Here's a new project that I've been working with my filmmaker friend, Jin Min. Check out the video to watch me make 3 Korean dishes. In this first video I make Daktoritang: a Spicy Braised Chicken Dish; Spinach Side Dish; and Bean Sprout Side Dish.

Here are the recipes for the 3 dishes:

Spicy Braised Chicken: Daktoritang

INGREDIENTS (YIELD: 1 SERVING)

10 oz Boneless Chicken
1 Small Potato
1/3 Carrot
1/3 Onion
2 Tablespoons Gochujang (Korean pepper Paste)
1 Clove of Garlic
½ Green onion
1/3 tsp ginger
½ tsp sesame oil
½ to 1 cup of water
Salt & Pepper To Taste

COOKING DIRECTIONS

1. Make the gochujang sauce. Mix in the minced garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.
2. Peel potato and carrot, cut into bite size pieces.
3. Roughly slice the onions.
4. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
5. Crush a clove of garlic and thinly slice the green onions.
6. In a hot pan sear the chicken and combine all the vegetables except the green onions.
7. Add water and let it simmer for about 25 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked and the sauce has thickened. Add water as necessary.
8. Serve with rice.

Cooked Bean Sprout Salad: Kongnamul

Ingredients (Yield: 1 Serving)

4oz Bean Sprouts
½ tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp chopped green onions
½ tsp toasted sesame
salt to taste

COOKING DIRECTIONS

1. Wash the bean sprouts and drain them.
2. Blanch them in boiling water for 20 seconds.
3. Drain them.
4. Mix in the minced garlic, chopped green onion, salt, and sesame oil.
5. Sprinkle sesame seeds (optional).

Cooked Spinach Salad: Sigumchi namul

INGREDIENTS (YIELD: 1 SERVING)

5 oz Spinach
½ tsp Minced garlic
½ tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp salt

COOKING DIRECTIONS

1. Wash and rinse the spinach in cold water.
2. Blanch the spinach in salted boiling water for 20 seconds, then submerge them in cold water.
3. Squeeze the blanched spinach to remove excess water. 4. Combine with minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil.

These days I've been cooking more than going to restaurants. I guess it's because it's Spring, but I think it's because I've rediscovered my love of cooking since I've been organizing and teaching cooking classes for O'ngo Food Communications.

Now one thing that I did notice in my house is that I have a lot of ingredients that I've accumulated over the years from friends and such. Also, I have ingredients left over from other cooking classes. So on Friday night I decided that I wasn't going to buy any ingredients, I had to macgyver a dinner from the ingredients I had on hand and I had to cook the whole meal from start to finish in one hour.

I haven't been to Hong Suk Chun's Restaurants in a while. Back when I first came to Korea bout 5 years ago, I was enamored with Our Place (across from Helios in Itaewon.) It was my go-to date place where I would enjoy wine with hummus and thick slices of Chocolate Grenache Cake. Since then Mr. Oh has expanded to several different restaurants including My Thai, My China, and My Chelsea.

Like all of his restaurants, there is a very particular since of style and "cool." He has an eye for interiors and his food is generally creative and fun. My Chelsea seems to be his foray into the brunch craze in Korea (which I thought had died a year ago, but it seems to be back because of Suji's.)

Since I have met Shawn, we have been very close. It must have something to do with his creativity and love of food. Recently, we've been working on developing cooking classes for people unfamiliar with Korean foods. To start, we did a series of videos with Shawn adding a twist to popular Korean dishes. In the video he made Kimchi Dubu Lasagna and Sundubu Flan.

First of all, what do you think of the new layout? Blogger has really tweaked their blogging software so even an idiot like me can have a cool looking blog. I'm working on improving it more and more, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Over the weekend, I was invited by Two Broz. Hamburger Joint to come in and take pictures of their burgers because they will be new advertisers in Groove Magazine (thanks guys). So after taking pictures, I was lucky enough to taste what they had.

