Korean American: a Cookbook: Food That Tastes Like Home

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED COOKBOOKS OF 2022—Time, Food52, Eater, Food & Wine, Thrillist, Book Riot An homage to what it means to be Korean American with delectable recipes that explore how new culinary traditions can be forged to honor both your past and your present. “This is such an important book. I savored every word and want to cook every recipe!”—Nigella Lawson, author of Cook, Eat, Repeat New York Times staff writer Eric Kim grew up in Atlanta, the son of two Korean immigrants. Food has always been central to his story, from Friday-night Korean barbecue with his family to hybridized Korean-ish meals for one—like Gochujang-Buttered Radish Toast and Caramelized-Kimchi Baked Potatoes—that he makes in his tiny New York City apartment. In his debut cookbook, Eric shares these recipes alongside insightful, touching stories and stunning images shot by photographer Jenny Huang. Playful, poignant, and vulnerable, Korean American also includes essays on subjects ranging from the life-changing act of leaving home and returning as an adult, to what Thanksgiving means to a first-generation family, complete with a full holiday menu—all the while teaching readers about the Korean pantry, the history of Korean cooking in America, and the importance of white rice in Korean cuisine. Recipes like Gochugaru Shrimp and Grits, Salt-and-Pepper Pork Chops with Vinegared Scallions, and Smashed Potatoes with Roasted-Seaweed Sour Cream Dip demonstrate Eric's prowess at introducing Korean pantry essentials to comforting American classics, while dishes such as Cheeseburger Kimbap and Crispy Lemon-Pepper Bulgogi with Quick-Pickled Shallots do the opposite by tinging traditional Korean favorites with beloved American flavor profiles. Baked goods like Milk Bread with Maple Syrup and Gochujang Chocolate Lava Cakes close out the narrative on a sweet note. In this book of recipes and thoughtful insights, especially about his mother, Jean, Eric divulges not only what it means to be Korean American but how, through food and cooking, he found acceptance, strength, and the confidence to own his story. Editorial Reviews Review “This is such an important book: an enquiry into identity, and a rich repository of memories and deliciousness. And, as deeply personal as it is, it invites everyone into the kitchen with such brio. I savored every word and want to cook every recipe!”—Nigella Lawson, author of Cook, Eat, Repeat “Eric Kim is a triple threat: great writer, elegant innovator, and sublime aesthete. Korean American is far more than a collection of essential recipes and deeply felt memories; it is an important ode to a beautiful family.”—Min Jin Lee, author of Free Food for Millionaires and Pachinko, a finalist for the National Book Award “Eric’s book is wonderful. Every page shows his personality and good taste, and the recipes are inventive, fun, and traditional all at the same time! Very Korean and very American—with lots of kimchi.”—Maangchi, author of Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking “In Korean American, Eric Kim gives his readers bold new recipes and expansive yet grippingly personal essays, but also a model for the dream mother-child relationship in Jean and Eric: mutually adoring and understanding, with unlimited room for connection and growth. I’ve never read a book like it, and didn’t know how much I needed it.”—Kristen Miglore, author of Genius Recipes and Genius Desserts About the Author Eric Kim is a New York Times staff food writer born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He worked his way through the literary and culinary world to eventually become a digital manager at Food Network and a senior editor at Food52, where he amassed a devoted readership for his “Table for One” column. He now hosts regular videos on NYT Cooking’s YouTube channel. A former contributing editor at Saveur, Eric taught writing and literature at Columbia University, and his work has been featured in The Washington Post, Bon Appétit, and Food & Wine. He lives with his rescue pup, Quentin Compson, in New York City. --This text refers to the hardcover edition. Contents Cover xhtml/fm0.xhtml Title Page Copyright xhtml/fm1.xhtml Contents Introduction The Tiger and the Hand What Is Korean American Cooking? That Boring Pantry Section in Every Cookbook, but More Fun TV Dinners: Fast Foods to Eat on the Couch Pan-Seared Rib Eye with Gochujang Butter Three Dinner Toasts Gochujang-Buttered Radish Toast Soft-Scrambled Egg Toast Roasted-Seaweed Avocado Toast The Quiet Power of Gim Creamy Bucatini with Roasted Seaweed Gochugaru Shrimp and Roasted-Seaweed Grits Maple-Candied Spam Jalapeño-Marinated Chicken Tacos with Watermelon Muchim A Lot of Cabbage with Curried Chicken Cutlets Salt-and-Pepper Pork