Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes [A Cookbook]
Fun to look at and easy to use, this unique combination of cookbook and graphic novel is the ideal introduction to cooking Korean cuisine at home. Robin Ha’s colorful and humorous one-to three-page comics fully illustrate the steps and ingredients needed to bring more than sixty traditional (and some not-so-traditional) dishes to life.
In these playful but exact recipes, you’ll learn how to create everything from easy kimchi (mak kimchi) and soy garlic beef over rice (bulgogi dupbap) to seaweed rice rolls (gimbap) and beyond. Friendly and inviting, Cook Korean! is perfect for beginners and seasoned cooks alike.
Each chapter includes personal anecdotes and cultural insights from Ha, providing an intimate entry point for those looking to try their hand at this cuisine.
Reviews (210)
One of the best cookbooks in my collection
R. A. Walker's husband here. My wife bought me this book as a treat while I was out of town visiting my mom. I have read it thorouh twice now (and when was the last time you did that with a cookbook?) and I have to say that I am totally in love with it. I have a pretty large collection of cookbooks, and I tend to pare them regularly of the ones that don't get used. I recently purged another Korean cookbook which had beautiful photographs and completely inscrutable recipes. I am certain that Cook Korean! will be on my cookbook shelf forever. Robin Ha has demystified a cuisine that I love to eat but, despite being a good and experienced cook of multiple cuisines and styles, have been afraid to try and make at home. I feel, after reading it, not only that I can make the recipes in the book, but that I have a handle on Korean cooking in a general sense. I tested this by looking up some recipes online and yep, they make a lot more sense to me now. Something about the comic book format (and I'm a lover of comics as well as of cuisine) communicates the process of cooking this food to me in a way that a bare recipe never did. Robin's story of her awakening to a love of home cooking and of the traditions that inform Korean cuisine are charming, informative, and really connect with the reader. If you long for the taste of yukgaejang and kimchi jiigang at home, but find these dishes intimidating, BUY THIS BOOK. You will not be sorry. You will make delicious Korean food at home. It will make you happy in your belly.
Vegetarian Korean cooking
Um, I just love this cook book. As a non-Korean with a Korean husband to cook for, easy and delicious Korean cook books are hard to come by. What is even harder is a vegetarian cookbook. I used one Korean vegetarian cookbook, however the recipes were limited. While this cookbook is not vegetarian, these dishes are super easy to substitute tofu or other meatless options while still being simple and delicious! Can't wait to try everything in this book! Disclaimer: I've only cooked the noodle dishes along with the banchan.
The first and only cookbook I've read cover to cover
This book is much more than a cookbook! You learn about Korean food and culture through entertaining comics, and the recipes show you how you can make many different dishes using the same handful of staples. The illustrations (there must be 100s) are adorable and descriptive. I especially love the gorgeous watercolors that mark each new chapter--the paintings somehow make the dishes look more delicious than high-res/styled photographs would. Even if you don't cook you'll enjoy the author's stories told through comics, the amazing artwork on each spread, and you'll probably end up cooking some tasty treats from the book!
Well written and explained.
I’ve loved Korean Cooking ever since I was exposed to it and have spent years learning how to cook it. I prefer Korean cookbooks that showcase simple home cooking (the best in any cuisine in my opinion) and this one does it in spades. It’s not a long list of recipes but she covers all the basics and the illustrations make it easy to understand. She also provides cultural context for the dishes which I love. There are substitutions for several hard to get items or instructions on how to make them. Some recipes do have items that require access to a Korean market (specialty noodles or yellow daikon for example) but if you really want to make them and can’t get to a market there’s always online. I would rate this one of my favorite Korean cookbook along with Dok Suni.
Great introduction to Korean cooking!
I love this book! I was a little worried about the comic book format originally, but it really, truly works. Per a normal cookbook, there are written instructions, but they are accompanied by creative drawings that makes clear exactly what she intends. Almost every recipe occupies two pages as a result, but it really is no different than a more conventional cookbook with instructions on one page and a photo on the next. I’ve been to Korea hundreds of times, and and very familiar with many dishes in this book, whether for casual meals, or for a more elaborate dinner for guests. I’ve yet to find a dud in the bunch: in particular, the fusion recipes toward the end of the book are nearly legendary in Korea, and they are great! The kimchi recipe is the best I’ve found, a bit on the spicy side (even for Korean friends), but as it ferments it makes a kimchi jjigae that is the stuff of legends itself. Highly, highly recommended, and please buy it to reward Robin Ha for her truly creative format!
