Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food

This was a fun cookbook with lots of interesting recipes and great photos. I would love to try several of these dishes.

A wonderful guide to cooking amazing delicious Korean food.From the introduction where the author introduces us to her family the way they kept up their traditions by cooking food from home.Kimchi always fermenting.There are lists with explanations for what supplies to buy to stock our kitchen .The pictures will make you drool a lovely Edson in Korean soul food, #netgalley quarto

This is an amazing book full of mouthwatering recipes, straight forward and no nonsense involved, easy to understand and follow, each one makes you want to dive into the kitchen. Beautiful photos alongside the recipes encourage you even more, fabulous book and highly recommended

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I loved that the author doesn't feel the need to tell long, involved, unrelated stories about her life before getting to a recipe. I loved it!! She tells short, to-the-point and relevant ones that worked perfectly and the focus was all on clear recipes. The recipes were a mix of simpler and more involved, the only drawback is that you definitely need a good international foods store or Korean grocery and there were a bit more unusual ingredients than what I was expecting, especially since I thought I already was pretty well stocked in Korean-cuisine ingredients. If you're really interested in making them, it'd be worth investing in a few of these as they get reused often. Lots of gorgeous, helpful pictures too!

My love for Iron Chef Judy Joo is utter, unwavering and irrational so imagine my complete delight when the very first NetGalley book I received as a wish was her cookbook.

I am still fangirling out!!

The recipes are approachable and the photos are fantastic. I love that she offers a helpful glossary as well. The recipes range from simple to complex so there is something for everyone in this gorgeous cookbook.

I am so in love with this that am buying a hardcopy for my countertop collection!

Thank you to Judy Joo, White Lion Publishing, and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have never read Korean cookbooks before.

seafood pancake

garlic chive pancake



But I feel like I know some of it,as I watched gochujang making.

sikhye popsicle



You can see the cosmopolitan influence in the kimchi aranchi, Scotch egg, English Bibim breakfast, Kimchi Biryani, Galbi Steak pie, Kimchi Mac n Cheese, Kimchi Cheese pretzel Bites,

This cookbook is amazing, I love the twists on Korean staples along with more traditional recipes as well. Also, I love when a cookbook includes pictures to help me visualize the dish and the pictures in this cookbook are amazing!

This is a gorgeous and simple cookbook (despite not having numbered directions. I'm that kind of learner). I didn't know much about Korean food and Ms. Joo's cookbook breaks it down in a way I can remember going forward. Some items I can't find at my local grocery store but they're also easy enough to hunt down in my area. I recently had Spam (no comment yet) and I will definitely try my hand at the Spam French Fries with Cheesy Kimchi Dipping Sauce. Never having had Kimchi before, I'm determined to make the Kimchi recipes in this book. The dumplings are a challenge but I'm glad to have photos to compare them to (or maybe not glad but grateful :D). Most of the recipes are outside my comfort zone which makes it exciting for me -- I've been wanting to try a new cuisine and the Korean Soul Food cookbook is the book I needed to get me started.

I love Korean cuisine!!!
After visiting Korea in 2005 I spent several years figuring out how to make kimchi (and various other tasty Korean treats). This book could have saved me a lot of time and effort.
The recipes all sounded delish, and most have vibrant photos to accompany them.
With the publishing date in a couple of days I didn't get a chance to try as many recipes as I normally would before rating a cook book.
One meals worth is all we got.
Our meal had us trying the Cucumber Salad, Pork & Kimchi dumplings and the Kimchi Mac & Cheese.
Though mine did not look as delightful as Judy's, they did all taste very good!
I'm looking forward to trying more of her recipes.
Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for my DRC.

Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food comes with over 100 recipes, plus a list of store cupboard ingredients, and how to make your own sauces.

The recipes are split into the following sections:
Salads & banchan
Pickles & kimchi
Dumplings
Street food
Rice
Ko-mex
Meat & seafood
Soup & noodles
Bread
Desserts

Some of the recipes are an infusion of Korean and Mexican (Ko-mex) or using Korean ingredients in a western dish such as Tiramisu or macaroni cheese. I'd certainly give many of these dishes a go in the future with Saewoo Prawn Pop Balls, Kimchi Lamb Biryani (Pie) and Royal Tteokbokki (ribs with a stir fry) being first on my list.

