Knock knock!! It's March! : )
Raw fish seaside lunch, my kimchi-making lifestyle, tasting Korean strawberries, plus messages and photos from my lovely readers & viewers...
Hello everybody!
Welcome to late winter—almost spring! To celebrate, Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food invited me to taste the best of the best Korean strawberries. They’re not available in the U.S. yet, but someday soon, you’ll find them in stores! I hope the price will be reasonable for everyone, because they’re really fantastic.
I sampled four different kinds of strawberries, and they were all great—sweet in flavor, rich in strawberry aroma, perfectly firm yet soft, and full inside with every bite! I had a great time all afternoon talking to people and eating strawberries on a cold winter day.
Fresh fish lunch with my old friend!
I met up with my old friend Ms. Im when I was in Namhae, South Korea in 2015 and made lunch for her using fresh caught fish and vegetables from the local market. This small seaside village is my father’s hometown, and he’s still well-known here despite passing away decades ago. It’s a great place for seafood and the locally grown sweet spinach is famous throughout Korea!
This video is part of my Real Korean Cooking Series about visiting friends, family, and viewers in Korea, cooking and sharing meals together (see the videos posted so far).
Here’s my recipe the delicious Korean spinach side dish you see in the video (it’s also on my website)
Spinach side dish recipe
Sigeumchi-namul (시금치나물)
Ingredients
8 ounces spinach, cleaned and washed
1 garlic clove, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1½ teaspoon soy sauce
1½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, coarsely ground
silgochu (Korean dried shredded red pepper), optional
Directions
Bring 8 to 10 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
Blanch the spinach for 30 seconds to 1 minute with lid off, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Strain the spinach and rinse in cold water a couple of times to remove any residual dirt.
Squeeze out excess water and cut a few times into bite size pieces.
Mix the spinach with garlic, green onion, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a mixing bowl by hand.
Transfer to a bowl or plate and garnish with silgochu, if used.
Serve with rice and other side dishes.
I’m coming to New Orleans. You want to get together??
I’ll be in New Orleans, Louisiana soon and I’d love to meet any of my New Orleans readers! I’ll have time on the evening of March 12. If you can make it then email me at maangchi@gmail.com and let me know your name and phone number. Also let me know if you have any ideas of where we can meet! I’ll use your email to keep in touch with details.
I can’t wait to see you!
Kimchi stew
How often do you make kimchi stew (kimchi jjigae)?
Treg from London left this photo on my website and said, “I’ve made this recipe at least 10 times in the last 3 months and I’m in the middle of making it again…”
Looking at this photo of kimchi jjigae, doesn’t it make you want to eat it? With well-fermented kimchi, the stew has plenty of broth, making it perfect for mixing with rice, don’t you think? I told Treg that if he makes various dishes with kimchi, including kimchi jjigae, the kimchi will run out quickly. That’s why Koreans keep such large kimchi containers in their refrigerators.
Kimchi is an important food for Korean cooking. When there’s no kimchi at home, it feels like there’s nothing to eat at all!
Kimchi-making has been a part of my routine for decades!
I always make a new batch of kimchi before the current one runs out, ensuring there's always some in my fridge. Below is a one-minute review of how I make kimchi, and if you want the full details check out the traditional kimchi recipe on my website!
Washington’s Spicy braised chicken with potatoes!
Yay, the score of my recipe for spicy braised chicken was 10/10! : )
The happiest moment of sharing my recipes with all of you is when you follow them to make a meal and find happiness in your own delicious food. Your experience and satisfaction mean more to me than any score from a famous food columnist!
Washington said, “I lived in Korea for 2 years (I was in the army). I love Korean food and love that I can make it now. I have your 2ND book and every recipe is 10/10!”
My dakbokeumtang recipe is here. Whenever I make this dish I actually use the recipe on my own website.
Messages from readers & viewers
You guys always inspire me, amaze me, make me smile and make me think. Here are some of your messages that I chose to share with you this month!
In my recent ‘Seaside lunch’ video I noticed many people were focused on the cats near me as I cleaned the fish. : ) Here's a comment from Ronnie that I'd like to share:
I can't believe the cat stole your fish. But at least you were nice enough to give them another fish head.
I replied:
The wild cats snatched a fish at lightning speed! But when I actually offered them a piece, they ran away. Maybe they were shy or just scared.
Have you tried my Korean-style spicy lettuce salad? I often get asked if it can be made in advance before serving. I’d like to share my reply here, as some of you might have the same question.
Can this be prepped and ate within 2-3 days after making?
My reply:
It's best to eat it right after making it because over time, the lettuce releases water, which affects the flavor. Of course, you can still eat it later, but it won't be the same.
This year marks the 18th year of running my website, and whether you've been making Korean food from my recipes for years or just recently, it all means so much to me, and I'm truly grateful. However, this message touched my heart, and I wanted to share it with all of you.
I grew up with you Maangchi! I started watching your videos and making recipes when I was 12 and now I’m 28 in March! You are my happy place. Thanks for making me smile…
I hope my newsletter brings you some joy and inspires you to try making the food right away! And while I'm not sure how many of you live in New Orleans, if there's even one, I'd love to meet you on March 12! Let me know!
See you next month!
Knock, knock! I LOVE this introduction. Your newsletter brightened my day, for sure!
I’m actually very envious of the folks arriving in New Orleans that have a meet up opportunity with YOU! Therefore, I nominate San Diego, California as a forthcoming destination. Happy Spring Day ahead, Maangchi ♥️🌎🌻🌺😍🌺
Thank you so much for your newsletter. I absolutely love your recipes! I routinely make your traditional kimchi. Just made another batch today. My husband and in-laws are Korean and they won’t need anyone else’s kimchi but the one I make thanks to you.