Maangchi's letter to you
Let's smell the scent of marigolds!
Whenever I see marigolds at a market or shop, I'm reminded of my late grandmother. I see my grandmother's garden, her thatched house, and of course her smiling face.
I used to spend my summer vacation at her house in my elementary school days. Marigolds were blooming everywhere in her front and back yard. The smell was so unique, and I didn't know I liked them this much! A couple of days ago, I went to the Union Square Greenmarket here in New York to look for some fresh green vegetables. Then I smelled the familiar scent of marigolds! These flowers will be used in the background of my upcoming video. : ) You guys will see these flowers when you watch! "I know where she got them!"
New recipe: Braised beltfish
This is a delicious braised fish dish, made with a fish called galchi (갈치) in Korean. Tender, delicate, and fatty, it’s a very popular fish in Korea. Check out to see what it looks like if you haven't seen it before. You will see why it's called beltfish! It won't be easily found at your local fish market but a pre-packaged, about 4 inch pre-cut galchi will always be available in a Korean grocery store. Check out the frozen section. We Koreans braise it, make soup with it, or simply grill it.
After cooking, the radish tastes sweet, soft, and juicy! It soaks up all the good stuff from the fish, and then the fish gets all the good stuff from the radish. They go well together. Try it out, the recipe is here!
Donkkaseu (Pork cutlet)
Virginialicious said, "Recipe by Maangchi, execution by hubby!"
The presentation looks so pretty and very crunchy outside! You like to make pork cutlet, too? The recipe is here! By the way, you can use beef instead of pork.
Karo's 5 story kimchi building!
Karo from Berlin, Germany made vegetarian kimchi. Looking at this photo, I feel his excitement and confidence in making his own kimchi! Maybe he was shouting "I made it!" He said: "It is so delicious and I was surprised how easy it is to make." The recipe for vegetarian kimchi is here!
Maximum fluffiness of bread!
Koreacasian said, "I made the bread today and it was indeed easy and sooo good."
We're all impressed with this good looking fluffy bread, aren't we?
I want to say this bread recipe is something I achieved during the pandemic. I would have never developed the recipe if my favorite bakery hadn't closed during the pandemic. I needed a loaf of bread to make my simple sandwich! Now I make my own bread on a regular basis, and so many of you are also making such good bread from my recipe, just like Koreacasian. Ow ow so happy!
Homemade bread is not only more delicious and nutritious but also it's timesaving. I don't need to go out to buy bread, I just make more whenever it runs out.
Japchae served in a pot by novy
Novy's colorful table is showing us some everyday real home cooking. We don't need any fancy plates or platters. I feel like I'm already invited. "Hey, bring some chopsticks and let's eat together!" Easy japchae recipe is here!
Pretty mandu, whose artwork?
One of my readers' mandu (Korean dumplings)! Well sealed mandu with many pleats are so cute!
She said, "Me spending my July 4th for dumplings!"
Candied sweet potato made by Literature_Lady
Literature_Lady's mattang (Korean candied sweet potato) photo was very popular on her Twitter page! She left a nice simple description about the recipe, so I'd like to share it with you: "Sweet potatoes are deep fried & coated in a crunchy candy crust." The recipe is here!
Spicy stir-fried pork, rice, and kimchi
Mirandabrookz's spicy pork meal. White fluffy rice, spicy stir-fried pork, and kimchi! It's a simple, quick, and delicious meal!
She says,"Perfect amount of spice and flavor for a spicy girl like me." I love that line! : )
Comments from my readers and viewers
My readers and viewers always make me smile, inspire me, amaze me, and make me think. Here are some of their messages from last month that I chose to share with you!
Do you have some guests coming over your house and you wonder what to prepare for them? I will tell you a good tip! It's great chance to show off your Korean cooking skills. Mariyah from India said:
Dear Maangchi I always turn to you whenever I have to cook something new and delicious for my guests and have never failed to earn praises and positive feedback from them...
A romantic couple story makes me feel so warm and happy! What happened when Veronica was cooking kkanpunggi (spicy garlic fried chicken):
My husband sat with me at the table and went quiet in amazement! He couldn't believe it and said he'd never tasted anything better in all his life.
Yvi who learned Korean cooking through my YouTube channel and eventually opened their own restaurant! Congratulations!
I opened my restaurant by watching your cooking videos. You have inspired me so much!
Someone left a question on my braised beltfish recipe asking about any other substitutes for beltfish. Some of you may have the same question, so here's my answer:
Yes, mackerel, saury, and Spanish mackerel will work well, too.
This question has been one of the most frequent questions asked about making Korean fried chicken: "Would you kindly tell me why you should double fry?" My answer is:
When you first pull the chicken out of the fryer the steam from the meat is absorbed by the crust, softening it and making it soggy. Allowing it to do that then putting it back in the fryer cooks that extra water out and gives the crust a longer lasting crunchiness.
I know some of you modify my recipes to your taste. If you are a vegetarian, check out how Su Yadana changed my Mapo tofu recipe, where I use pork:
I made this by substituting pork with shiitake mushrooms and it tasted so good. I’m usually bad at cooking but I got praised by family members this time.
Are you planning to go camping and looking for an easy 1 pot meal recipe? Veena asked, "We would like to go to mountains and would like to have Korean hotpot. Can I know the recipe like meat broth and vegetables? I would love to make your recipe to make my foodie husband very happy!" My answer:
Kimchi stew is good for camping food. Make rice and eat it with kimchi stew. No need for any other side dishes!
See you next time!
I will see you next month on September 1st! Keep being happy with your delicious Korean cooking!
And remember that if you type any Korean dish into the search box on my website, you can find it (if I have a recipe for it). I use the search box all the time because that’s the fastest way to find the recipe among my hundreds of recipes.