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Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food: Authentic dishes and modern twists

Judy Joo

4.32 · Rating details · 28 ratings · 27 reviews

Fresh from the success of Korean Food Made Simple, chef Judy Joo is back with a brand new collection of recipes that celebrate the joys of Korean comfort food and gets straight to the heart and soul of the kitchen.

Drawing on her own heritage and international experience, Judy presentsrecipes for everything from street food to snacks and sharing plates, kimchi to Ko-Mex ...more

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Hardcover, 224 pages

Published October 8th 2019 by White Lion Publishing

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Start your review of Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food: Authentic dishes and modern twists

Sep 27, 2019 Dita rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

My love for Iron Chef Judy Joo is utter, unwavering and irrational so imagine my complete delight when the very first NetGalley book I received as a wish was her cookbook.

I am still fangirling out!!

The recipes are approachable and the photos are fantastic. I love that she offers a helpful glossary as well. The recipes range from simple to complex so there is something for everyone in this gorgeous cookbook.

I am so in love with this that am buying a hardcopy for my countertop collection!

Thank ...more

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Oct 06, 2019 MissBecka rated it really liked it

Recommended to MissBecka by: Dita

Shelves: 2019-books-i-read, netgalley-books-read

I love Korean cuisine!!!
After visiting Korea in 2005 I spent several years figuring out how to make kimchi (and various other tasty Korean treats). This book could have saved me a lot of time and effort.
The recipes all sounded delish, and most have vibrant photos to accompany them.

With the publishing date in a couple of days I didn't get a chance to try as many recipes as I normally would before rating a cook book.
One meals worth is all we got.
Our meal had us trying the Cucumber Salad, Pork ...more

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Nov 14, 2019 Olivia & Lori (The Candid Cover) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-releases, arc, netgalley, lifestyle, recipe-books

Full Review on The Candid Cover

Judy Joo’s Korean Soul Food is an interesting collection of recipes with a different flavour. From salads to soups, there are many Korean Fusion recipes to choose. The layout is easy to follow and the images are stunning in this inspiring cookbook.

Korean restaurants are few and far between where I live, so I was immediately intrigued to give this book a try. There are both traditional and non-traditional recipes in this cookbook. The offerings include :

Salads & ...more

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Sep 27, 2019 ♠️ TABI ♠️ marked it as to-read

Shelves: netgalley, non-fic

Ko-Mex fusion?? all right you got my curiosity

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Nov 02, 2019 Gemma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food is a well laid out, simple step by step guide.
with fabulous mouth watering photos accompanying original delicious looking recipes.

While the recipes look lovely and seem well explained, they are not quite what I would be looking for. I had hoped to find some tasty Korean meals that I could cook easily for the family, and I didn't feel that was possible.

however, if you enjoy cooking and trying new things and have the extra time i'm sure you could create some amazing ...more

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Oct 05, 2019 Ilana rated it it was amazing

From all the Asian foods I had the chance to try and taste, Korean food remains mostly a no-go. The fermented foods to not come along with my stomach and tastes therefore, there is not joy in tasting it. However, there are many more combinations and alternatives that might suit my palate and my health, and the recipes included in Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food book can change my mind.
The recipes are not only simple, but they offer some alternatives and combinations that mix ingredients in a way ...more

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Sep 26, 2019 Janet rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019reviwed-when-i-read, cookbook-food-alc, k-e-k

When a super-speed reader doesn't have a car for a month due to a predatory car insurance industry, you can get a LOT of reading done!!

I received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do .

‘Judy Joo captures the flavours and the heart of Korean food and switches things up just enough to make them When a super-speed reader doesn't have a car for a month due to a predatory car insurance industry, you can get a LOT of reading done!!

I received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

‘Judy Joo captures the flavours and the heart of Korean food and switches things up just enough to make them accessible and familiar, but not so much that you lose the soul of the recipe. It's art!’ Sunny Anderson

Fresh from the success of Korean Food Made Simple, chef Judy Joo is back with a brand new collection of recipes that celebrate the joys of Korean comfort food and get straight to the heart and soul of the kitchen.

