I would describe my family holiday meals as Korean American fusion. I always felt like our family made turkey or stuffing just to remind us that this is an American holiday. I was always most excited for the Korean dishes prepared by my parents and aunts. Over the last several years, I have been learning to cook a lot more Korean food. My favorite moment is when my parents co-sign a dish and say it’s delicious. I have so much pride and joy sharing something I cook with my parents. Korean food is pretty easy to cook because you will see the same ingredients on the recipe list such as sesame oil, sesame seeds, gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes), gochujang (hot red pepper paste), soy sauce, and garlic. Below I am sharing some of my favorite recipes to cook. If you have access to an Asian grocery store, you can pick up everything you need there.
Banchan 반찬
Side dishes are essential to a complete Korean meal. There are so many different recipes out there and it’s so easy to apply any recipe to a different vegetable. This year I grew kale and made banchan with that all summer. The bonus is that you can combine all of them together to make bibimbap 비빔밥.
Tteokbokki 떡볶이(Spicy Stir-fried Rice Cakes)
This dish is absolutely delicious and a family favorite. I can’t wait to travel again because I have a dream of eating tteokbokki and drinking soju at a pojangmacha in Seoul. Sometimes I add mandu 만두 (korean dumplings) and I definitely make it spicier than the recipes typically call for.
Sundubu Jjigae 순두부 찌개 (Korean Spicy Soft Tofu Stew)
Nothing like a piping hot bowl of jjigae to clear your sinuses. This is really one of my comfort foods and my go-to soup when I just want to feel better. I think it tastes the best with pork, but shrimp works well too. There are so many variations of this dish, depending on what you like to eat.
hi, i'm debbie sim 