My Korea: Traditional Flavors, Modern Recipes

by Hooni Kim

Overview

An Epicurious Spring 2020 "Book We Want to Cook from Now" • An Eater Best Cookbook of Spring 2020 • A Food52 "Best New Cookbook of 2020…So Far" • A New York Times "New Cookbook Worth Buying"

A Michelin-starred chef known for defining Korean food in America brings a powerful culinary legacy into your kitchen.

Simple rice cakes drenched in a spicy sauce. Bulgogi sliders. A scallion pancake (pajeon) the New York Times calls “the essential taste of Korean cuisine.” For years Hooni Kim’s food has earned him raves, including a Michelin Star—the first ever awarded to a Korean restaurant—for Danji. His background in world-class French and Japanese kitchens seamlessly combines with his knowledge of the techniques of traditional Korean cuisine to create uniquely flavorful dishes.

My Korea, his long-awaited debut cookbook, introduces home cooks to the Korean culinary trinity: doenjang, ganjang, and gochujang (fermented soybean paste, soy sauce, and fermented red chili paste). These key ingredients add a savory depth and flavor to the 90 recipes that follow, from banchan to robust stews. His kimchis call upon the best ingredients and balance a meal with a salty, sour, and spicy kick. Elevated classics include one-bowl meals like Dolsot Bibimbap (Sizzling-Hot Stone Bowl Bibimbap), Haemul Sundubu Jjigae (Spicy Soft Tofu Stew with Seafood), and Mul Naengmyeon (Buckwheat Noodles in Chilled Broth). Dishes meant for sharing pair well with soju or makgeolli, an unfiltered rice beer, and include Budae Jjigae (Spicy DMZ Stew) and Fried Chicken Wings.

Complete with thoughtful notes on techniques and sourcing and gorgeous photography from across Korea, this cookbook will be an essential resource for home cooks, a celebration of the deliciousness of Korean food by a master chef.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393239720
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	300,088
Product dimensions:	10.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Chef Hooni Kim, the first Michelin-starred chef in Korean cuisine, trained at Daniel and Masa before opening Danji and Hanjan. Born in Seoul, he divides his time between New York City and Korea, where he is the founder of Yori Chunsa, a nonprofit that trains orphans to become cooks.

Editorial Reviews

★ 11/18/2019

In this exciting debut, Kim, chef at Michelin-starred New York City restaurant Danji, collects Korean recipes that are in turn spicy, funky, and comforting. Chapters follow the progression of a Korean meal, beginning with banchan, the small dishes that appear at the start, including homemade silken tofu and dried anchovies fried until crisp and tossed in a sweet, sticky sauce. Kim skillfully describes Korean food culture: in Korea, anchovy broth, “a hangover remedy,” is served in late-night tent-taverns, and Spam is specially packaged for holiday gift giving (Kim shares recipes for the broth with somen noodles, and for a spicy stew made with Spam). Kim isn’t wedded to tradition, but when he does craft variations, they’re on target, as when brisket stands in for the pork in fried rice or bacon and kimchi marry in a savory sauce. The chapter dedicated to kimchi contains a traditional cabbage recipe as well as versions made from ramps or radishes. Meat dishes include pork belly sliders and Hanjan chicken skewers, and seafood choices, such as black cod simmered in an umami-rich sauce, appear as well. A chapter on cocktails includes a colada made with probiotic yakult and rum, and a handful of desserts feature shaved ice. This thoughtful, comprehensive, and inventive volume sets a high bar for Korean cookbooks. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"[An] enveloping guide to Korean home cooking...Kim’s book is a boon to anyone who savors Korean flavors."

Los Angeles Times - Bill Addison

"In My Korea, Kim doesn’t pull any punches with flavor in a way that would put off a seasoned cook of Korean cuisine, but he also introduces every ingredient and technique with enough patience and encouragement to entice someone who has never cooked a spicy tofu stew or snacked on kimchi."

Epicurious - Lauren Joseph

"Hooni Kim’s debut cookbook, My Korea: Traditional Flavors, Modern Recipes, is part cookbook, part autobiography...Throughout, Kim talks about the importance of jung sung, a Korean word for care, which also translates into cooking with heart and devotion. The chef’s jung sung in making this book is apparent as Kim provides foundational knowledge to make readers aware of Korean culture, beyond just knowing how to cook Korean food."

Eater

"Finally, a true Korean cookbook filled with recipes that are unapologetically traditional and incredibly well researched. Hooni Kim is not just an amazing chef—he is someone who is creating an essential archive of Korean food for generations to come. If you want to know about Korean cuisine, this is the book to own!"

Edward Lee

"Hooni’s love for Korea and the tradition of the foods and culture are something he has spent his life as a chef delving into. My Korea is a peek into his view of what Korean food means to him."

Melissa Rodriguez

"The range and finesse of Korean home cooking are at the heart of his precise, illuminating new cookbook…which moves just as easily from jjajangmyeon—the everyday noodles dressed in a shimmering, meaty black-bean sauce—to more delicate, complex dishes like homemade tofu with perilla soy sauce."

New York Times - Tejal Rao

"It is inspiring to see someone so creative, focused, and passionate about sharing the cuisine of their culture. This cookbook focuses on the pillar of Korean cuisine behind each recipe, which to me is the most soulful way to cook."

Daniel Boulud

"A passionate, personal story of an immigrant’s sense of identity and belonging through food. Every page is vibrant and inspirational, and you’ll want to eat and cook every recipe."

Anita Lo

"Chef Hooni Kim is a true champion of modern Korean cuisine in America. The recipes in My Korea are the perfect mix of tradition and innovation, standing out thanks to his deep personal touch."

Peter Serpico

02/01/2020

Korean food has a reputation for being boldly flavored, filling, and delicious. Chef Kim shows that it can equally be refined and subtle. Beginning with a cogent explanation of traditional Korean ingredients, this debut pulls recipes from New York restaurants Danji and Hanjan, along with recipes Kim likes to cook. Kim is a natural educator and his instructions for even basic foods, such as rice and dashi, are thoughtful and thorough. Many of the recipes, such as bibimbap, will be familiar to Western diners; others, such as beef tartare with soy and Korean pear, may be less so, but all are intriguing. In addition, some recipes combine French and Japanese techniques and Korean flavors, e.g., beef brisket bulgogi sliders and spicy Brussels sprouts. Sections include fundamental sauces and condiments, banchan, kimchi, soups and stews, as well as noodles, rice, snacks, and cocktails. VERDICT A rare restaurant cookbook that will work well in a home kitchen, this collection is more refined in flavors and techniques than Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking.—Devon Thomas, Chelsea, MI

Library Journal