Drawing on her own heritage and international experience, Judy presents recipes that appeal to everyone, from street food to snacks and sharing plates, kimchi to Ko-Mex fusion food, and dumplings to desserts. Through clear, easy-to-understand recipes and gorgeous photography, Judy will help you master the basics before putting her signature fun, unexpected twist on the classics, including Philly Cheesesteak dumplings and a full English breakfast–inspired Bibimbap bowl.

With over 100 recipes, helpful glossaries, and tips on how to stock the perfect Korean store cupboard, there's something for amateur chefs and accomplished home cooks alike. So much more than rice and fried chicken, these truly unique recipes are simple, delicious, and will have everyone clamouring for more.

I am lucky enough to live about 150 feet from a Korean store/restaurant, I am also unlucky to live so close to said restaurant as I buy food there ALL THE TIME! (And they have kewpie mayonnaise..divine.) With the help of this excellently written book, I am going to be cooking my own Korean food very soon. The recipes are well written and the whole book made my mouth water. A great addition to your already groaning or completely empty cookbook shelves!

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use by "Social Influencer Millennials" on Instagram and Twitter) so let's give it 🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄 ...more

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Oct 04, 2019 Samantha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: cookery, netgalley

Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food comes with over 100 recipes, plus a list of store cupboard ingredients, and how to make your own sauces.

The recipes are split into the following sections:
Salads & banchan
Pickles & kimchi
Dumplings
Street food
Rice
Ko-mex
Meat & seafood
Soup & noodles
Bread
Desserts

Some of the recipes are an infusion of Korean and Mexican (Ko-mex) or using Korean ingredients in a western dish such as Tiramisu or macaroni cheese. I'd certainly give many of these dishes a go in ...more

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Oct 08, 2019 roxi Net rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a gorgeous and simple cookbook (despite not having numbered directions. I'm that kind of learner). I didn't know much about Korean food and Ms. Joo's cookbook breaks it down in a way I can remember going forward. Some items I can't find at my local grocery store but they're also easy enough to hunt down in my area. I recently had Spam (no comment yet) and I will definitely try my hand at the Spam French Fries with Cheesy Kimchi Dipping Sauce. Never having had Kimchi before, I'm ...more

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Oct 07, 2019 Kristine rated it liked it

Shelves: amazon-reviewed

Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food by Judy Joo is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early October.

Recipes for fresh greens, fermented items (the different levels of diluted pickle brine give me some hope for liking this), snacks, rice, ko-mex (dishes with Korean-Mexican fusion), seafood and meats, soup and noodles, breads, and desserts with deep, intense, soulful flavors alternating with fresh, upbeat, fusion flavors. Ooh, the Spam fries call out to my State Fair palate! All told, there are ...more

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Oct 27, 2019 Linda Richardson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I love Korean food and this cookbook is filled with delicious recipes. There are dozens of Pinterest worthy gorgeous photos of dishes but the Sikhye Popsicles and Green Tea Roll cake were my favorites.

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Sep 28, 2019 thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is an amazing book full of mouthwatering recipes, straight forward and no nonsense involved, easy to understand and follow, each one makes you want to dive into the kitchen. Beautiful photos alongside the recipes encourage you even more, fabulous book and highly recommended

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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Sep 29, 2019 Kristin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, arc-s-and-similar

This was a fun cookbook with lots of interesting recipes and great photos. I would love to try several of these dishes.

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Oct 23, 2019 Annie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food is a new cookbook and tutorial by Judy Joo. Released 1st Oct 2019 by Quarto on their White Lion imprint, it's 224 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.

I love Korean food but always felt somewhat intimidated and full of excuses: "It's too complicated", "the ingredients are hard to source", "it requires too much special equipment", and maybe the lamest of them all "it's culturally insensitive for a lily Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food is a new cookbook and tutorial by Judy Joo. Released 1st Oct 2019 by Quarto on their White Lion imprint, it's 224 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.

I love Korean food but always felt somewhat intimidated and full of excuses: "It's too complicated", "the ingredients are hard to source", "it requires too much special equipment", and maybe the lamest of them all "it's culturally insensitive for a lily white Irish girl to make Korean food".

Well, soul food and street food is 100% -me-, plus I love the author's media appearances I've seen, so I thought I'd give the book a try and I'm glad I did. The author's style of writing is intelligent and accessible. She clearly has a passion for food and culture. She's also clever and it shines through in the recipes and tutorials.

