Cover Image: Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food

Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food

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Member Reviews

What a wonderful book. I love Korean food, and was more than excited to try and cook recipes from this book. The photographs are beautiful, and the mix of traditional and new foods is spectacular. The recipes I have tried so far have been easy to follow, very tasty and enjoyed by the whole family. My favorite so far has been the Asian Pear Tart - I highly recommend this book! Thank you

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I really like the spin of traditional Korean food influenced by so many other cultures.
There are some classic dishes and other very unusual on. Most of the recipes have pictures, that is a plus for me.
Right at the beginning of the book there is a very useful "Korean store cupboard" and, my favorite, an amazing selection of sauce recipes. I just wanted to put the book down and make them all.
After I finish the book I immediately Google the author to check on her other books, That is a very good sign.
You wont be disappointed !

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A welcome addition to Korean cooking for those of us not familiar with it. The author takes us through the basics and mixes things up some in interesting ways! A perfect choice for anyone looking to expand their cooking repertoire.

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Loved trying a few of these recipes. They were simple to put together but had a lot of flavor! I really enjoyed it.

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Decent recipes, easy to understand, and simple tastes. I learned a few new things to add to my mental cookbook from browsing this cookbook ^^

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I apologize for not being able to write my review earlier. This was a gorgeous cookbook, full of recipes that were authentic but still somehow fresh and modern. The blurbs before each recipe are short and sweet, and having seen Judy Joo in cooking shows before, I know she's the real deal. I also loved the clean, bright look, and the photography is top-notch. This is both a book I would want to cook from and have on the coffee table. Definitely 5 star worthy!

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Korean food has gotten especially popular over the last few years; most enjoy it at restaurants, but Chef Judy Joo has made it possible through her excellent cookbook, Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food: Authentic dishes and modern twists, to cook it successfully at home. Her Korean food is influenced by her London and US experiences, which makes her Korean food unique.

Joo has a knack for making recipes sound simple; the instructions are easy-to-follow and well-written. There is a section on necessary ingredients which is very helpful, and then there are dozens of mouthwatering recipes. Favorites that are doable in home kitchens include Chicken Kaesu Curry, Beef Bulgogi (probably the most famous Korean dish), and a fabulous Rib-Eye Steak with Signature Sauces. All three of these dishes turn out picture perfect. Other dishes in the queue include Bibimbap with Prawns and Seasonal Vegetables, Seafood Pancakes, and Galbi Steak Pie. One thing that is surprising is the number of desserts included in this cookbook: Yuja Meringue Pie, Green Tea Roll Cake, and her signature dessert, Snickers Hotteok; these desserts are as beautiful as they are mouthwatering.

One important thing worth mentioning regarding this cookbook is that there are gorgeous photographs of almost every dish. Most home cooks see this as one of the most important aspects of a good cookbook. It’s nice to see what the finished dish should look like, and this cookbook delivers.

For anyone who wants to cook good Korean food at home, this is the cookbook for you. Joo’s books are well-worth the purchase price, and will keep cooks busy for weeks trying new recipes. This cookbook is definitely recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

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I have recently gotten interested in Korean culture (shout out to Korean Englishmen for the introduction to this beautiful country). So when I saw that I could read this book through NetGalley, I jumped on the chance.

This book is filled with a mixture of traditional and fusion dishes.
For me personally most fusion food is not an immediate favorite, but there is a Korean Indian dish in this book that makes me want to throw those reservations right out of the window.

Accompanying most of the dishes are stunning photographs. It is a little sad that there isn't a visual for every dish, but the pictures that are included are stunning and make each dish even more enticing.

This cookbook would make a great gift for every cook that is not a full newbie beginner and I think there will be a dish in here for everyone.

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A beautiful cookbook featuring authentic Korean recipes! I cannot wait to try the kimchi or all of the salads presented in this book -they are really simple.

