japanamania

i came across my first muji shop in london years ago and since then i haven't been able to get enough. cool clothing, bath products and pens and pencils, all in the same place and all with that distinct, clean, simple muji style. it's heaven. i could browse the aisles for hours (although i confess i start to feel like a messier and more disorganized version of my perfect self when i'm finished). i recently discovered that the muji shops in singapore sell muji food products, too. and not just tea beverages in cool pet plastic containers and wasabi peas, but also baking mixes. brownies, pizza, focaccia, and even those chocolate yule logs with holly branches (huh???). but the funny thing is, the packages are really small. there's supposed to be a pan inside the box, too.
when i make the mix i'll post the results. for now the package sits on the shelf as a sort of kitchen curio.

what i'm eating

the best chicken recipe i've ever found

yup, it's that simple. i came across a recipe for korean chicken on aromacookery.com, a great food blog from singapore. i was dying for korean food but, since it was already 5 p.m., couldn't make anything that required a long marinade time. i found the aroma recipe (which says to marinate overnight but in fact it's not necessary).

interesting.

i'd never used gochujang as a marinade, but i thought i'd experiment with it a bit. wow. it looks a lot spicier than it is. it's mostly just savory and tasty. delicious. despite being bright red, gochujang is actually quite a mild chili paste (well, compared to chili pastes in thailand). it's one of the staple ingredients in korean cooking, so you should be able to find it in any korean food store. or find it here.

the panel of experts (consisting of a lone man named john whose primary household duty is food taster) says this is one of the five best things i've ever made. bear in mind that's not necessarily saying much, but it is really good. and easy.


korean spicy grilled chicken

1 pound boneless chicken breast, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
4 crushed garlic cloves
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/4 cup gochujang
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup water

mix gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar together in a bowl or large plastic bag. add garlic, onions and chicken and mix well to coat chicken and onions with paste.
marinate for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
heat coals or fire up your grill (or turn on your toaster oven or broiler, you can even make this in a frying pan!). grill chicken till done. DO NOT DISCARD MARINADE.
while chicken is grilling put the remaining marinade with onions into a sauce pan and add 1/2 cup of water. cook till the onions are soft and the liquid has boiled. serve onion chutney with chicken.