Book of the Month
At home I mostly cook from components and finish with a variety of condiments. I rarely cook from a recipe and often fall into a pattern of eating the same few things on a loop.
If I am able to pull one new thing from a book into my rotation more than once, that is a win for me.
Simply Korean by Aaron Huh
This book won over my heart with the foundational sauce section, it allowed me to apply new flavors to simple dishes.
Broccoli is so much more interesting drizzled with a little Korean Seasoned Soy Sauce and pan seared chicken went from basic to bold & spicy when marinated in Gochujang sauce.
View book on Amazon
View Authors website for free recipes
Living a short drive away from H Mart, I am no stranger to Korean food and have been known to pick up an H Mart spread for a last minute meal.
Spicy Korean fried chicken, japchae, and kimchi pancakes are a few examples of simple dishes that frequent my table.
All of which are recipes included in this months cookbook selection for us to learn to make at home.
Next in person Cookbook Club: March 14th, 2026
I absolutely loved how intimate the first cookbook club gathering felt that I have decided to cap reservations at 8 people (the number of seats at my table).
This way we can all be a part of one conversation and have room to try everything on the table.
Simply Korean Cookbook Club Gathering
Date: Saturday March 14th, 2026
Time: 4:45 - 6:45pm
Event Details: Please bring a dish or beverage to share inspired by the cookbook
Location: Tigard, OR (RSVP for exact location)
Cook and Tell
This is show and tell for your food (messy counters and all)
Tell us what you’re making, what you thought of a recipe, what you changed, would you make it again?
I want all the details! But more so I want you there and sharing food photos.
Make us wish we were at your house for dinner.
This is a place to find your digital (but also local) community of food obsessed people. (Hosted on Discord)
Reader Agenda
What you will find in this post
Book of the month: Simply Korean by Aaron Huh
In person cookbook club: March 14th, 2026 in Tigard Oregon
January Cookbook Club Gathering Recap
New Cook & Tell chat on Discord
About the author: Aaron Huh
What’s in the book
Recipes included from the book
Korean Seasoned Soy Sauce (Yangnyeom Ganjang) pg 35
Glass Noodle Stir-Fry (Japchae) pg 163
Pickled Radish (chicken-mu) pg 61
Marinated Soft-Boiled Eggs (Gyeranjang) pg 58
Spicy Braised Tofu (Dubu Jorim) pg 123
Soy Braised Beef (Jangjorim) pg 62
Mini Recap on January’s cookbook club gathering
I certainly learned a few things while hosting my first event and plan to share a full recap.
But for now here is a little insight on how the first dinner went.
We took turns passing our dish around the table, discussing the recipe and tasting.
Everyone chose different recipes despite me forgetting to send out a signup sheet!
And since all the recipes were created by the same author the meal flowed together seamlessly and even ended with a dessert.
The gathering felt warm, conversation flowed easy and at the end we looked at a few of my cookbooks for future gatherings.
I am already looking forward to our next!
Simply Korean
I am a creature of habits and find myself reaching for this book more than any other cookbook in my entire collection.
Solely for one sauce that is so good I can’t help but want to put it on everything.
The Korean Seasoned Soy Sauce, you’ll find the recipe down below in the recipe section 😉
My hopes by selecting this book for cookbook club is that I finally make some of the recipes I’ve been eyeing for ages like the Spicy Braised Tofu.
About the Author: Aaron Huh
It wasn’t until I read through the intro of this book that I realized the author, a former professional chef in Seoul has a popular cooking vlog Aaron & Claire on YouTube with 1.4 million subscribers as well as a website with lots of incredible easy to follow recipes.
Making Korean Food Approachable
This book like most books I gravitate towards offer approachable simple techniques to achieve big flavors with minimal effort. Because that’s what home cooking is about.
We all live busy lives and I’m sure if you are here eating good is a priority of yours.
