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Korean American: Food that Tastes Like Home
An homage to what it means to be Korean American with delectable recipes that explore how new culinary traditions can be forged to honor both your past and your present.
New York Times staff writer Eric Kim grew up in Atlanta, the son of two Korean immigrants. Food has always been central to his story, from Friday-night Korean barbecue with his family to hybridized Korean-ish meals for one--like Gochujang-Buttered Radish Toast and Caramelized-Kimchi Baked Potatoes--that he makes in his tiny New York City apartment. In his debut cookbook, Eric shares these recipes alongside insightful, touching stories and stunning images shot by photographer Jenny Huang.
Playful, poignant, and vulnerable, Korean American also includes essays on subjects ranging from the life-changing act of leaving home and returning as an adult, to what Thanksgiving means to a first-generation family, complete with a full holiday menu--all the while teaching readers about the Korean pantry, the history of Korean cooking in America, and the importance of white rice in Korean cuisine. Recipes like Gochugaru Shrimp and Grits, Salt-and-Pepper Pork Chops with Vinegared Scallions, and Smashed Potatoes with Roasted-Seaweed Sour Cream Dip demonstrate Eric's prowess at introducing Korean pantry essentials to comforting American classics, while dishes such as Cheeseburger Kimbap and Crispy Lemon-Pepper Bulgogi with Quick-Pickled Shallots do the opposite by tinging traditional Korean favorites with beloved American flavor profiles. Baked goods like Milk Bread with Maple Syrup and Gochujang Chocolate Lava Cakes close out the narrative on a sweet note.
In this book of recipes and thoughtful insights, especially about his mother, Jean, Eric divulges not only what it means to be Korean American but how, through food and cooking, he found acceptance, strength, and the confidence to own his story.
New York Times staff writer Eric Kim grew up in Atlanta, the son of two Korean immigrants. Food has always been central to his story, from Friday-night Korean barbecue with his family to hybridized Korean-ish meals for one--like Gochujang-Buttered Radish Toast and Caramelized-Kimchi Baked Potatoes--that he makes in his tiny New York City apartment. In his debut cookbook, Eric shares these recipes alongside insightful, touching stories and stunning images shot by photographer Jenny Huang.
Playful, poignant, and vulnerable, Korean American also includes essays on subjects ranging from the life-changing act of leaving home and returning as an adult, to what Thanksgiving means to a first-generation family, complete with a full holiday menu--all the while teaching readers about the Korean pantry, the history of Korean cooking in America, and the importance of white rice in Korean cuisine. Recipes like Gochugaru Shrimp and Grits, Salt-and-Pepper Pork Chops with Vinegared Scallions, and Smashed Potatoes with Roasted-Seaweed Sour Cream Dip demonstrate Eric's prowess at introducing Korean pantry essentials to comforting American classics, while dishes such as Cheeseburger Kimbap and Crispy Lemon-Pepper Bulgogi with Quick-Pickled Shallots do the opposite by tinging traditional Korean favorites with beloved American flavor profiles. Baked goods like Milk Bread with Maple Syrup and Gochujang Chocolate Lava Cakes close out the narrative on a sweet note.
In this book of recipes and thoughtful insights, especially about his mother, Jean, Eric divulges not only what it means to be Korean American but how, through food and cooking, he found acceptance, strength, and the confidence to own his story.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 29, 2022
273 people are currently reading
5447 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
April 4, 2022
Memoirs with your Munchies! A delicious guided tour down one Korean Foodie's memory lane!
This cookbook was a delight to my imagination's taste buds - as well as an entertaining read. Eric Kim's description of his and his parents' experiences integrating into American culture brought back memories of my own parents' experiences.
All the substitutions that his mother would have to come up with reminded me of my mother's hilarious confession that, at first, she and many of her fellow Portuguese immigrants would not dare to buy things like "Cornie Flacks" - aka Corn Flakes - because they were afraid they might be buying rat poison by mistake!
Many of the recipes in this beautifully illustrated cookbook/memoir just call out to be sampled! Eric Kim's avocado on toast/sourdough bread recipe has you crumpling sheets of seaweed and adding in a dash of sesame oil to the mix: my taste buds were humming!