Might be helpful to include a list of where some of the ingredients can be obtained, especially in the Store Cupboard section at the beginning.

The book does include delicious looking colour photographs, measurements are in both metric and imperial with well laid out instructions on how to make each dish.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

From all the Asian foods I had the chance to try and taste, Korean food remains mostly a no-go. The fermented foods to not come along with my stomach and tastes therefore, there is not joy in tasting it. However, there are many more combinations and alternatives that might suit my palate and my health, and the recipes included in Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food book can change my mind.
The recipes are not only simple, but they offer some alternatives and combinations that mix ingredients in a way that bring them closer to the usual non-Korean taste. For instance, kimchi arancini, or the Yakult Turkish delights, or many of the recipes included in the sweets and pastry section. Also, did you know that in the US there is a trend called Ko-Mex, which combines both Korean and Mexican cuisine? I personally haven't...
As I probably will need a couple of many many more Korean dishes to taste and like until will dare to prepare my own Korean meal - if ever - I rather focused on the cultural and anthropological aspects of the recipes, as well as the writing. In both cases, I was not disappointed, as I got a lot of interesting insights about the spices and the ingredients and some local histories about Korea.
The visual part is also inspiring, simple pictures revealing the Korean table customs and meals.
Overall, a recommended book to anyone curious about the Korean cuisine, including anti-pickle and kimchi individuals like me.

This book had excellent instructions and beautiful pictures. It was not what I was expecting as far as authentic Korean recipes but it definitely had recipes I would try. I love the mix of Korean and Mexican flavors and I honestly feel it will be an excellent cookbook for me. However, if you are looking for truly Korea inspired recipes you may be disappointed. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

I wanted to find Korean recipes for which I would be able to easily find the ingredients. Many I can't. There was a reference to a place called HMart which specializes in Korean foods. But not near me at all. Perhaps online orders? As there are many recipes that I would like to try.

I am not a fan of Kimchi so those are classic Korean but I love Bulgogi, which was my first introduction into Korean food. I was glad to see that recipe there. And will be making that for sure!

Looking forward to trying out some new recipes. I am really into classic Korean and Asian food. I can see that there are some new/modern type recipes in this book and those I was not familiar with, such as the Ko-Mex, Korean-Mexican style recipe.

I received an ebook copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

An excellent collection of Korean recipes. A great mix of vegetarian, fish, and meat options. All really accessible look at Korean soul food.

A beautiful insight into Korean food.
From fermented food to street food,from sharing plates to desserts,the author introduces the readers to a variety of recipes full of flavours and easy to follow.

The pictures accompanying the recipes are beautiful and the food looks mouthwatering.

I particularly appreciated the dumpling section and I will definitely try the recipes out for a dinner!

I love reading cookbooks, especially Asian cookbooks.

I had high hopes for this cookbook, because in reading preliminary reviews this books sounds really good and different.

Well, it is different, there is a section Ko-Mex bridging Korean and Mexican cuisine. Some of the recipes I did not expect to see in this book, like Spam Fries w/ Cheese dip, English Bibim Breakfast (catering to her English roots), Kimchi Lamb Tamales, etc.

I like the different recipes that you don't see in a "standard" Korean cookbook. But what I found was some of the recipes are more involved or have many ingredients would make the cookbook difficult to be an everyday cookbook. You need some planning for some of the dishes in this book. I so much want to try some of the recipes but not sure about the time to invest in trying some.

The photography is great in this book and the write up on the recipes are clear, with both measurements in imperial and metric.

I would recommend this book to add to anyone's collection.

I would recommend this book for

There is a wonderful variety and selection of recipes in this book. From sweet to savoury there is everything for anyone wanting to try Korean cuisine.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group and Netgalley for the advanced copy of Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food! I don't often "wish" for books, but I was so happy to have received a copy of this book!
I don't generally review or purchase many cookbooks, but when I do, I have two different types I look for: Korean food and desserts.

