Experimenting with homemade yogurt at home. The Korean whole milk works well with the Bio Plain yogurt as the starter. I boil it for about 30 minutes before letting it cool and then mix it with some starter. I put it in the yogurt maker for 9 hours and then I have a nice thick yogurt. The family likes thick yogurt so the extra long boiling helps to thicken the milk. I have tried it in a Korean pot and it worked pretty well. #homemade #seouleats #frugalliving 

Clash of Grandmas! My name is Costa Nicolas and I’m a Casting Associate for  Clash of The Grandmas,  a cooking competition show on  Food Network . We are currently casting for an upcoming season of our show that will feature grandmothers competing to win a large cash prize. Last year our winner received $10,000! I would love to find some wonderful culinary grandmothers who can represent their hometowns in our upcoming season of the show. In the past grandmothers working at culinary schools, restaurants, bakeries, community centers, home goods stores, etc. have done well on our show.  We absolutely love personal referrals so it’s my job to get the word out about our show early! Please feel free to pass this email on. Please address all emails to Costa  cnicolas@leg-corp.com About the show: " Four grandmas enter, but only one will emerge as champion in Clash of the Grandmas! Whatever grandma says or does is culinary law, and in this co...

Omelette Rice Duck Lettuce Wraps Homemade Hickory Smoked Bacon Our home continues to cook all of our meals and so far it has been good. Yesterday, we did want to order some take out or delivery because we just wanted something greasy, but we resisted. Luckily we had some homemade hickory smoked bacon on hand. I simply grilled this up and made a sauce with vinegar, chilies and shallots.  For breakfast, I had omelet rice or what Koreans (and Japanese) call Omurice. To make this, I made a simple fried rice with onions, shallots, potatoes, soy sauce and a touch of vinegar. I then topped it with scrambled egg and served it with ketchup and a side of bacon and salad. For lunch we did duck lettuce wraps, bacon, dumplings, side dishes, soup and rice. It is not one hundred percent Korean but it does embody the Korean way of eating. Vegetables and rice are the main part of the meal and we are not over indulging in proteins. Ok, back to work and then its time to make b...

Smoked Duck with bean paste soup and banchan So, I am getting older (I'm 36 now and I have spent nearly a decade in Korea) and my old eating habits have caught up with me. I don't know exactly how it happened. I mean I had problems with my weight before but if I put my mind to it and exercised, I could work it off. Since I have gotten married and our family had our first child, I have had problems controlling my weight and it is seriously starting to scare me.  Maybe it is stress or maybe it is from the lack of pressure ( I mean I have it all right?: Wife, Baby, Home, Job...the newest Apple products:) The main thing that I have found out is that the daddy gut is a real thing and it is something that I am taking serious measures to cure. I have been exercising more and watching my weight. In the last 3 months I have lost 4 kilograms which is about 8.8 pounds so that is down from a very depressing 93 kilograms or 205 pounds. Never in my life have I been over 200 po...

    Koreans call beans, ‘Meat from the fields.’ A long time ago, meat was a luxury that commoners rarely had a chance to eat. So instead of meat, Koreans cultivated a wide variety of beans to supplement their diet. Beans such as black beans and peanuts were often used to make banchan or side-dishes, but others like wild kidney beans, white beans, and peas were added to rice. Red bean in a sweetened paste was used as a filling for rice cake desserts. There is even a bit of notoriety about eating rice steamed with beans. If you ever encountered some people that might have looked a bit unruly or dangerous and you suspected they might have spent time in prison. There is a way of asking them instead of asking them obviously. You could ask, “how long did you eat beans and rice?” If that person spent time in prison, they would know what you meant and might answer 3 months, 1 year, 10 years etc because a long time ago prisoners were only given rice while in prison. Now the most import...

It's alive! I am so proud. It is bubbling and yeasty and has a acidic, vinegary taste (yes, I tasted it) in two more days my starter should be strong enough to make some great bread and pizza doughs ( I have plans for you my pretty). Like I had mentioned before, it is easy enough to do. I think this is how the first bakers started making bread. I can't wait until I start baking with it. Dan

For those living or visiting Korea or for those looking to do something in the evenings or weekends, O'ngo Food Communications is now offering weekend and evening classes. It's a great opportunity to meet other foodies and travelers, learn about Korean food and have a great meal. Our classes are taught in English by professional chefs that will explain each step of the process. After you watch an exciting demonstration, you'll make your own dishes. Afterwards, you'll be able to enjoy your meal with others taking the class. Tuesday and Thursday 6:30pm Evening Class Korean Barbecue at Home Korean barbecue is a popular menu enjoyed by both Koreans and foreigners alike all year round. With O’ngo Food’s evening class, you will learn how to make a full course Korean barbecue complete with salad and noodles the quick and easy way. Now you can enjoy this fun and delicious menu at home with friends and family. Your chef will also show you how to present your finished dishes for ...