Many traditional Korean dishes are presented here - with a slight Americanized twist or substitution. The author showcases traditional American fare (rib eye steak - glazed with a spicy chile paste; scrambled eggs - with a dash of black pepper, chives and sugar!, and Curried Chicken Cutlets - with a dash of Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard, served on a bed of rice vinegar infused cabbage.)
If you like to add something new and exciting to your weekly menu, then this is definitely the cookbook for you. Just make sure you set the oven timer because you might get so engrossed in the anecdotes that are interwoven with the recipes that you might forget that you were actually preparing your supper!
Highly recommended - 5 out of 5 tasty and engrossing stars! Please note that the images used in this review are from the internet, since the beautiful colour graphics in this cookbook are copyrighted. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This cookbook was a delight to my imagination's taste buds - as well as an entertaining read. Eric Kim's description of his and his parents' experiences integrating into American culture brought back memories of my own parents' experiences.
All the substitutions that his mother would have to come up with reminded me of my mother's hilarious confession that, at first, she and many of her fellow Portuguese immigrants would not dare to buy things like "Cornie Flacks" - aka Corn Flakes - because they were afraid they might be buying rat poison by mistake!
Many of the recipes in this beautifully illustrated cookbook/memoir just call out to be sampled! Eric Kim's avocado on toast/sourdough bread recipe has you crumpling sheets of seaweed and adding in a dash of sesame oil to the mix: my taste buds were humming!
Many traditional Korean dishes are presented here - with a slight Americanized twist or substitution. The author showcases traditional American fare (rib eye steak - glazed with a spicy chile paste; scrambled eggs - with a dash of black pepper, chives and sugar!, and Curried Chicken Cutlets - with a dash of Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard, served on a bed of rice vinegar infused cabbage.)
If you like to add something new and exciting to your weekly menu, then this is definitely the cookbook for you. Just make sure you set the oven timer because you might get so engrossed in the anecdotes that are interwoven with the recipes that you might forget that you were actually preparing your supper!
Highly recommended - 5 out of 5 tasty and engrossing stars! Please note that the images used in this review are from the internet, since the beautiful colour graphics in this cookbook are copyrighted. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 2, 2022
This was such a great find and you can bet I will be purchasing a copy!
I’ve been into making Korean dishes at home for a few years, and the amount of gochujang and gochugaru I go through as a person who lives alone is a little embarrassing.
This book was beautiful and colorful, with a compelling dive into Korean American culture, an extremely helpful ingredients glossary, and insightful explanations of terminology and cultural expressions. And most of all, beautiful personal touches from the author’s family.
Eric’s Kimchi Fried Rice with Egg Yolk is already a new staple for me, and i can’t wait to keep exploring this book and it’s recipesㅌ
I’ve been into making Korean dishes at home for a few years, and the amount of gochujang and gochugaru I go through as a person who lives alone is a little embarrassing.
This book was beautiful and colorful, with a compelling dive into Korean American culture, an extremely helpful ingredients glossary, and insightful explanations of terminology and cultural expressions. And most of all, beautiful personal touches from the author’s family.
Eric’s Kimchi Fried Rice with Egg Yolk is already a new staple for me, and i can’t wait to keep exploring this book and it’s recipesㅌ
February 21, 2022
Korean American is an incredible cookbook full of insightful stories, eye-catching photos, and exciting recipes! Each recipe is a fantastic combination of Korean pantry essentials with American comfort food, creating surprising dishes from two traditional cuisines. The stories included provide insight into Eric’s cultural and culinary heritage:
“These recipes explore the tension—and the ultimate harmony—between the Korean in me as well as the American in me. I am at once both and neither, and something else entirely: I am Korean American.”
The vast majority of ingredients are all easily found in your grocery store (and include many common pantry staples), the directions are easy to understand, and I do not feel overwhelmed or intimidated by any of them. Basically, I'm ready to begin working my way through this book one recipe at a time!
Thanks to Clarkson Potter and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home is scheduled for release on March 29, 2022.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
“These recipes explore the tension—and the ultimate harmony—between the Korean in me as well as the American in me. I am at once both and neither, and something else entirely: I am Korean American.”
