Imagine sitting down to a sumptuous and fragrant dinner of Dumpling Soup with Rice Cakes after a long day of work. And a hot summer afternoon just begs for a picnic basket stocked with Chilled Cucumber Soup, delicate Chicken Skewers with Green Onions, and Seaweed Rice Rolls. Using ingredients that are readily available and techniques already familiar to home cooks, these Korean specialties can easily be dinner any night of the week. With appetizers and snacks, soups and hot pots, side dishes, entrees, rice, noodles, and a whole chapter devoted to kimchi, Quick & Easy Korean Cooking will bring new flavors to the dinner table.
Quick & Easy Korean Cooking
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Book Description
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About the Author
Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee is a first-generation Korean-American who has written about food for the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Food & Wine, Eating Well, and Korean Culture. She lives in Los Angeles.
Julie Toy is a Los Angeles-based photographer.
Julie Toy is a Los Angeles-based photographer.
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More About the Author
Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee was born on a cold winter morning in 1970 in a tiny hospital on the outskirts of Seoul. She and her family immigrated to the United States in the late 70s, wearing bell bottoms with a funkadelic soundtrack playing in the background. She learned English in Pennsylvania but spent most of her formidable years in the various communities of Los Angeles. She's worked since she was 9 years old, pumping gas at her dad's gas station, slinging pizzas at the family pizza joint, and running the cash register at her parents' Mexican market. A lover of food, travel and images, she decided against a career in medicine to pursue writing and the arts. When she's not exploring the wonders of the world, she's pulling weeds in her vegetable garden in the City of Angels.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 49 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Ok, so this book is not a scholarly dissertation on Korean cooking. In fact, au contraire, it is extremely minimalistic. Most recipes contain a 2 sentence intro, less than 10 ingredients, and less than 5 steps, and among the most exotic ingredients it calls for is korean chile paste. It is not difficult to see grandmas in Middle America pick up the book, and cook through the entire book.
There is a fair representation of recipes from the familiar like korean barbecued beef ribs, to the unusual like black rice porridge. If you are looking for the definitive tome on korean cooking, this is not the book. But if you are a beginner and/or just looking for new recipes to broaden your weeknight repertoire, this book will more than do justice in introducing simple but authentic korean flavors.
There is a fair representation of recipes from the familiar like korean barbecued beef ribs, to the unusual like black rice porridge. If you are looking for the definitive tome on korean cooking, this is not the book. But if you are a beginner and/or just looking for new recipes to broaden your weeknight repertoire, this book will more than do justice in introducing simple but authentic korean flavors.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By S. Smerud
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
The author fulfills her promise by providing recipes that truly are quick and easy to prepare. There can be a little decrease in flavor and complexity that comes along with a quicker preparation, but few people can prepare large complex meals every night. For the small amount of time invested in preparation, the author provides unique and delicious dishes. Two small downsides are (1) with all the beautiful photographs, there are not photos of many dishes and (2) there are some ingredients that are not available in most supermarkets, but are available on the Internet (and she provides sources in the book).
Overall, a great book that delivers what the title promises!
Overall, a great book that delivers what the title promises!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I really enjoyed this book. It's well put together, the recipes are simple and quick to prepare, the photography is beautiful, and the dishes are quite tasty. Is this the definitive authority on Korean cuisine? Probably not. But if you'd like to get your feet wet working with Korean flavors, this might be a good choice for you.
There's a nice variety of recipes here. The barbecued pork ribs are wonderful -- I served them with the green onion pancakes, also very tasty. I guess I'm lucky: I live in an area where there are a number of Asian markets, and most supermarkets have an excellent international foods section, so finding the ingredients for these dishes isn't an issue. You might find you need to substitute -- you won't get exactly the same flavors or results, but you'll probably come close enough.
I'm giving this five stars because it succeeds at its intended purpose: a well presented collection of simple recipes that allow a home cook to experience Korean foods without heading for a Korean restaurant.
There's a nice variety of recipes here. The barbecued pork ribs are wonderful -- I served them with the green onion pancakes, also very tasty. I guess I'm lucky: I live in an area where there are a number of Asian markets, and most supermarkets have an excellent international foods section, so finding the ingredients for these dishes isn't an issue. You might find you need to substitute -- you won't get exactly the same flavors or results, but you'll probably come close enough.
I'm giving this five stars because it succeeds at its intended purpose: a well presented collection of simple recipes that allow a home cook to experience Korean foods without heading for a Korean restaurant.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
My recent foray into the spicy world of Asian cooking is what immediately attracted me to this book. Korean gastronomy has essentially remained a cipher to me; even as I immersed myself in the splendid traditions of Thai cooking, the spicier foods from China's Sichuan Province, and food from the broad region of South-east Asia that contains India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Tibet. Korean food is distinctive in its use of chile pepper paste as an ubiquitous spice, in its creative use of noodles and barbeque flavors, and in the extensive use of garlic as a flavoring. Also distinctive is the spicy Korean pickle known as Kimchi which can utilize almost any ingredient you fancy. This superb book provides no less than six different Kimchi recipes ranging from Kimchi Pancakes to Cucumber Kimchi. There are many other pickled dishes including the proverbial Pickled Peppers. Meats are spiced, soups are spiced, shellfish, noodles and dessert drinks are spiced as well.
