Lately it seems like all I can think about is Korean food. The Epi staff has beenhooked on gochujang, a hot sauce made with fermented soy beans, for awhile now, and as I look towards colder weather all I want to cook is pork and kimchi stew with rice cakes.
Thankfully, New York chef Deuki Hong and writer Matt Rodbard have me covered. Their cookbook,Koreatown, reflects two years of eating through America's many Korean neighborhoods, with recipes for both home cooking and restaurant-style fare. The book also contains recipes from US chefs—including Sean Brock, David Chang, Eric Ripert, Danny Bowien, Paul Qui, Edward Lee, Hugh Acheson, Stuart Brioza, Edward Kim, Amanda Cohen, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo—that are inspired by the Korean pantry.
"For the most part, Koreatown is a book covering classic, traditional Korean cooking that made the trip over fully intact," Rodbard says. "The beauty of Korean food in America is that so little has changed, and that the food has been produced in a for us, by us sort of vacuum—with an end result that is both transportive and absolutely delicious."
When I asked Matt for an easy recipe to share from the book, something that would instantly hook anyone on the wonders of Korean cooking, Rodbard immediately suggested these simple dumplings, called Mandu. These are full of fairly traditional flavors—cabbage, minced pork, ginger, and garlic—but also have a secret American ingredient: butter. Cook them once, and you'll suddenly find yourself hanging out by the kimchi at the supermarket. And I'll see you there.
Koreatown: A Cookbookis out in February from Clarkson Potter.
