IN THE HEART OF SEOUL -THE GARDEN OF 13 KINGS

A Page from a Korean Garden Calendar titled NOVEMBER

A Korean friend gave me a calendar with a different garden illustrated each month. The one for November was particularly striking and brought back many wonderful memories of my visit to one of Korea's most beloved gardens in Seoul.

Surrounded by a canyon of high rises is the beautiful national treasure, Changdeok Palace, constructed in 1405. In the back of the palace is the Huwon, or Rear Garden, home to 13 of Korea's kings . My visit to this beloved garden really opened my eyes to the amazing simplicity and at the same time, sophistication of Korean garden design.

Unlike Japanese , Korean gardens are natural and unforced. Such features as ponds, rockeries, pine, bamboo, pear, apple , and other fruit trees are popular. You won't see a lot of flowers in bloom yet the textures and colors of the trees and shrubs create interest. And while Huwon is a more refined style of the royal family it has a decidedly natural beauty with its lotus ponds, pavillions and rockeries.

Huwon Garden

A fascinating feature of Huwon is the Ongnyucheon Stream ( Jade Stream ) created by King Injo in 1636. The story goes that the King and his cohorts would float their wine cups to each other and before it reached its destination a poem or song had to be completed. A poem carved in stone and with the King's inscription still exists there.

Ongnyucheon Stream

Animal motifs as well as natives can be found throughout the garden . There are over 40 species of birds, and ancient trees, some a thousand years old, still exist .

The fact that the palace and rear garden exists at all is a miracle considering what it has gone through in the turbulent history of Korea. After being destroyed several times it has gone through many restorations. It is now listed on UNESCO's World Heritage sites and is one of the most beloved and frequently visited gardens in Korea.

The hectic lifestyle in Seoul , which by the way is the 5th most populated city in the world,
( Tokyo is now 11th ) , brings many of its citizens there to seek refuge and tranquility.

KFC -Chicken with a Twist

Back in the Spring the New York Times ran an article on the latest food fad there and in LA : Korean Fried Chicken. It seems that in Seoul, the Korean capital, every corner has a Mom and Pop cafe that cooks these crunchy, spicy concoctions.

You won't find any biscuits or grits served with the KFC - hot pickled radish ( " Kakdookee " ) is the usual side dish and Korean beer which is very good.

This is not a difficult dish to cook. Most recipes call for chicken wings separated into two pieces, ( the wing and the drumette ) or boneless chicken thighs cut into small bites.

Here's my recipe for Korean Fried Chicken :

3 lbs. boneless chicken thighs, cut into 4 pieces
( or wings and drumettes )
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
4 teaspoon toasted sesame seed
8 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon low sodium Kikkoman Soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 green onions, including tops, finely minced

Mix all dry ingredients. Add soy sauce , sesame seed, garlic and green onions to slightly beaten eggs and then to the dry mixture. Mix well and pour over chicken. Marinate for 2 hours or overnight.

Using a deep fryer bring vegetable oil to around 350 degrees. Fry for 10 minutes, remove from oil, shake vigorously in a wire strainer , or use paper towels , and allow to cool for a few minutes. Fry for 10 more minutes, drain again on paper towels. Serve chicken plain with a small dish of salt and pepper or lightly brushed with a soy-garlic glaze or a hot sauce .

I know a lot of my fellow Southerners will find this blasphemous because it is contrary to our traditional dish . While it is trendy and tasty, I don't think the Colonel has anything to worry about.

THE $15,000 BEEF RECIPE

Some years back a recipe for BBQ beef ribs won $15,000 in the National Beef Cookoff. The winner titled his recipe ORIENTAL RIBS and it was supposed to be original. NOT. The recipe was taken from Korean BBQ ribs( Kalbi ) and is several thousand years old.

Southerners and Southwesterners take their ribs seriously. Al Roker of Good Morning America decided he was going to participate in the National Rib Cookoff one year and gathered a team and some high tech equipment and headed down South. Despite all the hoopla he didn't even place in the top 10. A little old lady from Alabama won with her family recipe.

Many Korean restaurants feature Kalbi cooked at the table and it has become a well known and loved dish. Here's my favorite recipe from the Korean Cookbook, GROWING UP IN A KOREAN KITCHEN :

3 pounds lean prime ribs of beef
( pound ribs with mallet to tenderize and flatten )

Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce ( I use Kikkoman Lite )
Asian pear, finely minced
1/2 cup rice wine
5 cloves garlic, crushed and finely minced
3 green onions, finely minced
1/2 cup corn syrup, or 3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed
4 walnut halves, finely chopped
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place ribs in one layer in a wide shallow pan. Combine all ingredients of the marinade and mix well. Pour marinade over ribs and rub it in with your fingers. Wrap pan tightly with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

Lightly brush grill rack with oil and grill ribs for 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve with steamed rice, kimchee, pickled cucumbers and other side dishes.