The noodle dishes are diverse and tasty as are the rice dishes. There is a recipe for Spicy Sashimi Rice that is particularly appetizing. Amongst desserts there are Poached Asian Pear, Chilled Cinnamin-Ginger Tea, an absolutely beautiful Watermelon Punch and a Lemon-Ginger Martini known as a soju cocktail, which is made from a distilled liquor made from potatos or yams. The combinations of flavors amongst the 70 recipes in this book is amazingly eclectic. Each recipe averages between 8 and 10 ingredients so they truly are light recipes. Something else that is attractive to a busy cook is that they are very easy to prepare and do not take long, most of them taking about 10-20 minutes of preparation.
I cannot imagine an easier introduction to this fascinating cuisine.... Read more ›
The noodle dishes are diverse and tasty as are the rice dishes. There is a recipe for Spicy Sashimi Rice that is particularly appetizing. Amongst desserts there are Poached Asian Pear, Chilled Cinnamin-Ginger Tea, an absolutely beautiful Watermelon Punch and a Lemon-Ginger Martini known as a soju cocktail, which is made from a distilled liquor made from potatos or yams. The combinations of flavors amongst the 70 recipes in this book is amazingly eclectic. Each recipe averages between 8 and 10 ingredients so they truly are light recipes. Something else that is attractive to a busy cook is that they are very easy to prepare and do not take long, most of them taking about 10-20 minutes of preparation.
I cannot imagine an easier introduction to this fascinating cuisine.... Read more ›
14 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
It was when I saw this available that I realized two things: 1) I don't have any Korean cookbooks, just a smattering of Korean recipes in other books, and 2) I like kalbi, so this ought to be good. And you know what? It is.
This is actually part of a series Chronicle Books has been putting out for some years that, as far as I can tell, began with Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking and mostly focuses on Asian cuisine. It's not a deep introduction; while it's perfectly readable, it doesn't go into deep history or tell many of the stories behind the dishes (which among other things leads to no acknowledgement of the obvious similarities between gimbap and sushi). But it does give all the basics of a Korean meal, with a selection of typical and fairly simple recipes with lots of gorgeous food photography, including a half dozen or so different types of the ubiquitous kimchi (spicy pickled vegetables).
I'm a little concerned about the value for price; for what Chronicle is charging for their books these days, this would be fine for a hardcover, but it seems like even allowing for inflation over the last couple of years their cover price is a little high. If you don't have any books on Korean food, this is a great way to get into it; just make sure you buy it at a discount.
This is actually part of a series Chronicle Books has been putting out for some years that, as far as I can tell, began with Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking and mostly focuses on Asian cuisine. It's not a deep introduction; while it's perfectly readable, it doesn't go into deep history or tell many of the stories behind the dishes (which among other things leads to no acknowledgement of the obvious similarities between gimbap and sushi). But it does give all the basics of a Korean meal, with a selection of typical and fairly simple recipes with lots of gorgeous food photography, including a half dozen or so different types of the ubiquitous kimchi (spicy pickled vegetables).
I'm a little concerned about the value for price; for what Chronicle is charging for their books these days, this would be fine for a hardcover, but it seems like even allowing for inflation over the last couple of years their cover price is a little high. If you don't have any books on Korean food, this is a great way to get into it; just make sure you buy it at a discount.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Introduction to Korean Cooking
I bought Quick and Easy Korean Cooking on a whim. My mother-in-law is from a town close to Seoul. Her cooking is so delicious and her house is always brimful of tantalizing smells. Read more
Published 7 days ago by bakerbronte
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worked as a great mother's day gift
Purchased the book for my mother while I was overseas in South Korea to have her enjoy some of the authentic Korean food I was eating. When I came back to the U.S. Read more
Published 20 days ago by IAmTorgo
5.0 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed this..
I enjoyed making many different things and this makes some of the traditional recipes simpler but with the same taste.
Published 1 month ago by Rosa
5.0 out of 5 stars
i love this book!!
The instructions and pictures are amazing and making these recipes are super easy. very detailed and informative! Read more
Published 2 months ago by Yanagi
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for beginners!
My boyfriend is Korean, and I've been looking for a cookbook that would help me to make some of his favorite dishes. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Amanda
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent cookbook
This is an excellent cookbook. my husband is Korean and used to only get Korean food if we went to a restaurant or his mom came to visit. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Kate
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly gifted cook book author
This Midwestern gal loved to taste the offerings of her diverse friends growing up. Cecilia has a real gift for making food accessible and easy for every-day American audiences. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Poetaster75
3.0 out of 5 stars
Too Simple
OK...I realize that the name of the cookbook is Quick and Easy Korean Cooking...but it doesn't have to be THAT simple--feel like I am not making the authentic dishes. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Norma Lehmeierhartie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy and authentic!
This book is a really easy way to make really good Korean food! The recipes here are so easy to make and taste as good as the Korean food I had in Korea. Read more
Published 18 months ago by 1peebs
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delicious food
This book was given to me by my close Korean friend. I am American and find his culture very interesting and haven't ever had the pleasure to try Korean food before. Read more
Published on March 7, 2011 by Saranghea
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