Mool Naeng Myun (Buckwheat Noodles with Cold Broth)

I love soup.  I also love cold food.  My husband often jokes about the fact that I could live for years without encountering a warm meal; and, he's probably right.  However, I have to admit that it took some real internal coaxing to convince myself to try this dish.  Partly to blame was the odd buckwheat noodle/pear/boiled egg combination.  Partly because of the broth concoction which asked for kim chee brine.  And also because of the fact that it is not like any other soup I've ever eaten in my life.  I'm more all-American in my soups: vegetable beef, chicken noodle, tomato, potato, chicken and stars (yes, I never matured beyond loving this Campbell's staple).  In truth, Pasta e fagioli is about as international as soup gets in our home.  Yet, here I was, bowl in front of me...soup for dinner.  (Yes, we had other food on standby just in case this turned out to be a fiasco.)

Such a fiasco, indeed - after tasting the first bite of this experimental dish, I could honestly say that I knew it wasn't for me.   The broth was tangy, the noodles were bland, the pear and cucumber combination was just wrong...and, truly, the cold soup was even too cold for me.  Perhaps I hadn't given it a completely fair shake. I mean, I did kind of expect this to happen - so, you could assume that I had set the situation up for failure from the beginning.  But, in fairness to the meal, I ate a few more bites to substantiate my feelings.  Sure enough, it wasn't for me.  Probably not for most Westerners.  Perhaps not even for many Koreans.  But, it was an interesting journey into a faraway land of food.  And, as they say - you don't know about something unless you try it! 

If anyone is curious enough to make this dish (despite how unappetizing I have made it sound), the recipe is as follows: 

Ingredients:

One package of buckwheat noodles (get these from a Korean grocery store - ask for naeng myun - the list of ingredients may read "buckwheat noodles" or may include a few other ingredients like "sweet potato starch," "wheat," and "salt.")
One carton of organic chicken or organic beef broth
Sea salt
Vinegar (brown rice vinegar is best, white vinegar will do)
One cucumber, peeled, seeded with a spoon, then sliced into thin strips about 2 inches long
One Asian pear, peeled and thinly sliced
Soft boiled egg - one for each person
 
Instructions:

(Traditionally, the broth for mool naeng myun is made with about 1/3 beef broth, 1/3 chicken broth, and 1/3 kim chi brine. But because few people have easy access to all three components, most Koreans use just beef broth or chicken broth.)

1. Pour organic chicken or beef broth into a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar, stir gently, and taste. Imagine drinking this broth while eating chewy buckwheat noodles and add more vinegar if you prefer more tang. This is the step that requires a previous encounter with well made mool naeng myun. Add a small amount of sea salt, to taste. If you have at least an hour before mealtime, put this bowl of broth in the refrigerator to chill.
2. Put buckwheat noodles into a large pot of boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. They should be taken out as soon as they are al dente - chewy and not too soft. At this point, put noodles in a large colander and rinse two to three times with cold water. Allow noodles to rest in the colander for a few minutes or until excess water has been drained.
3. To serve, place a large handful of noodles in a large eating bowl. Add a small bunch of cucumber strips, a few pear slices, and one soft boiled egg (cut in half right before serving) to the bowl. Then use a ladle to add a generous amount of cold and tangy broth to the bowl, enough to cover about 75 percent of the ingredients.
4. Right before eating, feel free to use scissors to cut the noodles a few times to allow for more convenient mouthfuls.
5. With each mouthful of noodles, vegetables, and egg, bring the bowl right up to your mouth and take a sip of the cold and tangy broth. Enjoy this traditional Korean summertime dish.

(The original recipe came from this link:  http://www.drbenkim.com/recipes/naeng-myun.htm)
 
 
 

Ho Dduk (Korean Pancakes)

When I think of sweets, quite honestly the Asian continent does not rank high on my list of places wherein my sugar-fix might be had.  And, with North Korea being no exception, I braced myself for what I figured to be a less-than-pleasing dessert.  However, though Ho Dduk turned out to be surprisingly edible (and, dare I say, even remotely good), this version of Korean pancakes is something far removed from the western notions of what a craved dessert should be.  

Yield:
36 pancakes (A WORD TO THE WISE: Half or quarter this recipe, as it makes a large batch of these pancakes!!)

