofu(hard), 1 onion( sliced) spring onion.

3-4 cups of good chicken stock.

Bean paste( 2tsp) chilli flakes, crushed garlic.

1. Take off stuffing from the kimchi,cut to bite size, chop the onion and pork as well, in a stew pan, heat oil and fry onion first add meat and sliced kimchi cook slowly, add 2 tsp of korean bean paste, pour stock and boil, simmer for 30 minutes, taste add light soy sauce ( if you need), chilli flakes, 1 tsp garlic and tofu( cut 2cm cube) and simmer anothe 30 minutes. Serve in a heated brown Korean stew dish with chopped spring onion on the top.
For the vegetarian: take out meat,  add shitake mushroom for more body, and use vegetable stock, you can add egg , in the middle when you serve ( fried, or raw( it will cook with heat in the stew)  

Stuffed Ccumber Kimchi (오이 소배기)

  This stuffed cucumber  kimchi is my favourite Summer kimchi, it is not strong as cabbage kimchi/Baechu kimchi,( many of none koreans think, need a some special acquried taste to appreciate cabbage kimchi,/ what about blue cheese? I'd argue, need a lots of acquried tastes for the blue cheese or any cheese that matter!!!)
 I love its refreshing taste and crunch to bite and looks preety on the plate.And more, unlike cabbage kimchi, this is a  perfect  side dish with pork steak,grilled salmon, lemon chicken with new potatoes or pasta. you have to use mini cucumber for this kimchi because  English cucmber contains much more water than mini ones.

1. 8 mini cucmber, 2tbs korean chilli flakes, 1tbs crushed garlic, 2tsp grated ginger, 2tsp sugar, 1tbs salted baby shrimps( Korean shop has), mooli(M), 1bunch of spring onion, sea salt.
2. Make 15% of salted water in a big bowl by resolving sea salt in the water,( table salt is OK too) 
3. Carefully slit cucumber in the middle (lengthy way) and leave 5 mm on the back  to make pocket to be able to stuffing in .
4. Leave cucumbers in the salted water about 3 hours and wash, drain, dry with tea towel, have to take out water as much as you can, set aside.
5. Slice mooli thinly and cut like match stick( 5cm long) as spring onion as well. put all the ingredients in a bawl (except salt) and mix well, leave at least 30 minutes . If you need salt, add little by little, mind you cucumbers are already salted. this kimchi is not salty one, more like spicy salad!!
   Carfully open the pocket of the cucumber and put stuffing inside evenly by hand  or with chop sticks, becareful not to split. just enough to hold(1tbs will be enough ).
6. Put in the air tight jar (with robber ring), and store in the fridge, you can eat next day , but eat within a week. 
7. I  found, mini cucmbers are cheaper at Indian shops than other shops

Yukgaejang (육개장) / Spicy Beef and Leek Soup.

Yukgaejang is one of  most popular  Korean soup. It looks very spicy with bright red colour  but it is not too spicy as Korean chilliies are milder than most of any other chillies. I make yukgaejang often, specially the weather is gloomy and cold, rainy, miserable, we, our family emjoy this soup.

 Even I made vegetarian version of this soup for my cookery class, I am happy to say it was great.

   Put 300g of brisket beef  in a large pan with 1 onion, 2 stems of celery, 1/2 mooli, 5 pepper corns, 1 bay leaf, 3 garlic clovers , 2 lt of water and boil first, then reduced heat simmer for 40 minutes until meat is tender, take out the meat, leave it  to cool down . Take out all the vegetables, pepper corns and discard them , except mooli, skim the fat from the pan and leave beef stock to cool.

Shred cooked brisket beef like match sticks ,10cm long. Cut mooli, leek and spring onion (1bunch)  as same size as  meat, set aside.

 Soak dried fern shoot( Gosari) in the warm water for 1 hour, wash few times and boil until soft but has bite to it, 

Boiled the stock and put leek, fern shoots,, crushed garlic(2tsp) and boil  first simmer 30 minutes, add  beef , mooli, spring onion, boil for 3 minutes. Season with light soy sauce.

 Finally make chilli oil :   Put 1 tbsp, chilli flakes, 2 tsp sesame oil and boil for a minutes ( be careful not to burn) and pour into the soup, boil for a minute. Befor serve with rice add bean sprout to the hot soup.  Yumm!!.

If you are a vegetarian, use very good home made vegetable stock instead of beef stock and add more vegetables like shitake mushrooms, or any veggies you like.

It is equally delicious with toasted French bread or  brown bread, as a main meal ,

adding boiled barley in the soup that gives you more body. or add  cooked noodle.   

Dressed Crab,

The other day I bought a live Devon crab. I wanted to try and recreate a dressed crab dish that I had had in London restrauants. The crabcost £5.00. It is expensive but for a starter on a special occasion it's not too bad.  I am happy to say that you can make dressed crab for 2 people with one crab. I made stock with the shell.

In a big pan, put 1 onion, 4-5 peppercorns, 2-3 garlic covers,1/4 of dry chilli, 2 tsp salt, boil the cleaned and washed crab for 10-15  mins. Leave to cool. When the crab is cool enough to handle, carefully open it up, take out the white crab meat  put in a bowl, but  be careful not to include any shell, even tiny pieces. Place the white meat in the fridge .

In a separate bowl, collect the brown meat, add 1 tsp English mustard, mix well, and season with salt and pepper. Place in the fridge.

Onto a serving dish, push the white meat into a ring food mould and then carefully add the brown meat on the top. Put rocket salad on the side with a lemon wedge, Serve with brown bread.

It's delicious, do try!!!. Oh,  I put razor clams (thinly sliced and marinated in lemon juice and olive oil) on the side (only 1 tsp), it  gives another texture.

 Stock: put back all the shells in the pot add 1 fennel bulb, 3 garlic cloves and boil for 30 minutes.  

Mixed vegetables and rice in the stone bowl/ 돌솥 비빕밥

1. Bibimbab, one of the most versatile dishes in Korean cuisine, can be  vegetarian or meat dish . You may use any seasonal vegetables. bean sprout, carrot, courgette etc.  Cook your chosen vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Place vegetables/meat on top of the rice, add a raw egg yolk (when you mix with hot rice the egg will cook) and serve with sauce/ chilli paste (gochujang) cooked with sesame oil and garlic.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
2. Dolssot ( stone bowl) creates a rice crust in the bottom by cooking a little oil and rice on the direct heat. Cook on the hob for 5 minutes . This makes a  different texture of rice. Crust  in the bottom, soft on the top.                                                                          3. Bibimbab in a stone bowl looks very attractive but it is costly. I bought one to use in my cookery  class, unfortunately it was expensive (£17.00). However, you could use a brown Korean earth ware stew bowl, or even the Spanish  tapas dish, for cost of about £5.00.  Most such bowls can be used  to cook directly on the hob.

Spicy Roast Chicken

This is my new recipe as a Korean way to cook roast chicken using gochujang( Korean chilli paste). Marinated with soy , honey, gochujang. .

Serve with green salad, boiled new potatoes or  fried rice and kimchi.



Kimchi Rice

This recipe need slightly fermented kimchi. chopped cabbage kimch , diced onion,  and  smoked  bacon or chorizo sausage (chopped)fried in vegetable oil , add rice and stir well to coat all the flavour and cook in the rice cooker, put fried egg on the top.

Baked Salmon with shiso Pesto

Salmon is marinated over night in shiso pesto and lemon zest,

with soyabean paste. 

 Bake with bread crumbs and parmesan on the top.