I come from a family of spicy weaklings. Mom usually avoids it. Both Dad and I become blithering, sweaty, runny-nosed wrecks but always come back for more. Taisho12 appears to be the only one relatively unaffected, though his vice is wasabi (occasionally we would have to explain to him that sushi is also intended to be eaten with shoyu) which is very different in its effect. But I am A-D-D-I-C-T-E-D to mapo doufu, a spicy tofu and pork casserole that brings me to tears...of pleasure or pain, I cannot say which.

The odd thing is that I can't make it spicy enough. We discovered it at Spices II in the Richmond, and I order it every time (seriously - the waitress pretends like she's taking my order for the first time, but I know she's written it on her notepad before she even reaches our table). When I first set out to make this dish, my missing ingredient was the fermented black beans (and, as I discovered, the kind with ginger - use the Yang Jiang brand in the yellow box) which sounds weird but is vital to the flavor. So despite the title of this recipe, I am really on v3.2 or so.

Tonight I made this with a side of Szechuan long beans, and it was - eh - ok. Needs more spicy, for sure. I think I will up the ante next time and add more Szechuan chilis (and perhaps even chop them). Get the Costo-sized kleenex ready!

Here's one I simply had to learn after eating this at Spices in the Richmond. It's not quite there - theirs is far spicier and richer -  but with a few tweaks...

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

• 1 tbsp. fermented black bean with ginger, soaked and drained (I used Yang Jiang brand)
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. sake/rice wine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1" piece of ginger

For the dish:

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced, green and white parts separated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp. chili soybean sauce
• 6 whole dried Szechuan chilis
• 2 c. chicken broth
• 1 pkg. soft (not silken) tofu
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. water

Directions:

Place pork in a medium sized bowl and add marinade ingredients.  Mix until just combined, and let sit 10-20 minutes.

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook white part of green onions and garlic about 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add pork mixture and cook until no longer pink, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Add chili soybean sauce and chilis and stir until combined. Pour in stock and tofu, stir, and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and water in a separate small bowl. Just before serving, pour in cornstarch mixture and stir until glossy. Toss with remaining green onion.

This is a story of subliminal messaging. Here's where it begins: this weekend, I was researching some Korean noodle soup recipes and came across a recipe for spicy Korean chicken wings that looked awfully tasty, which then reminded me of the yangnyeom dak recipe that Sabs and Randall made (which they confirmed was delicious). Then today I'm on Muni, and the New York Times ran a feature piece on the proliferation of fried chicken across the city which was then alluded to by Gawker (turns out, I'm either a yuppie or I'm rich as I'm just picking up on the fried chicken trend now), so naturally, what else could I possibly make for dinner but:

A little kara-age with some gyoza dumplings and the fixings. Now I'm wondering if I should be preparing myself for judgement day and if it will come in the form of a giant, fiery chicken.

This is the Japanese version of fried chicken.  I had made this recipe from "Let's Cook Japanese Food" by Amy Kaneko a few times, and each time it came out a little soggy.  So taking a page from my favorite pommes frites recipe, this time around I fried it twice and so revealed the secret to crispy but juicy kara-age. Oishii!!

Note: This dish is also awesome as cold leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. soy sauce
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. ginger, peeled and grated
• 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in thirds on the diagonal
• Canola oil, for frying
• 1.5 c. corn starch
• Lemon wedges

Directions:

Combine soy sauce, onion, garlic and ginger in a medium sized bowl. Add the chicken and let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

Pour oil into a deep skillet, about 3/4" to 1" deep, and heat to 350 degrees, or until bubbles immediately form when you insert a chopstick vertically into the oil. When the oil is ready, coat each piece of chicken in the corn starch, shaking off the excess, and drop into the oil. Cook for about 6 minutes, turning a few times with tongs or chopsticks. When golden brown and cooked through, remove from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

When all of the chicken is cooked once, turn the heat up a bit and drop the fried chicken pieces back into the oil and fry on both sides for another 2-3 minutes. When crispy, remove to fresh paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges.

Inspired by: "Let's Cook Japanese Food" by Amy Kaneko

After being inspired by the Williams-Sonoma catalog (yeah, I'm a sucker) to crete my French bistro meal, I tried their recipe for pommes frites using my deep fryer. In a word, it was AWESOME. The trick, as I learned, was rinsing and soaking the potatoes ahead of time and frying them twice, which makes them soft on the inside and crisp on the outside.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. baking potatoes, each about 4" long
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• Kosher salt, to taste

Directions:

Peel the potatoes and cut them lengthwise into slices 3/8" thick. Then cut each slice lengthwise into strips 3/8 inch wide. Rinse the potatoes in three changes of cold water. Then place in a bowl filled with ice water and let stand for 5 minutes to remove excess starch.

Meanwhile, pour oil to a depth of 3 inches into a deep-fat fryer with a basket or into a deep, heavy pan. Heat to 325°F, checking the temperature on a built-in thermostat or a deep-fat frying thermometer. If you do not have a thermometer, drop in a piece of potato; the oil should immediately begin to foam
along its edges.

