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So last week, a team of Korean filmmakers took charge of my neighbor’s kitchen. I had been conscripted to participate in a series of videos, designed to teach Westerners to appreciate and create their own Korean dishes at home. It was incredibly fun to make, even if it was a challenge to keep my traditional nurse costume clean.

So, please click on the videos below to view our group’s submission, “Dr. Chef.”

First, we have gamjajun, or potato pancakes, which you can make using only potatoes and water.  They are not like latkes, so make sure to cook them over low-medium heat and don’t let them brown. Kids (and chefs wearing costumes) love these, especially with ketchup.

Next, we have pumpkin porridge, or hobak juk. It’s gentle and flavorful, plus full of chewy rice balls! If you want to make this even more quickly at home, use canned pumpkin for your puree. With this shortcut, you should be slurping your soup in 5-10 minutes (depending on if you decide to make rice balls).  Add red beans or kidney beans to make this really authentic.

Finally, we have jap chae, which is a stir-fried vegetable dish made with glass noodles. Traditional preparation takes a long time, since so much emphasis is placed on uniform cutting of your ingredients.  That said, it’s as beautiful as it is tasty, and festive, as it’s commonly served on Lunar New Year. Most often, jap chae will include the traditional 5 colors of Korean cuisine (red-orange, green, yellow, white, and blue-black). The colors have significance, indicating balance and well-being in traditional medicine.

If you prepare the egg garnish, or jidan, you should cook it over low heat to try and minimize bubbling. I like to heat up my skillet, turn off the fire, and then add my separated egg.  The residual heat cooks the yolk and the white, but leaves them smooth and opaque — perfect for making the garnish and getting in your white and yellow ingredients.

If you have any questions on the recipes, please send me an email or leave a comment. Here’s three cheers for the talented film crew and three more for Korean food!