For me eating good starts with learning how to use the staple ingredients I keep on hand in as many different ways as possible.
Preferably in under 30 minutes.
Which I am happy to say this book offers a lot of.
What’s in the book
Sauces | Side Dishes | Proteins | Rice | Noodles | Soups & Stews | Kimchi | Street Food
Specialty Ingredients?
If you’re lucky and live near a international or Korean market I highly recommend taking a stroll down all the isles.
Take a friend with you, make a date of it. There is so much to discover.
Growing up I lived in a very remote area where items like gochujang paste, daikon radish, and glass noodles were nearly impossible to locate without driving an hour to a bigger “city”.
The great thing about this book is most recipes don’t require anything more special than sesame oil, mirin/rice vinegar, and soy sauce.
However there is a whole section on how to make your own korean sauces and another on store bought pantry staples with recommended brands to look for.
Why I love the book
The sauces & pickled radishes frequent my table more than anything else in this book or any book on my shelf if I am being real.
We eat a lot of rice & noodle bowls in my house and having a quick way to spice up what would otherwise be a very simple dish is key.
But this book has so much more to offer which is why I am thrilled to dedicate more time cooking from it for cookbook club.
You can go off script — no one will judge you.
Take a concept and run with it.
Technically the rice bowl below could be considered bibimbap according to the definition of mixed rice with meat and vegetables (I know it’s a stretch, but it was a verrrry good rendition using ingredients I had on hand)
On to the recipes
Now on to what you really want, the recipes!
Here are a few recipes shared straight from the book for you to get a feel for the book.
Korean Seasoned Soy Sauce (Yangnyeom Ganjang) pg 35
Glass Noodle Stir-Fry (Japchae) pg 163
Pickled Radish (chicken-mu) pg 61
Marinated Soft-Boiled Eggs (Gyeranjang) pg 58
Spicy Braised Tofu (Dubu Jorim) pg 123
Soy Braised Beef (Jangjorim) pg 62
Korean Seasoned Soy Sauce
If you were to flip to this recipe in my book you’d know this was good based on the state of the pages.
The little oil splatters and handwritten sticky notes stuck to the page are a clear sign this one’s a keeper.
Japchae
Japchae a glass noodle dish I’ve brought to more potlucks than I can count because of its versatility and ease.
If I am being honest I have never followed this recipe to the T. 🫣
I prefer a bit more ummmph 🌶️ I like to use the Korean Seasoned Soy Sauce recipe above in place of the traditional sauce, and often make it with tofu, mushrooms and loads of veg.
Pickled Radish (chicken-mu)
There is a jar of this in my fridge at all times. It is thee perfect addition to a rice bowl or companion to a fatty meat.
It lasts for months, and if you don’t keep sprite on hand like me, I used a lemon sparkling water + sugar and it turned out great.
H Mart maked a fantastic version with shredded radish and carrots
Marinated Soft-Boiled Eggs
If you’ve had a ramen egg, then you know how much a soft boiled egg can add to a dish.
You can find these premade at H Mart, but if you have the time and patience I encourage you to make your own.
Spicy Braised Tofu (Dubu Jorim)
I am a big fan of mapo tofu and this was very similar and so quick to make.
Start to finish it was ready in under 30 minutes and the leftovers were even better served in a tortilla with an egg and drizzle of kewie.
Soy Braised Beef (Jangjorim)
Another dish I am eyeing that ease the chill of winter.
Join me in the Cook and Tell chat
Right now I am all about community and have taken it upon myself to build the one I have been looking for and maybe you have to.
I want to see what you're cooking, messy counters and all!
Tell us what you thought of a recipe, what you changed, would you make it again?
This is a place to find your digital (but also local) community of food obsessed people.
It’s more intimate than Instagram or Tik Tok, there is space for questions, and conversations without judgement. And dedicated channels for different topics (eg. Kitchen Things, Recipes, Cookbook Recs, Cook & Tell etc.)
