The Pittsburgh Dish

015 Korean Cuisine with the Bamboooyah Touch

• Doug Heilman • Season 1 • Episode 15

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(01:02) Embark on a flavorful journey with KT, also known as Bamboooyah, as she brings her Korean-inspired fusion cooking to our table, spicing up our culinary repertoire with inventive dishes and vibrant flavors. Her Korean heritage bubbles through each recipe, from the hearty army stew budae jjigae, a symbol of resourcefulness, to the intricate layers of fermentation that define Korean cuisine's soul. With KT's unique presentation style, where the food takes center stage in her content creation, we discover that silence can be just as powerful as storytelling in hooking an audience's fascination.

(16:11) Serving as wellsprings of inspiration, KT recounts local favorite shops like WFH and Sambok for her ingredients. For those yearning to dabble in Korean cooking, we share pantry staples and local spots where you can savor authentic experiences, including the delights of Soju in Garfield and the Golden Pig in Cecil.

(34:31) Finally, we wrap things up with Raquel Holiday, who points us towards the best bagels in Beaver County, while Rachel Rennebeck from the YaJagoff podcast serves up a tantalizing teaser for her family's secret Italian meatball recipe. So tune in, and let your taste buds be your guide.

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Doug:

Welcome to The Pittsburgh Dish. I'm your host, Doug Heilman. What are the gateway dishes or ingredients to Korean cuisine? This week's guest shares her thoughts Want some of the best bagels in the region. Our friend Raquel Holiday has a hometown pick. And how about a family meatball recipe from Abruzzo? Rachel Rennebeck from the Yajagoff podcast shares her mom's recipe. All that ahead, stay tuned. This week's episode is supported by Chef Alekka. Follow Chef Alekka on Instagram at chefalekkapgh to find out about her monthly pies, both sweet and savory, or book a private cooking class or corporate event on her website at www. chefalekka. com. That's chefalekka. com. Now onto the show. Hey, so thanks for coming over and being on the show. Would you introduce yourself and what you have going on right now in food?

KT:

Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I'm a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Dish already, so it's an honor to be here.

Doug:

Oh, thank you.

KT:

My name is Katie. I go by KT on my social media, which is Bamboooyah, which is Korean-inspired fusion food cooking. I have really been exploring, tapping into that cultural side. I wasn't always interested in my Korean heritage and my culture, so this is kind of a new development in my adult life, but it's been amazing to explore.

Doug:

Oh, that's wonderful. So for folks that don't know what are some of the hallmarks of, you know, Korean cuisine, like, I think about.

KT:

You know there's some fermented things like kimchi, yeah. So I would definitely say Korean food is extremely resourceful and I think that speaks to Korea's history of being occupied by the Japanese, and then they really were fermenting their gochujang, it's the fermented pepper paste, and then they have doenjang, which is fermented soybean paste. Those are both used in stews and stir fries, and then, of course, kimchi, which is served a variety of different ways. You can pretty much kimchi any kind of vegetable, but in the essence, it's just very resourceful cooking and, yeah, I just really appreciate that about Korean food.

Matt:

And.

KT:

I think a good example of Korean food being resourceful is one dish called budae jjigae, so it's Korean army stew. I don't know if you've heard of it before.

Doug:

I hadn't heard of it until I had seen it on your feed of things.

KT:

Yeah, so it's pretty much a stew, as the name might imply, and it is pretty much a wartime ration meal so the base is anchovy stock and you add spam. You add Korean rice cakes, you add mushrooms, onions, kimchi it's like whatever you had yeah, exactly whatever you had at the time. And there's American influence there with the slice of American cheese on top, and then the spam that I mentioned earlier. So it's like that is the fusion dish.

KT:

And of course, there's ramen noodles in there and you pretty much mix it all together, but it is, it doesn't. It might not sound great, but it is so delicious and comforting and I just feel like that is a prime example of Korean food just being the most resourceful and most delicious.

Doug:

I love it. I do want to say when I find you on Instagram or TikTok, it's bamboooyah. It has an extra O in there somewhere, right?

KT:

Right, there's a third O and that always throws people off. But, honestly, whenever I made my username, I was just I mean, I was a college student with too much to do and I just completely thought that I made this username up, only to find out like someone had actually commented asking me if I got my username from a K-pop song. I don't know if you're familiar with any K-pop groups, but there's a group called. Blackpink.

