Sequestration Meal #643

 

Korean fusion food again: Gochujang mushrooms (recipe from Budget Bytes), geomeun-kongjorim (braised black beans, recipe from Maangchi), Korean carrot salad (which is Korean-Ukrainian, I think--recipe from Lavender and Macarons), quick-pickled cucumbers, and steamed rice.

As I was making this, I was thinking about how Americans are often criticized for adding sugar to their food, but I swear I rarely put so much sugar in what I cook as I do when I make Asian food, especially Korean or Korean-inspired dishes. Not that I'm complaining. It's delicious and I basically eat in moderation--a time for everything, and everything in it's place. But there is sugar in everything here except the rice! It definitely gave me pause.

These mushrooms are one of my favorite recipes. Generally, I say that about mushrooms, don't I? I'm eating a lot of mushrooms lately, and I'm sorry if I'm boring you with them cropping up so much, but they really are that good. I adore mushrooms; I'm happy whenever they turn up.

The beans feel very similar to American baked beans to me. I didn't make them from scratch; I used canned beans and scaled things way down. I otherwise made the recipe as written. And as written, you simmer those beans in a seasoned broth that includes soy sauce, vegetable oil, brown sugar, and garlic, all of which I could easily see getting tossed into baked beans here. You then add brown rice syrup--make it maple for an American version, I'd say--and cook it down into a glaze. Sesame seeds and sesame oil finish it off, which is probably the thing that most set it apart from a can of baked beans to me.

The carrots were an instant favorite the first time I had them. I found making them especially pleasant this time because I finally got around to sharpening my knives. Do you know how much better cooking can be with properly sharpened tools? This should be obvious to me, but somehow isn't.

Cucumbers are cucumbers, but tasty, of course. Nothing much to say about them other than they balanced things out beautifully with their acidity. This meal had it all--spicy mushrooms, sweet beans, savory carrots, and vinegary cucumbers, all with the comforting backdrop of plain steamed rice.

Things may not always work out for me in general. But at least I have the comfort of my kitchen.