food & dining
Dinner with Seoul
have written before about my love
of Korean food. The cuisine deliv-
ers spice, complexity and a little
sweetness. It lends itself well to carni-
vores and vegetarians alike, and with
the right ingredients is quite simple to
make. When cooking Korean-style, I
lean heavily on gochujang, which is a
delightful blend of chili powder, sticky
rice, salt and fermented soybean pow-
der — a glorious red paste that makes
everything taste good. Gochujang is
increasingly available in traditional
supermarkets, but if you can’t find
it, order it online or head to your
local Asian grocery or to Chinatown to
secure a supply.

We tossed together a delicious dish
of spicy noodles to accompany some
grilled chicken and zucchini, but the
following recipes can be used with any
protein or vegetable that you like.

Korean-Style Gochujang Noodles
Serves 2
A note on the noodles: I bought
dry, packaged ramen from my local
shop, but any noodle works here
— fresh, dry, rice-based, even “zoo-
dles” or spiralized veggies. Use egg
noodles or spaghetti if that is all you
have on hand.

1 8-ounce package dry ramen-style
noodles 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 small handful fresh cilantro,
coarsely chopped
1 scallion, white and green parts,
chopped In a medium-sized bowl, mix the
gochujang, vinegar, soy sauce and
sesame oil.

Cook the noodles according to
the package directions until just al
dente. Drain the noodles, reserving
¼ cup of cooking water. Toss the
noodles in the sauce and, if needed,
add a little bit of the hot water to
distribute (you should not need all of
the water). Sprinkle the noodles with
the cilantro and scallions, and serve
immediately. Grilled Whatever …
This marinade is wonderful on
pretty much any protein: flank
steak, chicken, salmon, tuna or
tofu. For steak or chicken, you
can let it soak for several hours or
overnight; fish and tofu need less
time to absorb the flavor — an hour
tops. For fish especially, you don’t
want to overdo it or the texture will
break down, and that is not what
you are after.

This recipe covers about
three-quarters of a pound of protein,
which will feed two; it is easily multi-
plied for a larger crowd.

1-inch piece of ginger root, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil or other
mild oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1 tablespoon mirin (or substitute
sake, marsala wine or sherry)
¼ cup water
Mix all the marinade ingredients,
and use as desired.

20 JULY 7, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Zucchini with Seoul
Serves 2
As local zucchini is starting to
come into markets and gardens,
a few interesting recipes for this
squash are a cook’s friend this time
of year. The traditional version of this
dish uses a salted shrimp paste, but
I have adapted it to the Exponent
audience with the substitution of
miso paste. If you don’t have (or
don’t like) zucchini, any vegetable
can be used here.

Just be sure to alter the cooking
time to suit what you are sautéing.

For example, spinach cooks very
quickly, but carrots need more time
in the pan.

1 large or two small zucchini, cut
in half lengthwise, then sliced to
make half circles
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons miso paste (any type)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 scallion, white and green parts,
sliced 1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Heat the oil in a skillet with garlic
until fragrant; add the zucchini and
miso paste and cook for a few min-
utes. If the zucchini and garlic begin to
stick, add a teaspoon or two of water.

Add the remaining ingredients,
and cook until zucchini is softened
but not mushy.

Serve hot or at room temperature. JE
Photo by Keri White
I KERI WHITE | SPECIAL TO THE JE