KT:

And they have a song called Boombayah and they were like is your username inspired by Boombayah? And upon second thought I was like okay, I made this account in 2017. It very well could have been inspired by Blackpink. So maybe that was my subconscious, but I just knew I wanted it something to do with bamboo, because at the time my twitch username was like bamboo, something like chopsticks or something like that. So I kind of wanted to transfer it over. But yeah, it's bamboooyah, so bamboo with three o's and then y-a-h I love it.

Doug:

It's always cool to just hear how did you get this strange username?

KT:

right completely to be honest.

Doug:

So would you qualify yourself as a content creator, or I know you as an incredible home cook and recipe developer, almost so I think those titles are kind of shared.

KT:

I would claim content creator and recipe developer and I try to stay away from the term influencer because I don't do a lot of shared. I would claim content creator and recipe developer and I try to stay away from the term influencer because I don't do a lot of influencing. I work with some brands that I really like, but for the most part, I'm definitely more interested in the content creation. Like that's where my passion lies, with developing recipes in my free time and sharing them with the world.

Doug:

So I think what I find so interesting about your content? Number one you're not in your videos very often and there's really not even very rarely a voiceover, so it it's sort of mysterious. I think, you say something about the dimly lit kitchen and and I love how the video is shot, and because I'm not completely familiar with all of the ingredients that you're using, I want to know more or I want to see more, I know.

Doug:

I can read the recipe. You're very good about putting them in the descriptions, but I think that's probably why people keep coming back, because they're finding something mysterious about your style.

KT:

So I go back and forth on this a lot, because a lot of like, if you just Google like, how can I become like the next influencer, the next content creator? A lot of them say it's really about developing a relationship with your followers and that includes showing your face, letting them hear your voice. But there are some instances of pages that are similar to mine where they're kind of faceless, and I think that is true to me because I'm very introverted and very shy, so I don't want to show my face very often. But I do understand the benefits of that and I'm I'm slowly growing out of my comfort zone, but I understand like I kind of like keeping things mysterious, like for the longest time. I think I did post a video with my face and half the comments were like whoa, you're, you're a girl. Like they thought that, like cause I only ever showed my nails and I never have them painted and I keep them pretty short, so for the longest time I think people thought that I was.

KT:

I was another like male content creator out there but that's been.

Doug:

That's just kind of like a funny story. That's so interesting. I I like what you're doing. I like that there's a mystique and and you know, not even your full name is out. There I was looking today doing my research, I'm like it's kind of hard to figure out who this person is, which is good.

KT:

I think, yeah, yeah, I keep my abbreviated. My name is Katie just about like the normal way, but my brother-in-law actually started referring to me as KT through text and I like that and it stuck, so that's what I prefer to go by.

Doug:

I love it.

KT:

So I'd love to ask you how this all got started. You just mentioned a moment ago you had Twitch, and so when my first time living in an apartment so I had never really cooked meals for myself before that because my mother was an amazing cook or she still is an amazing cook so I definitely learned to cook with her. But I never really cooked meals for myself until I was a junior in college and then I realized, whoa, whoa, I really like cooking and I started just documenting things that I was making not really a thought behind my eyes, doing it like not thinking. Oh, this is going to be like a big part of my life soon yeah um, but 2020 and the lockdown completely changed my life.

KT:

Like that's whenever I downloaded TikTok and I started posting in 2020. And I think I was just posting things that I was making. I made like radish kimchi and my first viral video was making homemade mayo. Like people were unaware that mayo is made with raw egg, so that just like blew some minds. And then, after that, blew up, I was like oh, people are like fascinated by cooking. Like I can show people more of more examples of like cooking, hacks and tricks like that so yeah, and then I have just continued to posting.

KT:

I think like the peak of engagement for my content was in 2021 actually, and then, like slowly, I just haven't been as dedicated to my TikTok and Instagram page, mainly because I work a full-time job. So the past two years this has been like strictly hobby only right. Um, which is fine, but I think the future for me would be taking it full time, giving it a go.

Doug:

No, I love that kind of origin story and I did notice that your TikTok sort of happened around 2020. It started to really get going. Do you have any idea your follower counting on your socials?

KT:

So I think in total I'm at around 300,000 between TikTok and Instagram. So it's been a crazy wild ride. It's been really fun.

Doug:

This is why I don't know if you need to change anything.

KT:

My hope would just be to dedicate more time to it really, because, yeah, in the past few years I think I maybe post once a week, like on a good week. I'm posting once a week where I know other content creators would tell you you have to post three times a day oh, that's so hard yeah, it is so hard, especially like my.

