Rocketfuel’s Weblog

Due to overwhelming support, we have had to expand the petition to a FOURTH page. Sign below and join the over 6000 other supporters!

Led by District 1 County Supervisor Gloria Molina, the L.A. Board of Supervisors has passed new restrictions that will effectively eliminate taco trucks from our streets. Under Supervisor Molina’s new rules, taco trucks will have to change location every hour, or face a misdemeanor charge carrying a $1000 fine and/or jail. Yes, jail.

Taco Trucks are a special facet of Los Angeles, and something we don’t want to lose. Though this ordinance currently affects just unincorporated parts of L.A., that’s 65% of the County. And of course it opens up the doors for legislation closer to home too.

Let’s send Gloria Molina and the L.A. Board of Supervisors a message that we cherish our local vendors and don’t want to see them move away. This new law needs to be repealed!

Click here to SIGN THE PETITION

An Open Letter to Gloria

Even if you don’t eat at Taco Trucks or know what it is, the petition should be signed.  It’s for a stupid law made by stupid people who pretend to be city officials looking to help the greater good.  These officials are basically turning an affordable business structure and turning those using it into criminals simply for staying parked in one spot for more than a hour.  There are far more important matters to look after than making it harder for people to make a honest living.

City officials shouldn’t get away with making stupid regulations like this one and this one should be put down.

The funny thing about Korean food in general, all you really need is red chili paste or flakes and you can make anything. Add it as an ingredient and it’ll make the food seem Korean no matter what’s in it, whether it be chocolate, durian fruit, or coconut crab. Even if you don’t know how to cook Korean food, you can improvise and pretty much figure out what’s in it just by looking and tasting it.

So, haemul tang is pretty much like gamja tang. It’s the same thing, the only difference is that you use fish stock and ….well, fish. I prefer monk fish, which used to be the poor man’s lobster…even though lobster used to be considered the poor man’s big mac. It’s just a great meaty fish.

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs of Monk Fish with the bones still on or separated by the fish monger. You’ll need it for the fish stock and if you want to keep the head, you can if it’s still attached, but it’s one ugly mother….

1 tlbsp of ginger, chopped up.

4 cloves of Garlic, chopped up.

2-3 tlbsp of Red Chili Paste

1 small Korea Radish, peeled and sliced up into medallions.

2 bushels of chrysanthemum leaves

1 medium size spud if you want, I prefer it since the starchiness thickens the soup. Peel and slice it up like the Korean radish.

1 Jalapeño Pepper

2 stock leeks sliced up.

Half a block of tofu, sliced up.

2 Pots

With one of the pots, put some water into it and fill it halfway up. Next, place it on the stove and let it boil.

Since I have no formal culinary training, separating the monk fish from it’s bones was hard as hell. Not only did I almost gag touching the slimy leathery skin, the membrane would just not separate easily. So be very careful, when you use a knife to slice through. From what I figured out by trial, just cut along the bone to separate the flesh from it. Good luck if you didn’t ask the fish monger to do it for you.

Once you finally manage to get all the meat off, cut them into chunks, place them into a non-metallic bowl, cover it up, and set it in the fridge. The stuff leftover, like the skin and bones, put them into the boiling water and let it simmer. This will be your fish stock and will take about 30 minutes to come together.

In the mean time, you can start preparing the other ingredients. Clean, slice them up, and put them away for later use. With the jalapeño, cut it in half and take out the seeds. You don’t need the extra heat, unless you want it. The sliced medallions, put them into cold water so they don’t brown up.

With the 2nd pot, heat up some oil and start sweating the garlic and ginger. Once you get a nice aroma, add the sliced leeks and let it soften up. Once the leeks start to get translucent, using a measuring cup, start pouring the fish stock into the 2nd pot. Add about 3-4 cups and just in case, have an extra bowl around to take soup out it if it starts to boil over. After it starts to boil, lower the heat and let it simmer while you add the red chili paste, jalapeño, potato, and radish slices. Once the potato and radish start to soften up, add one bushel of chopped chrysanthemum leaves, the monk fish, and tofu.

At this point, it should not take too long for the fish to cook and just before you serve it, add the 2nd bushel of chrysanthemum. Pair it up with some white rice and soju and you got yourself a meal!

How can you tell the difference between a Sushi joint that’s owned by chameleons or actual Japanese people? First off, the waiters serve you edamame as soon as you sit down at your table. I’ve yet to see a Japanese sushi house do that. 2nd, the place isn’t named after the sushi chef like Nobu or Yamashiro. It’s either called Sushi Factory, Fusion Sushi, or Happy Joy Joy Sushi House with a cartoon looking thing for a logo. Lastly, the most telling clue is that they serve Korean soju instead of the Japanese version, Shochu.

I would have to say that Koreans are quite the chameleons when it comes to running a Sushi restaurant. They are able to trick the average American into thinking they are Japanese simply by screaming “irasshai” as new customers come in. Maybe that’s the reason why so many Koreans are able to play Japanese roles in Hollywood.

