Grilling Bulgogi at Home

My husband and I both love barbecue or grilled meat that's why we had a electric grill at home. It is more convenient and cheaper than going to barbecue joints/restaurant.  As we are leaving Korea soon I have asked my husband's permission to send the electrical grill to my family and before depositing it on my box we decided to grill bulgogi on Lunar New Year.

We grilled meat in our balcony to avoid smoke and stench inside our apartment.  I just open the window and put the electric grill in top of the washing machine.

Bulgogi is the most popular variety of Korean barbecue. Before cooking, the meat is marinated with a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and pepper. It is traditionally cooked using gridirons or perforated dome griddles that sit on braziers, but pan-cooking has become common as well. [source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_barbecue]

Instant Bibimbap from GS25

A few days ago I went to the nearby convenience store to buy for electrical tape, but  before I went to the counter to pay, I look around the aisles for items that I can afford to buy.  I found few but the instant Bibimbap caught my attention, this Korean food can only be found in Korean restaurant, but today if you are craving for Bibimbap you can eat it anytime and anywhere as long as you see them in any convenience store around you.

Bibimbap is a signature Korean dish. The word literally means "mixed rice". Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating. It can be served either cold or hot. (Source Wikipedia)

The instant Bibimbap was sold with free beef noodles, I think it is marketing strategy so more people will buy and try this product. The box contains 3 packages and a spoon, the packages contain puff rice, dry garnishes and sauce. I cook the rice mixed with the dry garnishes within 1 cup of water for 3 minutes and mixed the sauce afterwards and voila my Bibimbap is ready to eat. This item cost 2,800 won per small box.

Baked Spaghetti from Pizza School

Spaghetti is everyone's favorite, a dish that has many variants. In the Philippines, spaghetti is sweet and meaty with cheese toppings. So when I first ate spaghetti from Italianni's I can't even finish one serving, since then I vowed not to eat on Italianni's again but when I arrived in Korea there spaghetti is not also the spaghetti my tongue used to know.

So when my husband and I decided to cook spaghetti at home, it doesn't attract me at all. Spaghetti is my favorite but eating sour  salty taste spaghetti killed my appetite. My husband educates me that's how spaghetti taste like, savory with tomato sauce and the sweet spaghetti I am talking is  a crap.  As day goes by I have been used to eat spaghetti with a sour salty taste as I named it, I can even eat two servings with black olives in it, so I think I am ready to eat in Italianni's restaurant again.

Well, when we craved for spaghetti and cooking is impossible we run to 59 Pizza or Pizza school to order spaghetti. The photo above is cheese oven spaghetti from Pizza School, it cost ₩4, 000 while the white cream oven spaghetti cost ₩4, 500.  It is chewy, a little bit salty and meaty goodness.

The Popularity of Korean Instant Noodles

Eating instant noodles developed a negative image over the years. It could be either unhealthy habit or has a bad effect to individual's health because of too much sodium and preservatives. I do sometimes disregard this information because eating instant noodle is one of the convenient way to eat your meal without cooking or too much preparation. All you need is to boil hot water and fill in the noodle cup and let it sit for few minutes and voila meal is ready!

In Korea instant noodles, Ramyeon is a very popular food, snack. You can find different flavors of noodles from convenient stores to supermarket, from spicy to non-spicy noodles. When I first arrived in Korea instant noodles is the only food I ate along with rice because I was not accustomed with their food like Kimchi and gimbap.  I didn't like the smell of gim in my food and the taste of kimchi.

As the day goes by, eating Korean food became so easy and I was able to cook Filipino food as well when we moved to a new apartment but still time to time I eat instant noodles to fed my hunger for soup but this time I already knew which soup is spicy and not.

Cheating with Diet Plan and Buying Instant Meal

The other night my husband feel bored of eating the same food again and again from his diet plan so he asked me to buy him an instant meal and dumplings at the nearby convenience store but as usual I went out buying another food more than what is asked to me. I bought cheese dog because I have thought my husband will like it as a few weeks ago we are craving for cheese dogs, I also bought onion rings for myself while the soft drink in is a freebie from the meal.

My husband didn’t eat the cheese dog because he thought I bought it for myself, so I’ve eaten it the next day as well the onion rings.

Korean Instant Noodles and Liquid Yoghurt

I was so hungry the other day but too lazy to cook so I went down to Homeway to buy instant noodles. I was a little bit hesitant on what noodles should buy because I can't read Hangul and I don't want to buy spicy food. To make the story short I just get two noodles which I think not too spicy to eat, after paying the owner told me to wait and he handed two liquid yoghurt for free.

