Tuesday, February 22, 2005
1st Independent Food Festival Awards
Not that anyone asked, but I thought I would throw in my two cents on the 1st Independent Food Festival Awards (being the cheeky girl I am) and give my own little award to “The Best Spicy Condiment that Doesn’t Come in a Bottle”
And the winner is: Sunchang Gochujang (Hot Pepper Paste) a Korean condiment par excellence….like a little bit of spicy heaven in every bite. I assume this is not a small company, but since it is not well known (outside of the Korean community, I suppose) or widely available here in Los Angeles (booming metropolis that it is) I figure they can get an award anyway...
So what are the ingredients in this fine, fermented product? Sweet White Rice, Red Pepper Powder, Soybeans, Salt and Water. AKA, all natural. Akin to miso in texture, but a touch denser, it is a thick, heady paste you can use in almost anything that you want to perk up with some sweetness and heat, and a bit of thickening. It beats out the (I find) overpowering taste of most other hot sauces that tend not to meld in as much as declare their presence. Soups, salad dressings, roast meats, in sauces and over steamed vegetables, you name it they all take to this great stuff. If you are shy about things getting too spicy, just put in a touch at first, much more and it gets firey for sure. And the bonus is that it comes in the cutest little plastic tub…
If you can find it locally, please do try it. They also have an adorable website with some good recipes…
I will post a recipe later, but in the mean time, enjoy!
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Lima beans were named after the capital of Peru.
Crudo is the Italian word for uncooked and, in Italy, applies most often to cured meats like prosciutto.
A Portobello is a mature, fully opened crimini mushroom
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