KT:

My setup actually for cooking is really funny because, like my bio might imply, I have a very dimly lit kitchen, so I prefer to not film in my kitchen. I like to move, like my entire setup, to my living room. So I have like a little coffee table, a butane stove like a portable butane stove and.

KT:

I put it right next to a window. So if I have extra time on my hands I prefer to film like in my living room, but it just takes so much longer. So yeah, on occasion I do film in my dimly lit kitchen.

Doug:

But the window has great light. Yeah, yeah.

KT:

Windows preferred.

Doug:

You mentioned about the Mayo. Do you know offhand any other particular video that went really crazy viral, like? I think you have a million views on one or two of your videos?

KT:

Yeah, so it's funny. You should ask on Instagram. My most viral video to date is a Japanese curry with pork katsu. So I've seen this most of the comments on it are negative. I don't know if you bothered to look at the comments but, I love eating um like a pork, chop like medium medium well. Like it can be a little bit pink on the inside and that's totally okay.

Doug:

Yes.

KT:

And the top comment on that video is this is raw and you know that and you're just doing it for the views. And then all the other comments, like if you find that video and scroll, they're just all negative. But hey that helps me out. So no complaints here, but it's just so funny Like I had people telling me I was going to get worms and like just really uncalled for comments. But in the end I'll leave them up there.

Doug:

You just need to have a thermometer and you know what you're doing.

KT:

Exactly. And then, um on Tik TOK, my most viral video is not actually a video of me cooking. I was at Panda Mart in Squirrel Hill and. I saw a candy from a heartbreaking film. I don't know if you've ever heard of it, but it's called Grave of the Fireflies. It's the saddest movie to exist. It pretty much follows a sibling duo surviving through World War II, so it's like a very heavy movie. But there's a candy that appears in the movie. It's kind of like a tin it's the box.

Doug:

Yes, I've seen this video of yours.

KT:

Exactly so. It's a really popular candy in the movie and I just saw it and I posted like a video of me buying it over an audio from the movie and everyone who has watched it interacted with that agreeing that it was very sad.

Doug:

Very, oh, my Wow. Well, I'll bring you back to food. So I mean, I think what you're cooking right now is incredible, and you said earlier that you didn't really cook for yourself before you came to college. Can you tell me a little bit more about early life and who was cooking for you and how you have learned these things then, coming up to now?

KT:

Sure yeah. So I. My mother is an amazing cook and she always has been.

KT:

So she is the type of mom who makes sure that like dinner's ready every single night, like we had home cooked meals. So it was a real treat growing up and I remember being interested or like wanting to be in the kitchen and I think it was like my mom, like my mom enjoys cooking as well. So I remember asking to help you know, peel potatoes or carrots or things like that. And I actually remember one of my earliest childhood memories is wanting to make a recipe from a book and at the day that I asked my mom how to migraine and she was like I'm going to go lay down for a bit, like just keep yourself busy. And you already know.

KT:

I opened up a cookbook. I had to be like maybe like five or six and I couldn't read or anything, and I just remember seeing a photo of bread, salt and pepper and I loaded up a piece of white bread with salt and pepper like a mountain of it. My mom woke up from her nap and she made me eat it because she was showing me that we do not waste food, and I agree now, Now sure.

KT:

Yeah, that was brutal, so I feel like I've always had an interest in cooking.

Matt:

Yeah.

KT:

But that really blossomed whenever I was cooking for myself and at college.

Doug:

So later in life, when you're still at home, did you ever start cooking with mom in the kitchen?

KT:

Oh, yeah, yeah, Like I would say whenever I was home for for summers and things like that. Um, like I, I'll definitely always lend my mom a helping hand in the kitchen, but I, I still love eating her meals like the way she makes them so Right.

Doug:

Any other big influences for your cooking?

KT:

I would say I mainly find inspiration to cook based on what I'm seeing in the Asian markets that I go to. Pittsburgh has a lot of amazing Asian markets, so I usually find inspiration or ingredients that I've never used. Still, even after being familiar with Asian ingredients, I'm still finding inspiration there. And then I would say, definitely following other content creators who are in the food creation space and, specifically, I would say, like Asian cuisine.

Doug:

So you're saying that Pittsburgh has a lot of good Asian markets. So for some of our listeners that maybe aren't familiar, could you list one or two that you love?

KT:

Sure. So one of my favorite Asian markets in Pittsburgh would have to be WFH in the Strip District. They have a lot of amazing like. They have pretty much every brand of everything you could you could want in their produce. Selection is really incredible. And then North of the city, near, like the Ross Park mall area, is Oriental Market.

Doug:

Okay, I don't think I've been to that one.