It makes me so happy to see the rise of popularity of Korean food- not just BBQ, but of the banchan (side dishes) and stews. As a half-Korean, I grew up with Korean food and appreciate the subtle differences that each American cookbook offers when going over Korean food.
I can't help but prefer traditional Korean recipes, so I was a bit thrown off by how many of these recipes were fusion Korean foods. Many Korean foods often use similar ingredients, but with fusion foods there are often so many ingredients that I find some of these recipes too complicated. Not that these recipes don't sound delicious, but they are not what I would choose to make at home if I was preparing a Korean meal. Out of the recipes I saw, I really liked the recipes for seasoned spinach, garlic chive pancake, and spicy pork belly stir-fry (all more traditional foods). I also liked the simple recipes for sauces to use with the various foods. The pictures were very nice and I liked the simplicity of the directions for the banchan and traditional foods.

I recommend this cookbook to someone who prefers to try fusion food with a Korean twist. I love Korean food and I love to share Korean food, so most publications with clear directions for Korean food make me pretty happy. Thanks again to Quarto Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lovely Korean cookery book. As someone who loves to cook and loves Asian cooking, I actually haven't got a lot of experience with Korean cuisine and so I was excited to delve into this book. It should be noted that I am vegetarian and obviously this is not a vegetarian cookery book, but that being said I still found some really lovely new recipes. Of course, there are some recipes with Korean ingredients which I know I would struggle to find in my small English town, but there are also lots of recipes with easy to find substitutions which is really helpful. There is also a list of the more unusual ingredients at the start of the book which again is really helpful. The recipes also are mostly named in both Korean and English which I thought was a lovely touch. The only real criticism that I have is that I would have loved more pictures!

Having relocated from NYC to the 'burbs, I often find myself craving Korean food and then becoming disappointed that I live in a black hole of culinary diversity. The photos in Judy Joo's cookbook made me want to start cooking immediately, and now when I have those cravings, I can prepare Korean-inspired dishes myself. Can't wait to fully test all of these recipes.

This cookbook was such a joy to read! I requested this book because of both my love for cooking and my love for Korean food, and it did not disappoint. My goodness, this cookbook is so well structured and is just so appealing to look at. I now want to make every single recipe in it! I also really appreciate that it did not complicate or pack way too much into one book, as most cookbooks tend to do, and gave the reader a guide of sorts to start cooking Korean food. It was also great to see some fusion dishes as well as some traditional delicacies.
All is all, I absolutely adored this book and will be cooking Korean food for the next 6 months.

Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food is a new cookbook and tutorial by Judy Joo. Released 1st Oct 2019 by Quarto on their White Lion imprint, it's 224 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.

I love Korean food but always felt somewhat intimidated and full of excuses: "It's too complicated", "the ingredients are hard to source", "it requires too much special equipment", and maybe the lamest of them all "it's culturally insensitive for a lily white Irish girl to make Korean food".

Well, soul food and street food is 100% -me-, plus I love the author's media appearances I've seen, so I thought I'd give the book a try and I'm glad I did. The author's style of writing is intelligent and accessible. She clearly has a passion for food and culture. She's also clever and it shines through in the recipes and tutorials.

The book starts with a short author bio and pictorial introduction to Korean seasonings and ingredients. Some of these are readily sourced from a well stocked international/Asian grocery store. Some of them will probably need to be ordered online.

The book continues in a logical fashion through salads and banchan (side dishes), pickles and kimchi (more on this later), dumplings, street food, rice, ko-mex, meat & seafood, soups & noodles, breads and desserts. The chapters are packed with recipes (most with photographs) which are clear and easy to follow. Each of the recipes include sidebar with ingredients listed bullet point fashion (given in US standard measurements and metric), yields, and step-by-step instructions.

If you search for kimchi recipes, there are literally millions out there. I've tried most of them (ok, not really, but almost). I have never been quite satisfied with the results; they never quite achieved the taste and texture made by my friend's Korean grandma. The chonggak (radish) kimchi (p. 39) comes really close to my remembered experience. It's got a really nice crunch and a spicy bite along with the tangy fermented taste I adore.

We tried a couple of other recipes from this book as well, and all were appetizing and successful. The cucumber salad (oi muchim, p. 25) was delicious and we've made it twice since then. The sweet potato pancakes (goguma jeon, p. 80) were a little gooey, but I think that was user error on my part, and they were still enthusiastically demolished by my 'testers'.

All in all, this is a beautifully written and presented Korean cookbook full of delicious food. The photography is top notch, the dishes are appealing and the recipes reflect a love and respect for culture and good food.

