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Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

Written by James on 2 May 10

I found myself with a craving for a classic meal of spaghetti and meatballs the other night. It had been a while since I’d made my own meatballs, so I thought I’d go for it! Meatballs are most often made with ground beef, ground pork, or a combination, but to be more healthy, I went with ground turkey instead. I also improvised some of the ingredients, adding in parsley, garlic, pepper, salt, minced onions, parmesan cheese, and an egg. Lastly, I decided to make rather large meatballs, since I love a sizeable meatball instead of a bite-sized one. They were delicious!

Other than quality of ingredients, the most critical part of making a good meatball is the bread component. While some recipes call for stale bread, I recommend using fresh bread soaked in milk. You can also use canned bread crumbs if you have to, but the fresh bread makes for a much smoother texture. Here, I used French bread soaked in milk, though Italian bread is usually recommended. I took out some of the crust pieces that didn’t soak very well, since French crusts can be rather tough.

12 Comments

Posted in : Bake,Italian

Ham and Pesto Pizza

Written by James on 30 April 10

I don’t do anything too crazy here. I’m still using pita bread as the base for my pizza crust, like I discussed in my KimChi Pizza post. Instead of using KimChi, however, I went to my trusty emergency stash of pesto, some deli ham, and fresh tomato slices to make a great quick and fresh pizza. I also avoided any tomato sauce, because it’s not really necessary and doesn’t add anything to this particular recipe.

7 Comments

Posted in : American,Bake,Italian

Chicken Soup (for the soul)

Written by James on 28 April 10

Near the end of the roaring twenties, Herbert Hoover ran on a platform with a catchy slogan: “A chicken in every pot.” Since then, the markets have risen and fallen, but fresh chicken soup still remains as desirable today as it was 70 years ago. In the old days, chicken stock was kept simmering on the stove because there were no refrigerators or freezers. Today, fortunately, we have high quality canned chicken stock. And if you decide to make your own chicken stock, it’s surprisingly easy to freeze for future use.

6 Comments

Posted in : Boil,Uncategorized

Salt and Pepper Breaded Pork Chop

Written by James on 26 April 10

Sometimes, nothing beats a good pork chop. I was in the mood for a simple but balanced meal, and found a good deal on pork chops at my local supermarket. I prepared this breaded pork chop with salt and pepper, and served it with sides of broccoli and fried rice to round out the meal. I had a glass of red wine – a nice pinot – and it was a fantastic dinner!

When preparing pork chops, it’s very important to tenderize the meat. This ensures that the pork chop is not too tough and tender off the bone. While there are many ways to tenderize meat, including the method I shared here, I used the simplest way this time – lay the meat out between two sheets of saran wrap, or on top of a baking pan, and pound it! You can use a mallet, a pan, or even your hands if you’re feeling particularly barbaric.

7 Comments

Posted in : American,Bake,Tenderize Meat

KimChi Bo-kum-bop (Fried Rice)

Written by James on 23 April 10

Well, I’m finally out of KimChi. Sigh. So as the final bookend to my spicy fermented Korean cabbage rampage, I’ve gone with another traditional Korean dish, KimChi fried rice. KimChi Bo-kum-bop is a popular dish, either at restaurants or home cookied. It’s typically a bit of meat, KimChi, and other vegetables all sauteed together. A dash of soy sauce and sesame oil are added for seasoning. The KimChi “juice” leftover in the jar is also employed. When you’re done, you’ll have a fried rice that is spicy and slightly tangy.

The process for making KimChi fried rice doesn’t vary much from Chinese fried rice. For me, however, it’s less a dish of convenience (using up leftovers and the such) and more a dish I plan to make. For whatever reason, KimChi fried rice seems less slapdash and more consistent in its makeup. Then again, that’s probably because I usually plan for KimChi fried rice, but I often make Chinese fried rice as an afterthought when I’m starving. Like any fried rice, I imagine that there are infinite variations of this bo-kum-bop dish – for instance, you could replace the chicken with bits of galbi, bacon, or tofu.

7 Comments

Posted in : Korean,Saute

KimChi Pizza

Written by James on 21 April 10

I’m getting towards the end of my KimChi; it’s a bit unfortunate because I’m just discovering how versatile this fermented spicy napa cabbage can be. In previous entries I’ve made small forays into using KimChi in foods from different culinary traditions. First there was the KimChi Quesadilla and then the KimChi Sausage. With this recipe for KimChi Pizza, I think I can proudly say that I’m 3 of 3 with KimChi+ random dishes.

