I’ve mentioned before that my cat Smokey is an ojinguh freak.  As soon as I start making it, she runs into the kitchen and starts meowing like crazy.  It’s her favorite food in the whole wide world, so I made some on Christmas as her Christmas dinner.

Last night while I was writing the spam musubi post below, I started munching on some leftover ojinguh.  Smokey was blocking my computer screen and refused to get off my desk because she had to have some of her favorite treat.  I kept putting her on the floor but she kept jumping back up.  She’s a crazy Korean ojinguh loving cat!

Now I know that there’s such a thing as a musubi maker, but my ghetto method of using a spam can has been working just fine.  Every time I make spam musubis, there’s never any left.  We love spam!!!!  But since they are a little time consuming to make, I decided to do a little research on musubi makers.

Amebouzu featured this spam musubi maker on his blog, but his blog is in Japanese.  (And he lives in Hawaii – where I first discovered the glorious musubi many years ago.)  You can buy a single musubi maker for $5.25 for a single and $7.50 for a double plus $10.00 s&h on Aloha2go.

This site discusses the history of spam.  They used egg with spam - such a good idea.  Why didn’t I think of that?!  Genius!!!! I’m definitely doing this next time. 

And finally JustJenndesigns shows us just how to use the musubi makers.

I gotta get me one of these.  I’m up working and I’m hungry.  Man I would kill for some spam musubis right about now… 

Corny Korean jokes for your slow post Christmas day…

Q: What did the truck say to the bread?

A: Bbang Bbang!

Q: What do you call a cute guy with no ears?

A: Gwee-up-dah!

Q: What did the mama turkey say to the baby turkey?

A: Gobble – ji- mah!

And finally…

Let’s make like a cookie and ga-ja!

I used to know more but I forgot them all…  Share your corny jokes!

Jangjorim

I made jangjorim for the first time!  It usually takes me a couple of times to get a recipe right, because my mom just explains it like, “Put this and this in and cook it.”  Nothing on how much, how long to cook, etc.  When I go home in 2 weeks, I’m going to have her cook up a storm so I can document it all.

Next time I make this, I’ll try boiling the meat longer to get it more tender.  But overall I think it turned out pretty well.

Ingredients:

1 pound beef brisket or beef flank
2 boiled eggs (optional); often made with quail eggs
1 japaleno
1 bulb peeled garlic
2 tsp pepper
2 tb sugar (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup soy sauce (adjust to taste)
5 cups water

Directions:

Cook the meat in 5 cups water until it comes to a boil, then reduce to medium heat.  If you’re going to add eggs to this dish, boil them now.  Cook the meat for 30 minutes and remove from the pot. Cut it into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Place the meat back into the broth, add your soy sauce, sugar, and garlic, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and add your jalapeno, pepper, and peeled eggs.  Let it cook for another 20 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool.  Refrigerate with the juices and skim the fat off the surface the next day.

Serve with rice and kimchi!  I love eating the garlic, eggs, and jalapeno too! 

I finally went to Pinkberry for the first time this weekend!  I must be one of the last people to try it, but I didn’t have super high expectations because what could be better than pahtbingsoo?

This is the one on 8th ave and 20th street in Chelsea.  Modern decor inside – pebbled floors and lucite chairs.  They sell some various random cute things.  I recognized these qtip holders from Alessi there. Notice the “no photography” sign on the bottom right.

I tasted samples of the original and green tea (the only two flavors they offer), but much preferred the original so I ordered that with pomegranate (I love pomegranate!). 

They offer many different toppings…

…as well as smoothies and shaved ice (made of shaved ice, fruit, mochi, condensed milk, and yogurt on top).  Sounds like a pahtbingsoo without the paht.  I gotta try that next time because I’m one of the few freakish Korean people that doesn’t really like paht (sweet red bean).

The original Pinkberry tastes clean and slightly tangy; very light.  It’s not something that blows you away the first time you taste it – I think it kinda grows on you.  The final verdict – I liked it and I’d definitely order it again.

I passed by a new Pinkberry in Chelsea this weekend on 8th ave and 20th Street.  So sad I still have yet to try it!

In other news, I’m going to start cooking again!  Upcoming recipes include: jangjorim/gyeran jorim, garlic marinated in soy sauce & vinegar, and dakyejang (like yookyejang except with chicken).  Stay tuned!

d0rK_AsS408 sent us these pictures of kimbap rollers:

I just use bamboo rollers that you can find in any Korean or Japanese market, but maybe this works better.  Hehe…

This past weekend we had a guest staying with us, so we took her to Won Jo because we wanted to go some place that used soot bul (charcoal).  I think the only other place that does in the city is NY Gom Tang/Soot Bul Galbi, but I had been there once before and didn’t like it.

Anyway we had haemool pajun, Wonjo special galbi, bulgogi, chicken, and soondooboo.  It was my first time here and the food was pretty good – galbi was the best meat.  My favorite Korean restaurant banchan is potato salad (the round white ball below left).  I know it’s not Korean but most restaurants have a Koreanized version and I just love potato salad!

Wonjo has dduk (rice cake paper) that you can wrap your meat in which I haven’t seen in NYC before.  The soondooboo comes with a flame under it to keep it hot.  I asked them to make it super duper spicy, but as usual it was too mild by my standards.

Our guest, who’s Italian, was amazed how much garlic Korean eat because we even eat it raw.  Well I used to devour raw garlic when I was single, but I don’t want to torture Mr. Bee so I don’t anymore.  That smell doesn’t go away for a couple of days.  I liked the kimchi (Mr. Bee not so much because it was too syuh suh – fermented).

I still think the meat at Kun Jip is better even though they don’t have sootbul bbq.  

What’s your favorite galbi/gogi place in your neck of the woods?  Sootbuljib in LA is my favorite…  but if you’re a pig (like me), you can’t beat all you can eat at Manna. 

When I lived in LA, I spoke Korean regularly with my family and certain friends.  Now that I’m living in New York, the only time I use Korean is when my parents call.  I used to speak better than my brother,  but he lived in Korea for a year and married a Korean girl, so now his Korean is waaaaaaay better than mine. I’m afraid that I’m going to slowly forget it!  I think I need to go to Korean school…

How good is your Korean/native language?

~~~

I used to take Korean classes at the Korean Cultural Center in LA.  It meets once a week for 10 weeks, and they offer 6 different levels.  The class is only $40 and they feed you dduk and kimbap every week!  I wish there were something like that here in NY because I really liked the class.  The KCC also offers other classes like Korean classical music so check it out.

I just discovered Ktownsearch’s website and xanga.  The website has a directory of businesses in LA’s ktown and links to cool sites like www.xanga.com/koreancooking.   

Their xanga blog has restaurant reviews, new business announcements, and more so check it out!