Five stars. Love this one.

Great book to dive into Korean Kitchen. Complete, easy to follow and full of tasty recipes. WOnderful.

I love Korean food and have Korean staples in my store cupboard. I was intrigued by this book therefore.

The recipes reflect Judy Joo's background: Korean parentage, an American childhood, training in French cuisine, London restaurants....Thus it is predominantly fusion food, including a short Ko-Mex section. Desserts in particular are Western desserts with imaginative Korean flavours e.g. SuJeongGwa crème brulee (after a persimmon, cinnamon and ginger tea)

I made and enjoyed the delicious (albeit a bit salty) beef bulgogi, though surely a grill style pan would give a better result. I also enjoyed the umami turkey sausage roll. I'm set to make the pan-fried salmon with green chilli glaze. All are very easy to do.

I've deducted a star to reflect the difficulty of executing some of the recipes and thus the likelihood that the recipes will be used. Though I suspect the results would be worth the effort. I've also noticed the occasional odd instruction e.g..to fill a pan 3/4 full of water to cook mussels and clams.

The book is very well produced and has some stunning photography, including the vast majority of finished dishes.

Sections:

Introduction (Korean store cupboard)
Salads and banchan
Pickles and kimchi
Dumplings
Street food
Rice
Ko-Mex
Meat and seafood
Soup and noodles
Bread
Desserts

An interesting cookbook that is beautifully presented. I am looking forward to trying some of the recipes.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I love Korean food. I am not Korean, but kimchi is on my kitchen table almost daily.
This book was well written. Nice recipes. Photos. Information about how to ... And .... What tips to use.
I only wish there was more recipes. These covered main korean dishes with some extras.
I still loved it!!!!

Nice diverse recipes. Would recommend if you’re a beginner in the Korean kitchen. Love the metric measurements! Lovely pictures too. For the advanced cook, perhaps the dessert section might be more interesting to mention.

This book is so elegantly simple and beautiful! I love the photos of the food and the presentation of the whole book. The recipes seem easy to follow, though I didn't make any of them. The variety is amazing since it includes Ko-Mex, Street Food, and Dessert that all have new and appetizing recipes. There are so many that I want to try!

Thank you to Netgalley for granting my wish and giving me the opportunity to read and review this cookbook! As a beginner cook, some of the concepts in this book are a little beyond my ability. I am looking forward to trying out these recipes in the future. I love the pictures and explanations for the recipes.

My husband and I love food. One of our favorite date night activities is trying out new restaurants. 9 times out of 10 when we are going out with our group of close friends though, we are likely headed to grab our group favorite- Korean BBQ. I would love to be able to make some of those amazing flavors at home. Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food is an excellent book with all of the foods you would expect in a Korean cookbook like bibimbap, kimchi, and bulgogi, but I was also surprised to find some interesting chapters that I didn't expect. There is an entire section devoted to Korean/Mexican fusion which I didn't even know was a thing but that I am so here for. The desserts were also varied and interesting. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cooking and learning about different cultures.

Korean Scotch eggs, kimchi mac and cheese, green tea monkey bread, kimchi cheese pretzel bites, yuca meringue pie ....  Judy Joo has put together a fantastic variety in her Korean Soul Food cookbook.  If you like traditional, you can learn how to make kimchi or bibimbap with prawns and vegetables .... but if you like a twist, why not try philly cheesesteak dumplings, kimchi and lamb tamales or coconut red bean misugaru tiramisu ....

The recipes are easy to follow with both metric and standard measurements - as well as fantastic photos of all but a handful of the recipes.

(NetGalley ebook -  I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I received an ARC in exchange for my review.

This is a beautiful book. I have a thing for cookbooks. I love reading them and looking at the pictures, even if I don't plan to make anything from them.

This book has beautiful photos, great writing, and good tips.

I can see how quite a few of these recipes would be good eatin', but I think the descriptive copy is a little misleading, as I was expecting more traditional Korean dishes and less fusion food. That said, there are some beautiful photos in here and I'll be trying a few of the recipes!

These recipes look absolutely amazing! I loved the fusion of types of cuisines, and the photographs looked stunning and mouthwatering. Lots of the recipes had very few ingredients but looked amazing, which I’m a fan of. I’ll be cooking a lot of these!

Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food is a well laid out, simple step by step guide.
with fabulous mouth watering photos accompanying original delicious looking recipes.

While the recipes look lovely and seem well explained, they are not quite what I would be looking for. I had hoped to find some tasty Korean meals that I could cook easily for the family, and I didn't feel that was possible.

however, if you enjoy cooking and trying new things and have the extra time i'm sure you could create some amazing meals with the help of this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a beautifully illustrated Korean Cookbook, I thoroughly enjoyed flicking through it, however a a vegan there wasn’t really a lot of the recepies that I would make and also some of the ingredients were things I wouldn’t be able to purchase where I live. However all a lovely book and I am really thankful for the arc copy.

A winner for any fans of Korean food and Asian fusion who are looking to add easy-to-follow recipes to their culinary repertoire. Delish!

I requested this title for the Korean Mexican fusion food and it did not disappoint! But I got so many other tips and inspirations that I started making up lists as I was reading so that I can try a few new things. I really appreciate the variety of flavours, the recipes are a cross pollination of both traditional and more adventurous food which is exactly the type of thing I look for when experimenting in my own kitchen.

This is a lovely cookbook, beautifully set out. There are quite a few recipes that caught my eye, although I must confess it seems to be a little more fusion style than the title led me to expect. I'm also not a fan of the section title pages having enormous font with one word split on multiple lines which just made it hard to read and detracted from the appealing categories. Other than than, it is a lovely cookbook with some recipes I will be interested to try.
I received a free digital copy via NetGalley, but the opinions expressed are my own.

I've been a fan of Judy Joo for a long time - she's the reigning champ of the best recipe for steamed eggs - so I was absolutely over the moon to get a netgalley arc for this book. And of course it delivers! Her new steamed egg recipe with shiitake mushrooms and truffles looks amazing. I am completely changing my dinner plans to make her kimchi bernaise to go with my steak. The casually thrown-in egg bread recipe has me dreaming of modifications to make it work for my dietary restrictions. There's pickling, dumplings, desserts - it's all there in one gorgeous package. The photos and layout are stunning. So it's practical AND pretty. I wouldn't hesitate to buy the book for a friend (or myself). It'll make for a fantastic gift.

Judy Joo’s Korean Soul Food
My thanks to #NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review. What a fun cookbook! With 221 mouth-watering pages, Joo presents an eclectic and modern take on traditional Korean fare. The photos in this book will take the reader to another dimension! The recipes blend the familiar and exotic with easy to follow instructions and lovely introductions that provide context and inspiration. For an intriguing look at Korean culture, this one is not to be missed.

Lovely pictures and useful list of Korean store cupboard ingredients. I especially like the various sauces, stocks, pickles and dips for new ideas. I did see that it was essentially fusion recipes of which I'm not that fond but at least some have appeal. Not totally convinced about the Spam French Fries - I have memories of Spam as a child in the early 50s, perhaps this way of battering and frying improves it!. The brown shrimp and broccoli and the chicken with ginger and shiitake mushroom dumplings sound delicious and I'll make these when I find a) fresh shiitake mushrooms and b) eggless wonton wrappers - internet for these at least. All of the pancakes appeal. I freely admit that I was baffled, at first, by the rice cake skewers. Rice cakes to me are flat, puffed, rice crispy things with no flavour or sustenance. Google came up trumps though - you seem to make them with rice flour and water, rolling a lot to get the smooth texture - still sound tasteless to me so that's why the various additives for the skewers I suppose. There are certainly quite a few of the later recipes that appeal. Whilst I have a fairly well stocked pantry I would find it hard to get some of the fresh ingredients - lotus root, the various mushrooms so quite a lot of the recipes would need modification for what I can get hold of, I'm note sure about rehydrating dried shiitake as the texture is then wrong. Still, an interesting mix. The same goes for the whole range of noodles. What would i do without the internet? I can do without the desserts although the Asian Pear Tart is definitely up my street. There are sufficient quirks and nice sounding recipes (leaving out the kimchi mac and cheese, just oh no) for me to put this on my Christmas book list and give the family a treat or three. Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Interesting recipes and nice story behind them. Haven’t cooked from it yet but might in the future.