Not sure what's the freebie for maybe the owner feel pity on me (haha). Yeah right I went down without combing my hair nor changing my home clothes which are faded and a little big for me. Hehe

Trying Gamjatang in Itaewon: A Spicy Korean Pork Bone Soup

After a short visit to Bukchon Hanok Village, my friend and I headed to Itaewon to look for a Korean restaurant. I had been wanting to try authentic Korean food beyond the Korean meals and snacks that were easy to find in convenience stores.

That day, I finally had the chance to try Gamjatang (감자탕), also known as Korean pork bone soup. It was served hot with rice and several Korean side dishes, or banchan.

The soup had a rich and savory flavor with a slightly spicy kick. The pork was tender, and the warm broth was especially satisfying after walking around Bukchon Hanok Village. It was my first time trying Gamjatang, and I enjoyed experiencing a traditional Korean dish that I had only heard about before.

What is Gamjatang?

Gamjatang is a traditional Korean spicy pork bone soup made with pork spine or ribs, vegetables, green onions, hot peppers, and ground perilla seeds. It is known for its flavorful broth and tender pork.

Despite its name, Gamjatang isn't necessarily served with potatoes. The meaning of the name “gamja” (감자) is a subject of debate, with some explanations connecting it to potatoes and others suggesting a different origin.

Gamjatang is commonly enjoyed as a hearty Korean meal and is especially popular as a comforting dish to share with friends or family.

For anyone exploring Korean cuisine in Seoul, trying Gamjatang in Itaewon is a delicious way to experience something beyond the usual Korean barbecue, bibimbap, or convenience-store snacks.

Exploring Seoul Before Leaving Korea: Bukchon Hanok Village, Gamjatang, and Yongsan

I seldom went out during those days. Most of the time, I was at home sitting in front of my laptop, working on my blogs, making lists, and designing new headers. But lately, I had been thinking that I should make more time to go out and see more of Korea before we eventually leave.

Yes, you read that right. My husband had already decided that he would not renew his contract for another year. After spending six years in Korea, he felt that it was time for a change. He wanted to experience a new environment and admitted that he was beginning to get tired of living in Korea.

That made me realize that perhaps I had been taking our time in Korea for granted. There were still so many places I hadn't visited and so many things I hadn't experienced.

A Day Exploring Seoul

The other day, my friend and I met up in Seoul and decided to spend the day walking around and exploring. We started at Bukchon Hanok Village, one of the most charming places in Seoul. We walked through its narrow streets and admired the traditional Korean houses, known as hanok.

After our walk, we headed to Itaewon for a Korean meal. I finally got to try Gamjatang, a spicy Korean pork bone soup served with rice and side dishes. The warm and flavorful soup was a nice treat after walking around Seoul.

From Itaewon, we continued to Yongsan and stopped by I'Park Mall because my friend needed to buy a phone. Her husband met us there, and the three of us wandered around the mall for a few minutes before eventually heading home separately.

It wasn't a particularly big or exciting trip, but I enjoyed it. Sometimes, it's the simple days spent walking around Seoul, eating Korean food, and catching up with friends that become the memories you remember most.

When Work Keeps Me at Home

My friends actually invited me to have a Korean buffet in Itaewon another time, but unfortunately, I couldn't go. I had too many things to finish online—updating my blogs, organizing lists, and designing new blog headers.

That's the funny thing about working online. You can be living in a beautiful place like Korea, with so many interesting places just outside your door, but still spend most of your day staring at a laptop screen.

Looking back, I wish I had gone out more.

With my husband's decision not to renew his contract, I started to realize that our time in Korea might really be coming to an end. Six years is a long time, and Korea had become such a familiar part of our lives.

Maybe that's why I started wanting to see more of Seoul and experience more of Korea—not as a tourist, but as someone who had called Korea home for several years.

And perhaps this little day out in Bukchon Hanok Village, Itaewon, and Yongsan was just the beginning.

Eating Korean Instant Noodles

Eating instant noodles became my habit every day, I don't know but these past few days I really have craving for instant noodles probably from watching TV shows and seeing them eating noodles and it was also easy to prepare rather than cooking my viand especially I am little busy these past few days.

I am sort of workaholic where I won't stop until I am done working into something online,  forget to hunger and the food. My break was just to fee, well probably it is not workaholic anymore but addicted, lol.