FOR MAX

My new blogging buddy Max at Flicker Days was posting about her Korean mother whom she has been caring for since her cancer reoccurred. I usually visit her blog frequently but missed a few days. When I logged on it on Saturday I was shocked to find her obituary posted and the words " I love you, Mom. " She was only 58 years old.

She then posted about what a gift it was that her mother allowed her to take care of her in her last days. I don't know if Max realizes that in Korean culture she would be considered a most loving and dutiful daughter and a precious gift to her mother. It must have meant so much to her to be able to stay in her home until the very end and to experience the love of a devoted daughter . I have so many Korean friends who lament about the fact that they weren't there when their parents passed.

Max, I know you mourn the passing of your precious mother who is now at peace after suffering so much. Gather the wonderful memories of her around you for comfort .

I send you a bouquet picked from my garden this sad August day along with my thoughts and prayers on the loss of your precious mother.

WHAT TO DO WHEN IT'S RAINING ALL DAY

Korean style " Om Rice "

The Chicago Air and Water Show was rained out on Sunday. Mother Nature's been having her own water show for the past two days. We must've had 4 or more inches of rain. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Since I'm not able to get out in the garden my thoughts turn to cooking. When I have lots of veggies and meat leftovers I chop everything up into small pieces and stir-fry it in a few spoonfuls of vegetable oil . I then add 1 cup of cold rice per person ( cooked short grained ) blend all ingredients well and cook for about five minutes. I then season it with black pepper, a little light soy sauce and sesame oil and stir fry a few minutes more.

I crack about 3 eggs, mix with a little water, and pour in a thin layer in a non stick frying pan to make an omelet ( some older Koreans can't say omelet so they shortened it to om ! ) . Arrange the fried rice on a plate and invert the pan . Position the omelet over the rice and top it with a little ketchup for sauce. I usually draw a silly happy face with the ketchup.

Everyone is sure to love this dish.

KARAOKE QUEEN

I believe it was the Koreans that invented Karaoke, or " empty Orchestra " as it is called. When I was growing up in the deep South we were used to singing along with the radio, in church, etc. I was even good enough to sing duet in church. Southerners love to sing. So do Koreans.

I discovered the Koreans love of singing after being married to one for a number of years and attending get-togethers that always ended in song fests. Then, along came Karaoke, which first started in bars . Then came sophisticated machines for home entertainment.

One holiday evening we attended a New Year's Party at a friend's home where everyone was Korean except for Moi. Sure enough, after dinner, the singing began , this time with the Karaoke machine. Soon as I went to the ladies room and came back I was told it was my turn. Caught offguard, I just picked the song I knew best - " Beautiful Brown Eyes. " As soon as I belted it out, the machine gave a fanfare and drew a yellow line across the screen that stopped at 99 . I heard whooping and hollering and some were jumping up and down .

What? What ? , I asked. " You've won !" was the reply. " Won what ? " $200 , the first prize. I had no idea there was a prize, if I had I would've been so nervous I know I would have messed it up good. No one has ever hit a 99 score in the four years the machine had been in operation, they said . Geez ! I was astonished. I knew there were better singers than me so I encouraged everyone to try to beat my score, but for the rest of the evening no one came even near. And believe you me the Koreans are damn good singers.

At the end of the evening, my hubby Simon and I sang together and got the next highest score - 98 !

I tried to look at my win very logically and came to the conclusion that the computer was not judging as humans judge , but by pitch. I had perfect pitch ! I'm not the best singer, but then I'm not the worse. I can carry a tune. Or , so , the computer thinks I can. I told our host if he ever wanted to sell that Karaoke machine, I'd be the first in line.

A COOL DISH FOR THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER

Naeng-myon , Korean Cold Noodles

Summer is officially here today. June has been more like July with it's high temperatures and lack of rain. Our thoughts turn to light or cool dishes in this heat wave.

Naeng-myon is a very popular cold buckwheat noodle dish in Korea and each cook has their own recipe. Koreans are very picky about what makes a good cold noodle dish . They say that the broth is the most important ingredient of the dish.

The meat for the traditional Korean cold noodle dish is beef brisket, however, you can use chicken as an alternate. As a vegetarian I use tofu instead of chicken and it tastes very good as well.

Here's the Choi family recipe :

Buckwheat noodles
beef brisket or chicken
green onions, minced
2-3 clove finely minced garlic
small white onion
1 tablespoon sugar
cucumbers , thinly sliced
beef or chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Korean yellow mustard, or wasabi
hard boiled eggs
Asian pear , sliced thin ( optional )
Whole cabbage kimchi, chopped

Place brisket in pot of water, add 1 small chopped white onion. Boil for about an hour. Strain broth and chill in fridge or when cool, add ice. Slice brisket on the diagonal into thin slices, or if using chicken, into bite-size pieces.

