Travel and Good Eats

Savannah, Georgia is one of the oldest cities in America - a site of many famous Revolutionary and Civil War Battles.

The history of Savannah begins in February 1733 when General James Oglethorpe landed on a bluff high along the Savannah River and established the final of the 13 original colonies.  

Since the early 1700s, City Market has been the commercial and social center of historic Savannah. Located on the original site of the market used by farmers and traders of all kinds to sell their goods, City Market offers the best of what is old and what is new in Savannah. 

According to the Official Travel & Tourism Guide, Savannah’s City Market comprises a four-block area of restored warehouses and shop fronts.  This charming, open air-marketplace is a visitor’s favorite destination for entertainment, shopping, dining and rest.  City Market is also referred to as the Art and Soul of Savannah.

Once the site of a bustling cotton industry, Savannah's Historic River Street is also another great place to sight-see, eat, buy souvenirs, drink an open cocktail beverage and take a ferry ride across the river for free. 

Historic River Street is also the site of many festivities throughout the year, including the St. Patrick's Day celebration, fireworks on July 4th and New Year's Eve.

Source:

http://www.savannah.com/

How to make Kimchi (cabbage) and Kkakdugi (radish Kimchi), 김치 & 깍두기 (Kimchi Recipe) (by crazykoreancooking)

Kimchi, also spelled kimchee or gimchi, is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. In traditional preparation Kimchi was often allowed to ferment underground in jars for months at a time.

Common ingredients include Chinese cabbage, radish, garlic, red pepper, spring onion, ginger, salt, and sugar.  While kimchi is generally identified internationally as Chinese cabbage fermented with a mixture of red pepper, garlic, ginger, and salted fish sauce, several types of kimchi exists, including regional and seasonal variations. There are variants, including kkakdugi, based on radish and containing no cabbage.

Why try it: Kimchi is loaded with vitamins A, B, and C, but its biggest benefit may be in its “healthy bacteria” called lactobacilli, found in fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt. This good bacteria helps with digestion, plus it seems to help stop and even prevent yeast infections, according to a recent study.

And more good news: Some studies show fermented cabbage has compounds that may prevent the growth of cancer.

The best tasting kimchi is stored in room temperature for an average of six months to reach its full flavor.  It is a popular side dish but is also often used as an ingredient in cooking other popular Korean dish, including kimchi chigae (kimchi soup) and kimchi bokumbop (kimchi fried rice).

Above is a YouTube link on how to make Kimchi and Kkakdugi.  I have not personally followed this recipe, but found this to be the most interesting and entertaining to watch. 

Travel to overseas countries may not always be feasible. 

If you can't make the travel any time soon because of time, distance, money, or the combination of all three, there still should be no reason why you can't experience the food. 

My blog shares my passion for food and eating when traveling, but it occurred to me that perhaps some of you would like a taste of it for yourselves.

I'm discovering that as I post updates and follow-ups, I want you to be able to experience and enjoy the food and eating part even if you can't make the travel. 

So as another follow-up to my previous posts, I bring a taste of Korea to you here in Gainesville. 

Welcome to my favorite Korean restaurant in town, Garlic & Ginger.  By far the best and most authentic Korean food I've discovered in Gainesville.

The food is delicious, tasty and authentic.  Don't just take my word for it, enjoy a taste of Korean food locally.

Recommend that you enjoy your dining experience by sitting outside where they have patio tables for outdoor eating and grilling of my favorite, samgyupsal.  Let me know how you like it or not. 

Below, I've provided some helpful links for your convenience:

Samguypsal (pork belly) are definitely a bacon lovers favorite.  This dish is even a favorite for those that enjoy the simplicity of grilled meat wrapped into a lettuce leaf. 

Samguypsal, meaning three-layered meat, is a very popular pork belly entrée. The unseasoned meat is cooked on a stone grill (placed in the middle of the table) and fun to do with a group of friends. The experience of grilling your own meat and being served instantly is something I encourage everyone to try.

Want to learn how to eat samgyupsal? Here are my steps to a gratifying experience:

1. Cook the pork belly to your liking (I like my pork soft, while others like it cooked well-done and crunchy)

2. Get some rice and put it on the lettuce leaf

3. Dip the meat in the sesame oil (mixed with salt and pepper)

4. Put the meat on with the rice

5. Add garlic, samjang, green peppers, pa muchim (a green onion salad) and/or red bean paste

6. Wrap all the ingredients tightly together in the leaf wrap and give your mouth a taste of heaven! Mmmm!

As described and illustrated in the photos above, samgyupsal is enjoyed in a variety of ways.  Devoured by themselves right off the grill, wrapped in mint or lettuce leaf, or enveloped between layers of banchan (side dishes) for a unique flavor each time.  

The title says it all!  Korean food has an abundance of soul and leaves you satisfied, full, and very happy. 

Korean food stands out from other cuisines with the many side dishes (banchan) that are served during your meal. The number of side dishes can range anywhere from two to a couple dozen, but everyday meals feature at least a few.

So when you eat at a Korean restaurant, or plan to visit Korea your various side dishes will come to you before your meal in small bowls, and can be anything from vegetables to meat to seafood prepared in any number of ways. Korean dishes are all served at the same time, so there are no separate courses like in Western cuisines.  

Korean food is fun to eat with friends and family.  In my opinion, the more the merrier. 

You’ll love the presentation, the smell, the vibrant colors, and especially the taste of Korean food.  Be bold, be strong and experiment with foods you haven’t tried before. 

If you’re bold enough to eat Korean food from a street cart, which I highly recommend everyone try to do at least one time, the less adventurous should not bother about asking what they’re eating. 

Refer back to my previous recommendation:  Be bold, be strong and experiment.  My second recommendation was to try Korean food from a street court. 

If you followed my recommendation and loved it or hated it, please share this with me on my blog and let me know.  Sharing is caring after all.  

My favorite Korean food is samgyupsal.  It's just a thick slice of bacon (pork belly)!  So good and so yummy!

Welcome to my first blog!  I am starting this as part of my journalism class that I am taking this summer. 

I've visited and lived in over 12 countries and would love to share my travel experiences with you and the abundance of good eats I've discovered along the way.  The best part of those travel experiences come from the great food and social aspect of eating and dining with the locals.

I love to travel.  I love to eat.  I love to rest and sleep after doing both. 

I travel often, eat well, and rest just so I can do it all over again.  I would absolutely love to have a job that involved just doing these three things. 

My first goal is to share my travel experiences with you by posting and illustrating the countries I've already traveled to, the foods I've eaten, and the places that I've stayed in. 

Next, I will further my blog by creating a wish list of countries I would still love to visit.  Ultimately my goal is to solicit as much feedback and comments from my readers willing to share their own personal experiences and offer recommendations.