May | 2013 | A Fat Girl's Food Guide to Eating in Korea

29
May
2013

iDalicious Homemade Bakery

categories: Baking, Cafes / Takeaways / Bars, Shopping

A few weeks ago it was my birthday. Like any respectable 28 year old girl I yearned for a Hello Kitty birthday cake, lets face it, who doesn’t yearn for one? However, considering my boyfriends lack of baking skills the chances of me getting one without making it myself were slim, very slim (not unlike myself). I set him the task of trying to find a cake shop that might make it for me but where in the world would I find such a thing in Seoul? It seems that cake heaven was not actually too far away. The lovely Dali of iDalicious Homemade Bakery creates and makes her own wonderful cakes and will custom make anything you want.

My boyfriend sent a few ideas of what he wanted, then she sent him back several pictures to choose from. You can then pick the size of your cake. We went for the medium which cost around 30,000. The design was amazing and the cake was delicious. I was thrilled when it was presented to me and it made all my birthday wishes come true. So if you have someone specials birthday coming up and you want something different, then iDalicous bakery is the place to go. It beats a crappy cake from Paris Baguette any day of the week. You can contact Dali through her facebook page and check out all the pictures of her delightful cakey creations.

27
May
2013

Éclair Cake

categories: Recipes

I have been making and devouring this cake for ages now but have only just got around to posting it. It was another pinterest find. The second I saw it I knew it had to be mine. I love chocolate éclairs, can’t get enough of them, so I was intrigued by a cake that shared the same name but that was made with graham crackers. How could it possibly be like a delicious, delicious éclair? Turns out I was wrong and the texture was very similar. I have changed the recipe a bit as the original called for vanilla pudding and cool whip. I used good old custard and regular cream and it went down a storm. It is possibly one of my new favourite desserts. The only bad bit is that you have to refrigerate it for at least 12-24 hours before you can eat it.

Ingredients

custard

6 egg yolks

1 egg

75g white sugar

25g of flour

4 teaspoons of corn flour / cornstarch (I got mine at the bakery mart)

500ml of milk

1 tablespoon of Vanilla syrup

A few drops of vanilla extract (you can use the extract, the syrup or a vanilla pod)

Graham crackers (Itaewon foreign food mart)

150g of milk or dark chocolate (I just used Dove or Ghana)

100ml of milk

200ml of cream

Directions

To make the custard whisk your egg yolks and egg with the sugar until it has become a very pale yellow. Whisk in the flour and corn flour until it has combined then set aside. Heat the milk and vanilla on a low heat until it has just started to boil then take it off the heat and whisk for 30 seconds. Slowly mix the hot milk into the yolk and flour mixture until it has combined then pour it into a saucepan. Put the custard on a very low heat and whisk it continuously until it begins to thicken. This will happen all at once so make sure you keep an eye on it or it will curdle. Once its thickened into custard you can remove from the heat. Sprinkle icing sugar on the top to stop a skin forming as you wait for it to cool.

Whip the cream until it is stiff then fold into the cooled custard.

To assemble the dessert put a layer of Graham crackers onto the bottom of your dish. Top with a third of the custard and cream mixture then put on another layer of the Graham crackers. Top with the second third of custard then another layer of Graham crackers. Top with the final third of custard and the fourth layer of Graham crackers.

In a clean metal or glass bowl melt the chocolate and milk over a bowl of simmering water. Once the chocolate has melted you should have a nice glossy chocolate sauce. Pour this over the top layer of Graham crackers and spread it over to make sure it’s even. Put the dessert in the fridge for at least 12-24 hours. Overnight is best, as this makes the Graham crackers soft and éclair-pastry like. Voilà, éclair cake, the easy way to make a chocolate éclair.

24
May
2013

Lamb Quesadilla

categories: Recipes

I have had a bag of lamb mince in my freezer for a few weeks now. After endless questions from my boyfriend asking when we would be eating it, I decided it was high time I put it to good use. I did have designs on making some kind of meat balls or koftes with it, but as I was preparing things I accidentally threw it all in the pan, forgetting that I needed to form the koftes while the meat was still raw. Ever the resourceful girl, I decided to pull out some tortilla wrappers from the freezer and make quesadillas. They actually went down a treat, served with some guacamole they were perfect.