Samgyeopsal - Pork Barbecue

Samgyeopsal is a popular Korean dish, every where you can see barbecue or grill restaurants in Korea. Anyway I didn't finish the work out I left the gym first so I can go to Noghyup Supermarket and shop for pork meat. I bought 1.5 kilos of meat marinated in soy sauce with carrots and onions.

I barbecued the meat in our balcony, I just opened the window and put the electric grill in top of the washing machine. It took me one hour to barbecue all of them.

 

Dumpling Soup

I have been hooked up playing Candy Crush Saga in Facebook when my husband asked me how willing I am to go downstairs and buy Tteokbokki and mandu, I just replied I will buy later and continue to play the game. I have been trapped for two days already in Level 27 of Candy Crush Saga and I don't want my life to be wasted again and again.

While playing I have noticed he is preparing food in the kitchen so I get up and asked if he don't like Tteokbokki anymore. Little did I know my husband is waiting for me to get up and he think I am not interested so he prepared a meal with gochujang instead. Anyway to cut the story short I went down to the nearby canteen and ordered "Mandu" the woman says "guk" I just said yes thinking she is saying cook, the mandu to be cook. I waited and sit in one of the vacant chairs,  there's two middle school student eating and two little girls which I think her kids.

When she is already preparing the dumplings or mandu I think something is wrong I am expecting a steamed dumplings but as what I am seeing she is making a soup,  oh well it was really a soup. I paid for my order though it is not the first thing in my mind but I have said yes when she asked me isn't it?

I bought Tteokbokki on the first floor of the apartment building and went back to our apartment. The soup tastes good and it is my favorite at this time, I will probably choose this one over the instant fresh noodles I am buying in GS25.

Hwatong Chicken and Baguette

We had a little feast last night my husband was craving for chicken so he asked me to buy fried chicken for us, I don't want to follow at first because we are on a diet but with my husband bothering me and me craving for food I went out, instead of going to Popeyes I went to the new chicken restaurant we saw in the tarpaulin outside Lotte Super and order for take out.

When I went home my husband asked me where's the baguette he asked me to buy, honestly I forgot it so I have to return outside. I went to Paris Baguette to buy the bread and other baked goods. Oh well, when we are full "The  diet starts tomorrow" so today is the new start of our juice fasting after cheating for one week eating gimbap, soup and even ice cream. Lol!

Sausage Sandwich with Hot Mustard Sauce

This is my second sandwich last Friday, I am only able to eat two sandwiches because I can't take the taste of the hot mustard it tasted like wasabi.

For the second try my husband told me to wipe the hot mustard in the bread and not just drop it in the sausage, so I did but it turns out I put a lot so I ended up not eating the whole sandwich I ate the sausage alone.

Shopping for Home and Getting Some Sweet Treats

I woke up late today after eating lunch we went out to buy fluorescent light for our bathroom as it just stop working, we first went to Kim's Club Mart or which is now Emart Everyday but we didn't find one, we just bought few treats like cheese stick and onion rings and then look for another store. Then go home and return to the market again to look for an organizer four our kitchen, we ended up buying a stackable tray.

On the evening we had pizza and chocolates, from Pizza School and Watson. I have ordered Napoli Pizza for me and Pepperoni for my husband.

Instead of  waiting for our pizza we went to Watsons for Sweet Treats,  when we pay in the counter the sales clerk asked me to choose one from the free items in the corner, I choose tiny sunblocks and then she added sample of BB Creams.

Eating Marathon Before Vacation

Few more days before our vacation but instead of feeling relax and excited. I feel so stressed and running out of time. I have to eat all the food here before we left, my husband keep reminding me to eat the grapes in the fridge or else it is going to be thrown in the garbage, and it means no more grapes in the future as in we are not going to buy this fruit in the future. So today even though I don't feel like eating grapes I have to eat, the grapes doesn't look fresh anymore but they are still sweet and juicy.

We bought this grapes on sale in Lotte Super the last time we shopped my husband asked me if I am able to eat them before they turns bad, I said yes but few days had passed the grapes are still in the fridge.

Anyway aside from eating grapes my assignment for today is to cook soup because  the zucchini, cabbage and carrots in the fridge will be in bad state if we left them uncooked before our vacation. I have cooked the soup just so lucky that my husband helps me to eat it or else more food is going to spoiled. I still have one dozen of yoghurt in the fridge that needs to be eaten before our vacation, jezz I am going to gain weight that's for sure.

Hotteok and Gukwha-ppang

My husband was craving for hotteok a while ago, so I went out to buy some, but the restaurant that also sells street food has no more hotteok left so I went to the public market. Just so lucky that the old woman where we bought our first taste of hotteok was there so I ordered eight pieces, it turns out that the old mixture is only good for five pieces and I thought nothing has left, but my guess was wrong, she opened an ice box and get a big bag of hotteok mix so I added more two on my order that makes it ten pieces.

