Having an oven in Korea

Anyone who knows me knows I love to cook, and I love to feed people.  Even before I was able to cook meals for myself or others, I knew how to bake.  My mom made darn sure of that.  When I was old enough to see over the counter-tops of our kitchen, she put an apron on me and set me on a footstool to watch her as she rolled out cookies, mixed cake batters, and kneaded bread dough.  At first she only let me watch as she explained things:  how to tell if a dough was too hard, too sticky, or just right for baking and how to fix each problem.  She showed me how to measure out dry ingredients properly to ensure the most exact amount.  She even taught me the fine art of how to eyeball the perfect ratio of cookie dough to cookie sheet coverage.

My first forays into solo baking were not without errors, however.  I distinctly remember a batch of overly salty chocolate chip cookies when I lost track of my ingredients and ended up adding too much.  Not to mention there were several instances of over-baked cookies that resembled hockey pucks.  My hands are laced with several burn scars from absently grabbing hot cookie sheets and oven racks, then realizing that I am in fact not invincible.

After a few years of that, my mom decided it was time I moved into cooking something other than the dessert menu.  She started to teach me her more basic recipes, the standards of our dinner table.  And it was always with the advice that "those who know how to cook will never wonder what to eat for dinner."  Her love for cooking was that she loved to feed people, and it made her happy when people enjoyed her food.  Growing up I was somewhat of a picky eater, but these days I am pretty open to a lot of culinary experimentation.  One of the most important lessons I learned from her was how to show people I cared about them through my cooking, and it still holds true.  I enjoy cooking for myself, but far more for others, as I can share friendship as well as good food!

When I came to Korea I was unhappy to learn that ovens were not a common thing as back home.  Most Koreans cooked on the gas range or ate food that came from a restaurant.  I struggled to adapt my cooking methods to a gas range (I had never cooked on gas before), and exploring with new ingredients.  Sad to say, I didn't cook much during my first year in Korea--not to the extent I was used to at home.  But as I spent more time living here, I was able to seek out better ways of making food as well as how to use the new ingredients at my disposal.

Last year I had a tiny toaster oven that I used to make brownies or cookies from time to time, but it wasn't what I was really looking for in my kitchen.  So this year I searched on GMarket and invested in a much nicer convection oven, large enough to hold a whole chicken.  It came with a few various cooking tools and a pretty awesome rotisserie spit, which I will have to try sometime.  The price is worth what I can do with it, and it has paid off handsomely.  I've made a few loaves of banana bread, muffins, baked potatoes and sweet potatoes, and baked veggies and chicken in it.  I love how I can toss a piece of seasoned chicken with veggies into the roasting tray, set the temperature and timer, and in 30 minutes have dinner ready to eat.  The clean-up is a lot easier than fiddling with pans and utensils, too.

Having an oven in Korea has made all the difference when it comes to cooking and baking.  I don't feel limited in what I can make; only in the ingredients I can find.  Even then, I can find a pretty good substitute or do without.

What do you wish you could cook/bake in Korea?  What food(s) from home do you miss eating the most here?

The Kimchi Chronicles: PBS Series

I've noticed that many people have been stumbling upon my blog through web searches for "kimchi chronicles."  I did my own Google search and came up with the reason:  a new PBS series focusing on Korean food and introducing it to viewers like you.

The show is hosted by Marja Vongerichten, who is the wife of famous chef Jean Georges Vongerichten.  Her husband, as well as actress Heather Graham, will be guest stars on the show.  Marja herself is part Korean, and she is publishing a book on Korean cooking to accompany the show.  The cookbook will debut in August of this year, and the series is set to air sometime this month.

You can read more about the show here, and Marja here.

A New Christmas Favorite: Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

So my post about Christmas in Korea garnered great interest into the peanut butter fudge I mentioned.  The recipe was requested, and thus I wanted to share for anyone who wanted to know how to make this delicious treat.  As my tasters have noted, the finished product tastes just like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, which is probably one of the best compliments a cook could get!  My secret to making it extra-yummy is to use a certain kind of peanut butter that really enhances the flavor:  Peter Pan Creamy with Honey.

Peanut butter used to be a pretty under-appreciated food here.  But slowly I have seen it emerge more and more onto store shelves.  I used to ration my PB until I got more from home, since all I could find here was generic, boring, tasteless peanut butter.  Thanks to the Underground, I no longer have to make the PB last.  And recently I noticed that the Lotte Mart near my apartment has started carrying Peter Pan--surprise!

Anyway, without further ado, here is the recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge.  This is sure to be a hit with your friends and family, and just might end up in your yearly holiday recipe box as well!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

Prep Time:  25 min 

Total Time::  1 hour (to allow time to cool and set in the fridge)

6 ounces (1 cup) Semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Instructions:

Line an 8-inch pan with foil and butter it.  In a double boiler, melt the chocolate, peanut butter, and butter.  Stir to combine.  Stir in sugar until it melts.  Pour into the prepared pan.  Let the fudge cool in the fridge for about an hour until it sets, then cut into squares.   Make sure to store the fudge in the fridge after cutting to ensure it doesn't melt!

Now you might be thinking, how do I get a double boiler in Korea?  What if I don't have one?  Well, the solution is not difficult at all.  What you need to make your own double boiler is simple:  a pot and a heat-resistant bowl that is bigger than your pot.  Put about 1 to 2 inches of water in your pot, and get the water boiling.  Place the bowl over the pot and let the steam from the water melt your chocolate chips first, then add the butter and peanut butter.  The mixture will melt and come together fairly quickly, so keep an eye on the texture to ensure it all gets mixed well.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!  Leave me a comment if you have any questions or if you want to share how your fudge-making experience turned out.