Discovered my local Korean market!

[Bouks]

Finally (드디어!) I got the chance to schlep halfway across the Valley to the closest Korean market to my house. Appropriately enough, it's called "Seoul Market". It was a fun and interesting experience, except for the part where I thought I lost my wallet, called home in a panic for my family to search for it, and then discovered it in the wrong pocket of my handbag. My mother isn't going to let me live that down for a while. (Hey, it's a new handbag!)

I scored the following:

a big jar of white kimchi
mix to make Korean pancakes for vegetable wrapping
jujubee tea
red beans (azuki in Japanese, I don't know the Korean name)
hot bean paste
sticky rice cake (ddeok?)
fresh kimbap with egg and vegetables in it
some ginseng chewing gum
...and the obligatory rice candy for the household 공주.

I met a very nice lady who was shopping there - she saw me looking at chopsticks, smiled and said, "do you know how to use those?" So I impressed her with all my Korean knowledge (all 13 weeks of it ) and she helped me find lots of things. She gave me her business card - she is a tailor, but on the opposite side of town from me and so I don't know if we could meet.

No Korean drama or film dvds! Not even pirated ones
So now I'm all set...for what I don't know! I hope what I make is edible. I have nothing but a small book with basic Korean recipes, and vague memories of Woo Lae Oak restaurant.

My daughter and mother *hated* the smell of the kimchi! Which means I get it all to myself

[usakorjb03]

that's koo...lucky me the korean store near me is only 5 min away also, the same people that own it has a 한국식당 called "Seoul" great place been here for so long I remember going there when I was 7 years old WOOT great stuff in these stores

[jaesun]

Bouks, you are too funny.

The cookbook you have is it 'Eating Korean' by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee?

(No, not 'Eating Koreans'! )

We found the recipes really do work and the stories are amusing.

[shanshanchua]

Haha, Bouks, congratulations on all your acquisitions!

Funnily, your post reminded me of 정은's audio blog, the one which she thought she had lost her wallet!

[Bouks]

Jaesun,
No, I don't have that book, although it sound like a good one. I've got Korean Cooking Made Easy from the Periplus series - I also have the Japanese one. It doesn't have a couple of things I wish it did (dduk guk, kimchi jigae) but I can always use the wild and wacky Internets for those.

I just tried the pine nut porridge from the book for breakfast - it's really good. I am so tired of American breakfasts and was looking for something new. I don't know if pine nut porridge is a breakfast meal in Korea, but it worked for me. (But no kimchi with it! I couldn't stomach that in the morning

Speaking of which, what do Koreans eat for breakfast?

[shanshanchua]

Speaking of which, what do Koreans eat for breakfast?

I think they eat rice!!
In K-dramas, they always eat 밥 with lots of 반찬 (side dishes), like it's lunch or dinner time! Seriously I can't imagine eating rice for breakfast, though I'm Chinese and rice is a staple for us...

[Bouks]

Shan - would you believe that, during my moment of panic, that lesson went through my mind? Along with the Intermediate Lesson #1 where Soyeon lost her wallet! I thought Oh,no! I've cursed myself listening to these things

There are several cultures in the world that don't distinguish certain foods clearly as "breakfast-only" foods. I wonder why we Americans do...it's like "breakfast" is a whole industry. I could eat some foods for breakfast that are traditionally for lunch or dinner, but as with kimchi, they can't be too pungent or be spicy at all. But I'm open to trying just about anything else.

[javiskefka]

I think it would be fun to experiment with korean pancakes, since they can contain so many different things. Maybe you could try mixing in some ingredients that would normally go into a crepe. Mmmm...

[holdfast]

i love korean markets......

there are a few small specifically korean markets here in town, and then there are two very large international markets that have asian food and hispanic food. it is an interesting combination, for sure! and it seems like everyone that works there either speaks korean or spanish. i just got back from there, actually. today i only got a few cans of tuna, some grapefruit (they have the best and cheapest produce in town), some 녹차 (if you haven't tried the kabuto brand green tea, you are seriously missing out) and some honey snacks (to share with a friend later when we watch a movie).

as for breakfast, i think anything goes. rice and seaweed, rice and side dishes, soup, cereal.. my personal favorite is when i went on a retreat with my korean church, we had ramen for breakfast. that was great!