Celebrate Lunar New Year Korean Style

    Despite my largely ongoing pseudo poverty, I've spent a lot of time in Asia, and have been fortunate enough to see more of it than most have had the good fortune to visit in one lifetime.  Much of that time was spent working in China and South Korea, which has cultivated in me a love of all  things Asian, particularly in regards to cuisine.  Well a love of most things Asian anyway...I still can't stomach eating bugs, coagulated duck blood soup, the virility boosting dog soup or being shoved into sardine can subways by white gloved station attendants. However, other than that if you combine my enthusiasm for Asian cuisine with a HOLIDAY (my friends can tell you I am a little obsessed with holidays...) and I am going to be all about it!  That brings us to Lunar New Year, or Seollal as I came to know it in Korea.  In an effort to recreate my fond Seollal memories in which my Korean boyfriend's family had me over for dinner and his mother taught me how to make authentic (and delicious!) mandu or dumplings, I will be preparing some Korean delicacies at home. Some traditional Seollal foods include tteokguk, a broth soup with sliced rice cakes, rice cakes, fruit (like the delicious crunchy honey sweet Asian pears,) and mandu (or dumplings) among other delights. Seollal is one of the most significant holidays in Korea, generally taking place over three days when Koreans visit family in their hometowns and some still wear the traditional hanbok. In an act of filial piety, children perform  a sebae bow to their elders wishing them luck for the new year. Parents and grandparents then reciprocate with "pocket money" and blessings for the new year.

    For Lunar New Year I'm hoping to make it out (weather permitting) to Grand Asia market to shop and prepare some of my old Korean favorites at home.  For those of you out there who would like to celebrate Lunar New Year, although probably belatedly (as more authentic establishments are likely to be closed tomorrow,) Seoul Garden is a very authentic Raleigh Korean restaurant, with great Korean barbeque like galbi (one of my favorite foods on earth!), a sweet and savory marinated rib meat that you can cook up at your table and wrap in lettuce wraps with samjeong a salty fermented soybean paste that is better than it sounds, rice (bap,) or any of the assortment of small side dishes called bancheon that will automatically come to your table. Bulgolgi is another good choice, a very sweet marinated thinly sliced ribeye.  Bibimbap,  a spicy rice and vegetable bowl (definitely pay the extra for dolsot bibimbap so that the rice gets crispy at the bottom of the hot stone bowl) is another favorite of waegooken or foreigners. If you'd rather order Korean style and you like your spice, try the hot Kimchi Chige (Kimchi and meat stew.) For side orders try the japchae cellophane noodles sauteed with vegetables in sesame oil, Goon Mandu (dumplings), or pajeon a savory Korean pancake filled with either kimchi or seafood.  You can expect to pay a hefty sum for the privilege of such authentically tasty Korean fair.  A Korean barbecue dinner will run you over $20 a person and requires a minimum of two orders to grill it in front of you at a barbecue table, so be sure to go with at least one other person who has meat in mind.  Seoul Garden is likely to be closed tomorrow, but the still tasty though considerably less authentic Kimbap over in Seaboard Station is likely to be open (I would call and check first.) They don't have barbecue tables, but they can satiate the craving with some tasty mandu (dumplings.) They are named after the Korean version of sushi rolls often filled with such ingredients as processed ham, cheese, egg, canned tuna, spam or other items that wartime Koreans grew a fondness for from American imports. Kimbap takes this idea and "classes it up" a little with some more gourmet, and less processed fillings.  If you would like to make your own Lunar New Year feast, I highly recommend you check out Grand Asia Market in Cary. They are definitely worth the trip featuring fresh steamed buns and roasted meats.  They also have very reasonably priced produce, fish and meats for you underfinanced foodies out there. I've bought containers of curry paste there for half the price and twice the size of those available at the super market.  If you'd rather not trek to Cary, visit Kim's market in Raleigh. It's a tiny little Korean store, but they can set you up with the kimchi, japchae, and mandu needed for a Korean style meal.

                                           Saehae bok mani badeuseyo!  

   or      Please receive a lot of luck in the New Year!