Special Cooking Utensils for a Korean Dinner

This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean

To prepare the menu for my 'Way Home' Korean dinner, I will need a wok, a rice cooker and a grill, plus several items from my garden variety cookware. Since I live in a duplex rental with a testy smoke alarm, and have included so many different types of meat on the menu, my stove-top grill pan is out of the question, and I have yet to invest in an outdoor grill. So I will be using my little George Foreman electric grill. Although it is pretty much the 'Easy-Bake Oven' of grilling, I find that it works fine for an intimate dinner for two. It's efficient, simple to use, non-stick and easy to clean.

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12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

Beverages to Go With a Korean Dinner

This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean

Although I have my doubts about being able to find any of Korea's native beers, which include Hite, OB and Ponghak, I will be serving some kind of Asian beer with my 'Way Home' Korean dinner, most likely the ubiquitous Chinese brew TsingTao, or perhaps a nice cold Sapporo, given the Japanese/Korean connection when it comes to food.

Korea also produces several types of spirits, including yakju, a liquor fermented from rice; soju, a clear, strong distilled liquor made from sweet potatoes; takju, a thick, unfiltered liquor fermented from grain; a variety of fruit wines made from plums, cherries, and pomegranates, and certain types of medicinal spirits distilled from herbs, seeds and roots such as ginseng.

Drinking etiquette in Korea requires pouring beverages for each other. Younger people pour for their elders, and those with lower rank pour for their superiors. When pouring, the right sleeve should be held in place with the left hand, and glasses should never be allowed to run dry.

A popular Korean hangover cure called baejangguk is a broth made from beef bone and marrow, cabbage leaves and clotted ox blood. Baejangguk is often served by pubs in the early hours of the business day.

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12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

Tanabata: My Favorite Japanese Festival

This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean

Each year in Japan, on the seventh day of the seventh month, they celebrate the festival of Tanabata. It's my favorite Japanese festival, and certainly the most romantic. The Japanese version of Tanabata is based on the Chinese tale of a handsome young cowherd and a beautiful weaver.

This beautiful illustration is just one of many from my favorite Tanabata book titled The Seventh Sister, A Chinese Legend, retold by Cindy Chang and illustrated by Charles Reasoner. Follow this link to order from Amazon.com.

As the story goes, each night the celestial maiden and her beautiful sisters weave the starry tapestry of the night sky; and each day the seven sisters come down to earth to bathe in a pond near the cowherd's pasture. One day, the cowherd spies the celestial maiden, and while she bathes, he steals the magical robe that gives her the power to fly. When the sisters finish bathing, they take to the skies again, and the celestial maiden is left behind. When the young cowherd comes to her rescue, the maiden is sad because she cannot return home, but she stays with the cowherd and soon falls in love with him.

Over time however, they realize that the sun no longer sets, and there is no nighttime for rest and sleep because the maiden is not there to help her sisters weave the tapestry of the night sky. It is then that the cowherd confesses the theft of her robe, and the maiden knows that she must bid her lover goodbye and return to her home in the sky.

But the maiden is so sad that, as she works her shuttle, her tears fall on the tapestry, each one creating a twinkling star. Over time, she cries so many tears that they become a river of stars. Meanwhile, back on earth the cowherd too is sad. However, a kindly magpie takes pity on him, and once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, the magpie enlists the aid of his flock to create a bridge of wings across the river of stars so that the two lovers can be together for one special night.

In the night sky, you can see the two lovers, Orihime the weaver, and Hikoboshi the cowherd, as two bright stars, Vega and Altair, separated by the starry river of the Milky Way. And every year, on the seventh of July, the Japanese celebrate Tanabata, which means Seven Evenings, by decorating the streets with pink streamers tied to the ends of long bamboo poles. The whole city turns pink with them, and lovers write special prayers on tiny pieces of paper and tie them to the streamers in hopes that they will be carried up to heaven where their wishes will be granted by the gods. It's a tale and a celebration of romance quite unlike any other.

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03:11 PM PDT Permalink |

Deciding on the 'Way Home' Korean Menu

This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean

Appetizers:

Korean Appetizer Platter with Pancake Wraps
Sweet 'n Sour & Spicy Dipping Sauces
Korean Pickles & Kimchi

Soup & Salad:

Tofu Kimchi Soup
Mesclun Greens with Spicy Grilled Beef

Main Course:

Mixed Korean Bulgogi Grill with Assorted Marinades
Garlic Ginger Rice
Stir Fry Vegetables with Chili Paste

Dessert: Fresh Fruit Marinated in Spice Infused Rice Wine

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12:06 AM PDT Permalink |

Researching Korean Recipes

This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean

For my 'Way Home' Korean dinner, I will be relying on inspiration from Corinne Trang's Essentials of Asian Cuisine, plus a little help from several Internet websites, although I always modify the recipes to suit my own tastes.