My boss used to think a Korean owned sushi restaurant chain, Kabuki, was owned by Japanese people until I pointed out the differences. When I went there with him once, the only Japanese guy in there was our waiter who was half-white but had Takumi on his name tag. Every other waiter was named Andrew, John, or Ben and common Christian names used by many Koreans.

There’s nothing wrong with it and I’m simply making an observation that’s humorous to me. Even more so since I know that in the Kitchen are the Mexicans who are making the delicious food, hot. So, there could always be a Kai Sushi Sports Bar owned by someone Japanese that serves edamame right away…but when I went to it, it wasn’t. They do have great lunch deals though and I’d recommend the Kai Chef special which is only like 15 bucks.

There’s sushi, sashimi, teriyaki chicken, tempura, eggroll…and other goodies….in there. If there’s one thing I would like to see Koreans do instead of pretend to be Japanese…it’s actually be themselves and sell the whole fresh from the fish tank sashimi angle.

It’s been raining for the last two days and I was craving something soupy and I remembered an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation when he went to Korea and had this red colored pork shoulder soup. To me it looked like Gamjatang (potato soup), so I decided to make it for the first time…and I have to say I did a good job considering I just guessed what to put in it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of chicken broth.
• 4 pork chops with the bones still on.
• 2 stocks of leeks
• a tbsp of chopped ginger
• 2 spoonfuls of chopped garlic pre-minced. You can buy it at Korean markets, packaged.
• Chrysanthemum leaves
• some oil
• 2 big spoonfuls of Korean chili paste
• 1 Potato - peeled and chopped.

• Deep pot

Just heat up the oil in the pot and sweat the chopped ginger a bit. Don’t let it burn, just let the aroma get more intense. Next, pour in the chicken stock and let it boil. After the soup starts bubbling, add the chopped up leeks, garlic, chili paste, potato, and pork chops and just let it simmer. With the leeks though, make sure you clean it good because dirt hides rather well behind each leaflet. It took a hour for everything to come together…but it was soooooo good. Oh yeah, maybe 5 minutes before serving, add the Chrysanthemum leaves so they soften up a bit, then eat it with white rice.

It actually went well with some pinot noir. I wish I had soju at the time, but red wine and spicy pork potato stew is a pretty good pairing.

Bread for a lot of people around the world is life. It’s a form of substance that could feed a whole family, like a sack of rice. For me, it was something that could hold a quarter pound of beef or compliment a hot runny egg in the morning with a couple dots of Tabasco sauce. Suffice to say, I took it for granted and never truly appreciated it for its simplicity and how it serves certain flavors onto your taste buds with it’s crispy texture.

A very very very very simple toasted cheese sandwich..

Ingredients:

A slice of bread

A clove of garlic

A chunk of Gouda Cheese

Slice the clove of garlic in half and rub each half onto each side of the sliced bread with it’s flat end. Toast that slice of bread and after it pops up, cut it in half. Sprinkle some Kosher salt onto the bread and sandwich the Gouda cheese in between the toast.

(image source)

…does not stand for Fock Off….it stands for Father’s Office, home to the best burger in Santa Monica, CA.

The Office Burger boasts “dry aged beef, caramelized onion, applewood bacon compote, gruyere, matag blue cheese, & arugula. ” I actually didn’t order my own but I did manage to steal 2 big bites from my brother’s order and it was like butter. The balsamic vinegar and fatty juices from the beef was soaked up by the bread that held the meat together. The bitter arugula was a nice change from the typical iceberg lettuce usually used. The burger simply kicked ass.

We also had an order of house cured spanish white anchovies, fresh oysters, Spanish mushrooms, sweet potato fries, garlic fries, and a selection of 30 plus beers on tapped. The Spanish mushrooms were too salty though, which is good I guess if you plan on drinking a lot of beer. The sweet potato fries tasted like sweet potato fries and the garlic fries could’ve used more garlic and parsley. As for the white anchovies, it was cold and tasted like the ocean. That’s a bad thing though because beer enhances the fishiness of fishy foods like dried squid and cold anchovies.

My first beer of the night was Left Coast Hefeweizen which I had with a plate of fresh raw oysters. It had banana and clove notes which would have been more prominent if I hadn’t let the wedged lemon dip into my beer.

It was an interesting dining experience considering you had to find your own seat. We actually shared a table with a couple nice enough to let 4 strangers sit next to them. We also had to go up to the bar and order our food and beer but that wasn’t so bad considering the waitresses there are muy fuerte.

I don’t know what the total bill was but I do know the beer my brother ordered cost 18 bucks and the burgers were like 15 each. The place isn’t cheap and it would probably be best to have a back up plan just in case the crowd is not worth the wait. Luckily, my cousin ended up paying for it all!

