Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Charcutepalooza needed a timeout

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The last time we talked (yeah, I know we don't really talk and that I am talking to myself not you) I left you with a bunch of anchovies swimming around in cold water. Well, they weren't swimming exactly, they were floating around. Dr. Food commented how people made comments about the tater tots and hardly anyone mentioned dead anchovies floating around in a bowl of water. I thought my followers might just not want to mention that perhaps *I* had gone off the deep end. Hanging meat, dead fish... you get the picture. I told my mother that I wish I had become a butcher as a profession. Being the supportive mom she is she said "REALLY?" but she didn't go much further than that.

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This is anchovy stock that I am making. We were a little burnt out on the whole pork thing. Shhh, don't tell the Charcutepalooza clan I said this or they may kick me out. I already am thinking that they think I am a trouble maker.

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I did put about 1/2lb of some thinly sliced beef in there. So, I didn't sell out on the meat people entirely.

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Let me tell you once again that I really love Korean food. I mean I REALLY love it. Ok, so they don't cure meat, but they do cure vegetables. Does that count? I think there should be a "Kimchipalooza". That would only take me digging in the backyard to bury my kimchi and Dr Food could have his wine refrigerator back.

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I don't know how many ways I can tell you that this was one of the best things I have tasted in a LONG time. Ok other than my bacon that *I* made. Did I tell you I made bacon?

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Ok, I promised Dr. Food a wedge salad last night and I made it for him. It was a good use of my HOMEMADE bacon.

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Oh, and tonight for dinner? I will have to do a scavenger hunt in the freezer because this is my world today.




Spicy Korean Soft Tofu Stew (Soondubuchigae)
By Naomi Imatome-Yun, About.com Guide
Ingredients:

3 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 lb or 1 cup beef or pork (thinly sliced)
½ Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp red pepper powder (kochukaru)
2 cups anchovy stock, beef stock, or water
3 cups soft tofu
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 lb unshucked clams or 1 cup shucked clams, rinsed
2 scallions, sliced
Eggs (optional) (I didn't use eggs)


Anchovy Stock

Ingredients:

1 cup dried anchovies
1 small sheet of kelp (dashima on a Korean label or kombu on a Japanese one)
10 cups water
Preparation:

Soak kelp and anchovies in cold water for 2 hours.

Bring to a boil over high heat.

Boil vigorously for 2 minutes and then turn off heat.

Discard anchovies and kelp.

Use broth immediately or store in fridge or freezer for later use in Korean soups and stews.



Preparation:

In a soup pot, stir-fry the beef, garlic, and kochukaru in the sesame oil for about five minutes.

Add anchovy or beef stock or water and soy sauce to the pot.

Bring to a simmer.

Add soft tofu and return to simmer.

Add clams and simmer until the clams are cooked, about 10 minutes, until they shrink, or until the shells open (if using unshucked).

Add scallions and take off heat.

(Serves 4).

Printable Version

19 comments :

  1. Hmmm,it wasn't even snowing yet when I left for work this morning. I better head home early.

    Dr. Food

    Oh, PS.......the tofu stew was excellant!

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  2. I'm sorry I didn't comment on the anchovies (I wasn't sure what kind of fish they were), but you can't put bacon on a screen and expect me to see anything else. You did it again and I can't even tell you what else you made. I just saw the amazing bacon.

    I did watch the video simply because it fills me with joy to know that I made the right decision when I moved south from Chicago 15 years ago. They're saying "blizzard" up there right now. I see grass. It's sleeping, brown grass, but it's grass. I don't even own a snow shovel. Ahhhhhhh

    Thanks for your note...my response back was returned to me.

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  3. I approve of floating dried anchovies.

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  4. Omg, I love your posts so much. I can imagine that you may be experiencing pork overload!! I would be for sure. Love the stew, love love love.

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  5. This looks really good. I haven't had too much exposure to Korean food so I'm following!

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  6. This looks really good, I love Korean food!

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  7. Okay, Sis, it looks like you are on the moon, as far as I'm concerned. It is going to be 74 degrees Friday, Saturday, Sunday, etc., etc. I don't even know what snow feels like when it is falling. I'm 58 years old and don't know what falling snow is like! I wish I could be there with you at our little colonial inn making funny faces over that original cocktail (whatsit called again?). Miss you. I hope you make it to Cali this week.

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  8. I love that you made your own bacon!! That is awesome and it looks delicious (and so does everything else but my attention seems to be totally captured by the bacon...lol!! :)

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  9. Love this stew- we hardly ever venture into the Asian cuisines in our own kitchen but we sure love to eat that food- all of it! Fun recipe!

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  10. What a great looking dish!

    And i am from chicago too and that blizzard was insane!!!! We had a power outage for 10 hours last night! SHEESH!

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  11. I'll take the salad wedge with homemade bacon!!!

    Nice to shift gears at least for one dish. You have been cranking along with the meat adventures quite a bit.

    Jason

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  12. Your video had me on the edge of my seat...better than the gold digging reality show the Hubs is currently watching. Anyway, all I kept saying was, "please don't fall down, Janis. Please don't fall down! Oh, wow, that is so pretty!" And I'm saying that surrounded by a ton of snow myself...so, ya know.

    this soup looks really good. Those little fishies sorta weirded me out though. The first thought I had was that you were going fishing. It looks like bait. But now knowing you made something so delish out of those little boogers, I can't look at bait the same way ever again! I don't really look at it that often, if ever, anymore. I'm rambling.

    Love ya, Janis!!

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  13. okay, that was crazy! I just got done leaving a comment on your blog and there was a comment waiting on mine from you! We were leaving comments on each others blogs at the exact same time!!Whooo. (que twighlight zone music)

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  14. Hey... the salad wedge is my cup of tea. Even better with home made bacon...

    I do also heart a nice tofu stew ;)

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  15. At first, I thought I might have to adjust my monitor or clean my glasses. I was like "why does she have a pan of minnows"? Of course, I like to look at the pictures first, and read later. You pretty much have the same opinion of winter that I do~disgusting!!! You are a brave woman~not sure I could cook or even eat anchovy stock~I belong to the "I don't like seafood stock" club.

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  16. You are so adventurous in the kitchen - I am starving now (after midnight) eating these darn triscuits and reading about bacon, iceberg wedges (love), kimche, meat ...

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  17. Love this stew- we hardly ever venture into the Asian cuisines in our own kitchen but we sure love to eat that food- all of it! Fun recipe!

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  18. I approve of floating dried anchovies.

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