Ingredients

250g of lamb mince

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

1 red pepper

1/3 of a very large courgette

15 cherry tomatoes

200ml of tomato juice

100ml of orange juice

1-2 tablespoons of Mexican seasoning

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 large handful of cilantro (고수)

6 large tortillas (Costco)

200g of grated cheese (I use the Mexican medley from Costco)

Directions

To make the lamb filling finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in a glug of olive oil for a few minutes until it has softened. Add the lamb mince and cook until it has browned. While the lamb is cooking chop the tomatoes and red pepper and add them to the pan. Next grate in the courgette and cook for a few more minutes before adding the cumin and Mexican seasoning. Then, add the bottle of tomato juice and orange juice along with half of the chopped coriander. Cook on medium to high for 5-10 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the sauce has thickened. Finally, add the second half of the coriander and stir. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly.

To make the quesadillas put a tortilla into a clean dry flying pan, sprinkle on some cheese, top with the lamb and sprinkle on more cheese and top with another tortilla. Cook on low to medium until the cheese has started to melt and the bottom tortilla is lightly golden brown. Flip the whole thing over to brown the other side for a few more minutes. When it is done, slide on to a plate and cut into triangles. Serve with a delicious homemade guacamole. Voilà lamb quesadillas!

22
May
2013

Gentle Lady Cupcake

categories: Cafes / Takeaways / Bars

Another day another cupcake store. Oh how I enjoy a tiny cake or six. They are so perfect I could eat about 50 given a chance. Last week when my good friend Susan took me out for my birthday dinner to Deli Heinzburg, (review coming soon) to celebrate my birthday. En route we passed this adorable little store and I couldn’t contain my excitement and had to venture in for cupcake or two for dessert. (Ok, I had three, but it was my birthday. Technically I had 3, and half of Susan’s, but it was my birthday and hangover Monday).

My first and possibly favourite cupcake was the Orange (4,500). A delicious orange flavoured cupcake with an orange Swiss meringue butter cream, at least it tasted like Swiss meringue butter cream. It was light, moist, and full of fruity flavour. It was also topped with a delightful macaroon.

My next choice was a strawberry cupcake (4,500). Once again a lovely strawberry cupcake, topped with a strawberry frosting. I really like the frosting here, its light and sweet and creamy. Although usually my usual frosting of choice is butter cream this one still hits the spot. They have a good ratio of frosting to cake.

Third choice was my usual favourite the red velvet (4,500). The cake was very rich and chocolatey and the frosting was lovely and light. Still not the best red velvet I have had in Seoul but it was pretty damn good. I’m pretty sure I would get this one again, as the macaroon is so nice. They also had mini layered red velvet cakes which I would like to try next time too.

Susan ordered the Carrot cupcake (4,500) A carrot and cinnamon sponge with raisins in, which I could have lived without. The frosting was nice though and it was topped with an adorable carrot made from fondant. Susan gave it the thumbs up and if you like carrot cake I am sure it wouldn’t disappoint.

As well as the large variety of cupcakes they also sell macaroons, coffee, and other drinks. The also have a loyalty card, buy 10 get one free. In true glutinous style we tried to ask for a free service cupcake but they politely refused despite the lateness of the hour. Gentle lady Cupcakes is located at 533-14 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Sinsa station (line 3). Come out of exit 8 and walk straight until you get to Tous Le Jours and make a left. Keep walking straight along that road until you reach the Fossil store. Take a left just after and you should see Gentle Lady Cupcake on your right.You can also call them on 02-790-0259 if my directions are less than perfect.

21
May
2013

Taiwan

categories: Shopping, Uncategorized

Dear readers, sorry for my absence this past week but I have been very busy entertaining my best friend in the world, Miss Rachel Verney. I have busy showing her the sights of Seoul, then we took a jaunt to Taipei for Buddha’s birthday.

Taipei was not the foodie trip I had imagined it to be, as we spent a large quantity of out time drinking. I did manage to pack in a few culinary delights for you to enjoy which I shall present to you now.

Most of the eating that we did went on at our Hotel. We decided to treat ourselves and stay at the W. It certainly did not disappoint. The food was all spectacular, especially the breakfast buffet. Highlights included the french toast, fried rice, Eggs Benedict, and Caesar salad served in a giant bowl made from Parmesan.

Lazing by the pool can really take it out of you so to keep up our strength we ordered some chicken quesadillas and french fries with truffle mayo’ and a truffle, rocket, and fontina cheese pizza.

Being the lazy trollops we are we also enjoyed various delights from the room service menu, including a Reuben sandwich, a club sandwich and some bircher muesli.

The star of the W show really was the cocktails, I was too drunk to remember all the names so i’ll just show you the pictures instead. They also came served with the best free bar snacks ever, test tubes filled with potato chips and wasabi peas. I dread to think how many of these I consumed. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t account to your daily calorie allowance if they are free though.