The book starts with a short author bio and pictorial introduction to Korean seasonings and ingredients. Some of these are readily sourced from a well stocked international/Asian grocery store. Some of them will probably need to be ordered online.

The book continues in a logical fashion through salads and banchan (side dishes), pickles and kimchi (more on this later), dumplings, street food, rice, ko-mex, meat & seafood, soups & noodles, breads and desserts. The chapters are packed with recipes (most with photographs) which are clear and easy to follow. Each of the recipes include sidebar with ingredients listed bullet point fashion (given in US standard measurements and metric), yields, and step-by-step instructions.

If you search for kimchi recipes, there are literally millions out there. I've tried most of them (ok, not really, but almost). I have never been quite satisfied with the results; they never quite achieved the taste and texture made by my friend's Korean grandma. The chonggak (radish) kimchi (p. 39) comes really close to my remembered experience. It's got a really nice crunch and a spicy bite along with the tangy fermented taste I adore.

We tried a couple of other recipes from this book as well, and all were appetizing and successful. The cucumber salad (oi muchim, p. 25) was delicious and we've made it twice since then. The sweet potato pancakes (goguma jeon, p. 80) were a little gooey, but I think that was user error on my part, and they were still enthusiastically demolished by my 'testers'.

All in all, this is a beautifully written and presented Korean cookbook full of delicious food. The photography is top notch, the dishes are appealing and the recipes reflect a love and respect for culture and good food.

Five stars. Love this one.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. ...more

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Nov 06, 2019 Sharon rated it really liked it

Shelves: cookbooks, netgalley, nonfiction

White Lion Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Cookbook author Judy Joo was inspired by her multicultural upbringing, creating recipes that showcase her heritage and her love of flavor.

This cookbook is divided into logical sections, like Salads & Banchan, Pickles & Kimchi, Dumplings, Street Food, Rice, Ko-mex, Meat & Seafood, Soup & Noodles, Bread, White Lion Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Cookbook author Judy Joo was inspired by her multicultural upbringing, creating recipes that showcase her heritage and her love of flavor.

This cookbook is divided into logical sections, like Salads & Banchan, Pickles & Kimchi, Dumplings, Street Food, Rice, Ko-mex, Meat & Seafood, Soup & Noodles, Bread, and Desserts. The list of Korean staple ingredients, along with definitions, is very helpful for those getting their feet wet regarding this cuisine. There is a page of necessary sauces, easy to make and store in the refrigerator until needed.

In Korean cuisine, small dishes are essential to each meal, creating a balance of color, texture, and flavor, so it is fitting that the first section includes banchan and salads. Dishes such as Korean-style Cucumber Salad, as well as Egg Souffle with Mushrooms and Truffle, are common.

Even those who are unfamiliar with Korean cuisine will recognize the name Kimchi. The author has several variations to choose from, as well as dishes such as Korean Picked Onion and Spiced Pickled Green Papaya and Cucumber.

Dumplings (mandoo) recipes are both non-traditional (Philly Cheesesteak) and traditional (pork and kimchi), having in common bright flavors and great textures. There are Street Foods like Saewoo Prawn Pop Balls, with their crisp texture and tangy dipping sauce. Ko-mex fusion dishes can inspire, like Sea Bass Tacos and Kimchi Lamb Tamales.

The Meat & Seafood section has the most recognizable dishes, like Grilled Beef Short Ribs, Beef Bulgogi, and Pan fried Flounder. There are Soup & Noodle dishes like Seafood Silken Tofu Soup and Fish Chowder with Miso.

The final two sections are Bread, with offerings such as Kimchi Cheese Pretzel Bites, and Desserts, such as Green Tea Roll Cake and Asian Pear Tart.

I found many recipes to be inspiring, but would have been even more so if there had been accompanying photographs for every dish. Especially when a cuisine may be new to readers, the photographs help to spark an interest. Overall, there were many dishes that I would like to make in Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food Cookbook, so I would recommend it to other readers. ...more

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Nov 06, 2019 Jacqui Huntley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Lovely pictures and useful list of Korean store cupboard ingredients. I especially like the various sauces, stocks, pickles and dips for new ideas. I did see that it was essentially fusion recipes of which I'm not that fond but at least some have appeal. Not totally convinced about the Spam French Fries - I have memories of Spam as a child in the early 50s, perhaps this way of battering and frying improves it!. The brown shrimp and broccoli and the chicken with ginger and shiitake mushroom ...more

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Oct 19, 2019 Debra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group and Netgalley for the advanced copy of Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food! I don't often "wish" for books, but I was so happy to have received a copy of this book!
I don't generally review or purchase many cookbooks, but when I do, I have two different types I look for: Korean food and desserts.