Last year's '301/302' Korean menu featured Breaded Prawns with Chili Mayonnaise, Homemade Kimchi, Sweet Daikon Radish Pickles, Chilled Cucumber Soup, Korean Mixed Bulgogi Grill, Vegetable Pancakes with Dipping Sauce, Fried Jasmine Rice and Peaches Marinated in Rice Wine. Some of the dishes were so delicious that I want to reprise them with this month's menu, especially the Mixed Bulgogi Grill and the marinated fruit. But I would like to try some different dishes for the appetizers, soup, salad, main course accompaniments and dessert.

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06:01 PM PDT Permalink |

Celebrating Independence wtih Friends, Fireworks and a Ring-tailed Rodent

This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean

Although we celebrated Independence Day in my childhood, throughout my adult life, the Fourth of July has always been somewhat of a non-event for me. During my restaurant days, I always had to work, and of course they didn't celebrate it when I lived in Japan, and since Rene works as a caricaturist at Six Flags, he always has to work, and Will usually spends the day with his Dad.

When I mentioned this unpatriotic non-tradition to my friend Alice, she kindly invited me join her family for a barbeque at her home in Napa. Alice's friend Chizuko is visiting from Japan, her daughter-in-law Cheryl is from the Philippines and her son Eric's girlfriend Nikki is from India, so it was a very international gathering, and there were lots of different spices on the buffet. Curried corn on the cob and chicken satay, grilled pork loin, spicy chicken wings, and shrimp brochettes. My contribution to the banquet was an Asian style cole slaw made with rice vinegar, sesame oil and ginger-root.

It was a delightful afternoon of lively conversation that included lots of chat about international film, and Chizuko surprised me with an international cookbook that featured a beautiful makizushi recipe by her friend Masumi Hiraga. When it was all over, Alice sent me home with a grocery bag filled with the makings of yet another international feast from the extra abundance of the buffet.

Afterwards, I came home to a very quiet house, so I took a long nap. When I awoke, it was nearly dark and time for the fireworks to start downtown. And although I wasn't inspired to go downtown by myself, I got to watch what I could see of them from my patio. They were somewhat obscured by the crabapple tree, and I could only see the ones that were launched very high, but it was an unexpected treat nonetheless.

And as if that weren't enough excitement for one day, shortly after I came back inside, I heard some rather vigorous crunching on the back porch. When I looked out to see what it was, I discovered a HUGE raccoon eating my cat Mochi's kibble. I've seen possums before, and even had to trap a couple of them and let them loose in the vineyards, but this was my first raccoon. That fat rascal must've been 25 or 30 pounds with a magnificent ringed tail at least 18 inches long. Of course I shrieked and he ran, and I have no idea how he got into or out of the fenced yard. But I guess this means I'll have to stop leaving food out there and bring Mochi in at night whether she likes it or not.

At day's end, after celebrating the Fourth of July for the first time in many years, reflecting upon the meaning of Independence Day, I have come to realize that as a full-time freelancer, it may be the most meaningful holiday of the year.

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11:13 PM PDT Permalink |

Revisiting Korean Cuisine

This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean

About this same time last year, when my weblog was in its infancy, I chose Korean cuisine as my monthly focus, with a darkly delightful film called 301/302. This time I have chosen a much lighter Korean film and a different menu of Korean dishes to go with it. Having only eaten Korean barbeque in a Tokyo restaurant a couple of times, I was still fairly new to the cuisine last year, so I did quite a bit of research on Korean food in general. Here is what I discovered:

In my research of Korean cuisine, I learned that, although exotic to my western palate, the most popular traditional dishes are mainly composed of commonplace meats, seafoods, vegetables and seasonings. No doubt, it's the way they are combined that give them their ethnic flair. Typical dishes include fresh green salads, hearty soups, savory stews, meats and seafoods simmered with fresh vegetables, barbequed meats, fermented seafoods, pan-fried omelets, rice medleys, steamed or pan-fried dumplings, and boiled, pickled or sauteed vegetables. The most esoteric ingredients appear to be chrysanthemum greens, bellflower root, and chili paste. Other than that, even the spicy kimchi recipe doesn't call for anything I can't buy at my local grocery store.

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09:42 AM PDT Permalink |

The Way Home: About the Film

Sang Woo is seven years old. His deaf-mute grandmother is 75. Sang Woo is spoiled rotten. His grandmother lives a simple, rustic life with few amenities...and they're stuck with each other in rural Korea for two whole months while his mother looks for work in the city. Directed by Jeong-hyang Lee, and starring Eul-boon Kim as the grandmother in a remarkable first and only motion picture performance, The Way Home deftly manages to pull off one of those 'heartwarming tales' without trespassing into the realm of the saccharine or formulaic. I love this movie.

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01:41 AM PDT Permalink |

Welcome to Chopstick Cinema for the Month of July

Those who have visited my weblog before will notice that it's now going by a new name: Chopstick Cinema. After much deliberation, I decided that Chopstick Cinema is short, simple, snappy and embodies the concept of both Asian food and film. And with the new name, I have begun launching each month's film and cuisine with a photo of a pair of chopsticks given to me by one of my readers. And since I don't yet have any chopsticks from Korea, I decided to feature a pair from Hong Kong given to me by my publisher. Thank you Albert for the lovely gift.

