Parasite
In the 2019 Bong Joon Hoo, Oscar winning film, jobless, penniless, and utterly hopeless, the unmotivated patriarch Ki-taek and his equally unambitious family struggle to make ends meet by working for peanuts in their dingy, basement-level apartment. However, their luck changes when their college-age son, Ki-woo, seizes a golden opportunity: entirely unqualified, he has the nerve to pose as an English tutor for the wealthy Park family's teenage daughter. And now, the sky is the limit. But as they adopt a winner-take-all strategy and launch a silent class war, the question arises. When it comes to parasites, how does one get rid of them? Source
The food characters eat represents their status and personalities. For example, the wealthy Park family enjoys expensive steak, while the impoverished Kims can only afford cheap, mass-produced food in their semi-basement. As the Kims get jobs working for the Park family and earn more money, they start eating better food, like Korean BBQ and Sapporo beer.
The food and drink scenes often symbolize the dangers of class inequality and how it can lead to the downfall of society.
“Da-song likes ram-don more than anything. If you boil the water now, the timing will be perfect. There’s sirloin in the fridge, add that too.”
The Scene: Yeon-kyo calls Chung-sook and asks her if she knows how to make ram-don. We then see Chung-sook putting a pot of water on the stove to make the noodles, as well as her cutting the sirloin, and stirring all of the components together. When Yeon-kyo returns home she tells Chung-sook, “Why don’t you just eat the ram-don?,” before deciding to give it to her husband. However we ultimately see Yeon-kyo sit down in front of the bowl, take a pair of chopsticks and pick up a piece or sirloin. Source
Fun Fact: “Ram-Don”, a portmanteau of ramen and udon, is the brainchild of South Korean director Bong Joon Ho, and a spin on the simple Korean dish jjapaguri. Following the release of the movie, ironically 'Parasite' ram-don noodles started getting $25 price tags at NY restaurants
It's 'typically white' consumers who are ordering the dish, one chef said, according to the article. Source
Image and Recipe Source
Today we will be making:
Ram-Don
With Sirloin Steak
Ram-Don (aka Jjapaguri) is made by cooking Jjapagetti and Neoguri noodles together in one pot. It’s yummy chewy noodles in a Jjajang sauce that has a hint of spicy udon flavor.
Ingredients
1 Chapagetti (Jjapagetti)
1 Neoguri
5 cups water
2 green onions
4 oz sirloin steak
Directions
Boil 5 cups of water
Slice green onions thinly. Set aside
Cut steak into small cubes. Season lightly with some mirin, sesame oil, sea salt and black pepper
Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook steak cubes for few minutes until it's cooked to your desired doneness. Set aside
Open noodle packages and dry flakes and soup packets
When water boils, add both noodles to pot and boil for 2 min
Drain water (about half) from pot, still leaving enough water to so it comes up to just below the top of the noodles. Return pot with noodles to stove. Turn on to medium-low and simmer
Open dry flakes packet from BOTH packages and add to pot. Add all of Chapagetti seasoning packet and 1/2 of Neoguri seasoning packet (add more if you like it more spicy and salty). Keep mixing until noodles are all well coated in sauce
Simmer noodles for another 2-3 min until most of the liquid is gone and noodles are well coated in sauce
Right before turning off the heat, add the cooked steak cubes and also the oil from Chapagetti. Stir. Immediately transfer to a dish.
Plate noodles with the steak cubes and top with sliced green onions
Why This Recipe Works
It’s a genius combination of Jjajangmyeon (Chapagetti 짜빠게티) and Spicy Udon (Neoguri 너구리) with no broth but still all the yummy spiciness of the udon broth
A cheap Jjapaguri (Ram-Don) dish topped with expensive Korean beef (hanwoo 한우) is a very interesting take by Director Bong. This dish symbolizes the rich Park family trying to glamorize a cheap dish – since just a plain Jjapaguri is not good enough for her son
Pro Tips
Serve with some Danmuji (pickled yellow radish) or kimchi
This dish is best eaten right away. Do not leave it too long, noodles will soak up the sauce and become unpleasant to eat
Adding the steak is optional - I mainly added it because of how it was done in the movie. It's totally fine without the steak
Don't overcook the noodles
The right amount of water is important - leave enough water to a level just below the noodles and then continue to simmer until you just have the think sauce left
“No peaches at our house. It's a forbidden fruit."