Budaechigae

Budaechigae or “army soup” is a spicy dish popularized during the famine conditions of the 1950-53 Korean War. The ingredients, which include C-ration leftovers, were traditionally gleaned from the garbage outside American bases. The soup is a cultural hybrid and a marker of disparity, which evokes both sentimental feelings and disturbing memories. Kim’s and Johnson’s work evolves from a representation of this default historical relationship. (pj)

I consider Budaechigae to be Korea’s stone soup and I love it. I usually go to Toe Bang in Korea-town for my fix and it costs about 20 bucks an order. For me, it’s kind of a Zen thing when I eat this communal hot pot because I need the environment to be perfect in order to get a nice atmosphere.

I first started going to Toe Bang at an age where I should have been carded, but never was. The joint used to be all about green lawn chairs and metallic mesh patio tables. Now it has wood furnishing all over with heat lamps keeping customers warm due to the main seating area being outdoors, and outside is where you want to be. Add some Korean Euro-trash techno music, soju, and some red faced Korean lightweights yapping in the background…and you have the perfect Budaechigae atmosphere.

However, things has changed at Toe Bang a little bit too much. Instead of being able to cook the Budaechigae at your own table with your own little gas powered hot pot, they cook it before hand and just serve it to you…and that just kills the fun.

So now, I just cook it at home and with my friends….but it certainly isn’t the same as going out and having it in Korea-town where people still smoke inside pubs.

My Budaechigae version

• 2-3 cans of Swanson’s chicken stock
• half an onion sliced up
• some sliced up spam
• some hotdogs sliced up
• some burger patties rolled up into tiny balls the size of your thumb
• green onions sliced up
• bean sprouts
• Sliced rice cakes
• Korean Red Chili Paste
• Chrysanthemum leaves which is a must. They come in bundles.
• A portable Hot Pot, electric or gas powered. The bigger, the better.
• Nong Shim Neoguri Udon - Ramen with some thick ass noodles.
• and Soju!

It’s not really rocket science as to how you bring it all together. There’s no set amount of ingredients because after all, it’s a military stew. You just start heating up the hot pot, pour in some chicken stock and add the sliced onions. When it starts getting hot, take 2 spoonfuls of red chili paste and stir it into the pot until it’s thick with red. Then after it starts to boil, that’s when you add the mystery meats, green onions, Chrysanthemum leaves, and ramen noodles. Serve it with rice, kimchee, and shot glasses…and you’re set to go.

Probably the best part of making it yourself at home is that if the broth starts getting shallow, just pour some more into it and add the necessary ingredients to even things out.

And if you can, eat it outdoors in the evening with some tikki heat torches to keep you warm.

website

Who would have thought the Canadians could make such a good beer, aye. I had 3 mugs of Blue Moon Belgium white beer yesterday, tapped, and it was good. It’s an Hefeweizen beer and it is “commonly served with a slice of lemon in North America. Blue Moon, however, is traditionally served with a slice of orange, as it is said to accentuate the flavor of the brew.(wiki)“

I never had such a flavorful beer before and that slice of orange really brought everything together. Usually I order New Castles, but no more!

Koreans still make the worst beers.

Not beer on tapped or a free refill soda pop. Nope, a glass of red wine, well, to me at least. For the last two weeks I’ve been craving the pairing for some odd reason. So, the other day I went out for lunch with a coworker at an American Bistro Called Truxton.

I ordered The Gilly which has “Caramelized Onions, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Tomato, Shredded Lettuce, Tillamook Cheddar Cheese, Topped with Crispy Onions and Truxton’s own 1001 Island Dressing. ” I also ordered a side of garlic fries…..mmmm….garlic.

…and then I paired it with a glass of Tunnel Of Elms…..but I’m not really sure if it really made a difference to my dining experience. Actually, I could taste the “Notes of blackberries, black cherries, vanilla and cedar, finishing with cassis and cocoa” the menu mentions…well, just the blackberries…I think. Something berry was in there.

It was fun though…kind of expensive, but satisfying so I’ll try it again!

…instant naeng myun. You just can’t go wrong with any brand you pick that has it’s own packaged broth and can be found in the fridge section. It’s just about finding the right soup that fits your palette and making sure that the noodles don’t get overcooked so it loses it’s elasticity.

I don’t know why I love this national dish so much but it certainly is cold, savory, and refreshing. My mom tells me that her own mother would eat this chilled soupy noodles during winter in Korea. Maybe I got it from my grandmother…since I don’t care what the weather is like and will eat it if I know it’s good at the place I’m eating at.

The brand below is the one of the products I prefer. The package only has 2 servings and it’s pretty expensive for something instant, but I think it’s worth it. There’s another brand that has a bluer packaging, but I don’t know what it’s called….but it is tastier and harder to find. Each serving does pack a lot of calories and even though it feels healthy eating it, don’t be a fool like me and think everyday is a good thing.

mykoreankitchen for more info