Chops with Vinegared Scallions Cheesy Corn and Ranch Pizza with Black-Pepper Honey Meatloaf-Glazed Kalbi with Gamja Salad Kimchi Is a Verb: On Time Capsules and Pantry Cooking Kimchi Is a Time Capsule Jean’s Perfect Jar of Kimchi Baek Kimchi with Beet Bitter (in a Good Way) Green Cabbage Kimchi Seolleongtang-Restaurant Radish Kimchi Naengmyeon Kimchi Perilla Kimchi Oi Sobagi Spam, Kimchi, and Cabbage Stir-Fry Kimchi Sandwiches Kimchi Bibimguksu with Grape Tomatoes Bacon-Fat Kimchi Jeon with Herbs Caramelized-Kimchi Baked Potatoes Kimchi-Braised Short Ribs with Pasta S Is for Stew: The Korean Art of Gentle Boiling A Very Good Kimchi Jjigae Budae Jjigae The King of Scallions (and Other Negotiables) Doenjang Jjigae with Silken Tofu and Raw Zucchini Cornish Game Hen Soup with Fried-Shallot Oil Dakdoritang Sunday-Night Chicken Sujebi On Soaking and Blanching Meat Pork Spare Rib Soup in the Style of Gamjatang Seolleongtang Noodles with Scallion Gremolata Mountain Kalbitang with All of the Herbs Kalbijjim with Root Vegetables and Beef-Fat Croutons Rice Cuisine: Jipbap Means “Home Food” Perfect White Rice Gyeranbap with Roasted Seaweed and Capers Tomato-y Omelet Rice Nest Eric’s Kimchi Fried Rice with Egg Yolk Spam and Perilla Kimbap Cheeseburger Kimbap Jjajangbap with Cabbage and Peas Weeknight Curry Rice with Eggplant, Spinach, and Lotus Root Scorched Skillet Rice with Raw Spring Vegetables Summer Albap with Perilla and Salted Garden Vegetables Sheet-Pan Bibimbap with Roasted Fall Vegetables Winter Squash Risotto with Chewy Rice Cakes Korea Is a Peninsula: The Fish Chapter Salting Fish and Why It Rocks Pan-Fried Yellow Croaker Salted Salmon Steaks with Celery and Mushrooms Crispy Trout with White Wine and Lemon Butter Maeuntang Old Bay Shrimp Cocktail with Wasabi Chojang Roasted Lobster Tails with Lemony Green Salad Ganjang Gejang Garden of Jean: The Vegetable Chapter Oi Naengguk with Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes Chicken Radishes One Dressing, a Thousand Fruit Muchims Garlicky Creamed Spinach Namul Gem Lettuce Salad with Roasted-Seaweed Vinaigrette Smashed Potatoes with Roasted-Seaweed Sour Cream Dip Crudités with Roasted-Seaweed Sour Cream Dip Grilled Trumpet Mushrooms with Ssamjang Crispy Yangnyeom Chickpeas with Caramelized Honey Charred Cauliflower with Magic Gochugaru Dust Gochujang-Glazed Zucchini with Fried Scallions Feasts: Menus and Ruminations on Living A Korean American Thanksgiving Yangnyeom Roast Chicken Cheesy Scallion Stuffing with Sesame Seeds Sesame-Soy Deviled Eggs Aunt Anne’s Broccoli-Cheese Rice Casserole Mac-and-Corn-Cheese with Jalapeño Bread Crumbs Honey-Buttered Goguma Casserole with Turmeric Judy’s Empanadas Lasagna with Gochugaru Oil Roasted Bo Ssam with Coffee, Garlic, and Bay Leaves Sheet-Pan Japchae with Roasted Wild Mushrooms Sheet-Pan LA Kalbi with Sprite Salt-and-Pepper Ribs with Fresh Mint Sauce Microwave Gyeranjjim with Chicken Broth Aunt Georgia’s Soy Sauce Fried Chicken with Jalapeños Crispy Lemon-Pepper Bulgogi with Quick-Pickled Shallots Two Soju Cocktails Somaek Clementine 50/50 Korean Bakery: Baked Weekend Projects Milk Bread with Maple Syrup A Proper Grilled Cheese Honeyed Biscuits with Strawberry Refrigerator Jam Korean Pear Galette with Salted Cinnamon Whipped Cream No-Churn Ice Cream with Dalgona Butterscotch Sauce Honeydew Semifreddo Gochujang Chocolate Lava Cakes Chewy Black Sesame Rice Cake Whipped Cream Snacking Cake with Fresh Fruit Epilogue Dedication Acknowledgments Index About the Author NEW YORK TIMES AND LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER • An homage to what it means to be Korean American with delectable recipes that explore how new culinary traditions can be forged to honor both your past and your present. SHORTLISTED FOR THE ART OF EATING PRIZE • IACP AWARD FINALIST • ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: Bon Appétit, The Boston Globe, Saveur, NPR, Food & Wine, Salon, Vice, Epicurious, Publishers Weekly, Simply Recipes “This is such an important book: an enquiry into identity, and a rich repository of memories and deliciousness.”—Nigella Lawson, author of Cook, Eat, Repeat New York Times staff writer Eric Kim grew up in Atlanta, the son of two Korean immigrants. Food has always been central to his story, from Friday-night Korean barbecue with his family to hybridized Korean-ish meals for one—like Gochujang-Buttered Radish Toast and Caramelized-Kimchi Baked Potatoes—that he makes in his tiny New York City apartment. In his debut cookbook, Eric shares these recipes alongside insightful, touching stories and stunning images shot by photographer Jenny Huang. Playful, poignant, and vulnerable, Korean American also includes essays on subjects ranging from the life-changing act of leaving home and returning as an adult, to what Thanksgiving means to a first-generation