Semiserious Chefs

This recipe calls for Asian Yam. This is not to be mistaken for what gets marketed as ‘yam’ in the US. Despite popular belief, both the yellowy sweet flavored potato that is labeled ‘sweet potato’ and the orange fleshed extra sweet flavored potatoes named ‘yam’ are both just that, sweet potatoes. The cousin of the good-ole reg’ya’la […]

This punny recipe came about with my desire to learn new uses for African and Asian yams. When I say yam, you probably think of those dark orange sweet potatoes they sell in most every US market. They are, in fact, exactly that, sweet potatoes. I know, this is where you say, “No, no, no! Sweet […]

Bibimbap is an incredibly versatile dish. Meaning literally ‘Mixed Rice,’ it is perfect for left overs or pre-made banchan. You simply add your desired sauteed, steamed or fermented vegetables of choice, typically along with bolgogi beef, to a hot bowl of crisping rice, and top it with a poaching egg. Although the meat and vegetables […]

This incredibly easy to make recipe is a fan favorite of both adults and children. It doesn’t require very many ingredients, all easy to come-by, or any special equipment. …Although using a dolsot or ddukbaegi pot sure is fun! The name Bulgogi (불고기) comes simply from the Korean’bul’ for fire and ‘gogi’ for Meat. You […]

This super easy and very cheap salad can be served warm or cold. The recipe below makes for a mildly hot dressing. You can of-course add more chili as desired. The same goes for the sesame oil. I tend to only like a little bit in my dishes, but feel free to add more to […]

This sauce is a SUPER EASY staple to have in your repertoire. Perhaps you’ll measure for the first few times you make it, but soon enough you will find that you can easily toss together a rough proportion, or even experiment with some of your other favorite flavors, (try adding ginger or substituting ponzu!) for […]

Sigeumchi-namul 시금치나물, from sigeumchi for spinach and namul because it is a vegetable dish, is one of the most common banchan (Korean side dish), and also one of the easiest! Best of all it isn’t spicy, so everyone can enjoy it! It’s funny to me that even as a family that isn’t particularly fond of […]

“What is the Korean name for this dish?” you ask. Well that depends on what kind of bean sprouts you use. First and foremost this dish is a namul (나물) , referring to a steamed, stir-fried, or marinated vegetable dish. However, sukju-namul is the name for bean sprouts in general. Now soy bean sprouts are […]

Ojingeo means squid, and chae means shredded or julienne so Ojingeochae (오징어채) is dried squid strips, and then you add muchim (무침) meaning mixed to title the dish. As the second half of the name implies the sauce and the dried squid strips, (already processed with salt and sometimes sugar,) are simply mixed together and […]

I am absolutely addicted to the banchan of Korean cooking! These fantastic little ‘snacks’ are a staple part of every bapsang meal, usually easy to make, and each unique. So far I have been able to make dubu jorim (braised tofu), kongjang (braised soybeans) and kkakdugi (radish kimchi), but this one, gamja jorim, holds a […]