Let's get ready to roll! The fun of kimbap making.

If you haven't already seen the pictures floating around my Facebook and Instagram, I thought I would share the tasty kimbap I made this past weekend! It was the first time I made a successful batch of kimbap. I am rather proud of it and am excited to make more tasty (and presentable) Korean foods.  Kimbap is Korea's version of sushi with lots of different goods stuffed in the roll. Some include a variety of foods including cucumer, yellow radish, fish cake, egg, spam or meat, carrot, and spinach.  Often this food is made and prepared to take on picnics or to send children off to school. My friends decided to attend a baseball game. Because I was in a cooking mood, I made some to bring along.

See below for basic instructions and pictures of the fun:

What are some things you need to make kimbap? 

• kimbap mat also known as a sushi roller
• rice and rice cooker
• sesame oil
• sesame seeds
• dry seaweed for making kimbap and sushi. Grocery stores usually carry this labeled as such or will show a picture. 
• and all the good fixings. I usually choose 6 or 7. Some suggestions include:
• fake crab
• bulgogi
• fish cake
• tuna
• cucumber
• carrots
• spinach
• yellow radish
• egg

1. Prepare the rice. 2 cups of dry rice makes about 6 or more servings of cooked rice.  Prepare it as you usually would, but use slightly less water to make your rice more sticky cohesive.  After the rice is cooked, let cool while still maintaining its warmth. Warm rice makes for easier kimbap rolling. Then, add a teaspoon or more of sesame oil and one teaspoon of sesame seeds. Mix and keep warm. 

2. Prepare all other fixings. Some only include chopping or slicing. 

• Spinach: Boil water and blanch or boil the spinach for approximately 1 minute (or one more if you like it cooked, but it begins to rob it of its nutrients). Remove from water and squeeze water out. You may add a small amount of sesame oil if you wish, but not necessary. 
• Egg.  Crack 4 eggs and mix well. Add a small amount of water for better mixing. Fry like a pancake in a frying pan on low heat and flip. Cook evenly. Remove from heat. After cooling, cut in one centimeter thick pieces. 
• Julienne (or cut/slice) carrots as seen below. 
• Cut and prepare all other foods as you like. 

3. Let's get ready. Line up all the ingredients for the kimbap rolls. 

From left to right, these are the ingredients I used:
spinach, carrot, egg, cucumber, yellow radish, and tuna off to the side

Pull out the mat. It's best to wrap it in seran or plastic wrap. This makes the kimbap rolling much easier. I learned this while watching ahjummas prepare kimbap in church kitchens and at my favorite kimbap place in Korea: Kimbap Chonguk (translates: Kimbap Heaven). It's a heavenly kimbap place and considered the McDonald's of Korea. Don't worry, you can still find McDonald's in every major city in Korea! 

Put down a piece of seaweed on the mat. Add rice to the seaweed placing it from the bottom edge at .75 cm thick and covering 2/3 to 3/4ths of the seaweed.  If the rice does not spread easily, add some sesame oil to the spoon or the rice spoon as you spread. I had a bit too much sesame oil or just enough in my rice that it spread well.

Begin adding your goodies one by one. It's best to add the same amount of each. Or if adding different vegetables with various consistencies, add enough that makes them of equal thickness.

Now, let's get ready to roll!  Hold everything together and begin rolling the seaweed using the kimbap mat.  Hold it in carefully. Once you roll kimbap so that the insides are covered begin to pull the kimbap towards the edge of the mat closest to you again.  Finish rolling and wrapping to the end. To better seal the kimbap, wet your finger and dab the smallest amount of water necessary to seal the kimbap together.

This might be something you come up with! 

Full of good food. It looks tasty.

After rolling your kimbap, you will need to cut it into pieces. I bought a sharp knife just for this very task. In the past I tried to cut some rice rolls with a dull knife. Quite the disaster. Cut them into bite sizes. Once cut, wrap them in foil or place them in an airtight sealed container to maintain freshness. If you're like me, you'll begin eating right away!

Here they are:

What do you like in your kimbap? I also like to make kimbap wraps with kimchi and tuna. You can get creative and add whatever you like!

I hope you like them and will try making some for yourself in the future.

Happy eating and have a great weekend.

Cheers,

HK

A.Korean Flavor: Let's make seaweed soup. 미역국

Are you ready to get back in the kitchen and cook up some magic? Last month was the first post in a new series of "Korean flavors" blog posts.  We made the simple yet delicious dish, bibimbap.  We're finally back for round 2.

*Note: If you read the previous post you are probably seeing this again. Don't worry. Your eyes are not seeing double. It is double.  I compiled the contents of two posts into one, but would like to keep this one here for easy viewing.*

Let's see what it takes to put together this nourishing soup.  We will make the most simple dish here and explore some other common ingredients.