The vast majority of ingredients are all easily found in your grocery store (and include many common pantry staples), the directions are easy to understand, and I do not feel overwhelmed or intimidated by any of them. Basically, I'm ready to begin working my way through this book one recipe at a time!
Thanks to Clarkson Potter and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home is scheduled for release on March 29, 2022.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
February 8, 2022
Who could not love a cookbook that compares the anxiety of influence to learning to cook individuated from their parent? Kim's essays and recipe headers are humorous and heartfelt. Kim's writing and recipes show his love of food, cooking, and his family.
June 10, 2022
The only cookbook I’ve actually successfully read cover to cover (and in one sitting no less!) — I really truly hope that everyone can find a piece of media that moves them the way this did me
August 19, 2023
I have a lot of cookbooks and i have read each and every one of them. They normally don’t count as a “book” that i have read as i usually read them in separate parts over a random, long periods of time. However “Korean American” was such an interesting and heartwarming peek into the life, culture, identity and relationships of the author. It read a bit like a biography that was in a form of recipes and stories connected to it.
Cooking and food is so much more than just a sustenance - i love reading/learning about how and why food is prepared: processes, rituals, feelings and entire blueprints of history are encapsulated in recipes that we make. And this book prooves exactly this. Apart from an amazing commentary, the recipes are great too - as a lover of Korean food I already got a boost of inspiration for the next meals to come.
Cooking and food is so much more than just a sustenance - i love reading/learning about how and why food is prepared: processes, rituals, feelings and entire blueprints of history are encapsulated in recipes that we make. And this book prooves exactly this. Apart from an amazing commentary, the recipes are great too - as a lover of Korean food I already got a boost of inspiration for the next meals to come.
May 6, 2022
This was the first cookbook I've ever read this cover to cover - the pantry chapter, ingredient lists, entire recipes. I loved how each recipe came with a story and pictures and generally how readable it was.
I usually never read or use cookbooks, but I've been into cooking Korean food ever since I started making my own kimchi during lockdown, and there are so many simple recipes I want to try from this - and I never think that when looking through cookbooks! - kimchi sandwiches, spam and perilla kimbap, jjajangbap. It's strange how connected I felt to this cookbook... Never thought I would say that while reading recipes.
Some of the food writing came off as a little corny to me but I feel like it's pretty hard not to be corny when writing about food and identity, so it's all good.
I usually never read or use cookbooks, but I've been into cooking Korean food ever since I started making my own kimchi during lockdown, and there are so many simple recipes I want to try from this - and I never think that when looking through cookbooks! - kimchi sandwiches, spam and perilla kimbap, jjajangbap. It's strange how connected I felt to this cookbook... Never thought I would say that while reading recipes.
Some of the food writing came off as a little corny to me but I feel like it's pretty hard not to be corny when writing about food and identity, so it's all good.
June 27, 2024
Some really tasty easy recipes with easy to gather ingredients, many you can even get on Amazon. I enjoyed the taste of the Kimchi sandwich, the radish with Gochujang butter, I'll use that in many dishes in the future like on grilled corn :P
** Check out his web site for more really good recipes
** Check out his web site for more really good recipes
August 6, 2022
This is a gorgeous cookbook, with a really wonderful and well-executed concept. The personal stories throughout were really special, and I absolutely adored the seamless blending of Korean and American comfort food--this is a book that feels absolutely grounded in both parts of its name, Korean and American. A wide range of recipes in here, both in terms of flavor and in terms of difficulty, ingredient sourcing, etc. A lot of Korean food doesn't work for my particular palette (I'm really sensitive to spice, and so much of the spice in Korean food is built in from the base and inextricable from flavor components) but I ended up bookmarking a surprising number of recipes to try, which I'm quite excited about.
Recipes I've Made:
Korean Pear Galette with Salted Cinnamon Whipped Cream - SO tasty and quite easy to pull together. I also liked that it made what I'd consider a smaller galette--it only uses one pear, and we got four generous dessert servings out of it.
Maple Milk Bread - DELIGHTFUL.
Recipes I've Made:
Korean Pear Galette with Salted Cinnamon Whipped Cream - SO tasty and quite easy to pull together. I also liked that it made what I'd consider a smaller galette--it only uses one pear, and we got four generous dessert servings out of it.
Maple Milk Bread - DELIGHTFUL.
