Japchae

Today is the day where i'll cook my first japchae!

I'll be following a base recipe, but then will throw even more vegetables in that I need to use before they go bad.

My recipe:

4-6 sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 carrot, sliced into long thin slices
1 onion, sliced
1 block firm tofu
4 eggs

Step 1: chop/slice all the vegetables
Step 2: drain tofu
step 3: saute whisked eggs in sesame oil, keep in one large disk
step 4: marinate dried tofu in mixture of garlic, soy sauce, mirin, sugar
step 5: saute onions and mushrooms
step 6: begin boiling water- boil baby bok choi (replacing spinach)
step 7: same water ^^ add sweet potato noodles
step 8: saute remaining vegetables
step 9: drain water from noodles, in large bowl mix with sesame oil
step 10: cook marinated tofu
step 11: press boiled bok choi to remove water
step 12: make japchae sauce of soy sauce, sugar/honey, sesame seeds, sesame oil, garlic, black pepper
step 13: cut noodles with scissors, julienne egg patty
step 14: toss all ingredients together

I also have zucchini, broccoli, cabbage, and frozen chicken I might try to use somehow...

I made my very basic instructions for myself using this youtube video!

I'm so excited for japchae!

Food: Gogi Korean BBQ

Get ready for a whole lot of stream of consciousness:

A few weeks ago, Dana and I wanted to check out a new restaurant for part of Columbus's Restaurant week where a plethora of restaurants were offering 3 course meals for a great price. We ended up going to Gogi Korean BBQ because of all the Korean shows I had been binging and I reaaaaally wanted to have some sort of Asian food besides Japanese curry or ramen. 

I think it was $25 or $30 for each of us: both of us choosing a grill your own meat option (different ones of course so we could maximize trying everything), Dana got japchae for an appetizer and I went with fried dumplings. I regretted my choice because as soon as I saw his japchae I recognized it as a dish a friend had before, and let me try some, that I LOVED. Japchae is at the top of my list of recipes to try at home. 

Japchae image courtesy of PBS

It's the perfect noodle consistency, and I love how it's just a tiny bit sweet, with so much room for experimentation with meats and veggies! 

Back to this grill your own BBQ: neither Dana or I have much experience with Korean food- I've been heavily researching and learning Japanese cuisine and etiquette, the only thing I knew about Korean dishes is what I've seen in my shows: how there's normally a bowl of rice and people will have their bowl of a more soupy thing, and they'll use these big long spoons to put a little of both in the same mouthful, how there's more a large communal eating bowl in the middle everyone takes from to put in their own personal bowl, everyone drinks soju, etc.

BUT THIS RESTAURANT HAD THE LONG BIG SPOONS AND I WAS SO EXCITED. I've watched so many people eating using these spoons, and they're always so big compared to the actors'/actresses' mouths that I've been wanting to have one of these spoons for WEEKS. 

Dana laughed at me when I was excited over the spoons, shared my story on watching everyone eat with them, and then again when I stole two spoons from the restaurant to use at home.... no regrets.

Cooking, cooking, cooking! Even here, not all the food on the table can fit in the picture!

We're still not too sure on all the sides that came with it, there definitely was: an egg thing, something that resembled a spicy vegetable soup, pickled vegetables, rice, kimchi, bean sprouts, corn salsa, seasoned jalapenos, fish cakes, macaroni salad- there will be pictures below for you to see and guess which is which (it's not that hard). I want to have more Korean foods in my diet, even though Dana and I ate SO. MUCH. FOOD. it was all mostly meat and vegetables, and we didn't feel overburdened with grease or fat like an american meal would have made us. Neither of us can wait to go there again!

Half-eaten grill your own bbq- not too soon after there's me going "I probably shouldn't be using wood chopsticks for this...."