And now, without further ado, this month's cinematic selection is The Way Home, a delightful Korean film given to me a few months ago by my dear friend Betty who lives in my hometown of Mobile, Alabama. She and I were best friends in high school, and now share a mutual love of Asian film. Over the next few days, I will be researching recipes and designing a menu of Korean dishes to go with it.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

10:23 AM PDT Permalink |

Looking Ahead

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Last week, I set aside some time to browse Amazon.com for all the films I've chosen for the next year, and most of them have already arrived. Among the countries represented are India, Korea, Turkey, Mongolia, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore. I have so many wonderful films and cuisines on my list that it's hard to decide which one to feature next. But choose I must, so check back tomorrow to find out what's in store for the month of July.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

09:30 PM PDT Permalink |

My 'Indochine' Film Review

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Indochine is one of the best Asian epics ever made, both in its depiction of the far-reaching political implications of French colonialism in Vietnam, and the fictional lives of a family torn by its tragic drama. Amid a constellation of impeccably cast characters, the ever French and
trop belle Catherine Deneuve is unforgettable as Eliane, and her performance in this film is perhaps the defining role of her career.

Here is a link to the Film Review.

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12:30 AM PDT Permalink |

My 'Indochine' Vietnamese Dinner Recipes & Photos

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Throughout the month of June, I have been preparing the various courses of a Vietnamese dinner to go with the vintage classic 'Indochine', starring Catherine Deneuve. The menu includes Shrimp and Beef Skewers with Lime Dipping Sauce, Crab Filled Summer Rolls, Lemongrass Chicken Soup, Golden Fish Nugget Salad with Mango Salsa, Stuffed Crabs, Shrimp Noodles, Asian Stir-Fry Medley and Coconut Creme Caramel. These dishes are simple, tasty, elegant and remarkably easy to prepare.

Here is a link to the Recipes and Photos.

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12:21 AM PDT Permalink |

Chilled Coconut Velvet

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

I awoke earlier than usual this morning and couldn't wait another minute to find out how my Coconut Creme Caramel turned out. I removed it from the fridge, filled a bowl with hot water to warm the ramekin before loosening the custard with a sharp knife and turning it onto a plate. Much to my delight, it let go of the ramekin without coercion and sat up perfectly on the plate.

I garnished it with a fresh sprig of mint from my garden, put it under the lights and took a picture before it had time to suffer the effects of two 100-watt bulbs bearing down upon it. Then I had a taste. The only words I can find to describe it are...Chilled...Coconut...Velvet. And...Delicieux!

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

11:59 AM PDT Permalink |

Adventures in Creme Caramel

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

It was an easy-going Sunday afternoon in my kitchen, and I was all stocked up on everything I needed to make my Coconut Creme Caramel, so I did. But little did I know what travails awaited me in my attempt to caramelize the sugar for the glaze. The recipe called for 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water to be heated over a low flame until it turned into a golden brown syrup.

With the first batch, I made the mistake of stirring the syrup with a metal spoon, which turned the syrup back into a dry lump of granulated sugar. So I threw it out. The second batch I burned to a smoking, molten slag heap in the bottom of the pan, which, to my relief, dissolved with a little hot water...and I threw IT out.

Feeling a little foolish and inept, I took a break, read up on custards and caramelizing sugar in the Joy of Cooking, and had another go at my stuffed crab recipe for tonight's dinner [which turned out infinitely better this time].

After supper, I got back in the kitchen for yet another attempt at carmelized sugar. Feeling just like Goldilocks, I am pleased to say that the third batch turned out just right, mostly because I watched it like a hawk and removed the pan from the fire before it got too brown. Next I poured it into the bottoms of the custard dishes, filled them with the egg and coconut cream mixture and placed them in a bain marie to bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

By the looks of them, they turned out perfectly, but they have to chill overnight, so I won't know until they come out of the fridge tomorrow evening. And the moment of truth will be turning them onto plates for serving. I'm keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that they won't get mutilated in the process. Tune in tomorrow for a photo of the finished result.

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12:52 AM PDT Permalink |

All Stocked Up

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Yesterday's visit to Tin's Market in Oakland yielded a bounty of Asian ingredients, all of which are destined to become part of many dishes and dinners in the near future. First up is the dessert course of my 'Indochine' Vietnamese dinner. Within the next few days, I will be experimenting with a recipe for Coconut Creme Caramel. What better way to blend the French and Vietnamese culinary influences. Fortunately, I stocked up on unsweetened coconut milk at Tin's Market, so all I will need to complete the recipe are a few eggs and some half & half from my neighborhood Safeway.

And once I've written my film review and created the photo and recipe web page, I will be embarking on a whole new Asian cuisine and a new film for next month's Dinner & a Movie. Thanks to yesterday's shopping excursion, I already have all the Asian ingredients I will need.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

04:31 PM PDT Permalink |