Debbie Lee is a Korean American, so Seoultown Kitchen: Korean Pub Grub to Share with Family and Friends is the kind of food you’d find in Korean eateries in the US, rather than strictly traditional Korean households – Spam and eggs is the recipe that springs to mind here!
I’m liking
Debbie has a really fresh and interesting approach to Korean food. She has specifically gone for recipes that would appeal to a non-Korean audience and has some intriguing chapters. The Korean inspired cocktails, pickles and skewers would be fabulous party food!
I travelled in Korea a few years ago, and felt like I was right back there with some of the pictures – yum! I can’t wait to try out the kimchee recipes particularly. There are lots of great recipes for dressings, vinaigrettes and marinades which could be used on all sorts of things, not just as they are in the book.
Things that made me go hmmmm….
I’d recommend going to a Korean food store with the recipe book, and enlisting the help of the shop assistants to find what you want. Debbie uses anglicised names for Korean products, and these are not always the same as the ones on the labels as I found out when buying fermented chili paste.
The Conclusion
I’d recommend this book to adventurous cooks who want to expand their repertoire and experience some interesting dishes.