Koreatown

Koreatown is more than a cookbook.  Sure, there are plenty of recipes including recipes for those tasty banchan you can never get enough of.  Finally, I make that killer potato salad because I know the secret is to use some Biofeel or Yakuit yogurt drink.

But it's also a travelogue.  I now know where I must eat next in Atlanta, New York, Chicago. Heirloom  Market BBQ, save me a brisket!  There's a section where guest chefs like Hugh Acheson, Edward Kim, Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook, Paul Qui, and Eric Ripert contribute a favorite recipe with Korean flavors.  You see how Korean food is expansive and inclusive.    There's a section on drinks and sweets.   I especially enjoyed learning more about makgeolli, a drink I first sampled at Madangsui in NYC.

There are interludes where famous people like Jonathan Gold, Adam Johnson, Andrew Zimmern and Andy Milonakis weigh in and share their passions for Korean food.   A lot of name dropping as if that enhances the pleasure of experiencing Korean cuisine.

Laughed when I read the tips on "how not to piss off your neighbors"   Every once in a while, the power goes out and neighbors offer space in their refrigerator.  They love it because I have Asian refrigerator -- a syndrome where every nook and cranny in my refrigerator is jam-packed -- and I share my goodies.  In the interest of keeping my neighbors friends, however, I'm always afraid to hand over the kimchi and fermented foods b/c of the odors.  

Here's my kimchi marinade

Three containers of hot Persian cucumbers.

This book is for anyone interested in Korean food.  Everyone will learn something from this book.  Now for the disclosure:  I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.