Seafood

I first caught wind of Parasite from The Big Picture podcast and it was clear that it was becoming a big deal. So when it hit theaters last October, I quickly made a movie date with a fiancé that was confused as to why I wanted to watch a thriller. I am not ashamed to say that I am a big chicken when it comes to movies in the horror/thriller genre. But the hype and the South Korean pride were too strong and I had to be a part of the wave.

I won’t go spoiling the movie for you, because it is best seen without knowing anything. But there is an overall theme of class difference and it is illustrated in so many ways. One such difference is the chapaguri (aka jjapaguri aka ram-don) dish that the maid makes for the family. Chapaguri is traditionally made with two packages of instant noodles: one package of chapagetti (“chapa”), a black bean noodle, and one package of Neoguri (“guri”), a seafood ramyun. The wealthy family puts a lavish twist to it by topping the dish with Hanwoo, a premium beef with dense marbling. It’s the equivalent of topping a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese with a prime+ steak.

It’s been years since I’ve eaten a pack of instant noodles but I had to get my hands on this dish asap. I went to the nearest Korean supermarket and grabbed the noodles and beef. It was delicious. The savory noodles coated with a sweet and spicy sauce (thanks to the spice packets) interspersed with juicy umami slices of melty beef. I can see why it’s a crowd pleaser for anyone. As for the calorie content? Well, it’s the weekend and weekends are made for cheat days. 🙂 Continue reading “The Movie Series: Chapaguri (aka Jjapaguri aka Rom-Don) from Parasite (2019)” →

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? I discovered Spongebob when I was in middle school many years ago. It caught my attention from the very first episode, and I was an avid fan for a while. If you don’t know already, Spongebob works at the Krusty Krab where he makes Krabby Patties as a fry cook. A Krabby Patty looks like this. Every time they did a close up shot, my adolescent mind wanted to sink my teeth into one. Now I wonder if I was the only one that was hankering for a made-up burger…
I saw a recipe for a California roll burger, and my first thought was, this is what a Krabby Patty would taste like! Perhaps minus the beef, because where would they get it from? And maybe minus the crab sticks, because wouldn’t that be cannibalism? A Sweeny Todd scenario perhaps? Let’s stop questioning a fictional burger that has no definite flavor and substance, and get down to the nitty-gritty.
It starts with a beautiful set of hamburger buns.* Followed by a spread of Sriracha mayo, and a stack of the standard lettuce and tomato. The beef has just a dash of fish sauce for the umami factor and is topped with a light crab stick salad. It is then followed by a few slices of avocado tossed in lime juice and topped with masago (smelt roe) and nori (dried seaweed).
It’s bursting with flavor and is definitely a king of burgers, worthy of being flipped by Spat (Spongebob’s spatula).

The Krabby Patty (California Roll Burger)

Makes 8 large burgers

Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef
1 tsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. Sriracha
3 tbsp. mayo
½ lb. crab sticks
2-4 tbsp. mayo
2 avocados, sliced
1 lime, juiced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
butter lettuce, washed
tomato, sliced
masago (smelt roe)
nori (dried seaweed)
8 large burger buns

Instructions:

Mix 1 tbsp. Sriracha and 3 tbsp. mayo in a small bowl to make Sriracha mayo.
Shred crab sticks and mix in 2-4 tbsp. of mayo to make the crab salad.
Mix ground beef, fish sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Form into 8 large patties.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook patties about 3 minutes per side or to desired doneness.
While the patties are cooking, slice avocados and toss in lime juice.
When the burgers are ready, layer the components in the following order: Sriracha mayo, lettuce, tomato, beef patty, crab salad, avocado, masago, and nori.

*I made mine from scratch, but you are welcome to use store bought. These buns deserve a post of their own, and will be featured in the future.
** Recipe adapted from use real butter.