Ambitious Deliciousness – Dont Eat Lazy.

Odeng (fish cake) Gook is a Korean soup made with fish cakes. I realize that the idea of fish cakes can be strange to some, so let me try to explain. The “cake” part is far from sweet; it resembles a tougher than tofu consistency and a slightly fishy flavor. If you’ve never heard of this soup, it’s because Odeng Gook actually belongs in the snacks category, pairing wonderfully with my favorite – ddukbokki (rice cakes slow cooked in spicy sauce)!

Odeng (fish cake) comes in all shapes and sizes. Most often, the ones used in soup are sold in skewers, but any kind will do. There is also a little soup packet that comes with the fish cakes that you can use. I prefer to make my own, using simple ingredients. I use radish to produce a clean, refreshing, MSG free flavor that is essential in this soup!

(more…)

Do you ever find yourself eating just rice and seaweed as a meal? It’s actually one of my favorite quick dishes to eat! But it’s kind of sad when seaweed is the only thing to accompany your rice! That’s when I realized that it’s been a long time since I’ve made any sort of ban chan (Korean side dish), so I decided to try my hand at making something new.

Fish cake (aka o-deng) is similiar to imitation crabs in the sense that it’s been processed to have hints of fish flavor, but not quite. I’m sorry but I have no idea what is really in it. Isn’t that comforting to know?

One thing I forgot to do is to lightly poach the fish cake by dipping it boiling water for a minute. This will soften the fish cake by adding moisture, as well as to clean out the “toxins,” according to my mom.

(more…)