First, a little information about Korea: Korea is a formerly unified nation that’s divided into two states. It’s located on the Korean Peninsula and it borders China and Russia. It’s separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait.

Korea was split into North Korea and South Korea in 1948. South Korea, officially “the Republic of Korea”, is a capitalist, democratic and developed country and is a member of the United Nations, WTO, OECD and G-20 major economies. North Korea, officially ” the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”, a single-party communist country founded by Kim Il-Sung.

Interesting Facts:
- In 1910 Korea was forcibly ruled by Japan and remained occupied until the end of World War II in August 1945.
- With the surrender of Japan in 1945 the UN developed plans for a trusteeship administration, the Soviet Union administering the peninsula north of the 38th parallel and the United States administering the south. The politics of the Cold War resulted in the 1948 establishment of two separate governments, North Korea and South Korea.

Recipe: Spinach Soup (Korean Malgun Sigumchi Kuk)

1/2 lb Fresh spinach
1 Scallion
1 Clove garlic
4 c Water
1/2 lb Ground beef
1 tb Soy sauce (or more to taste)
1 tb Salt
Dash pepper
1 tsp grated ginger

Directions:
1. Wash the spinach thoroughly and trim off the thick stems. Chop the scallion. Mince the garlic.

2. Bring the water to a boil. Add the meat and bring to a second boil. Skim off the froth. Add the spinach, scallion, garlic, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Add the ginger. Lower the flame and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Verdict:
There really aren’t any notes on this recipe. It was very easy and straight forward. The soy sauce is what gives the soup all the flavour. At the time I made this I had a bad case of laryngitis and the soup helped sooth my achy throat. PLUS it has a LOT of iron and that is a good thing. Overall, a very easy dish and a complete meal in itself. Try it for lunch or as a starter for dinner.

Fun Fact about Austria:

-Marie-Antoinette, the wife of France’s King Louis XVI, was the daughter of Marie Theresa, the Hasburg ruler of Austria.

Let’s start with something very simple.

Paprika Soup

This has been adapted from the Austrian version of Goulash.

1 Large Onion — chopped
2 Large Green Pepper — chopped
1 Tablespoon Flour
1 Tablespoon Paprika
6 Cups Beef Broth
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
4 Large Potato — diced
1/2 Cup Sour Cream

Directions Saute bacon (I’m allergic to pork so used Turkey Bacon instead), onion and peppers for 10 minutes. Drain grease. add flour and paprika and cook for 2 minutes. add broth, salt and potatoes. simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are done. pour into soup bowls and top with sour cream.

VERDICT:
I found that this was a very easy recipe to follow and all of the ingredients were accesible at the local grocery store. The hardest part was chopping the onion, I haven’t found a fool proof way to chop onions that will not make my eyes sting and water. The overall reception of the food was good, I used 6 strips of turkey bacon instead of regular bacon and I didn’t have to drain any fat, I actually added a tablespoon of olive oil to help saute the onions and peppers. I also used 5 cups of low sodium beef broth and 1 cup of water because I don’t like my food too salty. I tried the recipe out on my best friend , her husband and her parents and only her hubby added salt at the table so I think it was an overall 98% on the taste test. Because of the potatoes it was quite filling so I would definitely recommend the soup for a lunch or a light supper.

Good Soup!