ON THIS WEEK’S episode of Dinner SOS, test kitchen director and host Chris Morocco is joined by deputy food editor Hana Asbrink to chat with food writer and recipe developer Irene Yoo. Then they talk with Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard, authors of new cookbook KOREAWORLD, and answer some listener questions.
Irene has been busy—she’s a new parent, writing a cookbook, opening Orion Bar in New York’s Bushwick, and recently wrote a story in Bon Appetit’s Drinks Issue about anju, or Korean drinking food. From store-bought snacks to full-on recipes, anju encompasses a wide range of foods and customs around consuming alcohol, particularly soju, Korea’s most iconic spirit. Soju is a clear distilled liquor that has a similar ABV to wine and a subtle sweetness with fruity aromas. It’s usually drunk from small glasses, with drinkers frequently replenishing each other. Irene shares her recipe for Sulguk (hangover soup with blood sausage, ramyun noodles, and spicy broth), Kong-Bul (soybean sprouts and bulgogi often served over rice), while Hana shares her recipe for Haemul Pajeon (seafood pancakes). Irene also describes her favorite drinking games that are essential elements of a real anju party.
Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard then join Chris and Hana to chat about their new cookbook that launched at the end of April. Matt is editor in chief of Taste and host of the podcast This is Taste and Deuki is a chef who runs the Sunday Family Hospitality Group based in San Francisco. The duo also coauthored KOREATOWN in 2016. In their latest book, they cover Korean food’s global evolution with recipes like kimchi granita, smoked giant short ribs, and cold broccoli salad with ssamjang mayo.
Listen now to hear more advice on Korean cooking and eating, how to make kimchi at home (and what to look for in a store-bought one), and the best recipes for home cooks new to Korean cuisine.