While the oil is heating, line platters or trays with paper towels. Drain the potatoes and thoroughly dry them with kitchen towels. (Wet potatoes may stick together and will cause the oil to splatter.) If using a fryer, briefly immerse the basket in the hot oil to prevent the potatoes from sticking to it once they are added. Remove the basket from the oil, place 2 handfuls of the potatoes in the basket and lower into the oil. Alternatively, carefully lower them in the pan of oil using a skimmer or tongs. The oil will expand and cover the potatoes. Do not add too many potatoes at one time or they will not cook evenly. Fry until the potatoes are just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the basket and set it over a bowl to drain, then transfer the French fries to paper towel-lined trays or platters for at least 10 minutes or for up to 2 hours. If removing with a skimmer or tongs, place the French fries directly on lined trays.

Just before serving, line additional trays or platters with paper towels. Reheat the oil to 375°F and fry the potatoes again in batches until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove the basket and set it over a bowl to drain, then turn the French fries out onto the lined trays. Or remove with a skimmer, draining well over the pan, and transfer to lined trays.

Place in a serving bowl or basket, season with salt and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Source: Williams-Sonoma

Leafing through the September 2009 issue of the Williams-Sonoma catalog, I was inspired to make my very own French bistro meal. My favorite has always been biftek et pommes frites, and as I had never before used my deep fryer (a wedding gift from 5 years ago), I figured I would give it a try. My steak au poivre recipe was stolen from Cooks Illustrated (their Steak au Poivre with Brandied Cream Sauce, minus the brandied cream sauce), and I made my own herbed butter thanks to my mini herb garden.

Ingredients:

• 4 strip steaks or rib eyes, approximately 1-1.5" thick
• Kosher salt, for seasoning
• 1 tbsp. black peppercorns, crushed
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. chopped herbs (your choice; I used chives, thyme and rosemary since I had it in my garden)

Directions:

For the herbed butter: in a bowl, combine butter, lemon juice, zest, salt and herbs until well mixed. Scoop into a small ramekin and smooth the top using a spatula. To freeze leftovers, place on a piece of waxed paper and roll into a cylinder. Pinch and twist the ends and place in the freezer, up to three months.

For the steaks: Season steaks on both sides with salt. Gently press crushed peppercorns into one side of each steak, coating that side completely. Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Place each steak unpeppered side down on the skillet and cook steaks without moving until well-browned, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip the steaks over onto the peppered side and cook 3 minutes longer for rare, 4 minutes for medium-rare or 5 minutes for medium (add a minute to each if using a 1" or thicker bone-in rib-eye). Transfer to a large plate, tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes.

Serve with herbed butter and pommes frites or gratin.

Serves 4

Sabs and Julie talk about "life fulfillment" meals which I get - I totally get it - but tonight it took it took on a whole new meaning when I made kal-guk-su: thick flour noodles in a clam-based sauce. You may remember that we had a life-altering experience eating this dish at a local spot in Gongju near marketman's parents' house. So, inspired by the soo-jae-bee that wasn't quite right, we picked up some frozen clams at Kukje and gave it a whirl:

The result? Not quite the same as sitting on floor eating out of a hot pot, but a life fulfillment meal all the same. I already have a few ideas on what I might do differently next time...

I have a few ideas on how I might re-engineer this the next time, one of which includes adding a piece of kelp along with the dried anchovies, but this was a good first try -- marketman ate two bowls.

Ingredients:

• 10 cups water
• 10 dried anchovies, heads and intestines removed
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. frozen cooked clams, rinsed well and picked through for tightly closed shells
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 green onions, sliced into 2" pieces
• 2 zucchini, cut in 1/2" pieces
• 3 tbsp. gotchujang
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 4 tsp. anchovy dashima
• Guk-su noodles

Directions:

Bring water to a boil. Tie anchovies and garlic in a cheesecloth and drop into boiling water. Add clams and simmer 15 minutes. Add vegetables and simmer another 15-20 minutes until soft. Add gotchujang, soy sauce and dashima; stir well. Drop in noodles and cook 5-6 minutes until al dente.

Serves 4

That is to say, food that's good when you are sick, not disgusting food. marketman was feeling under the weather this evening, so I made him a big bowl of kalbi tang...kind of the Korean equivalent of chicken noodle soup.

Remarkably, he leapt up from the dinner table after eating and proceeded to wash all of the dishes.  I like to think it was my cooking, but something tells me it was my suggestion that perhaps he should stay home from the Cal-U$C game tomorrow if he wasn't feeling well.

To me kalbi tang is the chicken soup of Korean food. It's a staple, it's soothing, and it's difficult to get it wrong. My mother in law says that beef has the ability to keep you from getting a cold (and I have realized over the years never to doubt her wisdom - moms are always right), so this dish must be the ultimate cold-killer.

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2 lbs. beef ribs
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, cut into 2" pieces
• 3 tbsp. beef dashida
• Glass noodles
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

Rinse beef very well in cold water. Place in large pot and cover with water (water surface should be about 1-2" above the beef). Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Reserve beef, rinse briefly to remove any scum from the pot and empty the pot (clean well).

Bring about 12 c. water to a boil. In a large bowl, mix soy sauce, sugar and garlic. Toss beef in soy sace mixture, and then return beef to the pot. Add white parts of green onion and dashida. Simmer at least another 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a smaller pot, bring water to a boil and cook glass noodles for about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and divide among 4 bowls.

When ready to serve, top the noodles with the beef ribs. Reduce heat to a low simmer, and toss in the rest of the green onions. Slowly pour egg mixture into soup, let rest about a minute, and gently swirl the soup with a spoon or chopsticks. Cooked egg should be light and wispy, like egg drop soup. Divide the soup among the bowls and serve.

Serves 4

Serve with steamed rice and banchan