Cook buckwheat noodles until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water until chilled.

Place cold noodles in large bowl, top with brisket, kimchi, cucumber, chopped green onion, Asian pear slices and eggs.

Add rice wine vinegar, sugar, minced green onion and Korean mustard to chilled broth. Slowly pour broth into the noodle mixture.

Eat and enjoy.

KOREAN TACOS

Lettuce Bundles

I am planting a salad garden this year so that I can pick leaf lettuce and use it in my favorite Korean-style meal . We go to the Korean market and buy veggie side dishes from the deli -cucumbers, bean sprouts, radishes, spinach, etc .

Palm a big lettuce leaf, scoop up a bit of each veggie, add some sauce and pop in your mouth. Not only easy and delicious, but healthy as well.

For meat lovers I add chicken, tuna or beef.

Oh, and don't forget the kimchee. If you haven't tasted kimchee, the Korean side dish of hot pickled cabbage, then you are in for a surprise. Especially if you have sinus trouble. It'll clear that up pronto.

THE KOREAN CONNECTION INSIDE SWEET HOME CHICAGO'S KITCHEN

A Korean Lunchbox
( Healthy and Yummy - No wonder Koreans
are so Slim. )

Confucius says in Chinese but in my house, its Simon Says in Korean. The proverb he penned above goes like this : Two friends are eating when one drops dead. The other doesn't take notice of his passing and continues to eat. Further explanation needed ? Now you know why the old adage " East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet " was coined. Believe it or not ( and it's hard to sometimes ) this is how a Korean might compliment the great food of his host or hostess. He is savoring the tasty food so much he notices little else.

Down South and other places in between this would be called a " left-handed compliment. " Koreans are quirky that way. I know, I'm married to one, and he has a lot of quirks. But then, so do I. He thought he knew English until he heard me say " Cut out the light. " And I never thought I'd marry someone whose people actually eat and drink Kudzu.

So in my kitchen you can find such dishes as Kimchee Chigae, Bibimbap, Bulgogi, Kalbi, Chicken and Dumplings, Brunswick Stew , Gumbo and by all means, Grits.

Speaking of Grits, I happened upon the blog of a displaced Southerner in South Korea one evening. His blog had a post on his craving for Grits , something he thought he'd never miss. He created a "fusion " recipe in which he combined grits with Korean condiments and labeled it Korean redneck Grits. Fusing Southern with Korean, now there's a recipe I've gotta try.

Most Americans are mystified by Korean food and think its a mixture of Chinese and Japanese. Couldn't be further from the truth. Korean food is very complex and tickles the taste buds with its pungent, sweet, hot, salty, bitter and sometimes nutty flavors. Next to downhome comfort foods, it's my fave and like Epicurious Magazine, I think it will soon get the long overdue attention it deserves.

But, I must say that I learned to make Korean food from the best - my mother-in-law who was a terrific cook. Didn't speak much English but sure knew how to gesture and demonstrate by doing . I was her only non-Korean daughter-in-law and she liked me best. Why ? For a good reason - most married women aren't going to listen to their mothers-in-law tell them how to cook, but, since I didn't know anything about Korean cuisine and was eager to learn , it was "monkey see, monkey do. " She'd pat me on the back in front of her Korean daughters-in-law and say "She so nice, she listen to me. " Didn't win me any favors with the sisters-in-law, but hey, we all knew who was in charge.

In addition to learning from the master ( she had no recipes, it was always a little of this or that ) having a good cookbook helps. My personal favorite is Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen by Hisoo Shin Hepinstall. Her book was named as one 2001's best by People Magazine and it is just a delight to read . It's not just a recipe cookbook but one that is filled with the writer's poignant memories of her childhood in Korea. My dear Korean friend and gourmand Mia tasted one of my Korean concoctions from Mrs. Hepinstall's book and was amazed because she had never had the dish before and she loved it.

Epicurious.com has a very interesting special on Korean food and cookbooks, one of which is the aforementioned.

One drawback about cooking so many good Korean dishes is that my Seoul mate no longer wants to go out to eat at Korean restaurants. I've created a monster. But when we do, it's usually to the one we consider the best in Chicago and it's been in business for nearly 30 years : Cho Sun Ok, 4200 N. Lincoln Ave. at Berteau. DO not go on the weekends because its jam packed, but if you must, parties of 3 will get in faster. It's not fancy but the food is terrific. You can have the famous Korean BBQ right at your table. Y-u-m-m-y ! Hey, there's another Southern connection -BBQ!