June 5, 2022
This book is so much more than a cookbook. You can tell that Eric Kim put his heart, soul, and family into this collection of recipes. His mother Jean is the main star with many of these recipes directly from her or influenced by her. I’ve made two dishes already, and I look forward to cooking and baking more from Korean American.
November 14, 2022
I really enjoy Eric Kim’s writing and it’s exciting that he’s gotten so much recognition. This book demystified a bunch of stuff about Korean cooking for me (the sauces, mostly) and I’m excited to try several of the recipes. I was left with a very important question though: what on earth does he have against naeng myun??
June 4, 2022
The stories are as great if not greater than the recipes (and that is why I'm rating it a 4 as a 'cookbook'). Enjoyed reading it, but I just wanted more from the recipes. More. More. More. I blame this on my own high expectations as I was already a fan of Eric Kim before reading this. Maybe if I had read this on a different day it would be a 5? But for now, I'm sticking with a 4.
Read
December 16, 2023got this from the library to complete the 2023 Read Harder challenge of reading a cookbook cover to cover and I am so happy I did!! I want to buy this book, make nearly everything in it, and reread all of the lovely family stories peppered within. who knew a cookbook could make me cry? I will hold off on rating until I can try out some of the recipes 🤤
February 22, 2024
This book is so much more than a cookbook—Eric Kim is a beautiful writer and the short essays accompanying each recipe are moving and delightful. I look forward to cooking my way through this book and coming back to it for years to come.
May 30, 2022
This is wonderful. The stories in it are moving and beautiful, and the entire impetus behind this book is extraordinary. Kim's recipes are well written and helpful, with careful instructions, always including the reasoning behind is peculiar choices. (Kim has a sweet tooth, in case you didn't know, and so he usually has to make a case for why he's adding sugar/maesil cheong/honey/maple syrup at any given moment.) I'm in love with this book. It's filled with cool ideas and recipes, but it's also about Eric and his mom and cooking with her and growing up and being gay and leaving home and the importance of family.
March 10, 2022
"These recipes explore the tension--and the ultimate harmony--between the Korean in me as well as the American in me. I am at once both and neither, and something else entirely: I am Korean American."
WOW! I loved this cookbook, and think it's a very necessary one in the diaspora of the American cookbook world. Kim's personal stories of his feelings of finding himself between--but part of two--worlds, and his way of creating personal, timely, connections to so many Korean recipes makes this cookbook not only "taste like home" but *feel* like home as well. Gorgeous photography accompanies the recipes, and help buoy the warm, nostalgic feel of the cookbook as well.
"We are who we are because of where we come from, and one way to find ourselves when we're especially lost is to return to our place of origin, if only for a bit." Love. Thanks for sharing your return, Mr. Kim.
Many thanks to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this wonderful cookbook!
WOW! I loved this cookbook, and think it's a very necessary one in the diaspora of the American cookbook world. Kim's personal stories of his feelings of finding himself between--but part of two--worlds, and his way of creating personal, timely, connections to so many Korean recipes makes this cookbook not only "taste like home" but *feel* like home as well. Gorgeous photography accompanies the recipes, and help buoy the warm, nostalgic feel of the cookbook as well.
"We are who we are because of where we come from, and one way to find ourselves when we're especially lost is to return to our place of origin, if only for a bit." Love. Thanks for sharing your return, Mr. Kim.
Many thanks to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this wonderful cookbook!
November 5, 2021
This book has a lot of heart.
More than a cookbook, this book is an exploration of a family growing up with a blended culture and the food that so clearly reflects that. Furthermore, the recipes in here are many of the tried and true recipes that came from Eric Kim’s own mother and is a rich blend of Korean and American flavours.
That said, many of the recipes are labour’s of love of sorts, but there is no denying that the end results are well worth it. For anyone who loves Korean flavours, this cookbook takes those well loved recipes and adds a unique twist. You’ll find everything from tried and true kimchi recipes to cheeseburger kimbap, maple candied spam, soy sauce fried chicken, and much more. The flavour profiles are unique and fun and make this cookbook such a unique one.