You possibly know how I adore the 7-11 . Although no Hong Kong, Taipei 7-11 still had a few favourites within its grasp, inclusing malteasers, mixed berry skittles and Kinder buenos. So not too bad a haul.

I had made plans to visit Din Tai fung whilst there but didn’t get around to it. We still managed to have plenty of soup dumplings though, as there was a handy restaurant in the department store next to the hotel. We tried the usual pork ones, a curry and leek, and a few vegetarian varieties. We came here twice so I am quite sure I managed to get my quota of dim sum.

Sadly our trip ended on a bad note when we managed to lose my bag filled with duty free goodies somewhere between the taxi and the house. Some lucky son of a gun will be feasting upon my Godiva goodies and Mango vodka as we speak. There’s $60 I’ll never see again. Though as they say worse things have happened at sea. All in all it was a great trip and a good time was had by all.

14
May
2013

Beetroot Risotto

categories: Recipes

The beautiful vibrant pink of this gorgeous risotto just makes my heart want to sing. It’s the perfect way to make an ordinary dish a little different and have a totally different taste. Years ago I worked as a humble waitress at a rather fancy restaurant back home and this dish was always featured on their summer menu. After I discovered some beetroot in my local supermarket I thought it was about time I recreated that lovely dish. The beetroot gives it such a deep robust flavour without taking away from its overall riosottoiness. You may also be unaware that Korean rice is very suitable for using in a risotto as it’s a short grain. I actually discovered this way back in my first year when I looked at it and said that it looked exactly the same as the Italian Arborio rice. A little research indicated that they were both short grain rices and I decided to give it a whirl. It works perfectly so no need to scour the foreign food mart looking for risotto rice the next time you are in the mood for one.

Ingredients

200g of Korean Rice

1-2 liters of stock (chicken or vegetable)

2 beetroot

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

25g of butter

100g of Freshly shaved parmesan

1 glass of white wine

1 tablespoon of sour cream (optional)

A small handful of baby spinach (optional)

3-4 walnuts (optional)

Directions

Boil the beetroot in water for about 10 minutes to soften them. Then remove the skins, roughly chop and place in the blender. Heat the stock in a pan so that its gently simmering. Add about a cup to the beetroot and blend until they make a beautiful puree, then set aside. Finely chop the onions and garlic then fry for a few minutes in a little olive oil and butter until softened. Then add the rice and cook for a further few minutes until the rice is translucent. Add the glass of wine and stir occasionally until the liquid has evaporated. Then add 1 ladle-full of stock. When the stock has been absorbed add another ladle-full. You will need to do this for about 15-20 minutes adding one ladle-full at a time and letting it absorb before adding the next. Don’t rush it by adding too much stock. When the rice had become soft or aldente you are almost there. Stir in the beetroot puree then add the butter and half the parmesan and stir. Serve in a bowl and top with the baby spinach, sour cream, walnuts (if using), and top with more Parmesan. Voilà the perfect summertime risotto.

13
May
2013

Crunchy Spicy Tofu Bites

categories: Recipes, Vegan / Veggie Friendly

Last Saturday it was once again time for the Seoul vegan Potluck. Although I am not a vegan or even a veggie, I still love to go. Mainly because there is always a large table filled with free food for all to enjoy. I also enjoy making lots of delicious delights and being told how wonderful they are. This time I decided to take these crunchy spicy tofu bites. They are a new and improved version of the BBQ tofu wings that I made a few months ago. These ones are 100% vegan friendly if made with the balsamic vinegar or vegan Worcestershire sauce. They went down a storm at the potluck and I’m sure I will be making them again for dinner some time soon with the vast supply of tofu I keep in my freezer.

Ingredients

2 blocks of Tofu (squeezed, frozen, then defrosted)

4 tablespoons of Mexican seasoning (you can buy a giant bag at i-Herb for about $8)

2 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

200ml of soy milk

100g of flour

100g of nutritional yeast (i-Herb)

150g of breadcrumbs (every Korean supermarket sells them 빵가루)

200ml of soy bean oil for frying

Directions

The tofu needs to be prepared in advance. Buy your blocks, pour away the water, and then put them on a plate. Top them with a board and put something heavy on top for a few hours. You may need to pour away the water every hour or so. Once they have been sufficiently dehydrated wrap them in cling film and put them in the freezer. They need to freeze at least overnight but you can leave them in there as long as you like. Take it out the day you want to use it and let it defrost. You will notice that the tofu has now become much firmer and spongier. Squeeze out as much extra water as you can. Then cut the blocks into chunks.

