In-Store: Caroline Choe: Banchan w/ Helen Cho

Event guidelines:

• All attendees are strongly encouraged to wear a face mask at all times.
• Tickets are limited to restrict capacity at our store, and each ticket will include either a copy of the featured book or a $10 Books Are Magic gift card.
• Additional copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.
• A signing will follow the talk.
• Home address is collected for contact tracing purposes; it will not be used otherwise.
• The event will also be livestreamed for free here: https://youtube.com/live/-9ovjsSC2Q0
• As a reminder: If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the event, even if you have a ticket; email us and we'll work it out.

If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or to request accessibility accommodations, please contact [email protected].

Banchan, the shared side dishes that accompany a Korean meal, are often the real stars of the table, and it's time we celebrate them. This first-of-its-kind cookbook showcases the wide world of banchan, from traditional staples to modern Korean American renditions, with 60 recipes from the kitchen of chef Caroline Choe.
Highlighting this underrepresented aspect of Korean cuisine, Banchan offers 60 mouthwatering recipes for classic and modern banchan dishes so home cooks everywhere can get in on the deliciousness. From namul (fresh vegetables) to buchimgae (pancakes), these tasty sides are proof that big flavor can be found in small bites:

• Smoky Gochujang Chicken Salad rounds out a delightful midweek lunch.
• Perfectly tender-on-the-inside, crisp-on-the-outside Hobakjeon (Zucchini Pancakes) are what dreams are made of.
• Pa Muchim (Shaved Green Onion Salad) is a must-have with a Korean barbecue meal or an unexpected pizza topping.
• And, of course, a favorite: Kimchi! Use Mom and Dad’s Kimchi, a favorite recipe passed down through Caroline’s family, to make Kimchi Mac & Cheese or Creamy Kimchi Bacon Dip for a crowd-pleasing party dish.

With tips on stocking a Korean American pantry and ideas for making banchan into a meal—add to a quiche, wrap in a kimbap, pile on a sandwich—Banchan shares an ancient and beloved feature of Korean cooking that will make every meal sing.

Caroline Choe is a chef, artist, teacher and writer based in New York City, and is a proud daughter of Korean American immigrants. She is the creator of The Exploratorians illustration series, and the founder of Create & Plate, a business devoted to helping create community through arts and food education. Both she and her work have been featured in Food & Wine, NPR, Food52, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Glamour, and NBC's Today Show.

Helen M. Cho is a Korean American two-time Emmy Award nominated director, producer, and showrunner from New York City. She is best known for her work on the critically acclaimed series Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, and United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell.Helen served as Executive Producer and Showrunner of Take Out with Lisa Ling, now streaming on HBO Max. IndieWire named Take Out one of ‘The Best Documentaries and Docuseries of 2022’. She holds a BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. More importantly, she is the proud daughter of a nail salon worker and USPS letter carrier.

Host or Publisher Books Are Magic