From Harvard to Your Kitchen: May Letter from Maangchi

Earlier in April I was invited to speak at the Asia-Pacific Conference at Harvard Kennedy School. I had a wonderful time meeting so many students, taking photos, and chatting together. I was surprised and delighted to learn that many of them were already my subscribers and cooking my recipes!

Do you like noodle soup? I love all kinds of noodles. I enjoy noodle soup, cold noodles, hot noodles, and handmade noodles. Ever since I started my website, I’ve shared many noodle recipes, and now I’m adding this beef noodle soup to the collection.

This is a perfect one-bowl meal with a good balance of nutrients. But most importantly, it is delicious. A bowl filled with chewy noodles in hot anchovy broth is topped with spicy and savory buchu mixed with sesame oil and warm pan-fried beef. Together they create a wonderful flavor. Once you start eating, it is hard to stop until the bowl is empty. Even talking about it now makes my mouth water.

If buchu (Asian chives) is not available where you live, you can use the green parts of scallions instead. The recipe is here!

Make delicious wanjajeon with ground beef. Wanjajeon are Korean style meatballs. They are perfect as a side dish, snack, or party appetizer. Be sure to serve with either a savory sauce or a sweet and sour sauce. You can find them on my website!

When I was in Boston for the Harvard invitation, I had a last minute meetup. One of the people I met, Jenna, showed me her iPhone full of delicious Korean food photos, and this bossam was one of them. A bite wrapped in napa cabbage with a piece of pork, raw garlic, chili pepper, and ssamjang is such a delicious little bundle! She even had dessert ready! Check out the bossam recipe here!

This dakgangjeong looks absolutely perfect. Ooh, wow! The coating looks just right and not sticky at all. I can almost hear the crunch with every bite.

Ryan (chefboyrbelom) said, “Korean Fried Chicken (dakgangjeong) using Maangchi’s famous recipe. Second time making it this week, it’s freaking addicting and stays crunchy for years.”

Don’t forget kongbiji jjigae (ground soybean stew), a hearty and nutritious stew made with ground soybeans, simmered with kimchi until bubbling and delicious.
Petra from Berlin, Germany made and said, “All the recipes I've made following your instructions have turned out perfectly!”

This photo was taken in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in November 2011 during my Gapsida trip. (Gapsida means “let’s go” in Korean. It was a series of trips where I traveled to meet my readers around the world.) Allison Chin kindly hosted a potluck meetup at her home, and everyone brought homemade Korean dishes! The food was incredible, and the atmosphere was so warm and joyful. That’s why I always love potluck meetups.

Recently, someone in this photo reached out and told me they met me that day! “Maangchi, I’ve been following you for years and met you in Malaysia during Gapsida. Making your gamjatang tonight for my niece. She’s going to love it!”
I’m not exactly sure who it is, but it made me so happy and brought back such wonderful memories. So much time has passed, and I often wonder how everyone is doing now…

I look forward to your messages every day. They inspire me, make me laugh, and give me something to think about. I hope you enjoy them too.

These days, many schools seem to have student projects and contests that promote different cultures. It always makes me so happy when I receive messages like this!

I needed to make tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) for school, and I brought it to school and everyone loved it! Thanks to your recipe, it made my cooking better!

Do you like to make kimchi stew at home? Let me share a message from Janet!

I’ve been watching your videos since my college days (8-10 years now) and I’ve ALWAYS used your recipe whenever my friends and I are craving kimchi stew! Everyone loves it! Even my friends that have never tried kimchi before loved it! Thank you so much for making all your videos

Have you ever made fried chicken that turned out so hard it was difficult to eat, almost like a rock? Someone said, “My chicken gets hard . What do I do ??”
My reply might help if you’ve had this problem too.

If the chicken turned out too hard, it may be because it was fried too long or the coating sauce became too thick. Next time, try frying the chicken for a shorter time and avoid simmering the coating sauce for too long.

A beautiful variety of fresh vegetables can sometimes be even more beautiful than a bouquet of flowers! With vegetables and ssamjang, what else do we need? Just a bowl of rice makes a simple and satisfying meal! : )

I hope you enjoyed my letter. I’ll see you on June 1!

Keep enjoying your Korean cooking, and I’d love to hear your cooking stories!