Nakji bokeum 낙지볶음(stir-fried baby octopus with noodle)

It's a spicy dish and healthy food.

The octopus suppresses the cholesterol with stamina food.

The mineral ingredient of the vitamin B2, P, Fe and protein etc is many.

There is an effect to poverty of blood prevention.

Also, Octopus has a taurine 34%.

Ingredients:
1 octopus or 1 Lb
1/2 onion, slice 1/3 inch thick
2 chilies, slice in a bias
2 green onions, cut in a bias
1 oz carrot or 1/4 carrot, slice thinly
4 pyogo (shittake mushroom), quartered

sauce :
1/4 cup gochoojang (Korean chilli paste)
2 tbsp gochoogaroo (Korean chili powder)
1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp minced garlic

How to cook:

Wash octopus, cut the legs into 3 inches long, open head and take out inside, quarter the head. Drain well.

Mix all ingredients for saucePut everything in, mix with a hand.
Let marinade for 10 minutes.

Heat the pan on a medium high heat, cook octopus for 3-4 minutes or until done.
If the heat is too high it will burn, if too low it will get soggy.

Tip: If you can eat with noolde. It is called "Sari" in korea.

Boil a big pot of water for noodles. Add noodles, cook for 3-4 minutes depends on recommended time. Rinse in a cold water, drain. And Mixing Nakji Bokeum with sari.

Doo Boo Kimchi 두부김치(Tofu and Kimchi)

Doo Boo Kimchi is a very tasty dish ! The conbination between the hot Kimchi and the soft Tofu is very good !



Ingredients :

1 pack doo boo(bean curd)
1 cup of kimchi, chopped and squeezed well
1/8 lb beef, thin strip ; can be substitute with pork, ham, or sausage
1 tablespoon Korean chili powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 green onion, chopped
salt
pepper



In a boiling water, add some salt and cook doo boo (bean curd) for 2-3 minutes.
Drain well, cut in half and slice 1/2 inch thick.
Keep it warm. Or slice tofu and microwave it for 1-2 minutes.
In a pan, with some vegetable oil, saute garlic and then add beef. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add kimchi, chili powder, soy sauce and sugar.
Cook for 2-3 minutes, finish with sesame oil and green onion.
In a plate, put kimchi in the center and bean curd on the side.

Tips :

This side dish goes well with "Soju (Korean liquor)
How to eat ? - Just grab a piece of bean curd and put some kimchi on top.

Culture Capsule 3

"Tasty test-taking" culture

In the beginning of November, a diverse number of pre-packaged gifts can be seen on the display counters of Korean department stores, gift shops and candy stores. These gifts are intended for high school students that are getting ready to take colleage entrance exams at the beginning of November. One mights be surpised when taking a look at what is included among the gift items. For instance, why do Koreans give traditional sticky candy (엿) as presents?
In Korean, the verb "붙다" means "to pass a test." "붙다" also has the alternate meaning of "to stick to." Hence, Korean hoping that their friends can "stick" themselves to a passing score on the colleage entrance exams give "엿" as a symbolic present. Traditionally, a sticky rice cake(찹쌀떡), is given as a present to students. Student receive presents of "엿" and "찹쌀떡" for good luck up until the day before the exam.
Recently, it has become a trend among young Koreans to use alternate meanings of verbs as the impetus for gift-giving. Forks are given to friends in hopes that they can make better guesses on tests. This is because the verb "찍다" has both the meaning of "to guess" the answer to a multiple-choice question as well as "to pierce" something with a fork. Tissues are also given before tests because the verb "풀다" can be used in the sense of "to solve" a test problem as well as to "to blow" one's nose into a tissue. The practice of giving gifts to test-takers in hopes that they will do well is one example of the warmth that pervades Korean culture.

** Dose your country have a practice of giving a special gift to test-takers about to take an exam? What is this special gift?

-Write reference Korean Languge Education Center, Sogang University

Ddeokbokee 떡복기 (Rice Cake In Hot Sauce)

Ddeokbokee is one of the most popular snacks among teens, especially for girls. It's hot, hot, and hot !!! Might be to spicy for those who are not familiar with Korean food. However, it's really good. (Also you can make milder version.) Once you taste it, you will always go back and ask for more ! Thin rice cakes cook faster and also absorb flavor faster.



Ingredients :

8 oz of ddeokbokee ddeok (tube shape rice cake)
1-2 sheets fish cake, cut into bite size
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cabbage, roughly chopped
1/4 carrot - sliced
1 green onion - chopped
2 tablespoon of gochoojang (Korean chili paste)
1 tablespoon gochoogaroo (Korean chili powder)
1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 tsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce, pepper, sesame seeds



Put the rice cake in a pot, and add water to cover it, cook until it is soft.
Add go choo jang, go choo ga roo, sugar, soy sauce, and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer until the sauce gets a little thick.
Add vegetables ; cook for 2-3 minutes.
Put fish cake in, simmer for another 1-2 minutes.
Finish with green onion and sesame seeds.
Serve hot.



