Soju: An Official American Word

Yes folks, soju is no longer just a liquor in South Korea but a word in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary. The dictionary gave its definition as ” a Korean vodka distilled from rice”.

I am not a drinker but I certainly want to try some just to satisfy my curiosity. However, the price of soju in America is $15 per bottle. That’s too much! I am not ready to shell out some dough just to spit the liquid out once it touches my tongue. [I can’t stand alcohol].

I think the Korean dramas had something to do with soju breakthrough (if you consider it as one). This liquor perhaps appeared in every Korean dramas that I have seen, therefore, I must assume that this is indeed the showcased liquor in every Korean dramas ( I have seen, haven’t seen, or fixing to be seen).

Anyway, congratulations soju! You outdid Rain and Se7en.

Source: Associated Press

My First “Yummy”Mandu (Korean Dumpling)

 I finally made my first Mandu (Korean dumpling), yepeeee!

Oh hush! I know I suck at it. I don’t know how to wrap nor cook them well. The first batch I made were burnt to a crisp and the second batch were undercooked. The rest, I thought I did cook them pretty well. They tasted good although I did not have the Asian chives as what the recipe called for.

I saw a Food Network show called  “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” last Saturday where they featured Kim Sohui (chef and co-owner of The Good Fork Restaurant in Red Hook, NY). Flay and Kim had a dumpling throwdown and Kim Sohui won. I was more interested on Kim Sohui’s recipe than Bobby Flay’s so I tried my best to scribble down the Korean-American chef’s recipe. However, I couldn’t jot down everything she said so my information was incomplete. I went to Food Network website to see if the video of that episode was available but it wasn’t.

The recipe I used to fix these delicious mandu was from Maangchi with some of Kim Sohui’s touch on it. I am still not giving up in finding the Kim Sohui’s Mandu recipe. Hopefully the video (dumpling throwdown) will be available in Food Network website this week.

 

Related Post: Maangchi- My Favorite Korean Cook

 

Maangchi- My Favorite Korean Cook

Everytime  I crave for a Korean dish, I turn to Maangchi’s video. She makes cooking look so easy and her dishes look soo yummy! 

Maangchi has a very friendly personality and she shows a lot of enthusiasm in cooking. When you watch her cooking video, you feel like she is really talking to you and just you. She has that kind of effect on me, I don’t know about the other thousands of her Youtube subscribers.

I like her latest featured dish , Mandu, which is shown on top. I would like to fix it sometime this week. I have half of the ingredients that were listed on Maangchi’s site. I still have to look for the mandu skins, the fish sauce, and the Asian chives. I spent about an hour the other day at Lowe’s Foods (grocery store) looking for chives but to no avail. I guess I will have to go to Asian store sometime this week and hopefully it will be there and the rest of the ingredients.

Below are my other favorite Korean dishes prepared by Maangchi:

Jjajangmyun

 

Kimbap

 

Kimchi

 

If you want to check out the rest of Maangchi’s videos, just go to her Youtube profile Maangchi or you can visit her personal website: Maangchi’s Official Website

By the way, maangchi means hammer.

To: Maangchi

        If you happen to visit my blog, I would like to say “Chong mal kamsahamnida!”

 

Related Post: My First “Yummy” Mandu (Korean Dumpling)