I've been a fan of Judy Joo since she first had her Korean Food Made Simple tv show. I marveled at her ability to make Korean food seem easy to make (assuming, of course, that one could find the ingredients.) She also exuded Korean manners and sensibilities in subtle ways, in her perfectionism and attention to grooming, and impeccable manners when visiting Korea. Her family should be proud!

This cookbook was a pleasant surprise in the way that she moved beyond the traditional dishes and let her playful side shine through. A chapter on Komex blends Korean and Mexican. (She isn't the first Korean to think of this idea, as we must credit Roy Choi for his korean taco truck but she embraces it.) She has an entire chapter on kimchi, some traditional, some not. The street food chapter contains an answer to the rice cakes I've had in my freezer, and variations at that. And in her dessert chapter she really blossoms into a creative melding of western technique and Korean ingredients. I think this is the Korean cookbook everyone should start with, rather than starting with something more traditional.

Recipes I've marked to try:

Goguma Jeon (Sweet Potato Pancake)
Tteok Kochi (Rice Cake Skewers)
Gyeran Bbang (Korean Egg Bread)
Green Tea Roll Cake

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for a copy of Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food: Authentic dishes and modern twists by Judy Joo. I have not cooked, or eaten, a lot of Korean food, but this book allowed me to stretch myself and try some new recipes.

The book is divided up into ten section including dumplings, rice, and meat & seafood. It starts with a very helpful introduction that describes ingredients in a Korean storecupboard providing the Korean name, the translation, and a description of each. And there is a similar, but shorter, section on Korean sauces.

Some of my favorite recipes included:
- Aubergine Banchan
- Garlic Chive Pancake
- Vegan Bowl with Cauliflower Rice (but I left out the seaweed)
- Korean Chicken Quesadilla
- Chicken Kaesu Curry
- Spring Onion and Cheese Waffles

Overall this book was good, it had great pictures, but needed a few more, a great index, and great recipes. It did use a lot of different, to me, ingredients that took a while to find, but were not impossible to find. I am not a fan of seafood/fish sauce so I missed out on a few recipes. I recommend this cookbook to anyone looking for a more modern collection of Korean and Korean inspired recipes.

Fabulous photography and Korean-fusion recipes. I'm more of a cookbook reader and peruse-r than user, so this was a delight. Will definitely add this to my collection of Korean cookbooks.

Judy Joo’s Korean Soul Food is an interesting collection of recipes with a different flavour. From salads to soups, there are many Korean Fusion recipes to choose. The layout is easy to follow and the images are stunning in this inspiring cookbook.

Korean restaurants are few and far between where I live, so I was immediately intrigued to give this book a try. There are both traditional and non-traditional recipes in this cookbook. The offerings include :

Salads & Banchan
Pickles & Kimchi
Dumplings
Street Food
Rice
Ko-Mex
Meat & Seafood
Soup & Noodles
Bread
Desserts

❀ KO-MEX RECIPES

I had no idea that Ko-Mex was even a thing until I read this book! The fusion of Korean and Mexican food as a concept just blows my mind, and I can’t wait to try it. The concept of Korean Chicken Quesadillas really sounds like an interesting combination, doesn’t it?

I tried the Avocado Tomato Salad that has a very simple vinaigrette. The flavour is very powerful with the addition of rice vinegar and sesame oil. Definitely a combination that updates a classic simple salad for me.

The things that make a cookbook standout for me are its aesthetics and simplicity. The book has both amazing photography and easy to follow instructions. Some of the ingredients may be hard to obtain for some, however.

❀ PERFECT GIFT

If you are looking for a different kind of cookbook that contains both traditional and non-traditional Korean recipes, Judy Joo’s Korean Soul Food is one book to check out. The imagery is stunning and the recipes are unique. It is a perfect gift for the chef on your list this year.

Great cookbook with a lot of homestyle Korean recipes. Luckily, I live near a Korean grocery store so I was able to procure all the ingredients I needed but I'm sure you could also find them online. Just great, comforting Korean food!

I don't know what I expected really. These recipes look amazing, but I don't like kimchi, seafood or chili so very few recipes are for me!

White Lion Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Cookbook author Judy Joo was inspired by her multicultural upbringing, creating recipes that showcase her heritage and her love of flavor.