You'll need some of the basics, so check your cupboards and refrigerators first. Then head to your local Asian mart if you need something else.

   soy sauce               sesame oil                             dried seaweed                                         minced garlic                          water                  

You will need:

• dried seaweed (미역 or wakame in Japanese) ~ 1 oz package
• Korean sesame oil (기름) ~ 1 tablespoon 
• soy sauce (간장) ~ 1 1/4 table spoon or to taste
• minced garlic ~ 1 tablespoon (optional) or as much to taste.  
• water (or a soup broth of your choice) ~ 6 cups
• pinch of salt (optional)

Soak dried seaweed in a bowl of warm water for approximately 20 minutes to allow to expand.  Make sure the seaweed is soft. Soak time may vary according to brand of seaweed. When soft, rinse well and drain. Then cut the seaweed into 2 to 4 inch pieces.

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Once heated add sesame oil, 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, a little dab of salt and cook for 1 minute.*  Slowly stir in seaweed and remaining soy sauce. Cook for 1 minute more.
Pour in 2 cups of water and bring the ingredients in pan to a boil.  Add garlic and stir.

Pour the ingredients into a large pot.  Add the  remaining 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes or until seaweed and ingredients of choice are tender.
Season to taste with salt, soy sauce, or other fun flavor.  

This soup, like most dishes, is often served with or over rice.  Prepare some rice in advance. If you're like most Asians, there is always rice in the cooker.  Make sure you have enough for the eager mouths.  

When ready, dish the soup into bowls. Quickly serve this healthy delight.  Feel the warmth and energy running through your body with every swallow.
ENJOY ~~~

Extra goodies:
Add scallions for additional flavor and consistency.  Cut off the white ends, using only the green part. Chop green part into 2 inch pieces. Add while adding the last 4 cups of water.

Others will like their soup with one, some, or all of the following:

 

         beef sirloin                                    osyters and/or mussels                                tofu (tubu 두부).

*If you choose to use the beef or oysters and scallions, be sure they are prepared [i.e. cleaned and chopped] for use.  Find the (*) and insert where you add the sesame oil and soy sauce.
**You may also purchase a soft tofu and add this to your soup.  You will use approximately half of a cube. Clean and chop small tofu cubes before pouring into the soup.   I add the tofu right before letting the pot simmer.  Others will add it at the very end.  Do a little experimentation and figure out what works best for you.

Hope you enjoy your seaweed soup!  Have fun with it and make it your own! Korean cooking isn't about following a recipe or an exact science it's about mixing, matching and finding the flavors you love most.

Be nourished and loved with a warm bowl of miyok gook today!  

A.Korean Flavor: Bibimbap 비빔밥

Hello, this is my first attempt to reminisce of the Korean flavors that I miss so much.  It is also an attempt to recreate a taste of Korea in a town that has almost no Koreans nor Korean ingredients!

For the first Korean flavor, I'll talk about one of the most simple, but tasty meals:  Bibimbap.

Bibimbap is one of the most popular simple Korean dishes. The definition means a mixture of many things.  It can be served cold or in a hot pot. The term for the bibimbap served in a hot pot is called dolsot bibimbap.

What I love about this dish is that it is so healthy and tasty. You can use any kinds of vegetables and flavors you would like to add to your rice.

Here is a picture of a cold bibimbap I made a few months prior while I still had kimchi around.

You can make this dish by using rice and chopping up some of your favorite vegetables found at your local food store or farmer's market during the correct season!

First make the rice as directed on the package or by your rice cooker.

Then pull out your vegetables and begin chopping away. I will admit that it is a timely process, but it is well worth it for the colorful dish.

Here are some of the basic ingredients found in the bowl above:

• kimchi (of course, the staple to every korean diet!  however, if you  cannot find it in your area like myself or do not like,  leave it out!)
• seaweed (known as kim or 김 in korean and found in your local food store in the asian food aisle)
• dark lettuce
• asian cabbage
• carrots
• bean sprouts

After the rice is done cooking put a dollop of rice into the bowl.  Add all of the delicious ingredients above plus any of your own favorites.

To top it off, you can fry a delicious egg and plop it on.  To add some spice, you can add red bean paste (gochujang) to the mix. Then, there you have a it, a delicious mix of veggies and rice.  

It can be served in the bowl like the picture and should be mixed up before eating. 

When at a Korean restaurant, try ordering dolsot bibimbap, the food in a hot pot.  The rice and veggies get warm and the flavors are brought out in a whole new way.  

Enjoy your bibimbap!