May 2023 Newsletter
Foraging for ssuk (mugwort) in the spring is one of my annual joys in New York City. Due to the pandemic, I had to skip this activity for a couple of years. However, this spring, I returned to my secret spot near Riverside Park and wondered if the ssuk was still growing there. I was happy to see so much young and tender ssuk coming up! While foraging, my heart raced with the thought that I could eventually return to my normal life. I used the mugwort to make soup and prepared a special spring table with rice, kimchi, and spicy stir-fried pork belly (check out the last photo in this letter to see my table setting). It was absolutely delicious!
“Oh my ssuk! You are still growing here!” : )
New Recipe: Stir-fried green chili peppers
This is a super fast and easy-to-make side dish that can be ready in just a few minutes! The stir-fried peppers (gochu-bokkeum in Korean) have a savory, salty flavor with a hint of sweetness and a slightly sticky texture from the flour-coated peppers. In addition, I made this recipe sugar-free, which is perfect for those of us who are trying to reduce our sugar intake. However, the natural sweetness of the onion bits still gives the dish a touch of sweetness. Check out the recipe here!
New Recipe: Spicy raw crab
After sharing my recipe for ganjang-gejang (raw crab marinated in soy sauce) a few years ago, I received numerous requests for the spicy version known as yangnyeom-gejang. It has a combination of sweetness, tenderness, spiciness, and a jelly-like texture. In the video I show you how to clean flash frozen crabs, make the dish from beginning to end, and also what to serve it with. Enjoy the recipe!
Is it a viral trend?
I recently posted a one-minute re-edited version of my garlic green beans recipe to my YouTube channel. Surprisingly it was mega-popular, in just a few weeks it’s been watched nearly 1.5 million times! In all my years of posting my videos to YouTube I’ve never had this kind of jackpot before. : ) I want to share this joy with you. Of course if you want to see the full, longer video with the full recipe it’s on my website!
Going nuts for Kyoko’s crunchy Korean nut candy!
After seeing Kyoko's yeotgangjeong photo, I couldn't resist making it for myself! The recipe requires just two ingredients: 3 cups of nuts and 1 cup of rice syrup. The final product is so delectable that I feel as though I've gone nuts! : ) Check out the recipe here!
13 year old Silas made kimchi stew!
He wrote a message, “Hi Maangchi! This is Silas, who turns 13 next month- this is my first attempt at kimchi jjigae, using your recipe!”
Happy Birthday, Silas!
Sun’s kkaennip-jeon (perilla leaf pancakes)
Beautiful display of kkaennip-jeon (perilla leaf pancakes) created by Sun Yat Betty Kwan! Each pancake is made by folding a perilla leaf in half with a delicious filling inside. I am tempted to select one, dip it in the sauce, and take a bite! I mean virtually. : ) You can easily recreate this dish, too. The recipe is here!
Ooh La La, Eileen’s Korean table!
Eileen from Melbourne, Australia shared a photo of her Korean table, and I am impressed that she made everything using my recipes! It is clear from the photo that she has been cooking Korean food for a long time. The baesuk (steamed pear) looks especially cute with the two floating jujubes. Eileen said, “I saw some really gorgeous Korean pears and couldn’t resist getting one to make baesuk. So yummy, especially now that it’s getting chilly.”
Baesuk (steamed pear) recipe here!
OMG-looking seafood green onion pancake!
Magali's photo of her homemade haemul-pajeon (seafood green onion pancake) left my mouth watering! The pancake features tiny chopped shrimp and squid, sweet and crispy green onions, all delicately held together in a crunchy exterior. It's well made!
Magali said, 'I think I made Maangchi proud!'
Well, Magali, you should be proud because your haemul-pajeon is impressive!
Check out the recipe here!
Comments from my readers & viewers!
My readers and viewers always make me smile, inspire me, amaze me, and make me think. Here are some of their messages that I chose to share with you this month!
One of the most frequent questions that I receive from my readers and viewers is that their homemade kimchi turns watery 1 day after making it. amyr3285 asked, “I made your kimchi recipe and it is so good, but I don’t know whether or not to pour out the excess juice that was from the fermenting. Should I leave it in, or take it out?”
My answer is:
Leave it in and mix in the juice with the kimchi. The kimchi brine will be so tasty when the kimchi is fermented.
One of my newsletter subscribers, David Hwang, left a heartwarming comment about my mustard green kimchi recipe that touched me deeply. The kimchi reminded him of his late mother, and he shared:
My mother used to make the mustard kimchi and I have not had this for over a decade, since she passed away. I am absolutely going to grow mustard greens in my garden as well as make this kimchi. Thank you so much for waking up this old memory.
If you have a baby, what's their favorite Korean food? Mangacreysy’s comment about feeding Korean braised black beans to her 14-month-old baby is so adorable! It's wonderful to see little kids enjoying Korean food. So cute! : )
I made these today for my daughter that is 14 months old, she seemed skeptical at first but then she adored it!
Everyone has a unique story about how they discovered Korean food. Some found my website directly through a Google search, while others were introduced to it by someone special. Here is a story shared by ritatodd1070 about her experience with Korean cooking.
Way back in the day a friend of mine had an uncle who was in the service and came home from Korea with a wife. She was beautiful and so kind, did not speak English well, but taught us how to make many delicious Korean dishes. To this day Korean food is my favorite food.
Voila! I made ssukguk (mugwort soup) with the mugwort I gathered and made a nice table. By the way, I added some tender dandelion that I picked. The spread includes rice, kimchi, ssamjang (dipping paste), and spicy stir-fried pork! Doesn’t it look delicious? Maybe we should plan a foraging trip & meetup together next year!
I will see you next month on June 1st! Keep being happy and celebrating every single day with your delicious Korean cooking!
Love,
Maangchi ❤️
Everything you do is delicious and fun to watch you cook it all ❤️🫰❤️
You are amazing 😻
It is always a pleasure to read your newsletter.