As our day is getting longer, refreshing meals often come to my mind on hot afternoons. Buckwheat noodle salad is my favorite summer dish. But you may find it difficult to buy buckwheat noodles in your area. Some people may be allergic to buckwheat like my little brother. So, here comes a recipe for a pasta salad that is more accessible to many people. It is also more portable than buckwheat noodle that tends to lose its flavor quickly due to its continued expansion afte

Occasionally, we run into something great by accident. I have recently had such a eureka moment when I intended to cook bibimbap on a weekend, using a different combination of vegetables. New ingredients were cauliflower and mini napa cabbages. When I tasted this new version of bibimbap for the first time, I was blown away by a perfect combination of spiciness, sweetness from vegetables (cauliflower, napa cabbages, onions, and carrots), and savory umami flavors from mushroo

If you are adventurous, yet intolerant of spicy food, I have some suggestion for you: Ancho chili. In this recipe, I use Ancho chili powder and avocado to add a small dose of Mexican flavors to the traditional bibimbap. Seemingly small changes can bring fresh excitement to things that are all too familiar to us, helping us discover something new. The Ancho refers to the dried Poblano, a mild chili pepper originating in Mexico. What is unique about the Ancho is its fruity s

When kimchi passes its prime, it turns too sour for us to enjoy it as a side dish. Don't despair. Home-made kimchi never goes wasted. With old kimchi, you can make savory pancakes, soup, or a stir-fried rice. Stir-fried rice that features kimchi is one of the easiest recipes one can try. A simple and popular version only calls for rice, old kimchi, scallions, fried eggs, or meat. I wanted to give this good old recipe a makeover, turning this everyday dish into a gourmet

If you are like me, who grew up eating curry as exotic food, you may have wondered what would be a minimum number of spices needed to create satisfying curry flavors that most curry powders cannot deliver. My answer is three: cumin, coriander, and turmeric. What are these spices? Coriander refers to the seeds of cilantro. Turmeric gives curry its yellow color. Turmeric's main ingredient is curcumin that reduces inflammation. Cumin seeds are rich in iron. All three spice

What if you can make a healthy dessert or breakfast ahead of time with only 3 ingredients? When I saw a beautiful kabocha squash at a farmer's market the other day, it gave me inspiration for a dessert menu: porridge made of a kabocha and adzuki beans. The idea of making this dish thrills me every fall as this winter squash starts to show up in grocery stores. This porridge can serve as a healthy dessert, snack, or breakfast. The sweet and nutty flavor of the kabocha is to

When you want to cook something special on a whim, try this dish. It is a popular, savory snack in Korea. Koreans enjoy the chewy texture of rice cake and fiery spiciness of this dish "떡볶이". Having a chewy texture, rice cakes can be regarded as somewhat exotic, cooking materials for non-Koreans. Rice cakes represent a big departure from noodles and I cannot think of anything that can replace rice cakes. Like Korean sweet potato noodle dish "잡채", stir-fried rice cakes first

Pad Thai means stir-fried rice noodles cooked in Thai style. Perhaps its multinational origin is behind the popularity of this Bangkok street food, appealing to so many people in the world regardless of their cultural heritage. Pad Thai is one of my favorite dishes to take out. Sadly, it is not easy for me to visit restaurants that serve great Pad Thai. I find its Americanized version sometimes overwhelmingly sweet and sour from a generous use of tomato ketchup and vinegar

This is a dish loved by my friends the most. They like it so much that I have received many requests to bring it to their parties. It is called "잡채": sweet potato noodles mixed with assorted vegetables and a protein-rich food of your choice (eggs, beaf, seafood). You may have seen it at Korean restaurants. This dish first came into being in the 17th century at a palace banquet and quickly became a staple of a Korean royal court cuisine. However, it did not gain its popula

This chili always keeps me warm with its spices, yet it is surprisingly light. It is a crowd-pleaser and perfect dish to balance out heavy holiday meals. What makes this chili unique is its star ingredient - squash. I use both zucchinis and yellow squashes for their bright colors. When combined with tomatoes, these squashes give this chili a vibrant and appetizing look. A beef broth builds a base umami flavor while squashes add their sweet and nutty flavors to this chili.

Summer is officially upon us. As we seek more water, it is easy to lose appetite for meals. If you want to cook something light and refreshing for dinner, this recipe is the one. Tom yum soup is my favorite Thai food. I find its flavor profile especially appealing during summer: sweet, sour, and spicy. Tomatoes provide this soup a sweet and sour base. But what makes this soup so interesting is an exotic combination of lemongrass, fish sauce, and cilantro. If you have nev

Do you love the heat and the surprisingly complex flavors from many ingredients of bibimbap? If you have ordered bibimbap at a Korean restaurant, fallen in love with it, and looked up its recipes online, most of them may not have been inviting enough for you to try out. It is not your fault. Traditional Korean recipes require that you cook individual ingredients one by one, serving them over rice with a Korean red chili paste called gochujang. It means a major investment in