"Korean" news and stories

This week, the Inquirer is all about Korean food, especially in Philly's burgeoning "Koreatown" (their moniker, not mine). And in the wake of the 10-day revelry that was Beer Week, it's probably best that we load up on some home cooking to soak up all that alcohol.

• Foods like kimchi, shabu shabu and bibimbap are holding gaining in popularity as the Korean food craze continues
• Echoing the above article, Craig LeBan shares his favorite Korean dishes, especially the marinated beef ribs
  
• Shira Kamm joins the growing number of Pennsylvania's women farmers
• It's official: Philly residents are alkies
• Inquirer Columnist officially runs out of things to write about; goes on weird rant/rave about eggs
• Newbie restaurant Osteria was nominated for a James Beard Best New Restaurant Award
  

When a reader directed my attention to this Frico Cheeseburger from Korean fast food restaurant Lotteria's, I was a little afraid of what may be inside - no, not because of where it is from, but because we are often guided towards items that that would umm....definitely fall into our food oddities category. However upon closer inspection, I was pretty relieved surprised to discover that it is a relatively "normal" burger complete with meat, cheese sauce, lettuce, pickles, and tomato.

What makes it different though is the addition of yellow pepper rings, black olives, and the pièce de résistance - a deep fried, breaded patty of Dutch Maasdam cheese. Now I've often had onion rings or the like on a burger, but deep fried cheese? I think that takes this fast food burger to a whole new level of sinfulness.

(Thanks, FriendLee)

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For most of my friends, getting to eat bulgogi is a treat because they have to go out to a restaurant to eat the Korean marinated and grilled beef. For me, eating bulgogi is about the equivalent of eating meatloaf for my friends. It's boring because we ate it a lot when we were growing up. I know that Korean people always tell non-Koreans that they are wrong when they think that all Korean people eat is barbecue and kimchee, but for my family, it was true. We were in the midwest, and the ingredients for bulgogi and galbee were easier to find than say, fermented soybean paste.

So, since bulgogi seems to be such a treat for my friends, I have written up the "recipe" that my Mom and I use when we make it at home. I say "recipe" in quotes because everyone, of course, makes bulgogi and other Korean foods by taste. Make the marinade, take a taste, and adjust to your liking. It's the same nasic marinade we saw last year for Korean-marinated Flank Steak, but don't you dare call that bulgogi.

If you live on either coast, or even in the Midwest in a major metropolitan area, you'll have no problem finding an Asian grocery store. Korean-specific markets are a little harder to find, and if you're somewhere where there isn't a huge population of Korean people, well, you might find yourself at a loss when a craving for kimchee strikes. You can make it yourself, or you can click over to koaMart, an online Korean food grocer.

Sure, they do the dry, non-perishable goods like ramen and rice, but they can send perishable goods like tofu and kimchee as well. I've never shopped at the store since I live in Los Angeles, but if I were in say, the mountains of Colorado (or really, really lazy) I might give them a try. Shipping isn't cheap, but hey, when you need your pickled, fermented cabbage, you gotta do what you gotta do.

I don't know about you, but I like Korean food vibrant – popping with peppers, kimchi and fresh garlic. This sort of fare commands a commensurate libation. Specifically soju, a spirit distilled from rice combined with other grains that typically weighs in at about 25 percent alcohol.

So I was shocked to learn that Korea's soju makers are waging a battle to produce lower-octane versions. Jinro, Korea's No. 1 soju maker, recently unveiled a lower-alcohol version to cater to young people who can't handle the real thing.

Jinro's new Chamisul Fresh comes in at just under 20 percent. I just don't get it. These kids need to eat more raw oysters rolled in pork belly.

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