Seasoned dried shredded squid (Ojingeochae-muchim)

Ojingeochae muchim is one of the most popular side dishes for Korean lunchboxes ("doshirak"). I learned this recipe from my cousin Kyeong in Korea, who was attending university when I was in high school. I couldn't believe how tasty it was when I tasted her ojingeochae muchim because it was much...

Seasoned seaweed (Gim-muchim: 김무침)

Today's recipe is my all-time favorite quick emergency side dish, seasoned seaweed sheets (gim-muchim 김무침). Sometimes when I want something easy to make and eat, and all I have on hand is kimchi, this is a side dish I can make fast and then serve with kimchi and rice. It's basically just toasted...

Stir-fried oyster mushrooms (Neutari-beoseot-bokkeum: 느타리버섯볶음)

This recipe is for mushroom lovers! I love any kind of mushrooms. Their earthy flavor, savory taste and most of all their texture, a little crispy and chewy at the same time. This recipe is for stir fried oyster mushrooms, which really shows off these mushrooms' taste and texture and is a little...

Fermented squid side dish (Ojingeojeot)

I used to make salty fermented anchovies every year when I lived in Korea. It was very easy to make! I mixed fresh anchovies with a lot of salt and put them into a huge earthenware jar. About 6 months later, the achovy jeot fermented well! I used to use them in my kimchi paste, or I took some...

Salt-roasted shrimp (Saeu-sogeum-gui: 새우소금구이)

Today's recipe is a simple way to enjoy shrimp at its full flavor and juiciness: salt-roasted shrimp (Saeu-sogeum-gui: 새우소금구이). There are a lot of ways to prepare shrimp, you can fry them, steam them, put them in a pancake, or add them to soups or stews. But this way is very simple and quick and...

Seafood kimchi fried rice (Haemul-kimchi-bokkeumbap: 해물김치볶음밥)

When I was staying in Montauk, on the farthest tip of Long Island, New York, I went to a seafood store and found it was full of fresh seafood. The large sea scallops especially got my attention. The fishmonger said they are so fresh that I could even eat them raw. So I decided on the spot to...

Squid soup (Ojingeo-guk)

I'm excited to introduce another soup recipe to you today, this one made with squid! If you are a soup lover and love seafood, I'm sure you will love this. It's very easy to make but it is smells and tastes great. I made this soup when I visited Tanya in Canterbury UK. We made a large pot of...

Sweet, sour, and spicy mushrooms with water dropwort

Today's recipe is a sweet, sour, and spicy mushroom dish with water dropwort, called Beoseot minari chomuchim. It's a variation of a popular traditional Korean dish that's prepared the same way but uses squid instead of mushrooms (called ojingeo minari chomuchim), and something I came up with in...

Crunchy squid threads

Today I'm going to introduce you to a very easy but incredibly addictive side dish. If you love anything a little salty like the sea a little and stinky like squid, you'll fall in love with ojingeo-silchae-bokkeum (오징어실채볶음), or crunchy squid threads. It's tastes sweet, crunchy, and a little...

Seasoned raw beef (Yukhoe: 육회)

Korean seasoned raw beef (yukhoe) is a delicious, fantastic totally unique dish: cool, garlicky, nutty, a little sweet and of course meaty! It makes for a great side dish for drinking. My recipe uses a lot of garlic, so plan in advance for garlic breath! This recipe has been a favorite in my...