Hotteok is a variety of filled Korean pancakes, and is a popular street food in South Korea. It is usually eaten during the winter season. According to what I read, the dough for hotteok is made from wheat flour, water, milk, sugar, and yeast. The dough is allowed to rise for several hours. Handful-sized balls of this stiff dough are filled with a sweet mixture, which may contain brown sugar, honey, chopped peanuts, and cinnamon. The filled dough is then placed on a greased griddle, and pressed flat into a large circle with a special tool with a stainless steel circle and wooden handle as it cooks.

The first set of hotteok has a yellow though, and the second set is green. While she is cooking the hotteok, one local man came and says something while pointing to one stove, then the old woman started to pack the flower-shaped bread and set it aside on the table on her back and then she also packed the first set of hotteok.

Another customer came and order two hotteok, and after few minutes the man came back to claim his order it turns out he shopped for a while, so the old woman gave his order to him. When the last set of my order was cooked, she packed them in a separate plastic bag, I pay and she handed them to me.

I immediately put the plastic bag on my shoulder bag, says thank you and bid goodbye. Then I went to Daiso, buy something and went home.

When I reached home my husband excitedly open the plastic bag and he was surprised to see something not just hotteok, I was surprised too. A realization came that the other set of hotteok was switched to the not so old man's order. Oh well, instead of returning the flower-shaped bread we decided to try it. Dunno if the man returns to the woman when he found out that his order was switched.

According to what I read this flower-shaped bread is called Gukwha-ppang and very similar to Bungeo-ppang it is made of sweet bean inside a light, pancake like batter. Like Bungeo-ppang, it requires a heavy, dimpled pan to cook, and you can often see Gukwha-ppang cooked in the street.

Korean Street Foods

That's what we got last Saturday, my husband and I decided to take a short walk and try some street foods,  we had fish cake, hoddeok,  pepper with stuff in the inside, dumplings and few other things I can't remember the name.

 This is my share of  the street foods my husband started eating his share in the street, he said that's why it is called street food, to be eaten in the street.

Injeolmi: A Korean Rice Cake

At first I thought it is espasol a cylinder-shaped Filipino rice cake originating from the province of Laguna. It is made from rice flour cooked in coconut milk and sweetened coconut strips, dusted with toasted rice flour but its not it is Injeolmi  is a variety of tteok, or Korean rice cake, made by steaming and pounding glutinous rice flour, which is shaped into small pieces and usually covered with steamed powdered dried beans or other ingredients.

Injeolmi is not only a popular snack but also is considered a high quality tteok, used for janchi, party, feast, or banquet) in Korea. It is easily digested and nutritious.Injeolmi can be stored in a refrigerator and taken out when needed. If the tteok is heated slightly in the microwave, it may taste almost as good as the newly made one.

Home-cooking and Blogging Life

I am quite busy lately and as usual both online and offline. Offline I need to cook a lot for my husband's meal, it is every three hours. I just cooked three or four times a day because few of his meals are just whey and small portion of rice. Despite of this I still feel very busy that I felt procrastinated to post something on my blogs. Dunno if this procrastination is brought by too much work just to published a post. Imagine in Wordpress I need to upload it in other site and etc. unlike in blogger all I need is to directly upload the photo in my post.

Anyway I wake late today and still sleepy. I was not able to finish adgitizing because I have no more time to do it I have too cook some chicken in hot and spicy sauce.

Chicken Kimchi Stew

Not feeling well these past few days, as of now I have a headache. When I wake up this morning my head already bothers me, I guess my food intolerance strikes again. Haist, I cannot just ate any food I want, I have to make sure it is fresh or freshly cooked or else I will feel sick.

Anyway as I have nothing to blog today, just want to share my favorite chicken recipe here in Korea. A chicken kimchi stew, its been a long time since we had kimchi at home, we stop buying kimchi because it is getting expensive and my husband change his meal plan.

My ingredients:

Chicken, Kimchi, Salt, Black pepper, Oil, Onion, Garlic, Water

Procedure:

• In a  sauce pan or in a pot sauté garlic and onions on cooking oil.
• Add the chicken to the pan. Friend it a little then add the kimchi and stir.
• Add water enough for the chicken to boil.
• Seasoned it with salt and black pepper.
• Wait until the chicken became  tender.
• Serve hot with plain rice.