This cookbook is divided into logical sections, like Salads & Banchan, Pickles & Kimchi, Dumplings, Street Food, Rice, Ko-mex, Meat & Seafood, Soup & Noodles, Bread, and Desserts. The list of Korean staple ingredients, along with definitions, is very helpful for those getting their feet wet regarding this cuisine. There is a page of necessary sauces, easy to make and store in the refrigerator until needed.

In Korean cuisine, small dishes are essential to each meal, creating a balance of color, texture, and flavor, so it is fitting that the first section includes banchan and salads. Dishes such as Korean-style Cucumber Salad, as well as Egg Souffle with Mushrooms and Truffle, are common.

Even those who are unfamiliar with Korean cuisine will recognize the name Kimchi. The author has several variations to choose from, as well as dishes such as Korean Picked Onion and Spiced Pickled Green Papaya and Cucumber.

Dumplings (mandoo) recipes are both non-traditional (Philly Cheesesteak) and traditional (pork and kimchi), having in common bright flavors and great textures. There are Street Foods like Saewoo Prawn Pop Balls, with their crisp texture and tangy dipping sauce. Ko-mex fusion dishes can inspire, like Sea Bass Tacos and Kimchi Lamb Tamales.

The Meat & Seafood section has the most recognizable dishes, like Grilled Beef Short Ribs, Beef Bulgogi, and Pan fried Flounder. There are Soup & Noodle dishes like Seafood Silken Tofu Soup and Fish Chowder with Miso.

The final two sections are Bread, with offerings such as Kimchi Cheese Pretzel Bites, and Desserts, such as Green Tea Roll Cake and Asian Pear Tart.

I found many recipes to be inspiring, but would have been even more so if there had been accompanying photographs for every dish. Especially when a cuisine may be new to readers, the photographs help to spark an interest. Overall, there were many dishes that I would like to make in Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food Cookbook, so I would recommend it to other readers.

Korean food has gotten especially popular over the last few years; most enjoy it at restaurants, but Chef Judy Joo has made it possible through her excellent cookbook, Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food: Authentic dishes and modern twists, to cook it successfully at home. Her Korean food is influenced by her London and US experiences, which makes her Korean food unique.

Joo has a knack for making recipes sound simple; the instructions are easy-to-follow and well-written. There is a section on necessary ingredients which is very helpful, and then there are dozens of mouthwatering recipes. Favorites that are doable in home kitchens include Chicken Kaesu Curry, Beef Bulgogi (probably the most famous Korean dish), and a fabulous Rib-Eye Steak with Signature Sauces. All three of these dishes turn out picture perfect. Other dishes in the queue include Bibimbap with Prawns and Seasonal Vegetables, Seafood Pancakes, and Galbi Steak Pie. One thing that is surprising is the number of desserts included in this cookbook: Yuja Meringue Pie, Green Tea Roll Cake, and her signature dessert, Snickers Hotteok; these desserts are as beautiful as they are mouthwatering.

One important thing worth mentioning regarding this cookbook is that there are gorgeous photographs of almost every dish. Most home cooks see this as one of the most important aspects of a good cookbook. It’s nice to see what the finished dish should look like, and this cookbook delivers.

For anyone who wants to cook good Korean food at home, this is the cookbook for you. Joo’s books are well-worth the purchase price, and will keep cooks busy for weeks trying new recipes. This cookbook is definitely recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I have recently gotten interested in Korean culture (shout out to Korean Englishmen for the introduction to this beautiful country). So when I saw that I could read this book through NetGalley, I jumped on the chance.

This book is filled with a mixture of traditional and fusion dishes.
For me personally most fusion food is not an immediate favorite, but there is a Korean Indian dish in this book that makes me want to throw those reservations right out of the window.

Accompanying most of the dishes are stunning photographs. It is a little sad that there isn't a visual for every dish, but the pictures that are included are stunning and make each dish even more enticing.

This cookbook would make a great gift for every cook that is not a full newbie beginner and I think there will be a dish in here for everyone.

A beautiful cookbook featuring authentic Korean recipes! I cannot wait to try the kimchi or all of the salads presented in this book -they are really simple.

I loved that the authors starts by talking about some basic ingredients that are staples in Korean cuisine - this way you know exactly what to get at the Asian market and what you need in order to be able to try every recipe in this book.

The pictures were great too!