As a whole, the pictures in the book are gorgeous, there are lots of fun details that make this such an interesting read (such as the pantry list that truly deserves to be read in full), this book is choked full of heart, and that is to say nothing of the recipes which are a sure standout. Korean American is a very worth it cookbook for lovers of Korean flavours, or for those desiring to experiment anew with recipes you will not find elsewhere.
Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for a virtual arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
More than a cookbook, this book is an exploration of a family growing up with a blended culture and the food that so clearly reflects that. Furthermore, the recipes in here are many of the tried and true recipes that came from Eric Kim’s own mother and is a rich blend of Korean and American flavours.
That said, many of the recipes are labour’s of love of sorts, but there is no denying that the end results are well worth it. For anyone who loves Korean flavours, this cookbook takes those well loved recipes and adds a unique twist. You’ll find everything from tried and true kimchi recipes to cheeseburger kimbap, maple candied spam, soy sauce fried chicken, and much more. The flavour profiles are unique and fun and make this cookbook such a unique one.
As a whole, the pictures in the book are gorgeous, there are lots of fun details that make this such an interesting read (such as the pantry list that truly deserves to be read in full), this book is choked full of heart, and that is to say nothing of the recipes which are a sure standout. Korean American is a very worth it cookbook for lovers of Korean flavours, or for those desiring to experiment anew with recipes you will not find elsewhere.
Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for a virtual arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 26, 2022
Do you want to learn how to make delicious Korean American dishes, but you don't know how?
"Korean American" by Eric Kim, has the most fantastic assortment of recipes you can learn to cook at home. It has step-by-step instructions with exquisite photos to help you accomplish easy techniques, ingredients, sauces, seasonings and sweeteners. This book is a treasure trove of "Korean American" cooking! You can learn how to make the perfect " Pan-Seared Rib Eye with Gochujang Butter". Sign me up! Yum!
I appreciate all the beautiful chapters of this book, but if you are a beginner there are instructions how to make the perfect easy steamed, fried, and tomatoes omelet rice. Additionally, is a chapter on fish including yellow croaker, salmon steaks, trout, shrimp and lobster tails. If your palate leans more toward American taste, Eric Kim has that covered with pizza, meatloaf, spam, cabbage, stew, soup, potato, mushroom, califlower, zucchini, roasted chicken and stuffing recipes. He even includes deviled eggs and broccoli-cheese rice casserole. It's the best of all culinary delights in one book and speaking of delights, there is a chapter on making superb bakery items! "Korean American will be published March 29, 2022.
Thank you NetGalley and Clark Potter/Ten Speed Press for allowing me the honor of reviewing this gorgeous cookbook! I really appreciate it!
"Korean American" by Eric Kim, has the most fantastic assortment of recipes you can learn to cook at home. It has step-by-step instructions with exquisite photos to help you accomplish easy techniques, ingredients, sauces, seasonings and sweeteners. This book is a treasure trove of "Korean American" cooking! You can learn how to make the perfect " Pan-Seared Rib Eye with Gochujang Butter". Sign me up! Yum!
I appreciate all the beautiful chapters of this book, but if you are a beginner there are instructions how to make the perfect easy steamed, fried, and tomatoes omelet rice. Additionally, is a chapter on fish including yellow croaker, salmon steaks, trout, shrimp and lobster tails. If your palate leans more toward American taste, Eric Kim has that covered with pizza, meatloaf, spam, cabbage, stew, soup, potato, mushroom, califlower, zucchini, roasted chicken and stuffing recipes. He even includes deviled eggs and broccoli-cheese rice casserole. It's the best of all culinary delights in one book and speaking of delights, there is a chapter on making superb bakery items! "Korean American will be published March 29, 2022.
Thank you NetGalley and Clark Potter/Ten Speed Press for allowing me the honor of reviewing this gorgeous cookbook! I really appreciate it!
October 26, 2021
A great comfy cookbook to get the Korean taste right at home. If you enjoy the occasional Korean restaurant meal then this book will make you very happy. This is a very genuine fusion Korean-American take on home cooking with all the ingenuity of immigrant reinventing their cooking with limited ingredients and new flavours.
What I like is that it isn't overly complicated, and it packs a real taste punch. The added family pictures make this book a real work of love, a little retro, lots of affordable ingredients and homeliness. This is a great addition to the kitchen that likes heat and it's comfort. Loved this relaxed cookbook.
