How to cook Korean Foods best !

Friday, April 19, 2013

Worldwide Newspapers anounce : Election Fraud Suspected, South Korea

35. 타일랜드 http://pairsonnalites-th.blogspot.com/2013/04/police-in-south-korea-say-spy-service.html

36.http://south-korea.rsspump.com/?topic=police-in-south-korea-say-spy-service-tried-to-influence-election&key=20130418124139_e32d2c1517d7cc2d657f2fc1c58a0bd9#article

Korean Newspapers :

1. 연합뉴스
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2013/04/18/14/0301000000AEN20130418007800315F.HTML

2. 코리아 헤럴드
http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130418000834&ntn=0

3. Koreatimes
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2013/04/116_134180.html

4. 중앙일보
http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2970403&cloc=joongangdaily|home|newslist1

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Sanjeok, (skewered beef with asparagus, mushrooms)

Published : 2013-04-12 21:25
Updated : 2013-04-12 21:25

Sanjeok (skewered beef with asparagus and mushrooms) (Korean Bapsang)

Asparagus is in season! Look for bright green stalks that are firm with tight tips. I enjoy this delicious and healthy spring vegetable in any form. Here, I used them in a traditional Korean dish called sanjeok. It is a variety of jeok ― skewered meat and vegetables. Some jeok varieties are egg-battered, but sanjeok is not. As with any skewered or kebab dish, you can have fun with it by mixing up different meats and vegetables.

2-3 servings

Ingredients:
● 9 asparagus stalks (at least medium thickness for easier threading)

● 230 grams lean beef (tenderloin, sirloin, rib eye)

● 4 king mushrooms

For beef:
● 1 tablespoon soy sauce

● 2 teaspoons sugar

● 1/2 teaspoon garlic

● 1/2 teaspoon ginger

● 2 teaspoons sesame oil

● 1 teaspoon rice wine (or mirim)

For vegetables:
● 2-3 teaspoons sesame oil for each vegetable

● Salt and pepper to taste

● Sesame seeds or chopped pine nuts for garnish

● 6 skewers (10 to 12 centimeters long)

Cut the beef into 12-centimeter-long strips to create about 12 pieces. Combine with the seasoning and marinate for about 30 minutes. (You will need to cut the beef and mushrooms a little longer than asparagus, because they will shrink more.)

Remove the tough ends of the asparagus. Cut into about 10-centimeter lengths. Blanch them in salted boiling water just to soften, about a minute. (This will keep them from breaking when threading.) Shock them in cold water, and drain. Cut the mushrooms lengthwise into about 12-centimeter-long strips. Rub each vegetable with the sesame oil and sprinkle salt and pepper.

Thread the meat and vegetables onto the skewers. Heat a large pan with a little bit of oil (1 teaspoon) over medium-high heat. Place the skewers in the pan. Cook each side until the meat and vegetables are cooked through and slightly caramelized, 2-3 minutes each side.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Radish soup, (mu guk)

Radish soup (mu guk) (Korean Bapsang)

In this radish soup (mu guk), I used a quick method, common in
Korean cooking, to make a beef soup base. The thinly sliced beef is seasoned with guk ganjang (soup soy sauce) and sauted before being boiled in water. The result is a broth with a deep flavor that deliciously complements the white radish.

4 servings

Ingredients:
● 170 grams beef brisket (or beef chuck)

● 2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided

● 340 grams Korean radish (mu)

● 2 scallions

● 2 tablespoons guk ganjang

(soup soy sauce*), divided

● 1 teaspoon sesame oil

● Salt and pepper to taste

(*Do not substitute with regular soy sauce. It will be too sweet and dark. A better substitute is fish sauce, which is sometimes used in Korean soups.)

Cut the beef into thin, bite-sized pieces. Marinate with 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of garlic, a pinch of pepper, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Set aside.

Cut the radish into thin, bite-sized pieces. Roughly chop the scallions.

In a medium pot, saut the beef until all the pieces turn brown. Pour in 8 cups of water, and bring it to a boil. Skim off the foam. Reduce the heat to medium, and continue to boil, covered, for about 10 minutes. Add the radish pieces and boil, covered, until the radish turns translucent and soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining teaspoon of garlic, scallions, and the remaining tablespoon of soup soy sauce. The soup should not be too dark. Taste for salt and pepper. Boil for an additional 5 minutes.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Spicy stir-fried squid (ojingeo bokkeum)

Ojingeo bokkeum (Korean Bapsang)

This squid dish is one of the most popular spicy dishes in Korean cuisine. The squid is cut into bite-sized pieces and stir fried in a slightly sweet red chili sauce along with vegetables. This recipe is certainly hot, but not fiery hot. Adjust the spiciness level to your taste.

One way to reduce the spiciness is to use fewer fresh chili peppers (or none at all). Fresh chili peppers are called for in the classic versions of the dish, but the heat can be quite intense with certain varieties.

