Bibimbap, or, a Mixed Meal with Friends

My friend Taeyoung came over last night and showed us how to cook the traditional Korean dish, bibimbap. Literally translated, it means mixed meal. The night began with a shopping trip to 2 different Asian markets. We brought the ingredients back and got to work. It is quite an undertaking and could be made many different ways. Your basic ingredients are short grain rice, vegetables, egg, and seasonings (probably miso and chili paste).

You can go gourmet or simple from there. Here is a glimpse of our version: *Cook white sushi rice in rice cooker (we made 6 cups) *Sautee sliced carrots with salt, pepper, and garlic *Combine sliced cucumber with diced red onion, vinegar, chili paste, and paprika *Saute zucchini with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika *Boil soy sprouts just until soft. Drain and add garlic, paprika, diced green onion, cayenne, salt, and pepper. *Saute fresh oyster mushrooms (yum!) and shiitake mushrooms(yum!) with sliced leeks, salt, garlic, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and balsamic vinegar. *Steam some spinach. *Steam some eggplant and sprinkle with paprika and cayenne. *Softly fry some eggs (so the yolks will break when everything is mixed) *Top with special sauce: miso, garlic, chili paste, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, green onion, and rice vinegar.

*Also, Taeyoung prepared traditional Korean meat dish called bul-go-gi. Very delicious! I will definitely be trying out some of these seasonings and cooking methods. I also purchased some wakame and nori from the Asian market which I hope to incorporate into more of my meals. Seaweed gives us important vitamins and minerals from the ocean. In addition to a mixed meal, we had a mix of good friends and family: Fredy, myself, Taeyoung, Ben, Elizabeth, Tom, Sam, and Stephanie. Food tastes better when you have someone to share it with.