The Scene: The scene takes place around the half way mark of the film. At this point in the story, the poor and unemployed Kim family, a nuclear family of four, have all (the exception of the mother, Chung-sook) infiltrated their way into the rich and upper class Park family, and are now looking for a way to get Chung-sook a job in the household. And all within the space of one beautifully crafted and controlled montage, we see the Kim family create a carefully-conducted plan to get the Park family’s housekeeper, Moon-gwang (Lee Jung-eun) fired by creating a lie that she has tuberculosis, knowing that Park matriach, Yeon-gyo will likely fire her, and then Chung-sook can take her place. Source
Fun Fact: The scene consisted of 60 different shots all within just over 5 minutes.
Image and Recipe Source
Today we will be making:
Scrambled Oats Momo
Scrambled oats are exactly what they sound like—not to mention an easy way to get two whole fruits in one meal. This recipe is inspired by today’s Korean cuisine influencers, and its Greek yogurt-filled peach resembles momos—steamed meat-filled dumplings whose origins are traced to Tibet and parts of the Indian Himalayan Region.
Ingredients
1 banana, ripe, peeled
1 teaspoon butter
1 egg
3 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 rolled oats
1 peach, ripe
Directions
Cut off the top of the peach with a paring knife. Using the paring knife, cut around the pit. Remove the pit using either kitchen pliers, scissors or tongs by carefully twisting the pit out. Stuff the peach with 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt and set aside
Place the banana, oats, egg and remaining tablespoon of yogurt in a large bowl and use a fork to mash it all together until well combined
Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Transfer the oat mixture to the skillet. Spread it out to an even layer and allow to cook undisturbed until it looks set, about 5 minutes.
Use a spatula to scramble the mixture, then form a disc to flip and ensure all sides are browned and toasted, about 5 more minutes
Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the yogurt-stuffed peach
Why This Recipe Works
There’s nothing savory about this momo—between the fruits and honey, it’s all sweetness you’ll simply savor
You can shake up your breakfast with the viral scrambled oats trend
Pro Tips
Make sure the fruit is ripe for this recipe
Garnish with freeze dried strawberries and fresh herbs, if desired
“Madam? Want some plum extract? It’s mixed with honey to ease your tension.”
The Scene: When “Jessica” comes to interview to be Da Song’s art teacher, the mother Chung-Sook is banished from the interview by Jessica, a tradition she normally sits in on. She sits nervously at the kitchen table while her housemaid offers her plum extract with honey
Fun Fact: Korean plum extract (Maesil Wonaek, 매실원액) is made with Korean green plums (also known as Japanese apricot) by marinating them with honey or sugar for a few months. Typically Koreans use this plum extract in a sauce, dipping sauce or marinade sauce. It has a sweet and mildly tangy taste, so when people add this plum extract in a recipe, they reduce the vinegar and/or sugar.
Image and Recipe Source
Today we will be making:
Bourbon Sour
With Honey-Plum Syrup
This drink is perfect for the last days of summer, and the ushering in of a new season.
Ingredients
For the base cocktail:
2 ounces Basil Hayden's® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
3/4 part fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3/4 part honey-plum syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
For the honey-plum syrup:
2-3 fresh plums, sliced
2 cups honey
Directions
For the base cocktail:
Combine all ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, and shake until well combined. Strain into a rocks glass over ice, and garnish with a plum wedge and lemon peel.
For the honey-plum syrup:
In a medium sauce pan, combine 1 cup of water and the sliced plums
Bring to a light simmer until the plums begin to split and release the juice
Add in 2 cups of honey, and gently stir to combine
Remove from the heat, and allow to cool. Strain out the plum solids
Add 1 ounce to the base cocktail and stir
Why This Recipe Works
The base spirit—Basil Hayden's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which is light-bodied with a spicy flavor profile—is always the inspiration for any crowd-pleasing cocktail. This specific spirit meshes with many different ingredients, but for a light, late-season cocktail it works well with citrus and other bright fruits
Pro Tips
You can store the syrup in a glass jar in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks
Serve in a rocks glass to see the vibrant colors
