Learning Korean: Recipes for Home Cooking

In his debut cookbook, James Beard Award winner Serpico (former culinary director of New York’s Momofuku) writes about discovering the food of his Korean heritage. (Born in Seoul, he was adopted by a Maryland family as a baby.) His recipes may require a trip to H Mart for some readers, but can be easily accomplished by most, especially with Serpico’s primer on Korean ingredients and plenty of permission to improvise. No Korean cookbook would be complete without barbecue or noodles, and Serpico has an abundance of rich and mouthwatering choices in abundance. This book reflects the traditions of Korean cooking (including extensive kimchi and banchan offerings), but it’s also unmistakably American, with simpler preparations and unique interpretations. The play on words of the title is simple, a laid-back voyage through Korean cuisine with a master chef while he shares culinary stories. Serpico delivers Korean dishes as he feels they should be eaten: from the heart of a home kitchen, made with love.