Maangchi's letter to you

Spring foraging! Plus recipes for spicy raw crab and stir-fried green chili peppers [Open in app]( or [online]() [Maangchi's letter to you]( Spring foraging! Plus recipes for spicy raw crab and stir-fried green chili peppers May 1 [Share]( Foraging for [ssuk (mugwort)]( in the spring is one of my annual joys in New York City. Due to the pandemic, I had to skip this activity for a couple of years. However, this spring, I returned to my secret spot near Riverside Park and wondered if the ssuk was still growing there. I was happy to see so much young and tender ssuk coming up! While foraging, my heart raced with the thought that I could eventually return to my normal life. I used the mugwort to make [soup]( and prepared a special spring table with rice, kimchi, and [spicy stir-fried pork belly]( (check out the last photo in this letter to see my table setting). It was absolutely delicious! “Oh my ssuk! You are still growing here!” : ) --------------------------------------------------------------- New Recipe: [Stir-fried green chili peppers]( This is a super fast and easy-to-make side dish that can be ready in just a few minutes! The stir-fried peppers (gochu-bokkeum in Korean) have a savory, salty flavor with a hint of sweetness and a slightly sticky texture from the flour-coated peppers. In addition, I made this recipe sugar-free, which is perfect for those of us who are trying to reduce our sugar intake. However, the natural sweetness of the onion bits still gives the dish a touch of sweetness. Check out [the recipe here]( --------------------------------------------------------------- New Recipe: [Spicy raw crab]( After sharing my recipe for [ganjang-gejang (raw crab marinated in soy sauce)]( a few years ago, I received numerous requests for the spicy version known as yangnyeom-gejang. It has a combination of sweetness, tenderness, spiciness, and a jelly-like texture. In the video I show you how to clean flash frozen crabs, make the dish from beginning to end, and also what to serve it with. Enjoy the [recipe]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Is it a viral trend? I recently posted a [one-minute re-edited version of my garlic green beans recipe]( to my YouTube channel. Surprisingly it was mega-popular, in just a few weeks it’s been watched nearly 1.5 million times! In all my years of posting my videos to YouTube I’ve never had this kind of jackpot before. : ) I want to share this joy with you. Of course if you want to see the full, longer video with the full recipe it’s [on my website]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Going nuts for Kyoko’s crunchy Korean nut candy! After seeing Kyoko's [yeotgangjeong photo]( I couldn't resist making it for myself! The recipe requires just two ingredients: 3 cups of nuts and 1 cup of rice syrup. The final product is so delectable that I feel as though I've gone nuts! : ) Check out [the recipe here]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 13 year old Silas made kimchi stew! He wrote [a message]( “Hi Maangchi! This is Silas, who turns 13 next month- this is my first attempt at kimchi jjigae, using your recipe!” Happy Birthday, Silas! --------------------------------------------------------------- Sun’s kkaennip-jeon (perilla leaf pancakes) Beautiful display of kkaennip-jeon (perilla leaf pancakes) created by [Sun Yat Betty Kwan]( Each pancake is made by folding a perilla leaf in half with a delicious filling inside. I am tempted to select one, dip it in the sauce, and take a bite! I mean virtually. : ) You can easily recreate this dish, too. [The recipe is here]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Ooh La La, Eileen’s Korean table! [Eileen]( from Melbourne, Australia shared a photo of her Korean table, and I am impressed that she made everything using my recipes! It is clear from the photo that she has been cooking Korean food for a long time. The [baesuk]( (steamed pear) looks especially cute with the two floating[jujubes](. Eileen said, “I saw some really gorgeous Korean pears and couldn’t resist getting one to make baesuk. So yummy, especially now that it’s getting chilly.” [Baesuk (steamed pear) recipe here]( --------------------------------------------------------------- OMG-looking seafood green onion pancake! [Magali's photo of her homemade haemul-pajeon]( green onion pancake) left my mouth watering! The pancake features tiny chopped shrimp and squid, sweet and crispy green onions, all delicately held together in a crunchy exterior. It's well made! Magali said, 'I think I made Maangchi proud!' Well, Magali, you should be proud because your haemul-pajeon is impressive! [Check out the recipe here]( Comments from my readers & viewers! My readers and viewers always make me smile, inspire me, amaze me, and make me think. Here are some of their messages that I chose to share with you this month! --------------------------------------------------------------- One of the most frequent questions that I receive from my readers and viewers is that their homemade kimchi turns watery 1 day after making it. [amyr3285]( “I made your kimchi recipe and it is so good, but I don’t know whether or not to pour out the excess juice that was from the fermenting. Should I leave it in, or take it out?” My answer is: Leave it in and mix in the juice with the kimchi. The kimchi brine will be so tasty when the kimchi is fermented. --------------------------------------------------------------- One of my newsletter subscribers, David Hwang, left a heartwarming comment about my [mustard green kimchi]( recipe that touched me deeply. The kimchi reminded him of his late mother, and he shared: My mother used to make the mustard kimchi and I have not had this for over a decade, since she passed away. I am absolutely going to grow mustard greens in my garden as well as make this kimchi. Thank you so much for waking up this old memory. --------------------------------------------------------------- If you have a baby, what's their favorite Korean food? [Mangacreysy’s]( about feeding Korean braised black beans to her 14-month-old baby is so adorable! It's wonderful to see little kids enjoying Korean food. So cute! : ) I made these today for my daughter that is 14 months old, she seemed skeptical at first but then she adored it! --------------------------------------------------------------- Everyone has a unique story about how they discovered Korean food. Some found my website directly through a Google search, while others were introduced to it by someone special. Here is a story shared by [ritatodd1070]( about her experience with Korean cooking. Way back in the day a friend of mine had an uncle who was in the service and came home from Korea with a wife. She was beautiful and so kind, did not speak English well, but taught us how to make many delicious Korean dishes. To this day Korean food is my favorite food. --------------------------------------------------------------- Voila! I made[ssukguk (mugwort soup)]( with the mugwort I gathered and made a nice table. By the way, I added some tender dandelion that I picked. The spread includes rice, kimchi, ssamjang (dipping paste), and [spicy stir-fried pork]( Doesn’t it look delicious? Maybe we should plan a foraging trip & meetup together next year! I will see you next month on June 1st! Keep being happy and celebrating every single day with your delicious Korean cooking! Love, Maangchi ❤️ [Like]( [Comment]( [Restack]( © 2023 Maangchi Manhattan, New York [Unsubscribe]() [Start writing]()