What I like is that it isn't overly complicated, and it packs a real taste punch. The added family pictures make this book a real work of love, a little retro, lots of affordable ingredients and homeliness. This is a great addition to the kitchen that likes heat and it's comfort. Loved this relaxed cookbook.
December 20, 2021
Beautiful cookbook. I made several recipes from here and definitely will be continuing to use it. I found the recipes easy to follow and delicious and the story parts were engaging and enjoyable. The pictures are stunning and definitely make you want to cook just about everything. For a newbie to Korean-American cuisine, I found it fairly accessible and the ingredients (mostly) easy to find., but I suppose that's the point in some way (his family had to learn to adapt Korean cooking to the American grocery store).
October 27, 2021
This is both a cookbook and a memoir about the author's experiences with the foods in this book. The stories were heartwarming and really got me excited about making the recipes in this book. The photos that accompany the recipes are beautiful, but I especially enjoyed the pictures that accompanied the authors personal anecdotes. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cooking new foods and connects food with cultural and personal experiences.
September 30, 2023
I feel like this book took the food parts of Crying in Hmart, the parts that resonated, and continued with it. The writing was lovely. In my ideal world, the dish I just read about would appear after I turned the page, but this cookbook at least softened the disappointment by being a pleasure to read.
March 5, 2023
There's a lot of recipes in this book that I'm interested in trying and a few that I'm a bit more wary of. But, I think this cookbook is beautifully crafted, with gorgeous photos that look ripped from the 1980s when his parents first immigrated to the US. I particularly enjoyed Kim's many little essays sometimes prefacing specific recipes but sometimes prefacing entire categories of cooking or a specific ingredient like kimchi.
There are some things about this cookbook that I don't like, and it's down to my preferences for cookbook recipe content. First, this doesn't have an estimated time noted on each recipe. I always understand the exclusion of this element, because each person cooks at different speeds, but I personally like to have a general idea to help my meal planning as I flip through my (now, many) cookbooks.
Second, not every recipe has an accompanying photo of the finished dish. Again, I understand that for saving page space and saving ingredients and time by not cooking all the dishes, it makes a lot of sense not to have photos for every recipe. But, and I've said this in pretty much all of my cookbook reviews, that I'm a visual learner and I like to have an "end product" to guide me. For more experienced cooks, a lack of photos isn't a problem, but I still wouldn't call myself an experienced cook — not in the way that some home cooks can fully improv in the kitchen, I'm still very much a recipe follower for anything that I haven't cooked at least a couple times when I start to make adjustments or substitutions — and I like to know when I'm wildly off course (a little dining pun for you). Besides that, good photos of the dishes make them appetizing! The intent is for me to cook these dishes, and you could slap the weirdest dish in front of me and have me salivating as long as it looks good. Words (ironically, since I have a perfectly wild imagination for fiction) don't make me want to eat a dish as much as a photo does.
Plus, a little bit of metric wouldn't kill you, American cookbook writers. It's possible to have both American imperial and metric measurements in the ingredients list. I know what an inch is, but I am forever clueless about ounces and "sticks," as they relate to butter. Thank god for conversion apps.
I will update this review once I make something from the book.
There are some things about this cookbook that I don't like, and it's down to my preferences for cookbook recipe content. First, this doesn't have an estimated time noted on each recipe. I always understand the exclusion of this element, because each person cooks at different speeds, but I personally like to have a general idea to help my meal planning as I flip through my (now, many) cookbooks.
Second, not every recipe has an accompanying photo of the finished dish. Again, I understand that for saving page space and saving ingredients and time by not cooking all the dishes, it makes a lot of sense not to have photos for every recipe. But, and I've said this in pretty much all of my cookbook reviews, that I'm a visual learner and I like to have an "end product" to guide me. For more experienced cooks, a lack of photos isn't a problem, but I still wouldn't call myself an experienced cook — not in the way that some home cooks can fully improv in the kitchen, I'm still very much a recipe follower for anything that I haven't cooked at least a couple times when I start to make adjustments or substitutions — and I like to know when I'm wildly off course (a little dining pun for you). Besides that, good photos of the dishes make them appetizing! The intent is for me to cook these dishes, and you could slap the weirdest dish in front of me and have me salivating as long as it looks good. Words (ironically, since I have a perfectly wild imagination for fiction) don't make me want to eat a dish as much as a photo does.