I loved that the authors starts by talking about some basic ingredients that are staples in Korean cuisine - this way you know exactly what to get at the Asian market and what you need in order to be able to try every recipe in this book.

The pictures were great too!

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Interesting recipes and nice story behind them. Haven’t cooked from it yet but might in the future.

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I've been a fan of Judy Joo since she first had her Korean Food Made Simple tv show. I marveled at her ability to make Korean food seem easy to make (assuming, of course, that one could find the ingredients.) She also exuded Korean manners and sensibilities in subtle ways, in her perfectionism and attention to grooming, and impeccable manners when visiting Korea. Her family should be proud!

This cookbook was a pleasant surprise in the way that she moved beyond the traditional dishes and let her playful side shine through. A chapter on Komex blends Korean and Mexican. (She isn't the first Korean to think of this idea, as we must credit Roy Choi for his korean taco truck but she embraces it.) She has an entire chapter on kimchi, some traditional, some not. The street food chapter contains an answer to the rice cakes I've had in my freezer, and variations at that. And in her dessert chapter she really blossoms into a creative melding of western technique and Korean ingredients. I think this is the Korean cookbook everyone should start with, rather than starting with something more traditional.

Recipes I've marked to try:

Goguma Jeon (Sweet Potato Pancake)
Tteok Kochi (Rice Cake Skewers)
Gyeran Bbang (Korean Egg Bread)
Green Tea Roll Cake

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Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for a copy of Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food: Authentic dishes and modern twists by Judy Joo. I have not cooked, or eaten, a lot of Korean food, but this book allowed me to stretch myself and try some new recipes.

The book is divided up into ten section including dumplings, rice, and meat & seafood. It starts with a very helpful introduction that describes ingredients in a Korean storecupboard providing the Korean name, the translation, and a description of each. And there is a similar, but shorter, section on Korean sauces.

Some of my favorite recipes included:
- Aubergine Banchan
- Garlic Chive Pancake
- Vegan Bowl with Cauliflower Rice (but I left out the seaweed)
- Korean Chicken Quesadilla
- Chicken Kaesu Curry
- Spring Onion and Cheese Waffles

Overall this book was good, it had great pictures, but needed a few more, a great index, and great recipes. It did use a lot of different, to me, ingredients that took a while to find, but were not impossible to find. I am not a fan of seafood/fish sauce so I missed out on a few recipes. I recommend this cookbook to anyone looking for a more modern collection of Korean and Korean inspired recipes.

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Fabulous photography and Korean-fusion recipes. I'm more of a cookbook reader and peruse-r than user, so this was a delight. Will definitely add this to my collection of Korean cookbooks.

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Judy Joo’s Korean Soul Food is an interesting collection of recipes with a different flavour. From salads to soups, there are many Korean Fusion recipes to choose. The layout is easy to follow and the images are stunning in this inspiring cookbook.

Korean restaurants are few and far between where I live, so I was immediately intrigued to give this book a try. There are both traditional and non-traditional recipes in this cookbook. The offerings include :

Salads & Banchan
Pickles & Kimchi
Dumplings
Street Food
Rice
Ko-Mex
Meat & Seafood
Soup & Noodles
Bread
Desserts

❀ KO-MEX RECIPES

I had no idea that Ko-Mex was even a thing until I read this book! The fusion of Korean and Mexican food as a concept just blows my mind, and I can’t wait to try it. The concept of Korean Chicken Quesadillas really sounds like an interesting combination, doesn’t it?

I tried the Avocado Tomato Salad that has a very simple vinaigrette. The flavour is very powerful with the addition of rice vinegar and sesame oil. Definitely a combination that updates a classic simple salad for me.

The things that make a cookbook standout for me are its aesthetics and simplicity. The book has both amazing photography and easy to follow instructions. Some of the ingredients may be hard to obtain for some, however.

❀ PERFECT GIFT

If you are looking for a different kind of cookbook that contains both traditional and non-traditional Korean recipes, Judy Joo’s Korean Soul Food is one book to check out. The imagery is stunning and the recipes are unique. It is a perfect gift for the chef on your list this year.