TTEOKGUK (Rice cake soup)   My name is Timea Adam, I’m from Targu-Mures, Roumania and I was born on 1989. Although I’m licensed in International Relations and European Studies I have a passion for Korean Cuisine. My passion for Korean Cuisine started in October, last year, when I saw on TV a Korean drama (for the first time in my life), I think the name of the drama was ‘Boys over flowers’ (I hope that is right). Well, it was the first time when I was jealous because a man was skinny than me. (^_^).  Then I started to search on the internet on everything about Korea, especially about Korean cuisine. In this movie, the actors were eating a lot of Ramyeon and Kimchi, so I started to search for information about this two dishes. I found was able to find many food recipes that looked tasty and healthy. It was then I fell in love with the Korean cuisine. It has inspired me to write a book with my favorites Korean food recipes. Many people ask me why I’m so passionate about Korean cuisine an...

On Saturday, January 28th we'll be making Bulgogi and Geotjeori. A classic combination of Korean foods. Our Saturday Classes are designed for those looking for more interesting Korean dishes and those that are currently living in Korea. It's a great way to meet people. On Saturday, they are attractively priced at only 55,000 won per session. ($52 USD). Classes will be taught in English by Chef Hyejin and after the class there is a market tour. You'll first see a demonstration of how to make the dishes, then you'll make your own dish. After the class there is a market tour. January 28 - Bulgogi, geotjori (Fresh Kimchi Salad) February 11 - Sundubu stew, Bean sprout salad February 25 - Andong Jjimdak (black braised chicken), Cubed Radish salad March 10 - Spicy Stir-fried chicken, Spring namul (vegetable side dishes) March 24 - Beef Japchae, Cucumber kimchi Here is our Saturday Schedule for Cooking Classes. Classes will start at 10am on Saturdays and the cost on Saturdays w...

Here is my good friend and business partner, Jia Choi and she is making Sundubu, which is one of my favorite Korean dishes. She has lots of great tricks and gives you culture insight while you learn how to make this a very delicious tasting dish. The video was shot by John and David from the new online video service, PSeight. You can see their website here http://www.pseight.com/ . If you see more great videos on their website. There will be more videos coming up featuring Chef Jia Choi PhD. You can take classes with Jia at our cooking school at www.ongofood.com Come take a cooking class or take a Culinary Tour in Seoul! http://www.ongofood.com Pictures are taken either with my Panasonic DMC-G2 Camera with 20mm Lens or with my iPhone 4G Join the Seoul Eats Facebook Group Page to keep to date with the latest events.

Here is my good friend and business partner, Jia Choi and she is making Dakgalbi, which is one of my favorite Korean dishes. She has lots of great tricks on how to make this a very delicious tasting dish.   Dakgalbi (pt. 1/2) Spicy Chicken Stir Fry {Food Culture w/ Chef J. Choi} from PS8 on Vimeo . Dakgalbi (pt. 2/2) Spicy Chicken Stir Fry {Food Culture w/ Chef J. Choi} from PS8 on Vimeo . The video was shot by John and David from the new online video service, PSeight. You can see their website here  http://www.pseight.com/ . If you see the video bigger on their website. There will be more videos coming up featuring Chef Jia Choi PhD. You can take classes with Jia at our cooking school at www.ongofood.com Come take a cooking class or take a Culinary Tour in Seoul! http://www.ongofood.com Pictures are taken either with my Panasonic DMC-G2 Camera with 20mm Lens or with my iPhone 4G Join the Seoul Eats Facebook Group Page to keep to date with the latest even...

Food stylists live tortured lives. They have to make delicious looking food and then wait as photographers click shot after shot after shot. The food gets cold and it loses the vibrancy it once had to the camera. And on top of that, the food (something i just learned) is often not seasoned for it often clouds the broth. Over the weekend, I helped with a food styling shoot and it made me want to eat Mushroom Hot Pot all week (Bosot Jeongol). My friend and business partner, Jia, did the cooking and I washed dishes and wrote down the recipe. The shoot was done at Elysian Ski Resort in Gangchon, which is a beautiful place. I'm going to have to go back there one day. Mushroom Hotpot: Shitake, Oyster, Pine Mushrooms, and Enoki Mushrooms Table Setting (we had to later iron the table settings) Jia at work Mushroom Hot Pot Rice Topped with Lemon Blanched Clams

These days I'm all about natural and homemade food. I'm trying to eat healthier because it makes me feel better. Everyday I start out with a big glass of water and I take my vitamin c tablets. I'm cooking a lot more. I'm also eating more raw foods and fruit. At our cooking studio , we're working hard to make food for scratch. These days we're researching how to make butter, cheese, and other products from dairy. In the upcoming months, we're thinking of doing a class on making tofu from scratch. Here are a few videos that I found on how to make tofu.

