Banchan
One thing that I liked was there were a few sides that had different recipes based on what someone might prefer- for example, kimchi. For me, sometimes the kimchi is too fishy for me but there is a recipe that requires no fish sauce that I am excited to try.

If you are looking to add some new foods to your meals, I recommend checking this cookbook out especially if you like Korean foods. I will note that some recipes do need to be prepared day before.

Really enjoyed this - so many beautiful stories and pictures to go with fabulous recipes! Anyone that loves and appreciates Korean food will enjoy this book. I can't wait to pick up my copy and get cooking. Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am no stranger to korean food, it having been the cuisine that I continue to try to replicate at home for over 5 years now. I have attempted kimchi at home more than once although I like the little korean-owned corner store near me and chain kimchi better.

I have actually made many of the dishes in this cookbook, but greatly enjoy the little blurbs about Caroline Choe's family and life and where food fits into it.

I also intend to try out some of these recipes which differ a little bit from ones I've found on the internet, because if I've learned anything, there's no such thing as one single recipe for any dish in the world and everyone puts a spin on things. I will note that I thought this would only be banchan without reading the title too closely- there's actually quite a variety of Korean dishes which should appeal to many cooks!

There are also certainly some quirky recipes that I can't say I've seen anywhere else. The strawberry citrus geotjeori... intrigues me. I don't know if I'll try it in a full portion for fear I waste expensive berries but we'll see.

The drawings and graphic design style of the book are cute. I'm a fan. The pictures are also very eye catching and somehow they made even the generally less aesthetically appealing foods appetizing.

Note I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for this review, but all opinions are my own :)

Anyone who eats at a Korean restaurant will notice that the main dish comes with mouthwatering side dishes to choose from. Some are so good most of us want to make them at home. Caroline Choe has made it possible in her cookbook, Banchan: 60 Korean American Recipes for Delicious, Shareable Sides. This excellent cookbook includes dozens of Korean side dishes as well as some that can be served as main dishes, too.
The recipes are written in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed fi
rst, followed by step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow. She has included some of the classics, including several kinds of kimchi, as well as pickled vegetables, egg dishes, and favorite Korean pancakes. There are also some not-so-well-known dishes that most Korean food lovers will want to try.

Choe has also included beautiful, professional photographs that make the dishes even more appealing. Many of the recipes call for a long list of ingredients, so they aren’t particularly quick to prepare, but they are worth it. Most readers will want to make lists of the necessary ingredients and pay a visit to their favorite Asian grocery store, since some of them aren’t available in regular grocery stores. The author has included lists of necessary ingredients.

All told, this is an excellent cookbook for anyone who wants to prepare Korean side dishes at home. The recipes are very appealing, and they are easy to follow. This one is recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this cookbook and can't wait to cook my way through it as well! All of the recipes look beyond delicious and I learned so much!

I was so excited to read Banchan and explore some of the author’s family tips and suggestions for cooking banchan at home. I loved the narrative of the book and found the author described the steps in a clear way for someone who has not dabbled in fermentation. I am already planning to make some of my go to dishes I order at Korean restaurants following the recipes in this book. I can’t wait to make kimchi, japchae, and pajeon!

I love Korean food and the concept of banchan itself! They are small side dishes that accompany the main meal, which are often made in advance. This book has an excellent variety of banchan, some of which I have made before and some new ones. It also has some recipes for meals that incorporate the premade banchan(like kimchi) into them, such as stews or kimchi pancakes.

Most of the recipes contained ingredients you can find at a typical American grocery store, but there were some that required things I have only been able to find at Asian/international markets or online. The instructions are well written and easy to follow.

I highly recommend this cookbook for anyone who loves Korean food and wants to make their own banchan!

Wow, I like banchan but I don;t know how to made it, just enjoy the food. This book Banchan offers us 60 Korean American recipes for delicious, shareable sides so we can make it ourselves and eat more.

I am a huge banchan fan and the minute I saw this book I had to request it. One of the things I enjoyed at the beginning of the book was the must have pantry and fridge items. I loved that she shared what her favorite brand was for items such as seaweed, soy sauce, salt, etc. I loved that every recipe had a picture, my only comment is for fresh items that are not a common purchase (i.e. daikon radish) I wish in the intro of the recipe it stated what to look for to purchase a good diakon radish (or other fresh items). Additionally, some of the recipes where you need to soak items over night or let sit for 24 hours - it would be helpful if this was made clear in the beginning - maybe under the ingredients so that people did not get everything for the recipe and realize it was not something that could be enjoyed day of.

Otherwise I enjoyed the recipes that I made and plan to make more. Thank you!

