I'm still slackin', but here's something for snackin' !

Yes, I know well that I have failed to post more about the trip to DC and Maryland.

But rather than spend this moment rectifying the situation, I figured I would put you off a couple days more with this:


Tak Kalbi.

Yes, my fav Korean snacky-meal of which no North American restaurant has ever come close to replacing the diverse and wonderful Tak Kalbi restos of South Korea. Luckily, being cooking oriented (and adept at recipe searches on Google), I have learned to make a loverly version of my own.

The key to great Tak Kalbi is marinating the chicken for at least an hour before cooking it - and it's now my belief that mirin (Japanese, yes, I know) makes a fabulous contribution to the marinade and goes far in helping to tenderize the meat . Mirin has a great amount of fermented sweetness (it's like 40-50% sugar in extra-strength rice wine form) that, when combined with the right amount of rice vinegar, makes the meat perfectly tender. Slice hard veggies super slim, and toss in softer veggies like peppers or bok choy (though you can use the more traditional cabbage and toss it in with the tough stuff) closer to the end. I make extra sauce too, and make sure there's lots of dukk (rice cake).

Yum!

PS - I know the pic is bad when blown up, but I really wanted to eat it right away and I couldn't stop shaking with desire!