I didn’t do anything fancy in this recipe. I used a medium sized wheat pita as my pizza crust. I rarely buy premade “ready for the oven” pizza crusts, and I’ve never really tried to make my own crust – it seems like fun, and I’ll try it someday, but for now, I’m not sure it’s worth the effort. The pita seems like a good compromise, but I’m open to suggestions. Anyone have alternatives?

16 Comments

Posted in : American,Bake,Italian,Korean

KimChi Sausage (or hot dog)

Written by James on 19 April 10

This “kimchi dog” is a fusion of two proud traditions – Korean and American cultures combined into something new and delicious. Several years ago, the kimchi dog was an insider’s secret. If you wanted a kimchi dog, your only option was buying one on a dimly lit corner in the Lower East Side (NYC-Bleecker street). The man sold kimchi dogs and bulgogi hamburgers, but I’m pretty sure he’s no longer around. Nowadays, his innovation has now been carried forward by more Kogi trucks and the new “New York Hot Dog & Coffee.” These new places are delicious, but somehow they just seem to lack the charm of meat from a street vendor. Plus, you can’t get a kimchi dog for 2 bucks anymore.

8 Comments

Posted in : American,Grill,Korean,Pan Fry

KimChi Quesadilla

Written by James on 16 April 10

With my can of kimchi in hand, I was eager to attempt creative kimchi combinations. I’ve been hearing quite a bit about this new Korean truck in LA (the Kogi truck) and its interesting tacos and quesadillas. Fortunately, I came across this menu item, the short rib kim chi quesadilla. Coincidentally, I also found an entry on KimChi quesadillas on Closet Cooking. Since I love quesadillas, why not try it at home?

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any short ribs, so I used an egg instead. I used the same technique that I described in my previous entry about the (in)famous dandilla (an egg and cheese quesadilla). This recipe ended up being amazingly simple and really delicious. The melted cheese and the heat of the kimchi really make for a great combination. I highly recommend it!

7 Comments

Posted in : Korean,Mexican,Pan Fry

Soon Tubu Jjigae (Korean spicy tofu stew)

Written by James on 14 April 10

As many of you know, I like to experiment with a family of recipes sometimes, based on a common ingredient or a common method of cooking. I think it’s practical to recommend recipes that can be made with a similar central ingredient, since oftentimes we end up with leftovers and have to figure out how to do them. So, for the next few posts, I’ll be exploring the delicious world of Korean KimChi.

KimChi is a traditional Korean dish, made out of picked napa cabbage or other assorted varieties. It is typically spicy. but there can be sweet varieties as well. Kim Chi is a common “banchan” or side dish that you’ll find at Korean restaurants. Apparently there are 187 historical or current varieties of Kim Chi, which you can find at the KimChi museum in Seoul. A museum devoted to pickled, fermented cabbage – clearly I need to go!

5 Comments

Posted in : Korean,Stew,Vegetarian

Pan Fried Potato Galette

Written by James on 12 April 10

Potato galette is usually a more elegant dish, at least in terms of presentation. You can spend a lot of time arranging potato galette into perfect layers that overlap in a symmetric fashion. Such a fastidiously constructed galette is truly a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the energy for such an enterprise, as you can tell by my less-than-elegant potato pancake.

To save time, I used my food processor instead of a mandoline. The food processor sliced up the potatoes at an amazing speed, and then I poured the paper thin slices into the pan in a single go. If you’re more artistically inclined, you can take the slices and arrange more carefully. Regardless of presentation, though, this recipe still retains all the flavor and perhaps 75% of the beauty of the more traditional galette. And, if I was having guests over, I’d probably pay more attention to the presentation. I was very hungry, and couldn’t wait to eat!

12 Comments

Posted in : American,French,Pan Fry

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Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

Ham and Pesto Pizza

Chicken Soup (for the soul)

Salt and Pepper Breaded Pork Chop

KimChi Bo-kum-bop (Fried Rice)

KimChi Pizza

KimChi Sausage (or hot dog)

KimChi Quesadilla

Soon Tubu Jjigae (Korean spicy tofu stew)

Pan Fried Potato Galette