Variety is the Spice of Life

Dear Devon,

The Korean Table: From Barbecue to Bibimbap 100 Easy-To-Prepare Recipes, by Debra Samuels and Taekyung Chung, is my latest inspiration. I am a big fan of Korean food with its numerous sauces, tiny dishes of spicy kimchi, and fragrant meats. But I always thought this was food I would order, not prepare in my own kitchen. Late night TV scanning found me watching a special on Korean food. The show demonstrated several easy recipes and convinced me that what I ate at the restaurant was not beyond my capacity. The next day, I ordered The Korean Table from NYPL.

I have been glued to its pages for weeks, taking the book to bed with me to read just before I turn out the lights. The photographs are nicely shot and the writing is very clear and thorough. I especially like the introductory section where the authors systematically explain the many ingredients often used in Korean cooking and where to find them (very useful for a novice). Korean food is based on several core sauces which are used in soups, dipping sauces, marinades, dressing, and pickling. Spending an afternoon mixing up a couple of these sauces will yield many tasty meals.


To start off, I chose what seemed to be the most frequently used sauce, a seasoned red pepper paste. I made a big batch and stored the leftovers in a glass jar in the fridge. From this one sauce, I prepared three small dishes: seasoned grilled eggplant, spicy steamed tofu, and grilled scallions.

I was really pleased with how the dishes turned out. I took two Japanese eggplants, sliced them on a bias, and grilled them. Grilling the eggplant gives it a nice smoky flavor, providing a dark contrast to the tangy and spicy red pepper sauce. Mixing in the sauce while the eggplant is still warm will help to deepen the flavor. Korean tofu is unique for its dense texture and intense bean flavor. I often prefer it to the watery, loose, and light tofu from Chinese cooking. I found an organic tofu at the local market that has many of the same qualities as the Korean stuff, and used it in my next dish. I steamed the tofu using a rice cooker while I prepared a soy sauce based dressing. I wanted to create several dishes that varied in flavor, texture, and spiciness. So, I chose a soy sauce based dressing. The sauce is sweeter and lighter than its red pepper counterpart. One of my all time favorites are long shoots of grilled scallions. They are sweet and moist, crunchy and with that wonderful onion spiciness. I didn't want to destroy the delicate flavor of the scallions, so I lightly drizzled a tsp of the red pepper paste over the softened shoots. The meal was completed with steamed white rice and a glass of wine, which I might add, did not go well with the meal: Next time I'll reach for a beer.


Seasoned Red Pepper Paste (from The Korean Table)
Makes approximately 2 cups
1/2 cup Korean coarse red pepper flake
1 cup Korean red pepper paste
4 tbsp garlic paste, to make this smash peeled garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle
1 tbsp grated ginger
3/4 tbsp oyster sauce
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
(will last up to 2 months in the fridge)

In a large bowl, whisk together Korean red pepper flakes, Korean red pepper paste, garlic paste. grated ginger, oyster sauce, soy sauce, light brown sugar and lemon juice. Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge. Use as needed. Surprisingly, the paste isn't as spicy as it sounds. I suggest tasting it before mixing into any of the sauces. As always, adjust the spiciness to your desired level.

Grilled Eggplant
2 Japanese eggplant, sliced
3/4 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp seasoned red pepper paste
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat up a large grill pan. Lightly oil. Slice eggplant on a bias. Lay flat on the grill and leave undisturbed to cook. Flip only once to preserve sharp grill lines. The combined cooking time should be 12-15 minutes. Whisk together sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, seasoned red pepper paste (from above), and olive oil. Taste and adjust according to your desired level of spiciness. I tend to think sesame oil is a bit overpowering, so I reduced the amount. Add in grilled eggplant, still hot, and toss to evenly coat each slice.


Steamed Tofu
1 pound of firm tofu
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp red pepper paste
dash sesame seeds
1 scallion, chopped

Over a large pot of boiling water or with a rice cooker, steam a large block of firm tofu. Whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp rated ginger, and 1 tsp red pepper paste. Add a dash of roasted sesame seeds and one chopped scallion. Toss in steamed tofu to evenly coat.

Grilled Scallions
3 scallions

Clean scallions. Remove the roots and the dark green parts. Brush with a bit of corn oil. Heat grill pan. When pan is nice and hot, lay down scallions. Cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp seasoned red pepper paste.

Four Onion Frittata

Dear Devon,

Did you know that within the Allium genus, there are over 600 types of onions? Not all of them are edible or easily found. In fact, only a handful are cultivated (chives, scallions, garlic, shallots, onions, and leeks). The tasty five onion pizza at Porchetta inspired me to think about onions. The pizza isn't exactly made with five onions, but rather five types of onions. I loved this idea and borrowed it for my frittata.


Saturdays are my days for eggy breakfasts. I love soft scrambled eggs with whole grain toast. But with the taste of five onion pizza still on my mind, I tested my own multiple onion variation. My big concern was too much onion flavor, so I chose softer, sweeter onions: sweet yellow onion, leeks, shallots and scallions. This is breakfast after all. Goat cheese seemed an obvious choice. It pairs nicely with leeks and eggs- plus what is brunch without goat cheese?

I used a cast iron pan because I wanted that lovely brown, crisp edge. The size of the pan was perfect. The pan was deep enough to hold all the yummy onions and eggs but also allowed the frittata to puff slightly. The pan needed to be oven proof. I love the feeling of cooking with cast iron. It evokes a rustic, pioneer-like feeling. I felt this was fitting for this dish.


Fresh from the oven, the frittata was beautifully puffed and speckled with varying shades of green and hints of purple. It had formed a wonderful golden crust and the goat cheese was slightly burned. It looked amazing. The recipe called for eight eggs. I worried that with this many eggs, the frittata would turn out rubbery if over-cooked or too dense. Luckily, eight was the perfect number. The texture was fluffy and light, yet without losing that hearty quality of eggs and onions. I ate it piping hot with a piece of toast and some jam. Later, in the afternoon, it made a wonderful cold snack. In Italy, they make sandwiches out of fritattas and two pieces of sliced bread. It might be time for a picnic!


Four Onion Frittata

1 leek (A. ampeloprasum), chopped
1 1/2 shallots (A. oschaninii), sliced
1/2 yellow onion (A. cepa), diced
2 scallions (A. ascalonicum), sliced
8 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
3 oz goat cheese
2 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare leeks by removing the root and trimming the leaves along the stalk where they turn a darker shade of green. Halve the leek along the stalk. Rotate 45 degrees and halve again. Run under some cold water to wash out all the sand. Leeks are grown in sand and can carry a lot of dirt in their leaves. Roughly chop, along with scallions, shallots and white onion.

Over medium flame, melt butter and gently saute onions in a large cast iron pan. It will seem like a lot of onion, but it cooks down. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in salt. When the onions are translucent, add the beaten eggs. Cook gently over medium low flame. The mixture will gradually firm up and the edges will get a bit crusty. Dot with lumps of goat cheese. Place the frittata in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggs are set. Set frittata under the broiler to get some nice brown color and some crunchiness. I won't give an estimate for broiler time. I've noticed that broilers vary vastly. Some broilers will absolutely char your food in 30 seconds (my mother's super high powered oven does that) while in others, the broiler can be on for five minutes with no effect.