KT:

That one is huge. It's another great one. It's it's a ways out of the city, the city, but I always stop there if I'm up that way. And then I also really like Sambok in the Strip District. So that's a Korean market. They have a lot of Korean specialty ingredients and herbs and like seeds for Korean produce, if you're interested in planting that. And then I would have to say Panda Mart in Squirrel Hill is another great one. Those are my main three.

Doug:

This is where, KT, I want to go on a field trip with you, because when I'm watching your cooking and you toss in an ingredient, I'm always like wait, wait, what's that? Or or is that the right brand? I don't know.

KT:

Right, this is KT from Bamboooyah and you're listening to The Pittsburgh Dish.

Doug:

So, KT, for all of this content you're creating, if someone hasn't discovered you yet, could you describe the cuisine and generally what you're cooking now?

KT:

Sure, so I mainly cook Korean American food, so Korean inspired, but it's also fusion food.

Doug:

Yes, food so.

KT:

Korean inspired, but it's also fusion food. There are mixed feelings about fusion food, but my personal opinion is that Korean food is a food made to be fusion. You can do no wrong with Korean food. The ingredients blend so well with our common American dishes. I really think that it's easy to incorporate Korean ingredients into your current American diet.

Doug:

And going along with that sort of fusion thing. I think I saw a carbonara you did. Did it have kimchi and gochujang? Yeah, exactly, it looks so good.

KT:

It was so good so that one was a really fun partnership with Whole Foods actually.

Matt:

Oh, okay.

KT:

Whenever they opened up in East Liberty, I had made kimchi carbonara, so same process. I wish they had what, what's the meat called that they use usually, is it guan? Guanciale, guanciale, it's like the pork jowl right, yeah, so I don't think I found that, but I use bacon which makes a great substitute, but it was pretty much your standard carbonara with kimchi and gochujang and a little bit of sugar added and then like topped with some green onions.

Doug:

It was really good oh my gosh, it looked amazing, even just how you plate and everything. I'm a big fan, oh.

KT:

I appreciate it.

Doug:

Yeah, it gets me thinking with the talk of going to the grocery stores and some of the things you make and we get to watch. If you're like me, I've had some experience with Korean food and some ingredients, but not a whole bunch. If somebody in our region was looking to be more adventurous, are there a couple of things you think they should try, maybe if they went out to eat? Or are there a couple of things that they should buy if they're ready to try something at home? Maybe we can start with the try if they're going out to eat. Do you have a couple thoughts?

KT:

yeah, so I would. I would say the safest option that everyone should know is definitely bulgogi okay um, and I my favorite is spicy pork bulgogi so if you can find. That's my favorite way to enjoy it with some, which is the lettuce wraps, and it often has. One of my favorite Korean ingredients is perilla leaves. I think it's called kenip in Korean, but it's pretty much it's called a sesame leaf.

KT:

That's the translation, but it's similar to the Japanese shiso leaf where it's very astringent in flavor and it's in the mint family. So putting some spicy pork bulgogi with some lettuce and a perilla leaf with a little bit of kimchi, and that is like the perfect bite. So I would always recommend bulgogi, even though that's a basic order, sure? Um, the second one that I would probably recommend bulgogi even though that's a basic order.

KT:

Sure the second one that I would probably recommend like Korean fried chicken, you can't go wrong. Ddeokbokki, like the Korean spicy rice cakes, those are really delicious too, and I would say, like quote, quote, beginner friendly.

Matt:

Right.

KT:

If you're just stepping into Korean cuisine, can't go wrong there.

Doug:

Do you have a spot around town that you like, like an actual restaurant that you frequent or you're?

KT:

cooking so much at home? Maybe you don't. No, I would say that's exactly it. If I'm cooking at home, it's almost always Korean food, so we so rarely go out to get Korean food, but I would say we're picking a favorite in the city. I would maybe say soju. I really like Soju.

Doug:

That's over in Garfield.

KT:

Yeah, and I've also been wanting to try Boonseek, the Korean corndog truck.

Doug:

Yes, it's a corndog truck. Yes, yes.

KT:

And I've heard it's amazing, but I haven't had the chance to try it yet, so that's definitely on my radar to try.

Doug:

A place that I really like and I think they're still open, it's the Golden Pig, which is down in Cecil. Oh, okay, if you've never been, it was near a place that I used to work and as we're talking, I'm looking to just see. And yes, they're still open. But I have heard rumors. It was sort of like a one-woman show down there and there's always been rumors that she's going to retire.

