Tak Kalbi and Jigae (Or, Korean Food... It's Not that Hard!)

Have you ever had the feeling like you're being watched?

Oftentimes, that's exactly how I feel upon walking into a Korean grocery store. But, it's not just a suspicion. It's something I know for certain.

Yesterday, I made my way to a tiny Korean market nearby--one I hadn't visited in years--to pick up a few ingredients for dinner that night. Gochujang, or Korean red pepper paste, gochu-garu, or Korean chili powder, and kimchi. The store doesn't have a ton of merchandise, so the ingredients were easy to find and since I'd been there many times before, I knew exactly where to look. But, despite my (or, what I assume was, anyway) confident gait, the owner followed me around the store and peered at me inquisitively as I compared different jars of chili paste.

When I approached the counter with a big jar of kimchi in hand he looked at me in astonishment. "You like kimchi?" he asked.

It's the kind of thing I encounter regularly as the wife of someone from Asia: the insistence that I won't like something and the resulting look of disbelief mixed with pleasant surprise when waiters, shop owners, and friends find out I've had it before, I know it's stinky, and yes, I like it a lot.

And this, of course, is rooted in the (somewhat accurate) perception that Americans just don't like anything more complicated than spicy tuna rolls, beef with broccoli, and pad thai. That may be true of some, but I think if given the opportunity, many people would be interested in partaking in a little jellyfish salad action, eating a durian fruit, or maybe even gnawing on a chicken foot.

But, just as that misconception prevails, Westerners have their own misguided thoughts about Asian cuisines that prevents them from trying to cook them in their own kitchens: primarily that they're incredibly difficult to prepare. And that just isn't true.

Julia Child once remarked that Chinese food is the only other world cuisine as complex as French. And as someone who has cooked a lot of it, I can tell you that, yes, it can be laborious to prepare. But, what of Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and the rest? There are difficult dishes in every repertoire, but there are many easy ones, too.

In my opinion, Korean cooking is to Chinese food as Italian is to French. That is to say that it's a little more foregiving, there's more wiggle room, and not so precise. And these are two recipes that can help you get started.

Jigae (Spicy Korean Tofu Soup)

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons white miso
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon instant dashi
• 1/2 tablespoon gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
• 1 zucchini,quartered and sliced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (12 ounce) package soft or firm tofu, sliced (Do not use silken. It will fall apart)
• 
  
• Directions

1. In a enameled cast iron dutch oven or clay pot, stir together first five ingredients over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes and add zucchini, jalapenos, and onions. Boil 5 to 7 minutes more, gently add tofu and boil for 2 minutes more.

Tak Kalbi (or dakalbi)

Chicken and Marinade

• 3-4 chicken boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• pepper to taste

Sauce

• 3 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp Korean chili powder
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar

Veggies

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/4 large head of cabbage, sliced into thin strips
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
• Sesame oil to taste

Combine chicken, mirin, ginger, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine all ingredients for sauce and set aside.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a cast iron skillet over HIGH heat and add in the veggies. Wait one minute before stirring.

Toss veggies and push to one side of the pan. Add chicken to cleared side and let them cook for approximately 1 minute before stirring in with the vegetables. Pour in sauce along with 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve with steamed short grain rice and kimchi.