Archive for August, 2009
I grew up mostly in Seoul, Korea. I attended an international school where I was taught entirely in English. The world I lived was very normal to me, but when I really think about it, it was a little bit strange, unique, and pretty interesting. I lived in an Asian country, in the land of my ethnic origin, but was primarily immersed in a Western based society that followed American pop culture. My background is a fusion of both American and Korean cultures. I watched Full House, had a crush on Zach Morris, and learned about terminal sicknesses and everlasting love through Korean melodramas. I ate tons of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Korean takeout Chinese noodles, and these chewy treats. I usually had two Thanksgiving breaks, first in early-mid fall and later in November. I was fortunate to experience parts of both cultures and am really glad I grew up the way I did.
While I was in Korea, I think the most exotic and foreign part of America was its food and food products. It was easy to find out about American music and movies but a box of Sun-Maid Raisins and Betty Crocker Cake Mix, not so much. One of the products I found so fun was Quaker Oats. I know! It’s a sort of mundane, everyday brand here, but back then, that cylinder cardboard container was special. I probably bought them for well over their normal price at the black market where they sell American food items. I’m not sure why they call it the black market in Korea because those place are not illegal. Maybe it’s because everything is ridiculously expensive but people still find the need to buy them.
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August 07 2009 | cookies & bars and recipe and thoughts | 9 Comments »
In general, I don’t cook Korean very often. I have a tendency to be drawn towards rustic Italian dishes or interesting ingredients like quinoa and wheat berry. These foods feel more exotic to me so many times I skip the Korean and cook up something I’ve never eaten before. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but I do think it’s a bit sad that I barely know how to cook what I call my comfort food.
To redeem myself a little bit, there is one Korean dish I know well and have almost mastered. It is a browned tofu in a spicy soy sauce. In Korean it’s called tubu chorim, 두부조림, which roughly translates to tofu boiled in sauce. It’s very easy and fast. It does require a couple of Asian condiments like soy sauce and sesame oil, but if you don’t have those in your pantry I highly encourage you to get them. Soy sauce is well known, but sesame oil may not be. It is a vegetable oil made from sesame seeds that is intensely fragrant and used in many Asian dishes.
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August 06 2009 | asian and korean and recipe and thoughts and vegetarian | 3 Comments »
A couple of weeks ago I went to Boulder, Colorado to visit my good friend Becky who lives there. I had never been to Boulder before and virtually knew nothing about the city except that hiking and rock climbing were popular activities. As we, actually mostly she was planning where to go, what to do, and most importantly where to eat, I started to faintly recall that Hosea Rosenberg had a restaurant there, Jax Fish House. For those of you who don’t watch Top Chef, (gasp!), Hosea was the winner of season five. I personally was rooting for finalist Stefan Richter, but I guess the cards or shall I say knives weren’t chopping in his favor (haha).
We arrived there five minutes before happy hour ended, which barely left us enough time to order drinks. We both opted for the strawberry lemonade made of strawberry infused vodka with lemonade. We were both exhausted from a physically and mentally challenging rock climbing session and so the sweet, cool, princess pink drink was the perfect way to refresh ourselves. There were so many attractive dishes on the happy hour menu like $1 oysters, pork belly sliders, and baby beets with goat cheese and balsamic. If we had only gotten their 15 minutes earlier…
We waited about 45 minutes for a table in the crowded and cramped bar/front. The atmosphere was casual and fun, a mix between a fisherman’s wharf and fine dining. Adorning the exposed brick wall are framed photographs of fishermen both young and old, wearing Jax apparel and holding their catch of the day.
By the time we sat down, we were ready to order. We decided to share a bowl of the chicken and crawfish gumbo with andouille and rice as our appetizer. I went with the Mississippi skillet catfish with butterbean puree, fresh garbanzos, andouille, and pepper jelly, while Becky ordered one of the specials, hemi fish with cooked bokchoy, peas, and a sweet corn puree and relish (if I remember correctly).
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August 05 2009 | bakeries & restaurants and thoughts | 3 Comments »
When I first decided that I wanted to start a food blog, the person who was most excited was my mom. She has been a pioneer foodie ever since my siblings and I were babies. She continues to master traditional dishes while also innovating them with a modern-fusion twist. She’s given me a lot of ideas and inspiration while I’ve been in San Diego. Many of my posts, including this one, will be dishes from her recipe book, so get ready to salivate!
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August 04 2009 | asian and recipe and sandwiches and thoughts | 3 Comments »
Dessert after dinner is a rare event at my family’s dinner table. Growing up, we usually ate fruit in the evening, a couple hours after the dinner table was cleared. In general, I think this is common amongst many Korean households. However, when special occasions arise, frosted cakes and sweet pastry flakes make an appearance after dinner.
For the past couple of weeks, I have been in San Diego where my Grandparents live. When I was younger, the entire family migrated over here for the summer, and the house burst full of aunts, uncles, cousins, extended cousins, and friends. Now that we are all older, living all over the place, and no longer cute enough to attend summer camp, family reunions and large group gatherings happen rarely. However, a couple of days ago, almost by mere chance, a few familiar faces were able to come together. In celebration of this special occasion, I decided a dessert should be called for.
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August 03 2009 | cake and dessert and recipe and thoughts | 8 Comments »
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