KT:

Oh no, I have to go before it closes.

Doug:

You need to go yeah, really good bulgogi and scallion pancake, and she makes her own homemade kimchi. That's amazing.

KT:

I do want to give a shout out now that you mentioned kimchi Sambok, the Korean market in the Strip District, has the best kimchi in the city. Do they make it there, they do they make it there, they do they make it and they have a vegan version, but I haven't tried the vegan version, but their original kimchi is my favorite ever. It really tastes like it's straight from Korea and I just remembered. I think another introduction to Korean food and a great resource is actually the Trader Joe's frozen section.

KT:

Yeah surprisingly right They've started to dabble in Korean food and I would say I've been impressed by the Galbi. The LA Galbi it's like beef short ribs. Ok, that's been really good. And then they also have in their pre marinated meat section. They have like bulgogi, if you if you don't want to make it yourself.

Doug:

All right.

KT:

They spell it wrong on the package, but it's all the same wrong on the package, but it's all the same.

Doug:

I think I've seen you review a few of these packages and you're like no to this one, yeah or yes, so I I like that tip, though for some folks that can get to a trader joe's right, like I would say the hits at trader joe's.

KT:

The bulgogi is good, the kalbi is good, and then they have the cylindrical or not cylindrical the disc rice cakes and then the pa jeon.

Doug:

The scallion pancake is really good you know the other thing I like from trader joe's. They have a little package of gochujang like. So if you don't want to make the big commitment of getting oh yeah, bigger one and then I I see kimchi in a lot of other places. So if someone can't make it down to the strip or one of those markets that you mentioned, but they see it in their local grocery store I mentioned earlier, are there a couple of things they could buy and try at home?

Doug:

I think about gochujang or kimchi. Is there anything else that comes to mind for you?

KT:

Right, I would definitely say gochujang gochugaru, which is the Korean red pepper flakes.

Doug:

Oh, I don't know if I know those. Oh, they're really good. Okay, I need to get some of those.

KT:

Yeah, and then sesame oil is a classic staple. You got to have sesame oil and then I would say, if you're feeling adventurous to try something, I would have to say the herb that I mentioned earlier, perilla. I can't speak about it enough. It's really unique. You can put it on top of, like stir-fried spicy chicken. You can put it in, yeah, the ssam, the barbecue wraps it. Really. That's like a more unique ingredient that I love introducing people to.

Doug:

I love it. I just I keep thinking about these little gateways. If I was going to introduce my parents to this food which is not their palate, right, I just need to sneak in some of these things and then they'll be like oh, what's that? I really like it.

KT:

Yeah, I think another thing to mention is whenever you're first starting out with Korean food and maybe you don't like kimchi, cause I get it, it's, it's a very strong, unique flavor. Exactly, but an easy way to mellow that out is by cooking it. So if you make kimchi fried rice. It really mellows out the kimchi but somehow, like all the flavors, still there just kind of like.

KT:

It can make it like more tolerable for people who may not think that they like it. Same goes for like. If you put kimchi in dumplings again, the kimchi is very mellowed out, but it's so delicious because all the flavor is still locked in there.

Doug:

So good. I love kimchi fried rice. It's one of my faves. You know, I wanted to take a step back because I forgot to ask you where did you grow up? You didn't grow up in Pittsburgh.

KT:

No. So whenever people out of the country ask where I'm from, I always say Pittsburgh. But I grew up an hour north of here in Mercer County, so growing up there it has a completely different feel than the city of Pittsburgh, even though it's only one hour away. Yeah, my childhood.

KT:

I feel like I was ashamed of being Korean a lot of the time I felt very isolated and like sometimes kids picked on me for being Korean. But I actually had one childhood best friend and I don't even know if she knows this, but she encouraged me a lot that it's okay to be different and you, you can embrace being Korean. This was this was like while I was a child and I distinctly remember cause we were assigned like in fourth grade your big project is presenting on a country to the class and she had picked Korea because of me and my mom, who is a Korean adoptee.

KT:

So she was like the first person in my childhood to like say hey, it's okay to be Korean and in fact it's cool.

Doug:

She celebrated it for you, so she, she was really amazing.

KT:

I've I've actually never told her that, so I'll have to. You need to do that I do need to do that.

Doug:

That's a great story. Thank you for sharing that.

KT:

Yeah, and I think it's funny to think about the accessibility of things like you're talking about. You can find kimchi and gochujang at Trader Joe's. It's so different now. I remember eating seaweed in elementary school and like it was like. The reaction of eating seaweed was more like they couldn't believe, like jaw on the floor, couldn't believe I was eating it. Like kids would like touch their tongue to it and be like it tastes fishy. But but to me that was just so normal, and today roasted seaweed.