It makes me so happy to see the rise of popularity of Korean food- not just BBQ, but of the banchan (side dishes) and stews. As a half-Korean, I grew up with Korean food and ...more

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Oct 14, 2019 Sunnie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I wanted to find Korean recipes for which I would be able to easily find the ingredients. Many I can't. There was a reference to a place called HMart which specializes in Korean foods. But not near me at all. Perhaps online orders? As there are many recipes that I would like to try.

I am not a fan of Kimchi so those are classic Korean but I love Bulgogi, which was my first introduction into Korean food. I was glad to see that recipe there. And will be making that for sure!

Looking forward to ...more

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Oct 31, 2019 Kerrie Hoar rated it liked it

Korean Scotch eggs, kimchi mac and cheese, green tea monkey bread, kimchi cheese pretzel bites, yuca meringue pie .... Judy Joo has put together a fantastic variety in her Korean Soul Food cookbook. If you like traditional, you can learn how to make kimchi or bibimbap with prawns and vegetables .... but if you like a twist, why not try philly cheesesteak dumplings, kimchi and lamb tamales or coconut red bean misugaru tiramisu ....

The recipes are easy to follow with both metric and standard ...more

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Nov 07, 2019 Cherry rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a lovely cookbook, beautifully set out. There are quite a few recipes that caught my eye, although I must confess it seems to be a little more fusion style than the title led me to expect. I'm also not a fan of the section title pages having enormous font with one word split on multiple lines which just made it hard to read and detracted from the appealing categories. Other than than, it is a lovely cookbook with some recipes I will be interested to try.
I received a free digital copy via ...more

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Nov 17, 2019 Jill rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019-read, netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for a copy of Judy Joo's Korean Soul Food: Authentic dishes and modern twists by Judy Joo. I have not cooked, or eaten, a lot of Korean food, but this book allowed me to stretch myself and try some new recipes.

The book is divided up into ten section including dumplings, rice, and meat & seafood. It starts with a very helpful introduction that describes ingredients in a Korean storecupboard providing the Korean name, ...more

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Oct 14, 2019 Richelle Rodarte rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book had excellent instructions and beautiful pictures. It was not what I was expecting as far as authentic Korean recipes but it definitely had recipes I would try. I love the mix of Korean and Mexican flavors and I honestly feel it will be an excellent cookbook for me. However, if you are looking for truly Korea inspired recipes you may be disappointed. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

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Nov 06, 2019 Stephanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Judy Joo’s Korean Soul Food
My thanks to #NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review. What a fun cookbook! With 221 mouth-watering pages, Joo presents an eclectic and modern take on traditional Korean fare. The photos in this book will take the reader to another dimension! The recipes blend the familiar and exotic with easy to follow instructions and lovely introductions that provide context and inspiration. For an intriguing look at Korean culture, this one is not to be missed.

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Nov 01, 2019 CC rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I requested this title for the Korean Mexican fusion food and it did not disappoint! But I got so many other tips and inspirations that I started making up lists as I was reading so that I can try a few new things. I really appreciate the variety of flavours, the recipes are a cross pollination of both traditional and more adventurous food which is exactly the type of thing I look for when experimenting in my own kitchen.

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Nov 04, 2019 Pam rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I received an ARC in exchange for my review.

This is a beautiful book. I have a thing for cookbooks. I love reading them and looking at the pictures, even if I don't plan to make anything from them.

This book has beautiful photos, great writing, and good tips.

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Nov 09, 2019 Kirsten never has enough time rated it really liked it

Shelves: reference-food, women-writers

I don't know what I expected really. These recipes look amazing, but I don't like kimchi, seafood or chili so very few recipes are for me!

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Oct 21, 2019 Laura Gorman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

There is a wonderful variety and selection of recipes in this book. From sweet to savoury there is everything for anyone wanting to try Korean cuisine.

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