Plus, a little bit of metric wouldn't kill you, American cookbook writers. It's possible to have both American imperial and metric measurements in the ingredients list. I know what an inch is, but I am forever clueless about ounces and "sticks," as they relate to butter. Thank god for conversion apps.
I will update this review once I make something from the book.
December 8, 2021
Read this review and more on my blog, uncovered-books.
I received a free copy of Korean American from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
Cookbooks, for me, always only tend to include 5 recipes that I actually cook. In Korean American, well lets just say that I have about the equivalent of at least 10 cookbooks!
Korean American is broken down into seperate sections: TV Dinners, Kimchi is a Verb, S is for Stew, Rice Cuisine, Korea is a Peninsula, Garden of Jean, Feasts and Korean Bakery.
TV Dinners includes Pan-Seared Ribeye with Gochujang Butter, Maple-candied Spam and Creamy Bucatini.
Kimchi is a Verb includes recipes filled with kimchi galore, like Caramelised Kimchi Baked Potatoes and Spam, Kimchi and Cabbage stir-fry.
S is for Stew has a selection of mouthwatering dishes including Budae Jjgae and Seolleongtang Noodles with Scallion Gremolata.
Rice Cuisine explains how to cook the perfect white rice, as well as giving you recipes such as Gyeranbap with Roasted Seaweed and Capers for you to see put into practice cooking your rice!
Korea is a Peninsula is all about fish. Roasted Lobster Tails with Lemony Green Salad and Pan-Fried Yellow Croaker are some of the delicacy’s that await you here.
For Garden of Jean we have vegetables galore! From Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Seaweed Sour Cream Dip to Grilled Trumpet Mushrooms with Ssamjang, you will love the vegetable based recipes.
Feasts includes Sesame-Soy Deviled Eggs and Lasagna with Gochugaru Oil.
Korean Bakery gives you amazing sweet treats such as Milk Bread with Maple Syrup and Chewy Black Sesame Rice Cake.
All in all, I will probably end up giving every recipe in Korean American a go! It will take me a while but they all look worth-it, and I cannot wait to add these to my repertoire.
If you like Korean food, the Korean American definitely deserves a place on your shelf.
I received a free copy of Korean American from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
Cookbooks, for me, always only tend to include 5 recipes that I actually cook. In Korean American, well lets just say that I have about the equivalent of at least 10 cookbooks!
Korean American is broken down into seperate sections: TV Dinners, Kimchi is a Verb, S is for Stew, Rice Cuisine, Korea is a Peninsula, Garden of Jean, Feasts and Korean Bakery.
TV Dinners includes Pan-Seared Ribeye with Gochujang Butter, Maple-candied Spam and Creamy Bucatini.
Kimchi is a Verb includes recipes filled with kimchi galore, like Caramelised Kimchi Baked Potatoes and Spam, Kimchi and Cabbage stir-fry.
S is for Stew has a selection of mouthwatering dishes including Budae Jjgae and Seolleongtang Noodles with Scallion Gremolata.
Rice Cuisine explains how to cook the perfect white rice, as well as giving you recipes such as Gyeranbap with Roasted Seaweed and Capers for you to see put into practice cooking your rice!
Korea is a Peninsula is all about fish. Roasted Lobster Tails with Lemony Green Salad and Pan-Fried Yellow Croaker are some of the delicacy’s that await you here.
For Garden of Jean we have vegetables galore! From Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Seaweed Sour Cream Dip to Grilled Trumpet Mushrooms with Ssamjang, you will love the vegetable based recipes.
Feasts includes Sesame-Soy Deviled Eggs and Lasagna with Gochugaru Oil.
Korean Bakery gives you amazing sweet treats such as Milk Bread with Maple Syrup and Chewy Black Sesame Rice Cake.
All in all, I will probably end up giving every recipe in Korean American a go! It will take me a while but they all look worth-it, and I cannot wait to add these to my repertoire.
If you like Korean food, the Korean American definitely deserves a place on your shelf.