My first Korean cookbook was Joanne Molinaro's Korean Vegan where I learned new recipes and appreciated the story telling that accompanied those recipes. One of my favorite concepts I learned from that book was banchan, or side dishes. The concept reminded me a lot of salatim (salads) popular in Israeli/Middle Eastern cuisine, though salatim are served earlier in the meal, as opposed to banchan which are generally served. with an entree. When I saw this book available to request in NetGalley, I was immediately excited and intrigued.

Banchan by Caroline Choe does not disappoint. I love the idea of being able to sample multiple flavors and textures through side dishes like banchan. Its almost like when you go out to eat with a group and you each order an appetizer and everyone gets to share. The recipes I tried from this book were delicious and I look forward to making more of them.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this free advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am a banchan mega-stan. There is simply nothing better than having lots of little salty, fermented, and acidic things to nibble on, and this book has me fully prepared to fill my fridge to the brim with exactly that. I loved the stories and the photos, and there are tons of recipes that I will actually make. The recipes are easy to follow, and I can't wait to try a few!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This book has some great recipes and the pictures that went along with the recipes was a nice touch. I’m definitely looking forward to trying these recipes.

Love the layout of this cookbook! I've come across a fair amount of cookbooks recently that have terrible formatting, so I really enjoyed how each recipe is color coded. The recipes are also pretty easy to follow.

Wow! Banchan by Caroline Choe is exactly the book I have been looking for! One of my guilty pleasures is watching aesthetic YouTube videos of Korean housewives working in their kitchen. The food culture is so different from mine and inspiring, but it didn't feel accessible to me to make the same delicious foods for myself because I felt I lacked a fundamental understanding of Korean cooking. Banchan has changed that and made me feel like I can easily recreate many recipes I’ve drooled over in the past! I’m so excited to get started and will be purchasing a hard copy of this book once it’s published!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I have been craving banchan lately, so browsing this cookbook was perfect. The photos are pleasing and the overall layout works. I prefer the more traditional recipes, but for those who are into more fusion-y plates, this book provides that as well. Sides don't get nearly as much attention as they should and this cookbook lets them shine!

A recipe book dedicated to banchan, which might be most well-known to a non-Korean audience as the numerous free side dishes you get at the beginning of a meal at Korean BBQ.

The author specifies these aren’t technically traditional Korean recipes, but rather Korean-American recipes, which I understand. The first half leans toward traditional Korean dishes, while the second half does feel more like the Korean American side, where you’ll see more American/western dishes given a Korean twist or using banchan from recipes earlier in the book. I liked this organization and also how earlier recipes made appearances in later recipes (kind of like foreshadowing in a novel, but it might just point to how Korean food is good at using one dish in multiple ways). There’s also a bit at the beginning about the ingredients you’ll need for the recipes and where you’ll find them if you’re not already familiar with Asian groceries, and recipes often include substitutes as well, so it’s very helpful. The recipes are often short, too, usually about one page. The anecdotes before each recipe were cute, and I sympathize with the author on getting actual measurements on those family recipes, when immigrant parents might tend not to be the most specific. The photos were great, too.

One recipe for soup had an accompanying picture of bread so that confused me. Also, there were just a few recipes in the book that weren’t technically Korean or featured Korean ingredients, like miso soup, which I didn’t really understand the relevance. There were tiny illustrations at the bottom of the recipes as well, and most of them were cute but some of them could have used more effort (like the little dots). I feel like maybe there’s some expectation of a bit of cooking knowledge from the recipe, like knowing what blanching is, so it might be hard for total newbies. But the directions are clear and simple, with a variety of recipes and helpful tips on storage.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

Banchan was a great book for introducing myself to Korean cooking! It was a wealth of recipes, including several Kimchi recipes that I cannot wait to try! The book included a guide for staples to have in your pantry for Korean cooking and amazing photos of the large variety of recipes!

Received this as an Advanced Reading Copy from NetGalley for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It's always intimidating to try cooking different cuisines. The author did a great job introducing Korean cuisine. She introduced the ingredients and made the recipes very approachable for newbies. Most of the recipes used relatively easy to find ingredients. I also loved the Korean American influenced recipes. It was a fun breakaway from the usual, more traditional dishes you often see in restaurants. She also included some of her family's own recipes which gave her writing a fun and personal touch. I can't wait until this book is officially published. I've already pre-ordered on Amazon.

I think the book is solid, but it's not one of my favorites. This is a situation where I'm under the impression that Choe is a better cook than she is an author. The second section really does have some inventive, interesting takes on banchan and other Korean food, but the writing needs to be more assertive of Choe's expertise. However, this is her first book and I'm sure she'll be more confident in the next.

I for one, love LOVE that there are pictures for almost every dish, and that the pictures are gorgeous.

Recipes are written in a way that are easy to follow. It not dumbed down to a point that are repetitive or annoying.

I also really liked that each recipe has a story or educational tidbit.