What's Cookin'?

Kimchi, considered the Korean national dish, is offered on the table at every meal. There are hundreds of variations of this pickled salad, ranging from mild to very spicy.
A traditional meat dish, Bulgogi is usually grilled, but broiling or cooking  in a pan is also common.
Other favorite Korean foods include Saewoo Bokum with green beans and Ggae Gwa Ja, sesame seed cookies.

Kimchi 

2 lb. Chinese cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. scallion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1⁄2 -1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
Sesame oil to serve
Place the cabbage in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the salt and set aside for 6 hours so the cabbage wilts.
After the salting time, mash with your fingers to further soften the cabbage then drain off the excess liquid.
Add the remaining ingredients apart from the sesame oil, and mix thoroughly.
Transfer to one or more large glass jars, seal with clingfilm and leave at room temperature for at least 24 hours.
Sprinkle with a few drops of sesame oil when serving. Keeps for up to 2 weeks in a refrigerator. Serves 6  

Bulgogi

2 lbs. sirloin, thinly sliced
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. ginger, freshly grated
Freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds (optional)
In a large bowl, add onions to beef.
Combine sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce to form a sauce. Add in garlic and ginger. Mix well.
Marinate the beef in the sauce for about three hours (the longer the better).
Season with pepper.
Grill on a grill, pan-fry or broil for about 15 minutes, or until meat is done.
Sprinkle sesame seeds over dish, serve with rice and side dishes. Makes 4 servings.

Saewoo Bokum
(Green Beans with Shrimp)

1 lb. small shrimp or prawns
1 lb. tender green beans
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. toasted, crushed sesame seeds
Shell and de-vein shrimps, chop  roughly and set aside.
Top and tail the beans, remove strings and with a sharp knife, cut into thin diagonal slices.
Heat oils in a wok and stir fry the onion and shrimps together for 2 minutes.
Add beans and stir fry for 3 minutes.
Add seasonings and mix well, cover and simmer on low heat for 6-8 minutes or until beans are just tender. Serve at once with rice. Serves 6.
 What’s Cookin’? will run every Wednesday in 2008. A different country’s foods will be featured each week. Next week: Kuwait.