[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab... More

Note: Leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container indefinitely. For an even more tiki experience, serve the skewers on top of grilled pineapple slices with maraschino cherries.... More

Adapted from Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen by Elizabeth Andoh... More

Adapted from Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen by Elizabeth Andoh.... More

I've been infatuated with Korean cuisine for years now but never really understood rice cakes. They always seemed so mushy, bland, and covered in sweet sauce. But a recent midnight snack at a Korean bar changed everything. Instead of boiled, these were grilled, so they had that crackly outer layer, which gave way to a tender and succulent inside. They were also tossed with this fiery red sauce, which forced you to keep a drink close at hand. More