Mix together the Mexican seasoning, Worcestershire sauce , sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and a tablespoon or two of the soy milk until it makes a paste. Toss the tofu chunks in the sauce and leave to marinate for an hour or so in a container in the fridge.

Put the breadcrumbs and the nutritional yeast into a large bowl and mix. Place the flour in a second bowl and pour the remaining soy milk into a third bowl. First roll the tofu chunks in the flour, then dip them into the soy milk and finally roll them in the breadcrumb and yeast mixture making sure they are evenly coated. In a frying pan pour in enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan, then keep on a low to medium heat. Cook the chunks in batches, cooking for a few minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Remove them from the pan when they are done and place on a piece of kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Repeat until all your tofu bites are cooked. Serve with with the dip of your choice and enjoy. Voilà a cheap and easy tofu-rific treat.

08
May
2013

7 ATE 9

categories: Restaurant Reviews

A few weekends ago we decided to check out the new kid on the block and have brunch at 7 ATE 9. We had already had a really great brunch the day before at Le Brunchic and I have to say that I didn’t think it would be up to the same standard. We perused their brunch time menu and made our selections. I was thrilled that they had a rather extensive cocktail list but no Bloody Mary, although I have been assured that one will be making it on to the menu very soon indeed. It was a glorious sunny day so while we waited for our breakfast we took our mojitos outside and soaked up the sun in their lovely chairs just outside and watched the world go by. Had I had a nice English news paper to read it would have been the perfect Sunday.

I of course had to order the Eggs Benedict (12,000). I have to say they were absolutely smashing. The eggs were perfectly cooked and very tasty. The yolk oozed out when I cut into it. The ham I could have done without but I managed to trade it with my boyfriend for his mushrooms, so I was a happy camper. The rosemary potatoes were well cooked and full of flavour and the strawberry salad was light and fresh. It made me feel as though I was doing my body some good.

Niall ordered the Breakfast (13,500) The eggs were perfectly fried and came with a nice slice of toast. The bacon was crispy and he was also happy that baked beans were included. It’s just not breakfast if there aren’t any beans! The sauce was the korean standard one you seem to get everywhere but it was well cooked. The star of the show of this plate for me were the mushrooms. The were chestnut, they look a lot like button mushrooms but they have so much more flavour. The only place I ever see them in Korea is Homeplus so I was chuffed to bits when I got to eat these! He also had the same potatoes and strawberry spinach side salad. It was a good meal, and included some important vitamins for any of those of you with hangovers to cure..

As previously mentioned they have a large range of cocktails, which I shall be very excited to try out, especially since 14 is closing it doors and too many of the other bars around HBC consider a screw driver to be a cocktail. Vodka and orange do not a cocktail make. Lemongrass Martini, and Strawberry mojitos? Yes, yes, yes! The other brunch options on the menu included chilli, omelettes, french toast, salads and a seafood platter.

7 ate 9 is located in Hae Bang Chon at 39-16 Yongsan-dong 2ga, Yongsan-gu,Seoul. To get there take a train to Noksapyeong station (line 6). Walk straight out of exit 2 for about 200 meters and take the first left and walk straight along the road with all the kimchi pots. Keep going along that street past Phillies and Casablanca, 7ate9 is on the left next to the CU. You can call them on 02-792-0789.

04
May
2013

Strawberry Lemonade

categories: Drinks & Cocktails

This weekend I shall be celebrating my ~~19th~~ 29th birthday. My first thought was to have a good old cry about the fact that I shall no longer be young and hot and that all my party days are behind me. However, I decided that instead I should celebrate the last year of my twenties by getting really drunk and having as much fun as possible. Enter the strawberry lemonade. It’s so good I have decided it shall be my signature party cocktail. It tastes just heavenly without being too sweet and it’s just perfect now the sunshine is well and truly out. I made mine with fresh strawberries since they are in season but you can always make it with frozen ones in the winter months to come.

Ingredients

250ml of Absolute citron

500g of Strawberries

6 tablespoons of Country Time lemonade powder (foreign food market/homeplus)

1 litre of Sprite

Ice

Sliced lemon and strawberries

Directions

Put the strawberries, vodka, and lemonade powder in a blender and blend until smooth. Top up with the sprite and stir. Serve over ice with a wedge or two of lemon. Drink until all birthday blues have been banished, but stop before you have difficulty standing up or have vomited all over your new dress. Happy birthday to me!

May 2013 archive