The food is good. I mean, they are a new burger place and so they have the growing pains that all new places have. The interior is clean and diner-like. The prices are very reasonable (5,800 won for the regular hamburger) and they have have great fries with Swiss seasoning salt.. Oh- and they also have free refills on their cokes.

First Nepal over at Ewha University is an enjoyable place to have a quiet meal. They are brave for sticking it out in the Italian-Food-Crazed, Cafe-plentiful Ewha University Area. I hope they are doing all right because the day I was there, there was only 1 table. I guess the student's had tests that day. I ordered the Veggie Set (12,000 won) and it came with Salad, Palak Paneer (My favorite), Naan, and a Lassi.

Sorry, I haven't been posting so much this week, but I have to work to pay the bills^^

Over the weekend, a friend of mine, a teacher in Japan, came for a visit. During her premier Korean dining experience - a inculcated medley of side dishes, Korean barbeque and Soju - she asked what were my preferred Korean foods. After a bit of deliberated, inebriated thought -weighing the worth of dolsa bibimbop on a cold day over the convenience of kimbap - I decided upon omurice, with cheese, sans ham. Omurice - the closest perhaps to a western comfort food- is a toothsome omelet not just for breakfast, stuffed with rice and cheese, and doused in ketchup or gravy. She smiled wryly at my pratfall, asking me when I started to enjoy Japanese food.

I was completely confounded. Upon further research, unfortunately, I found that my comrade was indeed accurate. Omurice is the child of Japan and not of South Korea (although it is also eaten in Taiwan as well.) With such a cultural blunder, a mental springboard suddenly emerged and demand the lucid distinctions of Korean dining versus Japanese dining. I know that I’m not alone in this endeavor to identify the differences, know them and eventually, mock other ex-pats for reenacting the same faux pas. Alongside mastering the language Korea (or at least a few phrases) , expats should expand there Korean awareness to food culture.

Of course, both dining experiences begin with rice; it’s the hub of most meals. Rice cookers are plentiful in both locals. The point of departure, however, begins with the execution. Japan has been known to eat rice solo (Gohan), but it is unlikely that you will find a Korean eating a bowl of rice unaccompanied. Donburi, a bowl of rice with toppings, is one of the most familiar dish in Japan; it is usually adjoined with pork, tuna, beef and chicken. For Korea, one of the most renown rice meals is bibimbap, a pastiche of vegetables, rice and a fried egg. This dish is best eaten in the “hot pot,” as dolsot bibimbap. Thankfully, this favorite of mine is an authentic Korean delight. The closest variation Japan has is Kamaneshi, which is a rice dish with a blend of meat, sea food and vegetables cooked in an iron pot. The overall result of the mixture is of the same vein as bibimbap, but is more related to Cantonese po chai or Chinese guō fàn.

Kimbap, a bronze in food favorites, appears to be slightly pilfered from Japan’s Maki-sushi. Two quick glances at these seaweed-sealed rice vittles, and they resemble an identical twosome. Take another look at the stuffing, however, and each has completely different take on the this rolled up dish. Unlike Kimbap, which is usually stuffed with ham, fish steak or crab stick, maki-sushi is filled with raw fish and large amounts of sweetened rice vinegar.

When it comes to main dishes, Korea and Japan prefer different meats as well. Korean delicacies enjoy grilled meats, marinated beefs (bulgolgi), Kalbi (beef short ribs), and Mandu (pork and leek dumplings). In contrast, Japan delights in the fresh taste raw fish and creamy tofu. In the long run of Asian food race, Korean cuisine tends to be more spicy with the help of Gochujang (red chili paste) and more seasoned, with the help of sesame oil, onion and a sometimes excessive amount of garlic. Japanese food proffers milder flavorings like soy sauce and dashi.

Although in a very obtuse impressionistic appearance, there are some parts of the Asian food culture that appear to seamlessly joined, blending right into each other and creating a mosaic of food. Take a few steps into the culture, however, and the picture becomes separate food composites, displaying unique and obvious differences between the indigenous foods of Asia.

Lindsey Huster a writer who usually hails from Chicago. She enjoys listening to music,wearing cardigans and generally anything vegetarian.