Tips :

Thin rice cakes cook faster and also absorb flavor faster.

Japchae 잡채(transparent noodle with beef and vegetables)

Japchae is one of typical party(hangul is Janchi) food in korea. (ex) birthday party, wedding party..)

That meaning is same Janchi guksu. Noodles's mean is long life and long happiness time for their life.

The name, Japchae, comprises the two hanja words; jap (hangul: 잡, hanja: 雜, literally "mixed and stirred") and chae (hangul: 채, hanja: 菜, literally "vegetables"). Therefore, japchae literally means a mixture of vegetables.

Japchae was first made in the early 17th century, when the Joseon Dynasty was reigning in the Korean peninsula. When King Gwanghaegun hosted a big party at his palace, one of his lieges, Yi Chung, created this delicious dish to please the king’s palate. The king liked this dish so much that he rewarded his liege by promoting him to the position of hojo panseo(equivalent to the Secretary of the Treasury)

Ingredients:
1 pack transparent noodle (dangmyun), (soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, drained)
1 medium onion, thin sliced
1/2 carrot, thin julienne
1 bunch spinach, blanched, cut into 3 inches
10 oz thin slice beef
5 green onions, cut in a bias
7 shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated, thin sliced
oil to saute
salt and pepper
2 tbsp sesame seeds


Beef marinade: 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

Shiitake marinade: 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil

Noodle seasoning: 1 and 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 4 tbsp vegetable oil





How to make it:

In a non stick pan, add oil and saute vegetables.

All ingredients have to be cooked separately.


To use the same pan, start with light color vegetable.An ideal order will be onion - green onions - carrot - shiitake mushrooms - beef.

The vegetables don't have to get any color, just need to be softened.

Saute and move to a big bowl to cool a little bit.

Put a non-stick wok or large pan on a medium heat.Add dang myon seasoning, pour in dang myon.

Bring to a boil, stir occasionally for a few minutes until dang myon absorbs water.

In about 10-15 minutes they start to stick together.

From this point, stir constantly until the noodle gets soft and translucent.

Take off from the heat, let cool for a while.

If needed cut the length.

Mix with vegetables, sesame seeds, salt and pepper to taste.

Ramyon 라면 (Korean Instant Noodle)

Ramyon or Korean Instant Noodle is a very popular dish among teenagers and students. Let us have a look at the ingredients needed !

Ingredients :

1 Pack of Ramyon ( You can find it at any Korean supermarket )

2 Cups of Water

1 Egg

1 Green Onion ; Chopped

In a boiling water, add the Ramyon into it. After that, put the seasoning power, given along in the pack, into the pot. Cook for about 2 to 5 minutes. ( Or you can follow the insturctions printed on the package )

Finish with chopped green onions and an egg.

Tips :

There are many types of instant noodle. The differences are in the flavor, the noodle type, and the package.

Actually you can put in any other things other than egg such as hams and mushrooms.

However, somebody prefer original taste of Ramyon. So they just boil the noodle and add only the seasoning power.

Bibim naengmyon 비빔냉면(Spicy buck wheat noodle)

Naengmyeon is a one of typical cold noodles in Korea.

The cold noodle the wide selection (arrowroot, buckwheat etc.) goes with the cotton, will cut the lifestyle vegetable of cucumber etc. and conceives with one piece and the meat is the food which becomes accomplished with the poached egg.

The cold noodle comes to make from Josun time, at winter eats the cool cold noodle from the warm room.

Currently winter in order to purse a hot weather at summer eats frequently, but the noodles specialty shops sell the cold noodle boil even at winter.

Ingredients:

180 g naengmyon gooksoo (naeng myon noodle), 1/4 cucumber thin julienne, 1 egg

Dipping Sauce (yangnyum Jang):

2 tbsp go choo jang (Korean chili paste), 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

How to make it:

1. Boil big pot of water for noodle.

2. In a small pot, hard-boil egg.

(To make well done, add water, an egg, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium,cook for 10 minutes.)

Immerse in a cold water immediately.

Peel, cut in half.

3. Add noodle to a pot, cook for the recommended time from manufacturer.

Dump in a cold water. Wash 2-3 times until the clean water comes out. Drain well. Mix the sauce.

4. In a large bowl, add noodle, put sauce on top.

Garnish with cucumber and an egg.

Tip:

It's little bit spice, So If you don't like spice, you should control the dipping sauce in the Bowl.

If to today the cold noodle, not going over long and well not to be eating like that, in order to be difficult, the cotton the custom which cuts at the length which is suitable happened with the scissors.

If a but traditionally not only Korea from Asia to symbolize long to former times did not cut the cotton at random in order long life.

The usual cold noodle house before cutting, asks certainly the yes or no cutting.