KT:

You can find that at Walmart, Trader Joe's, Giant Eagle. It's everywhere. So I'm glad Korean food and things like that have grown.

Doug:

Yeah, I do think in a lot of parts of the country too, attitudes have changed. Oh definitely. Hopefully kids are not being picked on for what they bring to lunch.

KT:

Mm-hmm. Yeah, exactly, I think there's definitely been a trend in, specifically, the Asian food content creator space talking about a smelly lunchbox story and I'm grateful I didn't have that experience I packed my lunches but I definitely think that because people are talking about those stories today, today's day and age, it's almost bring like a a new food to try or to share with a friend like that would be more celebrated today I would, I would hope right the kids would be like daring each other to eat the seaweed right, yeah, yeah, and then they would love it right, yeah, exactly more accepting

Doug:

right, yeah, our palates have also changed and that's so good. I think it's such a wide range of culinary. As you said, accessibility. And I just think eaters. In general, we're much more adventurous. We see things online like the stuff you're making and everyone wants to try it.

KT:

Right, and I think, like our grandparents' generation, like my grandparents, were very like meat and potatoes and like that. That was it. So that's how I grew up too.

Doug:

Thank you so much for that, KT. I want to take a pivot and talk about how you and I met through some of this content creator community. Where I really got to know you was an organization called The Cohort, which you're part of.

KT:

Right, yeah.

Doug:

Can you tell our listeners a little bit about that organization and your involvement?

KT:

Sure. So I am a member of the council on The Cohort and it has been an amazing experience to meet other Pittsburgh creators.

KT:

I have felt very removed from the Pittsburgh content creation scene or even Pittsburgh food scene in general, and the cohort has just reeled me back into that full force. So it's been really fun to meet other local Pittsburgh creators. The cohort is a group of Pittsburgh content creators interested in just kind of networking, getting to know each other. Content creation can be very isolating because oftentimes you're by yourself, you don't have coworkers, you don't have the water cooler talk. So an opportunity like this to meet other creators up close and talk about similar issues that we're facing or just to provide advice, because the cohort has a wide range of micro influencer all the way up to huge macro influencers.

Doug:

Like people that have a million followers, over a million followers.

KT:

So it's just, it's been really interesting to be able to meet these people and have conversations and you know there's a lot of panel discussions and workshops Like, if you're interested in how, how can I get into the Pittsburgh content creation space? How can I potentially do this full time? But they've just had a lot of great workshops like media kits and live workshops Like how do you film content?

Matt:

Yes.

KT:

But it's just. It's been a really amazing way to meet people and I'm so glad that we've met through there and continue to stay in contact.

Doug:

I would echo so many of those things that you said about feeling isolated. Really, I made a lot of connections at some of the cohort networking meetups for people that I have admired that do similar things. It's the same type of problems that everyone is having that they can share, or the tactics that they're using to navigate this sort of crazy, unknown business, if you want it to be, or hobby.

KT:

Yeah, exactly, and I was. Another thing that just blew me away is the number of people that show up.

Matt:

Right.

KT:

Like I was unaware that there were this many people even interested in content creation in the quote, quote small city of Pittsburgh you know, in our little city, so it's been a really fun experience to meet so many people who have similar interests.

Doug:

I agree. So, KT, this has been so great. Thank you so much for coming on the show sharing a little bit of information for our listeners about what you're cooking Korean cuisine. I think it's super informative for folks that maybe haven't expanded their palate yet but they want to, and I always like to give a moment at the end for you to plug yourself, in case folks would like to follow you and find those recipes that you're making.

KT:

So you can find my content under Bamboooyah. So it's B-A-M-B-O-O-O-Y-A-H. My most popular platforms are TikTok, Instagram, and I'm trying to break into YouTube shorts. Oh, yeah, so very small following there, but I'm working on it.

Doug:

Sometimes it's hard when you start on one platform and you want to go to another. You just people don't find you right away.

KT:

Right, yeah, that's what I'm finding it's.

Doug:

It's been a, it's been a journey with YouTube shorts, and if somebody out there is interested in learning more about the cohort, how can they find more information or follow them? No-transcript KT it's been so great to talk with you today. Before I let you go, I always like to ask our guests what's been the best dish you've eaten over the last week.

