Beverly Soon Tofu

You want something incredible that you wouldn't or couldn't make at home...
Get korean soondubu soup!

A friend and I were discussing our love of Korean food. He happens to be Korean, and told me that it was imperative that I try Beverly Soon Tofu in Koreatown.  Located on the lower level of a two-story strip mall on Olympic and Vermont, this place is a gem.  It may be a gem, but it's not hidden.  Jonathan Gold has given it glowing reviews, and Anthony Bourdain and Roy Choi ate there for Bourdain's new CNN show, Parts Unknown (you can watch the clip here).   I generally trust Gold and Bourdain's reviews, but more than that I trust my friends' recommendations.

When you first sit down in the small, cramped, and cozy restaurant you are quickly served chilled barley tea that you drink out of cool metal bowls.  After you order, an array of korean side dishes arrive.  I am a huge fan of kimchi.  I love anything that is pickled or fermented, but kimchi wins by virtue of its spice and depth of flavor.  It's the type of food that makes me feel more alive when I eat it. Without exaggeration, this was the best kimchi that I have ever eaten.  I also thoroughly enjoyed their pickled daikon, cucumber, and delicate seaweed topped tofu rounds.

The restaurant serves many traditional Korean dishes such as bibimbap (it looked amazing) and kalbi, but the place is really famous for their soondubu.  What is soondubu (or sundubu)? I asked the same question.  My dining companion said that it's simply a type of korean tofu soup.

Here's what wikiepedia has to say:

Sundubu jjigae (순두부찌개) is a hot and spicy jjigae (Korean stew) dish made with uncurdled dubu (tofu), seafood (oysters, mussels, clams and shrimp are common ingredients), vegetables, mushrooms, onion, scallions, and gochujang or gochu garu (chili powder) in Korean cuisine. The dish is assembled and cooked directly in the serving vessel, which is typically made of thick, robust porcelain, but can also be ground out of solid stone. A raw egg is put in the jjigae just before serving, and the dish is delivered while still bubbling vigorously. This dish is eaten with a bowl of cooked white rice and several banchan (side dishes).^[1]

According to Chef Roy Choi (of Kogi Korean BBQ fame), sundubu jjigae was a dish developed by Korean immigrants in Los Angeles.^[2]

Disregard your prejudices against the evil white soy product.  The tofu they serve at Beverly Soon Tofu (or Beverly Tofu House) is unlike the typical thick, leaden, brick-like stuff that non-vegetarians often fear.  This tofu is creamy, silken, and luscious.  Bottom line: it's the shit.

It should be noted that the restaurant serves a variety of soondubus, including vegetarian options.

The pot arrives steaming and bubbling.  The sweet waitress offers you a raw egg.  You nod your head. She cracks the egg into the hot black pot of red goodness, and you watch the egg turn from clear to opaque. While you wait for your soup to cool, you continue to snack on all manner of pickled things. Finally, you scoop a spoonful of the bright red soup onto a bed of perfectly steamed white rice.  The broth is complex with a pleasing unctuousness.  The dish is spicy without being aggressively overpowering.  For the first few minutes you eat it is impossible to speak.  The food demands total focus and appreciation.

I can't believe I hadn't been there before.

I plan to go back often.

Roasted Broccoli Rabe

You ate too much pizza the night before...
Make some broccoli!

Last night, my friend E had his annual birthday pizza party, and I ate a slice too many.  I wanted a light lunch today and I remembered that I had some fresh broccoli rabe (or rapini), and some not so fresh cherry tomatoes that needed to be used up.  Older tomatoes are great when they're cooked, and I love the taste of roasted broccoli.  Roasted garlic sounded good, too.  I decided to combine the three things and pop them in oven on high heat.  I ate this side with some quinoa drizzled with tahini sauce; balance was restored.

This could also be good served as a side with a lean protein.  The dish is light and flavorful. The tomatoes fall apart and become almost sauce-like.  The garlic flavor is present, but mellowed by the roasting process. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 bunches of broccoli rabe, chopped into large chunks (about 4 cups chopped)
1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Prep your ingredients: chop up the broccoli rabe into large chunks, cut the tomatoes in half, and then peel and halve the garlic cloves.

Place all of the ingredients on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper (to taste... just remember you can always add more salt after it's cooked).  Toss everything with your hands until the oil evenly coats the ingredients.

Place the baking sheet in the oven.  Let the broccoli rabe cook for 7-10 minutes, or until it slightly browned, a darker shade of green, the tomatoes are softened, and the garlic is golden brown.  I like my veggies al dente, but you can cook it for longer if you like yours soft.

Plum Cake Tatin

Your lady friends are coming over... 

Make a plum cake tatin!

I recently started a cooking club with a group of my close female friends.  I hosted our inaugural meeting, and I knew that I wanted to make some kind of dessert that I had never made before. Earlier that week, I spotted Italian plums at my local market, and I bought a large bag of them.  These plums are typically only available in late September and early fall. They are particularly wonderful in baked goods. They are sweet and tart, and add incredible moisture to the cakes they are cooked in.  

This recipe is from the beloved Ina Garten. I didn't change a thing, but I could see this being delicious with the addition of a little cinnamon. Other stone fruit, or even pears, could be substituted if you can't find Italian plums.  I intend to make this recipe every year from here on out.  

Ingredients

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the dish

10 to 12 purple “prune” plums, cut in half and pitted

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9-inch glass pie dish and arrange the plums in the dish, cut side down.

Combine 1 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until it turns a warm amber color, about 360 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Swirl the pan but don’t stir. Pour evenly over the plums.

Meanwhile, cream the 6 tablespoons of butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Lower the speed and beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the sour cream, zest, and vanilla and mix until combined. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and, with the mixer on low speed, add it to the butter mixture. Mix only until combined.

Pour the cake batter evenly over the plums and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a flat plate. If a plum sticks, ease it out and replace it in the design on top of the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners’ sugar.