If anyone is looking for good, solid information about canning tuna, try Eugenia Bone’s book, Well Preserved: recipes and techniqes for putting up small batches of seasonal foods. This book is full of information, and it’s warm and personal. Bone includes recipes using canned and otherwise preserved foods.

Regarding the sustainability of the Northern Pacific fishery, many organizations have rated the fishery as robust. These include the Marine Stewardship Council, Oregon’s Dept of Fish and Wildlife, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. However, I have looked at the scientific report that Monterey Bay used as part of its evaluation. What’s important is that the albacore stock is again being evaluated in 2010 regarding whether it is being fished at levels that are sustainable. We should all stay tuned. We want the fishery to remain popular and healthy, but not overfished!

Matthew, Thanks for the tips on adjusting and making gochu-chang. (I’m hoping the hunt for soybean malt powder will not deter me.)

One more thought: I didn’t have any gochu-chang when I made bibimbap with brown rice, and used a chili garlic sauce instead. This worked pretty well, and I think it was because short grain brown rice is itself naturally sweet and nutty.

It made me think that in the future, I may adjust my gochu-chang depending on the components of my bibimbap. I can see how you might want the gochu-chang to be less sour and less hot for a delicate bibimbap with a white fish and pea shoots than you would for one with beef or bulgogi.

I also want to know how to make gochu-chang. So far, the only brand I’ve found is sweeter than spicy. It seems like the sweet and hot should be more balanced. I bet homemade gochu-chang tastes cleaner and punchier than the stuff I have.

Matthew, Tell me about using a gas stove to heat the stone bowl. I’m curious. It must be much faster than using the oven?

Liz, I share your enthusiasm completely. A friend told me that the best bibimbap she had was in the Korean countryside. It was made with brown rice and had leaf lettuce and various namul. The thought of crunchy lettuce over rice makes me look forward to trying a springtime bibimbap with new spinach, asparagus, and more. How about spring Chinook? Think of all the great textures.

Anonymous, Is the slight flattening you describe specific to bibimbap? Is it done to affect the texture of the dish somehow?

Janice,
To clarify, you should discard any seeds you find. Enjoy!