Sunday night Korean feast

Well, I did it! As promised, I went ahead and made the Korean feast from Gourmet this weekend. I think I was a sucker for the glamor shots they included in the magazine of sexy models in dimly lit rooms looking all moody. I spent some time Saturday doing prep because a lot of the items needed to sit and pickle overnight. Honestly, it didn't take as much work as I expected. Many of the banchan — or small dishes, almost like condiments — are quick and easy to put together, and then can chill in the refrigerator for as long as you need or they are served at room temperature. So I was ticking through the list quite easily and didn't have to worry about timing everything to be finished at the same time. Here is what I ended up including:

Cucumber Apple Pickle

This was very tasty and easy. I couldn't stop nibbling on it.

Quick Kimchi

A requisite Korean dish, and I wanted to like it, but really, I just don't. This version uses fish sauce to get that deep musky flavor that comes in other recipes from many days of pickling.

Korean-Style romaine

One of my favorite parts of the meal, really. So easy, just chopped romaine with a hot dressing poured over it, then chilled to marinate for a few hours (or overnight in my case). Addictive!

Sauteed oyster mushrooms

Again, really simple. Just sauteed mushrooms with a little salt and cider vinegar, served at room temperature.

Shrimp and scallion pancakes

The batter for these is very thin when it comes together, so I was worried they would be trouble in the pan. But they set up really nicely and are easy to flip. Quite tasty!

Short rib and vegetable stew with brown rice and barley

This photo looks straight out of some 1970s magazine, doesn't it? By the time we had eaten the little scallion and shrimp pancakes and I had been nibbling at the banchan here and there, neither the boy or I were very hungry! I had a little taste of the stew and kept picking at the little dishes, but we are going to dig into it tonight with vigor. It should taste even better with a day of stewing! I also made the soy-pickled jalapenos (you can see them in the first photo above) and the spicy garlic sauce without the warm tofu to serve it on — they are both delicious on everything!