Hi Everyone, I always watch Maangchi, I don't know why I don't post them on Seoul Eats for you to watch as well. My goal in the next year is to actually meet her. We've worked on several similar projects, but I've never had a chance to actually meet her. Anyway, I'll try to post her new videos as she puts them up. You can watch all of her videos on her main page www.maangchi.com Dan

At the end of August, our current Chef Shawn Park will be leaving us to go to Australia to do some filming for a TV show, so our company is in search of another chef to join our company. The information is below. If you know anyone that's an experienced chef (preferably Korean or an F-2 or F-4 visa holder) please refer them to us. In the next week, we'll be moving to our new studio in Insadong. We'll be able to run regular classes throughout the week in Japanese and in English. Thanks, Dan O'ngo Food Communications (www.ongofood.com), a culinary education and consulting company in Seoul is looking to hire a Chef that specializes in Korean cuisine. Ideally the candidate should be able to speak English and Korean and have experience in cooking Korean Cuisine. The candidate should be well spoken and look professional. Those who can speak Japanese would be highly regarded for this position. The chef/teacher will oversee our new 50 person cooking studio in Insado...

Good Food. Good Wine. Good Fruit. My lovely girlfriend decided to cook me mackeral braised in Gochujang Sauce. We had this with a nice white wine we got from VinVino. The food was great. Delicious! Amazing (Sorry for the shameless plug, but I don't want to get in trouble. The fish went well with the white wine and it wasn't too spicy.

These days, the company I work for, O'ngo Food Communications , has been quite busy because we are participating at the 20th Anniversary of the Dragon Hill Lodge. So tomorrow we will be serving food at the Dragon Hill Lodge Hotel- we've spent the whole day today preparing it. We'll also be on base on Saturday near the Discover Seoul Stand inside the hotel. We'll have giveaways and sign-up information about our cooking classes and tours. We'll be opening up our cooking studio by the middle of May and then, we'll be able to do regular classes with Chef Shawn. Oh, the menu for tomorrow is Spicy Korean Chicken Skewers, Tofu and Kimchi, and Korean Pancakes. We will be there starting at 5pm. Stop by if you are on the US military base. Dan Here's the Flyer Look! there's the O'ngo Logo! I'm so proud^^

Cute Kids Once a month I volunteer at a halfway house for Korean children. This isn't an orphanage, but a place where the kids are supposed to stay temporarily until their parents come back to get them. However, some of these kids have been here for about a year. If the parent's decide not to get them, then they will go to a real orphanage where other options are considered including adoption. Don't you just want to take him home? May 5th is Children's Day in Korea and it's a day where most kids wait in bated anticipation for. Most kids get presents and then spend the day with their parents going to amusement parks, zoos, or movies. These kids won't have that opportunity so it is a very sad and depressing day for them. This year we'll be going to the orphanage on Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 at 10am to cook lunch for these kids and to help clean the building. The station is down by Beomgye (Line 4 towards Oido). We'll be cooking Korean barbecue and diff...

Lemon Crepes Suzette I have a confession. The reason, I haven't been posting so much on Seoul Eats is because I've been busy at home cooking. I've been learning new recipes and reintroducing myself to old ones. For example, the other day I made crepes. I got the pan really hot and I made these thin, crisp pancakes and topped then with lemon and sugar. It took a couple of tries to relearn the technique, but I think I got it in the end. The guests that I made them seemed to enjoy them. Dan

My dog Hubble is totally spoiled. He just spent a week in the country (Bundang^^) with my friend Richard where he was pampered and groomed all week. He came back with a whole new standard of living. He had his "hair did" and he had Richard cook for him everyday. Well, I am a competitive person, so I can't let Richard best in taking care of my dog, so I have to cook gourmet meals for Hubble. I must prove that my dog loves me more.^^ (Sorry, Richard, but I'm better than you.) Breakfast today was Dog Omelette Rice (개오무라이스) It was an egg fried in olive oil mixed with his dried food mix.^^ Eggs are very good for dogs and it encourages them to eat the dry mix, which is good for cleaning their teeth.