Bibimbap Bar #SundaySupper

Gallo Family Vineyards have partnered up the Sunday Supper Tastemakers to share tips on wine pairings and summer BBQs and potlucks. Something about eating outside with good friends – food almost tastes better! And even though our daily schedules are still hectic with summer activities and work, we give into the warmer air and longer days and relax a bit. The emergence of pink wines, like a rosé wine or a Gallo Family Vineyard Pink Moscato, also signal summer for me.

I live in the Northeast which means sticky humid summers, something that I loathe, but it doesn’t stop me from planning backyard gatherings. When we host a party, we almost always have a Korean BBQ with galbi and fixings, but lately I’ve been hosting with a Bibimbap Bar! It’s less time in the kitchen and at the grill and more time with friends!

Bibimbap literally means “mixed rice” (bibim=mix, bap=rice) and it seems to be the “gateway” dish into the Korean cuisine. It’s palatable and not too intimidating. I mean, it’s a bowl of rice with vegetables, to put it simply.

My mom makes bibimbap at least once when the family gets together and prepares each bowl individually, carefully laying out each component radially, only to be mixed around minutes later. Unfortunately, I have a fraction of the patience that my mom has and the thought of being stuck in the kitchen plating 15-16 bowls is not my idea of a fun party. That’s where my idea of the bibimbap bar comes in! I find it’s a fun way to serve a traditional Korean dish and it also allows your guests to pick and choose what they want to mix up in their rice bowl. The banchan (the vegetable side dishes) can be prepared 1-2 days ahead and all you have to do is to cook the rice the day of the gathering.

Here is a suggested menu for a successful bibimbap bar.

• A big pot of rice. This is when your handy-dandy rice cooker comes into play to keep your rice warm.
• Any combination of the following:
  • Bulgogi or chicken bulgogi
  • Sautéed shiitake mushrooms
  • Sautéed zucchini (see below)
  • Moo saeng chae (seasoned radish salad)
  • Suk joo namul (seasoned bean sprouts)
  • Oi muchim (seasoned cucumbers)
  • Sigumchi muchim (seasoned spinach)
  • Gosari namul (seasoned fernbracken)
  • Red leaf lettuce
• Bibimbap sauce!

And no, you do not have to make ALL of the dishes, but if you want all of the dishes, you can make this into a potluck and have your guests bring 1 or 2 of their favorite banchan to the party. And if you are fortunate enough to live near a Korean market with a prepared foods section, you can buy these dishes already prepared. I won’t judge!

For refreshments, I like to serve something cold and light-bodied. Japanese beers are pretty good and white wines like Gallo Family Vineyards Pinot Grigio is great. I find this medium-bodied wine perfectly balanced and is works well with bibimbap with its mélange of flavors and textures. If your guests want something a little sweeter to mellow out the spicy heat, Gallo Family Vineyards Red Moscato works as well.

I hope this inspires you to try something new for your next backyard shindig! Cheers!

Click on this link to learn more about Gallo Family Vineyards wines. And to stock up for your backyard party, you can also locate stores that sell Gallo Family Wines by clicking here.

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And here is what GFV and the rest of the Sunday Supper family is bringing to the backyard party!

Appetizers:

• Buffalo Bread by Feed Me, Seymour
• Cilantro Lime Chicken Wings by Casa de Crews
• Creamy Asparagus Puffs by Brunch with Joy

Main Dishes:

• Bibimbap Bar by kimchi MOM
• Chicken Satay by Curious Cuisiniere
• Citrus Grilled Chicken Under a Brick by Nosh My Way
• Garlicky Sirloin Steak For A Crowd by Family Foodie
• Grilled Chicken Salad Sandwiches by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Grilled Mediterranean Salmon Burgers with Tzatziki by Simply Healthy Family
• Spicy Shrimp Lettuce Wraps by Take A Bite Out of Boca

Sides and Salads:

• Bacon Strawberry and Farro Salad by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Balsamic Blueberry Salad by Alida’s Kitchen
• Caprese Pasta Salad by One Sweet Mess
• Grilled Rainbow Potato Salad by Shockingly Delicious
• Spicy Watermelon Salad by Ruffles & Truffles
• Tortellini Salad by Magnolia Days

Desserts:

• Coconut Shortcakes with Grilled Pineapple by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Frozen Root Beer Float Pie by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Grilled Peaches with Brioche by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• S’more Cookie Cups by Desserts Required

BBQ Helpful Info:

• GFV Backyard BBQs and Potlucks by Gallo Family Vineyards
• 5 Tips for Using BBQ Sauce by Sunday Supper Movement

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.