This Month’s Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
In keeping with this month’s food theme to accompany the delightful film ‘The Way Home’, today was the day I chose to make my Korean appetizers. This was only the second time I’ve ever prepared Korean food, and for the appetizer, I chose Kujolp’an, a classic ‘Nine Treasure’ assortment of fillings for delicate, paper-thin pancakes. The nine fillings I chose were thinly sliced beef marinated in Korean barbeque sauce, stir-fried shrimp, red radishes, blanched snow peas (picked fresh from my garden), julienne cucumber, garlic sauteed mushrooms, pan fried scallions, sweet and salty pickles, and spicy kimchi, which I purchased from Tin’s market in Oakland, and as warned on the label, exploded in a spirited fermentation ejaculation in my kitchen sink when I opened it. Huzzah!
Just to round out the meal, I prepared a ceviche of orange roughy marinated overnight in fresh squeezed lime juice, an extra item not originally on the menu, and truth be told, not even a Korean dish. But I had been craving it for weeks, ever since I bought the package of fish filets for last month’s Golden Fish Nuggets, and just couldn’t wait another minute to have it. It was absolutely delicious in its pristeen simplicity, as was the rest of the meal.
The beef was tender and savory, although I cheated and used Korean barbeque sauce from a jar (just for comparison’s sake, as I will be making my own when I prepare the main course next week). And the accompaniments were the perfect combination of flavors. I especially loved the blanched snow peas, which I chilled overnight and cut diagonally into bite-sized bits. Now that I have them growing in my garden, I think I’m addicted. (perhaps a snow pea intervention is in order). Alas the vines are a tangled mess and are almost played out, as they were the first to sprout and the first to bear. I might get one more coveted serving from them before time to plow them back into the ground from which they sprang.
But I digress. The Kujolp’an appetizer is anything but. The modest portions of each of the nine items I prepared turned into a feast all unto itself. I can’t imagine eating four more courses after the banquet we just consumed. And believe it or not…there are leftovers. Guess what I’m having for lunch tomorrow…
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
