Korean food and I - they have got to be a love at first try kind of a relationship between us. I have had my heart rooted for them the very first time I had them, and banchan was one of the many others that had captured my heart there and then, what I shall possibly call the best part of a Korean meal now even. I love the concept of having them served in small portions, in an array of varieties enough to fill as good as half of a table for four, and how they are all meant for sharing. I love how each portion despite small never poses a problem because they are replenished as one gets polished off while you are left craving for more still. And I love how they are presented and served just slightly ahead of the main meals to whet your appetite beforehand. The fact that they are made to stay through the meal accompanying the main dishes means you get to savor many different flavors mixing in the mouth at the same time - the beauty of Korean cuisine in my opinion lol. With bits of banchan plus bits of plain rice and bits of whatever main courses you have got your eye and tummy on, the idea may sound and look complex on the whole, a little intimidating even but never too overwhelming. I'm not sure if these are how they are done traditionally, but I really am liking this idea more than alright so long as I can execute enough self control to not over indulge in the banchan line and left with little or no space for the main meals as it goes.
This seasoned soybean sprouts, is just one of the many many selections that I have come to simply adore. Crunchy, a little raw in taste with a tad of nutty flavor, to be liking it could be an acquired thingy for many but one that came rather easy to me. The very first homemade banchan of mine, this is one with genuine simplicity and taste that they make a delectable banchan just like many others and simply keep Korean mealtimes really interesting.
A hectic week pre and post Thanksgiving and we finally caught the festive flu. Made worse with our lack of sleep and constant nose blowing, they surely did wear us down challenging our immune system further. And with my appetite plunging low getting super fussy, there really was not much that my aching throat could tolerate and approve. This ABC soup has always been the only thing that I have never said no to in my life - my all-time comfort food it sure is. It had been this soup that I had happily had through all those times when I got under the weather growing up and especially when I was on those orders for soft diet post all the teeth extraction nightmares in life. Gentle on the stomach and needing negligible effort to chew, it is amazing how they can be so tasty and still packed with all the essentials to sustain the good and reverse the bad. Packed with carrots, tomatoes, onions and potatoes and a little extra protein, their health benefits derive from the antioxidants, minerals, dietary fiber and particularly the provitamin A, vitamin B and of course whatever amount of vitamin C that is left still after the long hours of simmering. A soup so aptly named!
There probably is not a golden rule as to how this should be made. There can be no limit to the types of ingredients to be included and how much of each to be used. This is the version that I have grown up getting to know and love, and so this is how it shall always be to me personally with carrots > potatoes > onions > tomatoes quantity-wise. As with all the other homemade soups, I always have the cooking started early in the day and leave them simmering gently away until dinner time. Tailor the amount of ingredients to how much soup you wish to make. Essentially it will be good as long as the composition remains the same as aforementioned. ABC soup is one of the few that I always make sure that I make more than enough for our main meals and a sip or two in between meals for a day or two and probably even three. And I better not forget mentioning that this is just the perfect fit to keep you hydrated as you battle through - nutritious and tasty, hearty and healthy.
Another weekend with not a particular craving in mind, just anything simple sounds and looks good enough to us as hubby and I are still coping with the overwhelming Thanksgiving dinner. Not keen on neither dining out nor getting myself busy in the kitchen as the weekend approaches its end, I resorted to what most students (despite me being a long gone one *blush*) turn to for an easy meal - instant noodles. My favorite version will be the Maggi mee goreng mamak (fried Maggi noodle à la mamak style) that I particularly loved having at mamak stalls in Malaysia. To catch sight of a packet of those curry flavored Maggi noodles is close to being impossible here where we live, but we have the Indomie instant noodle in abundance here instead. So different brand, different packaging, different taste but same cooking principles - they are basically the instant noodles stir fried using the noodles within the packet.
The Indomie instant noodles come in packages meant to be served as plain fried noodles - simply have them boiled and mixed with the seasonings and voilà - fried noodles delivered as instantly as promised. But while I am all leaning towards an easy night, I am still all in to make our dinner a proper wholesome meal still, or a rather balanced one at least. So with a little extra touch here and there, giving the final appearance a little color and extra flavor, you get a slightly more elaborated version of fried noodles that may leave your guests (in my case my hubby that is lol) not grasping even a trace of anything close to an instant quality after all.
A simple post, back to the basic yet essential in our everyday meals. My favorite type of green? It has got to be the Chinese mustard green (choy sum) for its sweet and crunchy natures. Some say that all greens taste the same, but I personally think that each of them holds a distinct flavor and maybe even a texture unique to themselves. To define and describe them individually is something that I perceive as hard, some taste more earthy than the others, some with a stronger aroma, some sweeter, some crunchier and some simply taste a tad of raw in nature. And so yes I do think that not only do they differ from one another in those senses, they actually ace better revealing the best they can offer when cooked and handled in certain ways that best suit them. Back at home when I was a kid, baby bok choy has always been my brother's favorite. Not sure if his liking has remained through all the years, but I have come to like baby bok choy all the same over time, especially considering that these are one of the few greens that always come nicely and neatly packed looking fresh and all appealing here in the States.
Having them stir fried with minced garlic is probably my most preferred way of cooking them. Whether to toss in any extra ingredients is all optional. My version normally includes some protein - here it is the slices of chicken breast, on other occasions they could be the shrimps, minced meat or slices of fish cakes. Protein aside, these are the very contributing factor to a plate of greens with exceptional natural sweetness which I shall always prefer over the usual convenient sodium loaded seasonings. Whether or not there are other additional ingredients included, the basic to a plate of greens cooked this way always remains the same. Hot wok with a little oil, garlic stir fried until aromatic, protein first followed by the greens, a little of water, cover and let the steam within works its way up, toss, season, thicken the gravy optionally, dish up and serve hot. Simple yet essential these greens sure are.
