Learning Korean by Peter Serpico

Learning Korean by Peter Serpico “Wait,” you think, “Serpico” sounds like an Italian surname, not a Korean one. You’re right. Peter was born Kyung-ho, and was adopted at age 2 by a couple living in Laurel, MD. Only after Serpico became an accomplished chef, rising to Director of Culinary Operations for David Chang’s Momofuku empire, did he even connect with his culinary roots. That happened when his future wife, also a Korean-American, invited him to dine with her parents and he tasted real Korean food for the first time. Learning Korean replicates Serpico’s path of discovery to this remarkably vibrant cuisine, so it’s likewise a path of discovery for home cooks. It’s both introduction and essential guide to the basics of Korean cooking. A celebration, too, from one who came to love his native cuisine as an adult. If you’ve ever been delighted by the array of dishes and flavors at one of our area’s great Korean restaurants, you’ll find recipes for all of those, and more, here.

— Bryn Mooth

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Poached Asian Pears

I really like to eat these elegant poached pears on their own, though they do make a fancy accompaniment for a nice piece of cake or scoop of ice cream. They’re good warm, cold, or room temperature, in large part because Asian pears have the integrity to hold their juiciness and texture even after a long cooking process. The secret weapon of this recipe is flowery chamomile tea, which I’ve always felt works so well in Asian-​style desserts, as well as being a foil for brown sugar. It might seem like there’s a ton of sugar in this recipe, but remember that the oven-​poaching process provides nice flavor and texture without leaving the fruit cloyingly sweet.

Serves 4

2 cups white wine (a sweeter style works well)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1 cinnamon stick
2 chamomile tea bags
1 teaspoon peeled, chopped ginger
4 large Asian pears, peeled (reserve peels), quartered, seeds removed

Preheat the oven to 275°F. In a large, oven-​safe pot, bring all the ingredients except the pears (but including their peels) to a boil. Add the pears to the liquid, transfer to the oven, and bake, uncovered, for 1½ hours, turning the pears twice during the process. The fruit should be cooked, but still have bite. Serve warm, or cool in their strained cooking liquid and serve at room temperature. You may also chill them and serve them cold.