Gochujang Sauce

Cloudy days are my new best friends.

In September, I expect that the weather will change into something I can physically and emotionally handle.  Something like cool temperatures, little to no humidity, partly sunny days, maybe even a little rain.  I'm a big fan of rainy days.

The first ten days of September have NOT been like that.  It's hot.  It's muggy.  It's too sunny.  I know you may think I'll miss it when winter comes, but trust me, I don't miss the sun.

I like being pale.  I like not having an excessive amount of freckles or sun spots.  I like the way my birthmarks don't change their appearance into something suspicious.

I like not sweating.  I like going outside without feeling like I just dunked my head underwater.  I like not feeling all gross like I already worked out before I even started exercising.

None of these things can happen in this weather.

The silver lining in all this is that I have gotten tons of work done inside my house.  There are no more piles of laundry -slash- potential tripping hazards all over my bathroom floor.  My dishes are clean.  There's no mildew in my shower.  Even my bed is made.

My bed is never made.  I'm not even sure I like it made.  I'm so used to crawling into misshapen hills of balled-up sheets and comforters.  It's my happy place.

I love that I have a full kitchen of food, too.  Not only have I been able to cook more, but I've been crafting up meals that last, either in jars or in the freezer.  Everybody knows I love cooking sauce... any kind of sauce, but usually of the Italian-inspired over pasta variety.

This time, though, I went a little out of my comfort zone.  I tried making this gochujang sauce.  I recently tried bibimbap, a Korean rice bowl, and loved the spicy red sauce I found inside my bowl.  It was that sauce that inspired me to try my hand at a homemade version.

I was surprised to find that I could make a pretty authentic sauce at home without having to scan the shelves of ten supermarkets trying to find Korean ingredients.  Apart from the red chili paste, everything I needed was located in my kitchen already.

I can't wait to try this on my own homemade bibimbap... but maybe I'll wait and save the spicy dish for when the weather ACTUALLY gets cooler...

Maybe not.
















Gochujang Sauce
(loosely adapted from Food.com)

1/4 cup red chili paste (Korean gochujang)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt & Pepper to taste


Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Refrigerate until ready to use.