family, complete with a full holiday menu—all the while teaching readers about the Korean pantry, the history of Korean cooking in America, and the importance of white rice in Korean cuisine. Recipes like Gochugaru Shrimp and Grits, Salt-and-Pepper Pork Chops with Vinegared Scallions, and Smashed Potatoes with Roasted-Seaweed Sour Cream Dip demonstrate Eric's prowess at introducing Korean pantry essentials to comforting American classics, while dishes such as Cheeseburger Kimbap and Crispy Lemon-Pepper Bulgogi with Quick-Pickled Shallots do the opposite by tinging traditional Korean favorites with beloved American flavor profiles. Baked goods like Milk Bread with Maple Syrup and Gochujang Chocolate Lava Cakes close out the narrative on a sweet note. In this book of recipes and thoughtful insights, especially about his mother, Jean, Eric divulges not only what it means to be Korean American but how, through food and cooking, he found acceptance, strength, and the confidence to own his story. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED COOKBOOKS OF 2022? Time, Food52, Eater, Food & Wine, Thrillist, Book Riot An homage to what it means to be Korean American with delectable recipes that explore how new culinary traditions can be forged to honor both your past and your present. "This is such an important book. I savored every word and want to cook every recipe!"?Nigella Lawson, author of Cook, Eat, Repeat New York Times staff writer Eric Kim grew up in Atlanta, the son of two Korean immigrants. Food has always been central to his story, from Friday-night Korean barbecue with his family to hybridized Korean-ish meals for one?like Gochujang-Buttered Radish Toast and Caramelized-Kimchi Baked Potatoes?that he makes in his tiny New York City apartment. In his debut cookbook, Eric shares these recipes alongside insightful, touching stories and stunning images shot by photographer Jenny Huang. Playful, poignant, and vulnerable, Korean American also includes essays on subjects ranging from the life-changing act of leaving home and returning as an adult, to what Thanksgiving means to a first-generation family, complete with a full holiday menu?all the while teaching readers about the Korean pantry, the history of Korean cooking in America, and the importance of white rice in Korean cuisine. Recipes like Gochugaru Shrimp and Grits, Salt-and-Pepper Pork Chops with Vinegared Scallions, and Smashed Potatoes with Roasted-Seaweed Sour Cream Dip demonstrate Eric's prowess at introducing Korean pantry essentials to comforting American classics, while dishes such as Cheeseburger Kimbap and Crispy Lemon-Pepper Bulgogi with Quick-Pickled Shallots do the opposite by tinging traditional Korean favorites with beloved American flavor profiles. Baked goods like Milk Bread with Maple Syrup and Gochujang Chocolate Lava Cakes close out the narrative on a sweet note. ? In this book of recipes and thoughtful insights, especially about his mother, Jean, Eric divulges not only what it means to be Korean American but how, through food and cooking, he found acceptance, strength, and the confidence to own his story "An homage to what it means to be Korean American with more than 85 delectable recipes that explore how new culinary traditions can be forged to honor both your past and your present. New York Times staff writer Eric Kim grew up in Atlanta, the son of two Korean immigrants. Food has always been central to his story, from Friday-night Korean barbecue with his family to hybridized Korean-ish meals for one--like Gochujang-Buttered Radish Toast and his Kimchi Fried Rice--that he makes in his tiny New York City apartment. In this book, Eric shares these recipes alongside insightful, touching stories and stunning images shot by photographer Jenny Huang. Playful, poignant, and informative, Korean American: A Cookbook also includes essays ranging from the life-changing act of leaving home and coming back, to what Thanksgiving means to a first-generation family both conceptually and culinarily--all the while teaching readers about the Korean pantry, the history of Korean immigration in America, and the importance of white rice in Korean cuisine. Recipes like Sheet-Pan Bibimbap with Roasted Fall Vegetables and Caramelized-Kimchi Baked Potatoes demonstrate Eric's prowess at introducing Korean flavors to comforting American classics, while a dish such as Meatloaf-Glazed Kalbi with Gamja Salad does the opposite by making a traditional Korean dish immediately more familiar through the addition of a beloved American flavor profile. In this book of recipes and thoughtful insights, especially about his mother, Jean, Eric divulges not only what it means to be Korean American but how, through food and cooking, he found acceptance, strength, and the confidence to own his story"-- Provided by publisher