The recipes are easy to follow and I have had little difficulty finding ...
My family usually hides in fear at the thought of my 'wok terrorism' but this book may be the holy grail I needed to woo them back to my asian kitchen efforts. The recipes are easy to follow and I have had little difficulty finding the majority of ingredients. The cartoons are fun yet descriptive, and none of the recipes are complex enough to require multi-step images. The korean tacos are amazing and the marinade was equal to anything I have had at a good korean BBQ establishment. This cook book is on 'repeat play' and I have yet to screw any of these dishes up, which is a major complement to the author. Kudos!
Actually I can Cook Korean!
Cook Korean! by Robin Ha is a delightful cookbook that de-mystifies Korean cusine for the average (non-Korean) home cook. The book is well-organized and the intro section is just right- not too long, introducing the book's intent and describing ingredients to look for to make authentic Korean recipes. I didn't know if I would like a comic format so much, but her comics and writing style are easy and fun to follow, and I appreciated the little bits of info distributed throughout the book as well. Though there are no photos, the many drawings really help me understand what to do, from cutting ingredients to the right size to how the dish should look at the end. Chapters on street food, cocktails and anju, and Korean fusion dishes take care to acknowledge other delicious influences and features of Korean food and culture. We already had the ingredients for Oisobagi kimchi in our kitchen,and there will definitely be homemade bulgogi and nakji in my near future. I received this review copy from bloggingforbooks in exchange for my honest review, and I can't wait to Cook Korean! I highly recommend this book if you're just getting in to cooking Korean cuisine at home, it's a great, easy to follow guide and fun to read.
Very interesting concept that works surprisingly well of combining comic book illustration with food recipes!
This book is so much fun! Saw the author at a book festival doing a cooking demo and got my copy signed. I live in a large metropolitan area and have access to international markets, which for seaweeds and some ingredients you will definitely need (or Amazon) but at least once the initial purchases are made for your pantry you can use the individual ingredients many times. Her recipes are fairly straightforward, some have more steps than others, but everything I have made has been good. The seaweed salad recipe has become a regular in our lineup, and what a great way to get greens and minerals in the body during this summer heat when greens aren't growing much. Its educational, practical, and I think would be a good gateway for kids and teens to hook them into an interest in food. Wish the author would collaborate with other cooks to illustrate a series of these type of books. I find without photographs, rather, its hand drawn of all the steps and the finished product helps the reader to not have as much stress about your dish not looking like a very stylized food photo like most cookbooks have these days, and focus on having an enjoyable time making simple good home meal preparations. Its also educational with Korean culture tidbits spread throughout the book. UPDATE NOV 2016: Recommend The Adventures of Fat Rice: Recipes from the Chicago Restaurant Inspired by Macau for another unique cookbook that has some hand drawn comic style technique dispersed throughout, mixed with photographs and cultural/personal stories. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607748959/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2TCSOTSSKDROY&coliid=I38O4T8GSHZ7G6
What a fun read! I bought this as a present for ...
What a fun read! I bought this as a present for my sister and we spent an enjoyable (and at time contentious :)) evening making the Japchae recipe. We ended up making a few changes here and there but it was delicious. I highly recommend this book.
This book is by far the BEST Korean cook book we've had
This book. This book is by far the BEST Korean cook book we've had. We've tried many a Korean cook book but none of them have all the recipes we love. You've got your standard bibimbap, bulgogi, kimbap, ect. But then we get fancy and throw in some kalguksu (thank lordy) and nangmyeon (the ultimate summer dish to take you to slurp town). There will never be a book better than this. Now let's talk illustration. This book has some great illustrations and it's perfect for letting your kids looks through to learn about Korea and it's incredible culture. Our copy is covered in sesame oil and gojujeong and it's still banging out all the hits. We'll definitely be buying more to give as gifts. 감사합니다!
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