The Korean Table: From Barbecue to Bibimbap 100 Easy-To-Prepare Recipes [Hardcover]

Debra Samuels (Author), Taekyung Chung (Author), Robbins Heath (Photographer), Heath Robbins (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2008

Are you a fan of Thai or Japanese foods, and interested in trying something new? If so, The Korean Table is the cookbook for you! Here is a collection of recipes that are not only new, but also fresh and healthy yet robust and intensely flavored.

Poised to become America's next favorite Asian cuisine, Korean food is rapidly gaining in popularity throughout the country. Dishes such as bulgogi (Korean barbecue), kimchi (pickled spicy cabbage) and bibimbap (mixed rice) are only a few of the savory, authentic meals that are taking the food world by storm.

The Korean Table is a wonderful new cookbook that shows American cooks how to create the tempting flavors of Korean cuisine at home. Chung and Samuels, a Korean and an American, team up to guide home cooks through the process of making Korean meals without fuss, multiple trips to specialty markets or expensive on-line shopping. Along with showing you how to create complete Korean meals from start to finish-from Scallion Pancakes to Korean Dumplings (mandu) and Simmered Beef Short Ribs-The Korean Table also includes information about how you can add the flavors of Korea to your meal in numerous quick and easy ways every day, using condiments, side dishes, salad dressings, sauces and more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cooking school teachers Chung and Samuels offer an alluring array of Korean recipes designed for the Western kitchen. As an added bonus, the authors delve into the history of the cuisine, including the importance of balance in taste and color, medicinal qualities of ingredients, and construction of the typical Korean family meal. They also include a lengthy section introducing the reader to common ingredients of the cuisine. The dishes, some traditional, some modernized for contemporary tastes, are what the authors call a starter kit: the building blocks essential to Korean cooking. Staples include Kimchi Paste, Soy Scallion Dipping Sauce and a collection of homemade stocks. Because Korean meals often include a minimum of five dishes, recipes are quick and accessible. Some, such as Korean Dumplings, include handy sidebars with instructions on technique. Others, such as Asparagus Salad, Korean Hot Wings, and Stir Fried Beef with Vegetables clearly appeal to the American sense of familiarity, albeit with a Korean flair. For the more adventurous, recipes such as Roasted Corn Tea, Kimchi Soup, and Warm and Spicy Squid Salad are sure to appeal. Complete with full-color photos throughout, this collection offers a welcome and undaunting introduction into Korean cuisine. (Oct.)
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Review

"A very appealing introduction to Korean cuisine, both classical and contemporary."—Library Journal

"A welcome and undaunting introduction into Korean cuisine"—Publishers Weekly

"Your display will not be complete without copies of The Korean Table, From Barbecue to Bibimbap (Tuttle Publishing; $27.95; Available Now), a new collection of recipes that are new, fresh, healthy and full of flavor."—Gourmet Retailer

"Samuels appreciates Korean cuisine especially for its "enormously healthy and vegetable-heavy" qualities, so much so that she and her longtime friend Taekyung Chung have just published "The Korean Table," a 100 -recipe collection of what she calls "starter" recipes."—Washington Post

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing; Hardcover with Jacket edition (October 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804839905
• ISBN-13: 978-0804839907
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #68 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Asian

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Attractive, user friendly, and practical even for busy cooks, November 25, 2008

By 

Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Korean Table: From Barbecue to Bibimbap 100 Easy-To-Prepare Recipes (Hardcover)

The basics chapter, which kicks off this attractive and practical book, is a confidence booster. Simple base sauces and spice pastes which last for months allow the home cook to whip up kimchi or mouthwatering barbecue at a whim (plus a day for marinating).

A sample meal might include Barbecued Ribs or Hot Wings or Whole Baked Fish (simply seasoned with Red Pepper Paste, made ahead and handy in the fridge) or Kimchi Hot Pot; Cucumber and Grilled Eggplant (pan-fried eggplant with raw cucumbers in a soy-scallion sauce), or Seasoned Bean Sprouts; Potato and Basil pancakes (also served with soy-scallion dipping sauce) or Kimchi Pancakes; Sticky Rice with Dried Fruit and Nuts, or Korean Fried Rice; and Garden Ripe Tomatoes Drizzled with Honey for dessert.

Organized by course, using ingredients found in the local grocery and accompanied by luscious photographs, these 100 recipes are easy and exotic, many taking only a few minutes to prepare. A user-friendly introduction to a lively cuisine.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a great cookbook, January 17, 2009

By 

xoxogirl44 (new york, ny) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Korean Table: From Barbecue to Bibimbap 100 Easy-To-Prepare Recipes (Hardcover)

this is a great cookbook for fans of korean food. it has lots of pictures which is always helpful, and what i think is a bonus is that it has a chapter explaining how to make all kinds of korean sauces!! also it has another entire chapter just for korean "side dishes" alone, (for anyone who's had korean food before, it's the small side dishes they always give you before the meal) and for me that was also great, b.c I'm not korean, and sometimes you stare at these 'side dishes' and wonder what they are.. the rest of the book also includes some recipes for korean hot pot, and other noodle and rice dishes.

My only complaint about this book is that most (not all) of the portions made in this cookbook are a bit big; most of them "serve 4" or more. otherwise this book is a must have if you love korean cuisine.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great beginner's Korean book, May 2, 2009

By 

A. Thomas "avid cooker" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Korean Table: From Barbecue to Bibimbap 100 Easy-To-Prepare Recipes (Hardcover)

Got this book from library first and used it so much I decided to buy it. It's rare that I want to make every recipe in a cook book, but that's the case here. I wanted to learn about Korean food and, living in Los Angeles, I have access to a rich, authentic Korean community. I use this book to guide me in Korean markets. The recipes are easy to follow, they always work and they're very tasty. For anyone who wants to expand their cooking repertoire to include this great cuisine, I recommend this book. (Also, compared it to others in the library and this was my favorite.)