my Kitchen. . .my World cooking event!I am a day late for joining in on the Korean dish chosen by Elra of elras baking. This is my first attempt at Korean cuisine and I am now really glad that I still tried.
The menu for the dinner is:
Korean-style
Bulgogi with ginger dipping sauce
Sesame Rice Vermicelli
The tea is so good and one that will stay in my refrigerator as a go to beverage for the rest of the summer. . .Delicious with a refreshing almond flavor. The recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar but this is a little too sweet. Half that amount would be just as good. 
Bulgogi (bul-GOH-gee) is also called "fire meat" in Korea. The beef is traditionally cooked on table-top grills but I chose to grill mine over a charcoal grill. . .I'm fresh out of table-top grills =D. The beef is tender with lots of flavor from the sambal, ginger, and rice vinegar. Sambal is a spicy Asian condiment made from chilies, salt and shrimp paste, along with a few other ingredients that may differ according to which type is chosen. The condiment adds a dark color and fiery flavor to foods. Sambal can be found in the Asian food aisles of local grocery stores.
Spicy pickled vegetables is a staple dish on Korean tables. The dish was easy to make and only needed 1 hour to pickle. If daikon radishes are hard to find, then I am sure red radishes would work just as well.
The rice vermicelli was a different flavor for me and one that I would have to get used to eating before I could enjoy the pasta. I did not "dislike" the dish ~ but thought the dish tasted unusual. I roasted the sesame seeds under the broiler for a couple of minutes to toast and this method worked perfectly.
Korean-style Bulgogi
with ginger dipping sauce
(adapted from Cuisine at Home Aug. 2008)
Ingredients:
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 T. garlic, minced
2 t. toasted sesame oil
2 t. sambal
1 T. water
1 t. cornstarch
3/4 lb. boneless ribeye steak, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
salt and pepper
sliced scallions
toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
Preheat grill to high or light charcoal and heat to a high heat.
Simmer sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and sambal together in a small saucepan over high heat. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl, then whisk into the sauce. Return mixture to a boil and simmer 1 minute; remove from heat and set aside.
Season ribeye strips with salt and pepper; grill 2 minutes per side, then toss in 2 Tablespoons dipping sauce. Arrange strips on 2 plates and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with vermicelli, vegetables, and remaining sauce on the side.
Sesame Rice Vermicelli
Ingredients:
4 oz. dry rice vermicelli
2 T. scallions, thinly sliced
1 T. toasted sesame oil
1 T. sesame seeds, toasted
Directions:
Prepare vermicelli according to package directions and cool. Toss with remaining ingredients.
Spicy Pickled Vegetables
Ingredients:
2 T. rice vinegar
1 T. fresh lime juice
1 t. sugar
1 t. sambal
1/2 t. salt
1/3 cup "each" carrot and daikon radish, peeled, sliced into matchsticks
1/3 c. cucumber, seeded, thinly sliced into half-moons
Directions:
Whisk vinegar, lime juice, sugar, sambal, and salt together in a bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour marinade over vegetables in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate 1 hour. Drain vegetables in a colander before serving.
Almond Tea
(adapted from Taste of the South June/July 2008)
Ingredients:
2 c. water
9 regular-size tea bags or 3 family-size tea bags
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 t. almond extract
Juice of 3 lemons
6 c. cold water
Directions:
Bring 2 cups water to a slow boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Let steep for 10 minutes.
Remove tea bags, being careful not to squeeze bags. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Add extracts and lemon juice. Add 6 cups cold water. Cool and serve over ice.