KT:

Well, first, thank you so much for having me, because this has been a blast, and then my favorite dish, I would have to say Easter dinner. I'm actually not a huge fan of ham, but I go ham for the side dishes. So cheesy potatoes, broccoli salad, mac and cheese, those are all some of my favorite foods. So definitely Easter dinner.

Doug:

Oh yeah, we're just past that holiday as we're recording. So, it's fresh on my mind as well. You can't beat it. And was that mom making most of those?

KT:

things. Yeah, of course, yeah.

Doug:

Go, mom KT.

KT:

thanks so much for being on the.

Doug:

Pittsburgh Dish. Katie's husband, Matt, was also with her that day, so I had one more question for him. So what's the best dish that KT makes?

Matt:

um, I'm probably butchering the pronunciation, but, uh, I'm glad you are not me. I'll give it my best shot.

Doug:

Dak bokkeum tang, that I do um, and if somebody doesn't know what that is, yeah, for that.

Matt:

In layman's term that's just spicy chicken stew, essentially with big pieces of chicken thigh, big chunks of potato and kind of the red, the red pepper, the gochujang sauce of sorts um, over rice, of course, don't forget the, the steamed short grain rice, and I could eat. I could eat every day of the week, and then leftovers for lunch. For me, perfect, thank you.

Doug:

Matt, yeah, up next in our weekly recommend want some of the best bagels in the region. We talk to Raquel Holiday and take a trip to Beaver. Hey, Raquel, thanks for coming back.

Raquel:

Of course I'm happy to be back.

Doug:

I know that you hail from the Beaver County area. I was just wondering if you could give us a local spot up there that you love, that you go to fairly frequently.

Raquel:

Okay, I think that everyone should make the drive to Beaver, since for everyone else it is a drive to go to this place called Beaver Bagel Co. It is in Bridgewater of Beaver and it is one of the best bagels I've ever had, and I've seen other people drive there just to get their bagels and I think that they deserve all the recognition and more. I'm a build your own bagel type of gal, but they have a whole variety of different types of bagels, but they also make their own lox, I believe, and that's a biggie.

Doug:

Now I have a question. When you say build your own bagel, are we talking like a build your own bagel sandwich? Yes, okay, and they have all different types of bagels, right, like everything bagel. Do they have any kind of special flavored bagels that you crave?

Raquel:

My favorite bagel during the regular year is the jalapeno cheddar with jalapeno cheddar cream cheese, but in November they have a special. That's usually a sweet potato bagel around the holidays Doug.

Doug:

Worth the drive.

Raquel:

If you love sweet potato casserole.

Doug:

I do.

Raquel:

It is a sweet potato bagel with marshmallow cream cheese, with charred marshmallows on it and like pecans or a nut or something like that.

Doug:

Oh my gosh. I'm going to put an event in my calendar right now to remind myself to go there in November.

Raquel:

Me and Ana went and she actually also liked this other one that they had. That was like kind of like an open face like Thanksgiving dinner.

Matt:

Oh.

Raquel:

Like bagel. Yeah, Doug, put it in your calendar, come visit me, we'll go get bagels.

Doug:

Let's do it. Are they changing the flavors like all the time there's like seasonals, like these?

Raquel:

So they have a main menu which is like the normal ones, like jalapeno, cheddar, et cetera, and then every month I think, they do one sweet and one savory special and different bagel sandwiches based off of that.

Doug:

Do they do breakfast sandwiches, yes, as well as lunch.

Raquel:

They also have amazing pastries. The other day I had this mascarpone lemon lavender cake. It was insane, Honestly. Anyone who's in this area. If you want a good bagel, if you're making the drive, maybe go during the summer, unless you want the good old November special because they do not have indoor seating. They only have outdoor seating and takeout.

Doug:

Okay.

Raquel:

I also recommend ordering online because on the weekends like your wait for a bagel might be 45 minutes and I know that sounds insane, but it's so worth it. It is my favorite bagel in Beaver County Beaver Bagel Co.

Doug:

All right, and they're a daytime place. It looks like they're open like from seven to two most every day. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays Correct? Thanks so much.

Raquel:

Thanks.

Doug:

You can follow Raquel Holiday on Instagram at ForkYaPGH. So we're going to give our friend Rachael Rennebeck a call to learn a little bit more about her family meatball recipe. Rachael is half of the dynamic duo that make up the YaJagoff team here locally in Pittsburgh. Let's give her a call and learn a little bit more about this dish.

Rachael:

Hello.

Doug:

Hey Rachael, how are you?

Rachael:

Oh, doug, I'm just swell. Thank you, I'm just trying to channel my meatball voice.

