Maangchi's June letter

A savory abalone sotbap recipe, peak-season maesil projects, a quick oi-bokkeum video, plus photos and stories from you guys!

This is geotjeori-style kimchi from a batch I made 2 days ago!
Using 4 heads of napa cabbage, I made a big batch of kimchi and stored most of it in the refrigerator. I set aside a small portion, tore the leaves into long pieces, and arranged them on a large plate like this.

I enjoyed it with freshly cooked rice and a warm bowl of dried pollock soup. In that moment, I felt one of life’s simple pleasures. There was nothing more I could ask for. : )

The kimchi was delicious, of course, but what made the meal even more special were the memories it brought back. As I ate, I found myself thinking of family members who loved kimchi like this. I could almost see their faces around the table again. Those memories felt just as comforting as the meal itself.

How about you? Is there a simple meal or a favorite food that brings back happy memories whenever you eat it? I’d love to hear your story.

New recipe: Abalone Pot Rice

Have you ever tried abalone? In Korean cuisine, abalone is considered a very special ingredient, and these days farm-raised abalone is much easier to find, even here in the USA at Korean markets and online.

In this recipe video, I show you how to clean and prepare abalone, then how to make delicious abalone sotbap (pot rice). I added miyeok (seaweed) and butter to abalone sotbap for an extra ocean flavor and richness. Abalone, seaweed, and butter make such a wonderful combination! You can mix the rice with seasoning sauce or enjoy it with other side dishes.

After serving the rice, add a little water to the scorched rice at the bottom of the stone pot and cover it. By the time you finish eating, the nurungji will have softened and be ready to scrape and enjoy.

Short video: Temple-style Sautéed cucumbers

Would you like to try making oi-bokkeum, a simple and quick sautéed cucumber side dish that anyone can make?

I first tasted it when I was served lunch during a visit to a Korean Buddhist temple. Temple cuisine doesn’t use ingredients like garlic or green onions, but I loved its clean flavor and crunchy texture.

Asparagus, Korean-style!

Asparagus is in peak season right now, and I can never resist those big piles of fresh asparagus at the market. Blanched asparagus mixed with sweet, sour, and spicy Korean seasonings and plenty of sesame oil makes a perfect rice thief! I hope you give it a try! The recipe is here!

Annelise’s kimchi soup

Annelise made a comforting soup with well-fermented kimchi. If you look closely, you’ll see tofu and sliced rice cakes in it, too! This looks like a simple meal in one bowl. The chewy rice cakes, tender kimchi, and savory, spicy broth make it a dish you can enjoy any time of year. Check out my kimchi soup recipe here!

Nanda’s Bibimbap!

This beautiful dolsot bibimbap was made by Nanda Raj, who lives in Nepal. Isn’t it colorful? The egg yolk in the center will naturally cook from the heat of the hot stone bowl as you mix everything together.

And you know what’s underneath all those colorful toppings? Hot rice! Add some gochujang or seasoning sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil, then mix everything together and enjoy. Check out my dolsot bibimbap recipe here!

Let’s make maesilcheong (Korean green plum extract)!

Have you seen maesil (Korean green plums) at your local Korean market lately? May and June are peak season, making this the perfect time to start a batch of maesil-cheong. One of the things I love about maesil is that it keeps giving. First you get maesil-cheong (maesil extract), then maesilju (maesil liquor), and later even maesil-jangajji (maesil-pickles).

The first photo shows fresh maesil (Korean green plums) sold in packages at a Korean supermarket. The second photo was sent to me by my longtime fan Piece, who recently started a batch of maesil-cheong. It may be a small batch, but I’m sure watching it slowly change over the next 100 days will make each day a little more exciting. Good luck with your maesil-cheong project, Piece! I can’t wait to see how it turns out. : ) The recipe is here!

Messages from readers & viewers

One of my favorite parts of our community is reading your messages. Your stories, photos, and experiences inspire me every day.

Recently, someone asked me if they should keep their kimchi on the balcony because the smell is too strong indoors. Maybe some of you have wondered the same thing, so I’ll share my answer here.

The smell of garlic, fish sauce, and spices is just part of making kimchi. For me, it’s a comforting smell because it means delicious homemade kimchi is on the way. If the smell bothers you, try double wrapping the container and keeping a small bowl of coffee grounds in the refrigerator to help absorb odors. Good luck with your homemade kimchi!

Jjwalla has been making kimchi from my recipe for years. Messages like this make me so happy, especially when he says that not only his family and friends, but even the parents of his Korean friends, enjoyed his kimchi and thought it was delicious.

Just want to shout out this kimchi recipe. I've made it several times and even bought an Onggi from Korea to ferment it! It's a hit among all my friends and family and I've even had my Korean friends’ parents remark how good it is! Can't ever go back to store bought kimchi again!

Martin left a comment on my spicy soft tofu stew video. I thought his question was a good one, so I wanted to share it here.

He said:

Made one for dinner, but the tofu tasted quite plain, like it didn’t have enough time to absorb the flavor of the soup. Do you have any suggestions?

My answer:

Tofu itself doesn’t have much flavor, so when making sundubu-jjigae, the broth needs to be flavorful. When you eat it, it’s best to enjoy the tofu together with the broth.

Mariem lives in Vancouver, Canada with her Korean husband and has been making my recipes for many years. I can confidently say she has mastered plenty of traditional Korean cooking skills! Yay!

I’ve been watching you for years, and my cooking skills are almost Korean native! ;) My Korean father-in-law was so impressed with my cooking that he even asked me to show him how to make jeyuk-bokkeum. It’s all thanks to youuuuu! ;) I hope you keep this channel forever!

One message touched my heart recently. It was a comment on my honey butter chicken video from a viewer whose late mother loved this dish! Reading her words, I could feel how much she loved and misses her mother.

My mother passed away three years ago, but she loved this honey butter chicken. Even when she was ill and had a poor appetite, she would eat it little by little, seemingly enjoying it. It was her favorite, and she would say, "I could eat this forever." It's a very fond memory.

This month, I had the pleasure of meeting Fern and spending time with some wonderful new people. Good food, good conversations, and happy memories always make life a little brighter.

I will see you next month on July 1st.
Keep being happy with your delicious Korean cooking!

If you make something delicious from one of my recipes, post it in the comments on my website. I’m there every day, and I’ll be sure to see it!

Love,

Maangchi ❤️