January 8, 2022
Thank you, Netgalley and the author/publisher, for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book. This in no way affects my review, all opinions are my own.
Here is what I love about the book: (1) the author included a lot of personal stories, where the recipes came from, and how they relate to his own story. He also included photos which make this book a very personal story and I felt like I was invited into the family; (2) the recipes are an amazing fusion of Korean dishes with an American twist; the author even included traditional American festivities combined with Korean food, e.g., Thanksgiving; (3) the recipes were not just written on the pages but the author also included photos; I appreciate it this so much. I love cookbooks where I can see what my dish is supposed to look like. Great book to add to any kitchen where new dishes are appreciated.
Here is what I love about the book: (1) the author included a lot of personal stories, where the recipes came from, and how they relate to his own story. He also included photos which make this book a very personal story and I felt like I was invited into the family; (2) the recipes are an amazing fusion of Korean dishes with an American twist; the author even included traditional American festivities combined with Korean food, e.g., Thanksgiving; (3) the recipes were not just written on the pages but the author also included photos; I appreciate it this so much. I love cookbooks where I can see what my dish is supposed to look like. Great book to add to any kitchen where new dishes are appreciated.
December 30, 2022
This book is a love letter and I loved reading it.
I haven’t made any of the recipes yet so it may not be fair to post a rating. However, I thoroughly appreciate the author’s approach to familiar sections such as the pantry staples, as well as his eloquent thoughts on claiming identity within a diaspora that is as multi-faceted as the number of individuals belonging to it. This book encourages curiosity and personal authenticity, and I am here for it!
The food is photographed beautifully, the recipes look delicious, and the instructions are clear and sometimes cheeky - This cookbook does not feel out of touch or pretentious while being aware that its intention is to introduce each reader to at least some small new thing in its specificity. I’m looking forward to trying these recipes and am already inspired by what I’ve read within.
I haven’t made any of the recipes yet so it may not be fair to post a rating. However, I thoroughly appreciate the author’s approach to familiar sections such as the pantry staples, as well as his eloquent thoughts on claiming identity within a diaspora that is as multi-faceted as the number of individuals belonging to it. This book encourages curiosity and personal authenticity, and I am here for it!
The food is photographed beautifully, the recipes look delicious, and the instructions are clear and sometimes cheeky - This cookbook does not feel out of touch or pretentious while being aware that its intention is to introduce each reader to at least some small new thing in its specificity. I’m looking forward to trying these recipes and am already inspired by what I’ve read within.
January 31, 2022
Eric Kim clearly loves his mother and the food that she makes. This book reads like a love letter to his mother and his childhood. The pictures are colourful and the recipes look delicious. There is a lot of variety to be found in the book.
If you are someone who likes recipes books that you can both read AND use, this would be a great one. It is full of stories about the author's family and the ways that they brought traditional food with them when they immigrated to the United States.
Korean American tells the tale of immigrants adjusting to their new home, and it tells that story with food.
If you are someone who likes recipes books that you can both read AND use, this would be a great one. It is full of stories about the author's family and the ways that they brought traditional food with them when they immigrated to the United States.
Korean American tells the tale of immigrants adjusting to their new home, and it tells that story with food.
June 27, 2022
Love the fact that He and his mother collaborated when writing this cookbook.
Each recipe has a photo and the normal list of ingredients and a little background to the recipe. I feel as of he’s speaking to us, the readers/cooks. Very enjoyable.
At times I’ve noticed he didn’t mention any water in the ingredients but at the instructions, you need to add 1 1/4 cup of water. I’m a mise en place kinda woman. Things like that throws me Off because I want order. That’s my only critique.
Great recipes.
Each recipe has a photo and the normal list of ingredients and a little background to the recipe. I feel as of he’s speaking to us, the readers/cooks. Very enjoyable.
At times I’ve noticed he didn’t mention any water in the ingredients but at the instructions, you need to add 1 1/4 cup of water. I’m a mise en place kinda woman. Things like that throws me Off because I want order. That’s my only critique.
Great recipes.
September 6, 2022
If the first recipe in your cookbook is for a pan-seared rib eye, I am probably going to love you. This cookbook is completely readable, endlessly interesting, and a magical mix of generations. A definite home library purchase and Kim is a lot of fun on social media.
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