Doug:

I love it. The Camino meatball recipe Yep, oh, this is awesome. So, Rachael, thanks so much for coming on the show. And I saw this recipe card and I noticed, sort of in true Italian fashion, there's not measurements. Is that right fashion?

Rachael:

there's not measurements. Is that right? There's never measurements, Doug. I mean, my grandmother literally used to say my grandmother was from Abruzzo, Italy, and my grandmother used to say you are and you make the way, you are right. So essentially she was a short, stout Italian and she would say I really don't know the measurements, I just cook as I am, so I'm a little bit chubby, so I do things't know the measurements, I just cook as I am, so I'm a little bit chubby, so I do things a little bit bigger. So you are as you are, and so I do the same thing. I find myself thinking about cooking for a family of five and thinking I'm not a small person and so it's a smidgen of this and a little bit of that. I would never be able to be pinned down and say a quarter of a cup or X amount of teaspoons or tablespoons. It's just hey, it turns out good each time. So that's the Italian way.

Doug:

Oh my gosh, I. This is actually how I like to cook too, and I love you are how you are. I want to like get a t-shirt made for that. There we go.

Rachael:

Yeah, just measure, yeah, exactly. So, Rachael, this is your mom's recipe and it's the Camino, exactly.

Doug:

So, Rachael, this is your mom's recipe and it's the Camino. Am I saying that right?

Rachael:

Camino meatball recipe Correct. So my mom's Italian side I'm.

Matt:

Italian, irish, but my.

Rachael:

Italian side is the Camino side and the Caminos all shared this recipe. If you've ever met the famous cousin Lisa, she's my cousin we all share the same. We have the same ravioli, the same sauce and, just like all different regions because Abruzzo is in a different section of Italy the sauce that we make, the meatballs that we make, you know, even our sweets, it's a little bit different than, say, my husband's side, which is Sicilian. You know, they all have a different take and a different taste. So this Camino recipe is shared among all the different cousins of the Caminos and it's literally the key ingredient, Doug, should I tell you?

Doug:

Yeah, go for it.

Rachael:

Okay, the big news is it's cheap ground meat. That's what makes it so amazing, because it gives enough of that grease, right.

Doug:

Yeah. So, Rachael, for folks that maybe haven't seen this recipe card on our blog yet, I mean, the ingredients are pretty straightforward. You're throwing them together and cooking as you are or the amounts that you kind of want. I guess you could do like a test meatball, you know, if somebody really wanted to check their seasoning or something, do you guys fry these up, or do you bake them or put them straight in the sauce? How do you do that?

Rachael:

That's a great question. Yes, we fry them. And it's interesting, A friend of mine, Robert Miles, who actually ran the Allegheny Inn for quite some time, he bakes his meatballs. And how funny, John. My partner too, he does that. But my family, you put, just like I would say, a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and my dad always says, make sure it's Calphalon, right. And so you put that in and then you, literally you roll them as you are as well, right. So you may have small meatballs, you may have big meatballs. Mine tend to look like mini meatloaves.

Rachael:

And you put them into the frying pan and you just keep kind of tossing them back and forth until they're done.

Doug:

Ah, I love it. I'm so excited to make this. I love just a slightly different take on a meatball recipe, and Rachel thanks so much for sharing this family treasure and keeping it going.

Rachael:

Doug, you are a treasure to so many of us. I appreciate you taking the time with me today and thanks for doing this amazing podcast.

Doug:

Well, Rachael, before I let you go, I know you're half of the dynamic duo. Well, Rachael, before I let you go, I know you're half of the dynamic duo. Can you let all of our listeners know about you guys? You know where to find and follow and all the things that you and John have going on.

Rachael:

Absolutely so. We have the YaJagoff podcast, YaJagoff Late Night, and you can find us wherever you get your podcast, but follow us for sure on social media, Facebook and Instagram specifically. It's just where you find podcasts and it's under YaJagoff. It doesn't get any easier than that.

Doug:

Rachael Rennebeck. Thank you so much for being on The Pittsburgh Dish.

Rachael:

My pleasure.

Doug:

I want to give a special thanks to the Ya Jagoff podcast crew of Rachael Rennebeck and John Chamberlain. They've been nothing but supportive of our new show, and it just goes to show how Pittsburghers are there's room for everyone in town. Thanks, guys. Well, that's our show for this week. We want to thank all of our guests and contributors, and to Kevin Solecki of Carnegie Accordion Company for providing the music to our show. We'll be back again next week with another fresh episode. Stay tuned.

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Douglas Heilman

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