This dish is perfect for those craving a tasty and spicy meal. The red chili sauce adds a burst of spicy flavor to the crisp vegetables and tender squid.

Ingredients:

● 1 medium-size squid (about 400 grams)

● 1/2 medium carrot

● 1/2 medium onion

● 1/2 medium zucchini

● 1 green chili pepper (or 1/4 green bell pepper)

● 1 red chili pepper (or 1/4 red bell pepper)

● 2 scallions

● 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

● 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Sauce:
● 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste)

● 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes)

● 1 tablespoon soy sauce

● 1 tablespoon sugar

● 1 tablespoon minced garlic

● 1 teaspoon minced ginger

● 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

● Pinch of black pepper

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Clean the squid. Slit the body open and flatten. Lightly score the inside in a small diamond pattern (about 0.5-centimeter squares). You can skip the scoring, but it helps the squid pieces hold more sauce and gives them an interesting look. Cut into pieces about 3 centimeters wide and 5 centimeters long. Do not make the pieces too small as they will shrink when cooked. Cut the tentacles into equal lengths. Mix the squid with the sauce, and marinate while preparing the vegetables.

Thinly slice the onion. Cut the zucchini and carrot in half lengthwise, and thinly slice diagonally. Cut the chili peppers diagonally. Cut the scallions into similar lengths.

Heat a large skillet over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the carrots, followed by the onions, zucchini, peppers and then the scallions. Stir fry the vegetables quickly only until they start to wilt, about 2 minutes. Push the vegetables to the sides of the skillet.

Add the marinated squid and any remaining sauce to the center of the skillet, and stir fry just until the squid pieces curl up and turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Stir to mix the vegetables and the squid for a minute. Drizzle the sesame oil over the top. (Do not overcook, or the dish will be watery and the squid tough.) Serve hot with rice.

How to clean squid: Grab the body in one hand and the head in the other. Firmly pull apart with a slight twisting motion. The head and innards should easily slip out of the body. Cut the tentacles from the head just below the eyes. Remove the skin from the flesh and the beak from the center of the tentacles.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Dalk bulgogi (chicken bulgogi)

Dalk bulgogi (chicken bulgogi) (Korean Bapsang)

If you like the sweet and savory bulgogi flavor but not red meat, this one’s for you. Bulgogi is a marinated meat dish made with thin slices of beef. Dalk

bulgogi is a variation made with chicken (“dalk” means chicken). For the chicken version, I like to add a bit of lemon flavor to give the dish a tasty spark. I used boneless chicken thigh, but you can use boneless breast or a combination of both. The bite-size chicken pieces marinate and cook quickly, making this dish a good option for a weeknight meal.

2-3 servings

Ingredients:
● 500 grams boneless chicken thigh and/or breast

Marinade:

● 3 tablespoons soy sauce

● 1 tablespoon lemon juice

● 1 tablespoon brown sugar

● 1 tablespoon honey (or 1 1/3 more tablespoons brown sugar)

● 1 tablespoon rice wine (or “mirim”)

● 1 tablespoon minced garlic

● 1 teaspoon grated ginger

● 1 tablespoon sesame oil

● Pinch black pepper

● 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Rinse chicken and trim off excess fat. Cut chicken into small pieces. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Coat the chicken pieces with the marinade. Marinate for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces, reserving the marinade. Cook until cooked through and slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes each side. (The sugar and honey in the marinade will burn easily, so watch it carefully and add the reserved marinade by tablespoon when the pan gets dry. You can slightly reduce the heat to avoid burning, if needed.)

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Kimchi kongnamul guk

Published : 2013-02-22 20:11
Updated : 2013-02-22 20:12

Kimchi kongnamul guk (Korean Bapsang)

Kimchi kongnamul guk is a variation of kongnamul guk, a soup made with kongnamul (soybean sprouts). Kongnamul is high in B vitamins, vitamin C and protein. This explains why kongnamul guk is a popular home remedy for common colds and

hangovers in Korea. The addition of kimchi takes the soup to another level, with a spicy kick that’s strong enough to clear your sinuses. When my kids were growing up, I made this soup for them when they had a cold, just like my mother did when I was growing up. It’s best made with an anchovy stock base, but you can use beef broth or water. You should use fully fermented kimchi for this soup. The older the kimchi is, the better. Serve it separately, or over the rice to make guk bap ― a soup with rice in it.

4 servings

Ingredients:
● 10 ― 12 medium to large dried anchovies

● 280 grams soybean sprouts (kongnamul)

● 230 grams fully fermented kimchi

● 1/4 cup juice from kimchi

● 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (guchugaru) ― omit for a less spicy soup

● 2 teaspoons soup soy sauce (or 1 teaspoon saeu jeot ―salted shrimp)

● 1 teaspoon minced garlic

● 1 scallion, roughly chopped

● salt and pepper

Remove the guts of the anchovies. Soak in 8 cups of water for at least 20 minutes. Then bring it to a boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium-high and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the anchovies.