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Great cookbook with a lot of homestyle Korean recipes. Luckily, I live near a Korean grocery store so I was able to procure all the ingredients I needed but I'm sure you could also find them online. Just great, comforting Korean food!

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I don't know what I expected really. These recipes look amazing, but I don't like kimchi, seafood or chili so very few recipes are for me!

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White Lion Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Cookbook author Judy Joo was inspired by her multicultural upbringing, creating recipes that showcase her heritage and her love of flavor.

This cookbook is divided into logical sections, like Salads & Banchan, Pickles & Kimchi, Dumplings, Street Food, Rice, Ko-mex, Meat & Seafood, Soup & Noodles, Bread, and Desserts. The list of Korean staple ingredients, along with definitions, is very helpful for those getting their feet wet regarding this cuisine. There is a page of necessary sauces, easy to make and store in the refrigerator until needed.

In Korean cuisine, small dishes are essential to each meal, creating a balance of color, texture, and flavor, so it is fitting that the first section includes banchan and salads. Dishes such as Korean-style Cucumber Salad, as well as Egg Souffle with Mushrooms and Truffle, are common.

Even those who are unfamiliar with Korean cuisine will recognize the name Kimchi. The author has several variations to choose from, as well as dishes such as Korean Picked Onion and Spiced Pickled Green Papaya and Cucumber.

Dumplings (mandoo) recipes are both non-traditional (Philly Cheesesteak) and traditional (pork and kimchi), having in common bright flavors and great textures. There are Street Foods like Saewoo Prawn Pop Balls, with their crisp texture and tangy dipping sauce. Ko-mex fusion dishes can inspire, like Sea Bass Tacos and Kimchi Lamb Tamales.

The Meat & Seafood section has the most recognizable dishes, like Grilled Beef Short Ribs, Beef Bulgogi, and Pan fried Flounder. There are Soup & Noodle dishes like Seafood Silken Tofu Soup and Fish Chowder with Miso.

The final two sections are Bread, with offerings such as Kimchi Cheese Pretzel Bites, and Desserts, such as Green Tea Roll Cake and Asian Pear Tart.

I found many recipes to be inspiring, but would have been even more so if there had been accompanying photographs for every dish. Especially when a cuisine may be new to readers, the photographs help to spark an interest. Overall, there were many dishes that I would like to make in Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food Cookbook, so I would recommend it to other readers.

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This is a lovely cookbook, beautifully set out. There are quite a few recipes that caught my eye, although I must confess it seems to be a little more fusion style than the title led me to expect. I'm also not a fan of the section title pages having enormous font with one word split on multiple lines which just made it hard to read and detracted from the appealing categories. Other than than, it is a lovely cookbook with some recipes I will be interested to try.
I received a free digital copy via NetGalley, but the opinions expressed are my own.

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I've been a fan of Judy Joo for a long time - she's the reigning champ of the best recipe for steamed eggs - so I was absolutely over the moon to get a netgalley arc for this book. And of course it delivers! Her new steamed egg recipe with shiitake mushrooms and truffles looks amazing. I am completely changing my dinner plans to make her kimchi bernaise to go with my steak. The casually thrown-in egg bread recipe has me dreaming of modifications to make it work for my dietary restrictions. There's pickling, dumplings, desserts - it's all there in one gorgeous package. The photos and layout are stunning. So it's practical AND pretty. I wouldn't hesitate to buy the book for a friend (or myself). It'll make for a fantastic gift.

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Judy Joo’s Korean Soul Food
My thanks to #NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review. What a fun cookbook! With 221 mouth-watering pages, Joo presents an eclectic and modern take on traditional Korean fare. The photos in this book will take the reader to another dimension! The recipes blend the familiar and exotic with easy to follow instructions and lovely introductions that provide context and inspiration. For an intriguing look at Korean culture, this one is not to be missed.

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