Ingredients:
10 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup potato flakes
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
vegetable oil
 
Instructions:

1. Mix yeast, 2 Tbsp sugar and WARM water together in a bowl.
2. Mix Potato flakes with cold water in a separate bowl.  (Of course, I omitted this step)
3. In your mixer combine the powdered milk (or "wet" milk), 1/4 cup sugar, salt and 4 cups flour.  
4. Add softened butter, eggs, yeast and potato mixtures to mixer bowl.  Mix until well blended.  Add remaining flour in small amounts until it"cleans" the sides of the mixing bowl.  Remove from bowl and knead on a floured board for about 10 minutes (or, if you have an awesome stand mixer, attach dough hook and allow the mixer to do the work for the next ten minutes)
5. Grease a clean bowl and set the dough inside to rise for about 45 minutes.
6. Divide into 36 balls and cover with a damp cloth.
7. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together.   Add more cinnamon if you prefer.
8. Add enough oil to the bottom of a skillet to just barely cover the bottom.   Heat over a medium flame.
9. Take a ball of dough and flatten in the palm of your hand.  Put a spoonful of the cinnamon mixture on the dough and wrap the dough around it.  Put into the hot oil and let cook about a half of a minute then flatten with a spatula.  Let cook another 30 seconds, flip and flatten some more.  Allow it to finish browning.  Remove from skillet and let cool on a paper towel.
10. Repeat the process adding more oil as needed to the skillet to prevent the pancakes from sticking.

As one can tell from reading the recipe, there are a lot of steps involved in making Ho Dduk.  Of course, this shouldn't frighten the brave cook.  Most of the steps are fairly similar to the process of making bread.  Yeast is involved, as is a specific amount of time necessary to knead the dough.  There is some flour, sugar, water - all typical dough stuff - and then, the thing to throw you for a loop, potato flakes and powdered milk.  Potato flakes?!  Powdered milk?!  That's what the recipe said.  Potato flakes.  Powdered milk.  Interesting.  Of course, most of us don't just have these items laying around in our pantries.  And, I don't want the absence of these two ingredients to discourage anyone else from trying this "dessert"....so, I encourage anyone interested to improvise as I did.  Instead of powdered milk, I used regular 2% milk.  And, instead of potato flakes, I used...well....nothing.   Call it poetic license.  Send me to recipe jail.  I did what I had to do.  And despite my omission, they still turned out fairly well.

 (this picture is from original recipe page - mine looked similar to this, though I didn't have my camera handy)

The end result fell pretty much in line with my expectations.  They were pancakes.  With some cinnamon-brown sugar melted on the inside.  Fairly delicious.  Vaguely reminiscent of a cinnamon roll.  Enjoyed by my husband.  Loved by my two-year old (though, honestly, this is not a hard task - she can find contentment in a few stickers and an empty box).  I am not sure if this will end up in our current repertoire of eating or if it will remain an interesting footnote about "that one time when we tried..."; but, I can say, it was (as always) a wonderful departure to try new and unexpected things.  So, thanks for the pancakes, North Korea!

(The original recipe came from this link:  http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Ho_Dduk_(korean_Pancakes))

Bulgogi (Korean Barbecue), Yangnyum Kanjang (Bulgogi Sauce) and Kim Chi

I ventured into the realm of Korean food with an real sense of ignorance.  Though my community is bustling with Korean restaurants, I can honestly say that I have never been brave enough to venture in and try their delicacies.  I'm not quite sure why I have been so reluctant.  Most local Asian establishments find my husband and me partaking of their edibles quite often; and yet, Korea has remained an elusive host of many unknown delights. 

Truthfully, the one dish from Korea for which I have been previously acquainted is bulgogi.  Better known as Korean barbecue, bulgogi is simply beef that has been heavily marinated in a rich and simple sauce, then cooked to its crispiest peak over a flaming grill.  Simple.  All folks who love a good steak are familiar with the practice.

So, I tried to make this dish on my own and found it to be simple, easy and (most importantly) tasty.  This is how I did it:

Ingredients:
2 lb. lean beef
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp. finely chopped green onion
2-3 tsp. crushed garlic
2 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. white sesame seeds, toasted and ground
1 Tbsp. sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Cut the beef across the grain in very thin slices, then cut into narrow strips.  In a glass dish, mix all remaining ingredients together.  Add the beef and stir thoroughly.  Cover and let marinate for at least three hours.
2. Heat grill or tabletop broiler.  Cook until well cooked.  Dip in sauce when eating.  Serve with rice.

The accompanying sauce (yangnyum kanjang) is just as important as the bulgogi itself.  Another easy recipe, here is how it's made:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. rrice wine or Chinese brown vinegar
1 Tbsp. finely chopped green onions
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp. chili sauce
1 1/2 tsp. white sesame seeds, toasted and ground

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients and divide the sauce among several small dishes.  It ccan be prepared up to a day in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.

(Recipes from Asia: The Beautiful Cookbook by Jacki Passmore - Harper Collins Publishers, 1992)

Of course, no Korean meal of this type would be complete without kim chi - it is, after all, the national dish of North Korea!  However, with that said, I decided not to try to make it myself (even though I did find a recipe for it) because of my awareness for the fact that "good" kim chi goes through a fermentation process that couldn't be easily duplicated at home.