Rinse the soybean sprouts a couple of times, discarding any skins that are floating. Thinly slice the kimchi into strips about 1―2 centimeters wide.

Add the sliced kimchi, kimchi juice, gochugaru and the soup soy sauce (or salted shrimp) to the anchovy broth. Bring it to a boil. Cook over medium high heat until the kimchi turns translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the bean sprouts and garlic. Cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes. Do not open the lid while the bean sprouts are being cooked, or the raw bean smell will linger even after cooked. Once the bean sprouts are cooked, taste for salt and pepper. Add the scallions and boil for another minute. Serve separately with a bowl of rice, or serve it over the rice in a bowl.

Monday, February 25, 2013

A Petition to the United Nations to Investigate the Election Fraud in the South Korean Presidential Election

http://f4vr.com/join-us.html

A Petition to the United Nations to Investigate the Election Fraud in the South Korean Presidential Election

We, the South Koreans undersigned, plead to the United Nations for an investigation into the election fraud in the

18th presidential election on December 19th, 2012.

The National Election Commission (NEC) failed to manage the election impartially through a neutral position to be in accordance with current laws. The NEC has repeatedly claimed that the ballot counting had been done by hand. However, evidence was found by many observers at the counting offices proving that hand counting was rarely done. It was also observed that some votes were incorrectly counted for a wrong candidate and some were thrown out in error due to computerized ballot counters. In some areas the number of votes surpassed the number of the total voters. In an attempt to appease the growing suspicions the NEC performed a 'demonstration of ballot counting' showing 6000 sample votes being counted by hand and then through computerized means. However, based on the time spent counting samples for the demonstration it was proven that the ballot counting time during the election had been far too short for this method to have been performed.

There were times when some of the details of the ballots counted, that were being counted by the Election Commission, would be broad-casted on TV networks earlier than the reports the Election Commission themselves were releasing. The media also declared a candidate of the ruling party to be 'likely' to win only after approximately 20% of the votes had been counted when at the time the difference was only 3% between the two leading candidates. The difference of 3% stayed throughout the entire race until Park Geun-Hye, the candidate of the ruling party was announced to be a winner. Based on this fact many people believe that the election result had been decided before the election and had been programmed into the computerized ballot counters. Twenty five thousand voters, domestically and abroad, signed a petition in January demanding a recount by hand, but their demand has been ignored by the election officials and the Parliament. A suit was filed by thousands of Korean voters to null the election and to demand a recount, yet a trial date has still not been set. If the court or the Parliament does not take any action on this matter the votes will never have a chance to be recounted.

Another major ground for suspicion of the election fraud is the fact that the National Intelligence Services (NIS) intervened in the election. As a state agency, the NIS strictly prohibits its members from getting involved in an election by law. However, shortly before the election day the opposing party exposed a female NIS agent using internet postings to sway public opinions against the candidate of the opposing party while on duty. She used 16 different user IDs to post her writings slandering Moon Jae-In and to recommend her own writings multiple times. The police initially reported the agent was not guilty of any such acts. Further investigation into her case was demanded because citizens kept uncovering more proof against her.

The NIS initially denied all charges and claimed that the agent was pursuing her own political interest as an individual. However, judging from the number of postings, replies, and the number of hours she spent on this it is highly unlikely that it was just one individual's leisure time activity. Soon after, the police found a second and a third accomplice to her acts as well. What the first female agent on duty did was indeed a serious crime and likely a small part of a larger organized action by the agency. If it is true that it was done systematically by the agency, the election results should be pronounced invalid. The responsibility for these illegal acts falls on the NIS, as well as on the current administration,

and ultimately on Park Geun-Hye, the Elect from the same party.

The plea of the people demanding to resolve all suspicions related to the election fraud has been bluntly ignored by the South Korean officials. The major media outlets, mostly controlled by the current administration, have also stayed quiet regarding these matters. Thousands of South Korean people have had many candle-light protests in the streets on these cold winter nights demanding a parliamentary investigation into the NIS' involvement in the election and a recount by hand. The overseas voters have published 5 statements to expose the election fraud, both domestically and abroad. It is doubtful that a parliamentary investigation would resolve these issues even if it gets accepted since the ruling party occupies more than half the parliamentary seats.

We hereby plead to the United Nations to form a committee to investigate the fraudulent ballot counting and the involvement of the NIS in the presidential election in South Korea as soon as possible. We, the South Korean people, are struggling to fight against a party with enormous power and influence. If an immediate action is not taken, our demands will be ignored and forgotten forever. Therefore, we plead to the United Nation to assist our country in exposing the truth surrounding our recent presidential election and help establish a true democracy in South Korea. Thank you.