If you’ve been reading for any length of time then you likely know I’m an Asian food fan. Or freak. Whichever. I am constantly posting on Instagram (follow me here & for beauty posts check me out here!) about Asian-inspired dishes I’m tweaking & playing with. I grew up on Thai food especially. & I am PRO Asian market for just about everything. So when this new cookbook popped up from a well-known area (I’m from Southern California) as well as other Korean hangouts I was in! Keep reading to check out why you’ll be reaching for Koreatown: A Cookbook by .
This is not your average soft-focus “journey to Asia” kind of cookbook. Koreatown is a spicy, funky, flavor-packed love affair with the grit and charm of Korean cooking in America. Koreatowns around the country are synonymous with mealtime feasts and late-night chef hangouts, and Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard show us why with stories, interviews, and over 100 delicious, super-approachable recipes.
It’s spicy, it’s fermenty, it’s sweet and savory and loaded with umami: Korean cuisine is poised to break out in the U.S., but until now, Korean cookbooks have been focused on taking readers to an idealized Korean fantasyland. Koreatown, though, is all about what’s real and happening right here: the foods of Korean American communities all over our country, from L.A. to New York City, from Atlanta to Chicago. We follow Rodbard and Hong through those communities with stories and recipes for everything from beloved Korean barbecue favorites like bulgogi and kalbi to the lesser-known but deeply satisfying stews, soups, noodles, salads, drinks, and the many kimchis of the Korean American table.
This is my fvorite type of cookbook format: loads of photos with creativity, fantastically inspired recipes, & some backstory sprinkled in. I’m a sucker for that great trio. Inside are some celebrity chefs but not too much chat. Just enough to give this book the flow I’m looking for. The methods & recipes are outlined clearly which I’ve found is very important for those unfamilar with cooking some of the basics- & those of us that prefer a bit of refreshing. In fact- refreshing is an excellent word to describe this book. It isn’t your run-of-the-mill because it has that spunky attitude I look forward to reading. If you love street food, Asian or Korean cuisine, & new twists then I highly suggest picking this one up!