It might seem like an opportunity missed, not making kim chi from scratch.  You could call me crazy for passing on the chance.  Some might think I deserve banishment from the world of "real" cooks because of it.  But, oh well.  I have learned, over the years, to pick my battles wisely.  And, since pickled spicy cabbage is not something I really basked in trying, I figured it would be easier to buy a small batch than to make a large one.  Yes, the Koreans love it - I am not so fond.  However, may I say that I'm glad to have tried it.  Finally.  And, I look forward to finding out more of what Korea (the North, specifically, for this month) has to offer.

North Korea

Capital City - Pyongyang
Currency - North Korean Won
Population - 23,906,000 (as of 2009)
National Language - Korean
Religion - The North Korean Constitution states that freedom of religion is strictly prohibited.  With that said, unofficial records indicate that only 64% of the populous is truly devoid of any religious practice.  Religions practiced (albeit, in secret) include Shamanism, Cheondoism, Buddhism and Christianity.
Type of Government - Socialist Republic
Leaders - Kim Jong-il (Supreme Leader); Kim Il-sung (deceased - Eternal President)
Country's Motto - "강성대국" ("Powerful and Prosperous Nation")

Geographical Highlights - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a state in East Asia.  Located in the northern half of the Korean peninsula, it is bordered in the north by China and Russia.  A mountainous nation, its highest peak, Paektu-san, sits on the northern border of the country.  To the east, densely populated coastal plains make up the remaining landscape.

History - Prior to their creation of an independent nation in 1945, the entire Korean peninsula enjoyed a rich and ancient history.  From 108 B.C. to 313 A.D., the Chinese conquered much of the northern part of the country.  Mongol forces also overtook the nation in the 13th century.  However, by 1388 Yi Songgye founded a dynasty of rulers that would reign over the country until 1910.  From the 17th century forward, Korea was nicknamed the "Hermit Kingdom" due to the fact that they went to great lengths to prevent foreigners from entering their country.  This lasted until 1876 when Japan forced Korea to open some of its ports.  After that time, trade took place between Korea and Russia, the United States and many European nations.  By 1910, Korea became a Japanese colony.

Following World War II, Korea was divided up, with the south being occupied by the United States and the north being occupied by the Soviets.  Since that time, a Communist government has been in place in the North.  The Korean War began in 1950, when North Korean troops invaded the south.  North Korea was aided by China and the Soviet Union and the south was offered aid by the United States.  The war ended in 1953 and tensions remained in place between the two nations until well after the end of the cold war. 

Kim Il-sung ruled the nation as a dictator from 1948 to 1994.  His son, Kim Jong-il, currently rules the country and has become a force of much concern on the world's stage.  It has been recognized that, despite a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, North Korea has the capability of making nuclear weapons.   Also concerning, a drought in 1997 lead to large scale famine in North Korea.  Though many of the citizens suffered from malnutrition as a result, the government officially rejected food aid in 2005 because it was more concerned that taking such aid would be viewed by the world as a sign of weakness.

Landmarks -

• Ryugyong Hotel - The notoriously unfinished hotel in Pyongyang - also called the 105 Building.  Construction began in 1987 but came to a halt in 1992 when the country ran out of funds to complete the project.  It remains an eyesore in Pyongyang and has been touted as the "worst building in the history of mankind."
• Arch of Triumph - Monument in Pyongyang meant to honor Kim Il-sung for liberating the country from Japanese rule.
• Taedong Gate - On the shore of the Taedong river, the Taedong gate was the eastern wall of the inner fort of the walled city of Pyongyang.  It was built in the mid 6th century.
• Kwangbop Temple - Just outside of Pyongyang, the temple was built in 392 during the Kogyuro dynasty.  It was built in the rare style of Korean Buddhist temples.

Interesting Trivia -

• The word "Korea" in Korean translates to mean "land of the morning calm."
• The national sport of Korea is Tae Kwon Do.
• Kim Jung-il is a known cinema buff.  According to some sources, he has over 20,000 films in his personal library.  In 1973, he wrote a book entitled "On The Art of Cinema."  He even produced six films in the 1970's.  His enthusiasm extended so far that in 1978, prior to becoming leader of North Korea, he was known to have orchestrated the kidnapping of a South Korean actress and her ex-husband Shin Sang Ok, a well known Korean film producer. Both were kidnapped while on a visit in Hong Kong and were taken back to North Korea. The reason behind this was supposedly to help improve the quality of North Korean cinema.  Needless to say, it did not work.
• According to his biography, Kim Jong-il plays the piano and violin.  It is also said that he has conducted a chamber orchestra at one of his private parties.  

Music - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXrbDJHkpjE&feature=related