Sometimes I’m a lazy food blogger. Generally, yes, I love to get my hands dirty and I make a big mess in the kitchen happily. But I’m not ambitious enough to make things from scratch every time I want something to eat. I do have a day job and I am prone to watching entire seasons of TV shows in one sitting on the weekend (don’t judge me).
…
When I lived in Richmond, Virginia I frequented a bar just a few blocks from my apartment where my roommate and best friend worked. I spent many nights there with friends having drinks and listening to live music. I was really sad to hear it left its old space while I was overseas and moved to a new location. I visited the new version of it but sadly it just wasn’t the same. One of my favorite ideas on the menu was something called a Veggie Whip. It was the vegetarian version of the Whip McCord, which featured a potato pancake with sauerkraut and different kinds of meat. The Veggie Whip featured diced vegetables and sometimes it could be a bit hit or miss but I loved the concept.
…
One of my favorite side dishes to order at a bar or restaurant in Korea is steamed eggs. Steamed eggs at a bar? Yeah, I know it sounds very odd, but it’s a common side dish you can order for a couple of bucks. I love this dish with its light, custard-like texture and savory flavor. Many times it has minced vegetables inside, mostly carrots and scallions, or it can be plain with a scallion garnish on top.
…
The first cookbook I ever got was from the library of Mrs. Garabelli, my best friend Victoria’s mom. Some of the first dishes I attempted to make came out of that cookbook, and it kind of sparked my love of learning about food and developing recipes. In high school, I would often stop by the Garabelli house where one could always find some sort of delicious meal cooking on the stove. I learned a lot about Uruguayan cuisine from eating with the Garabellis, and some recipes and techniques from a great teacher (Mrs. Garabelli was even on a cooking show back in Uruguay!).
…
Ah, kimchi: spicy, sour and very fermented. I know a lot of people are put off by the stinky smell that comes from a jar of kimchi, but it’s so essential to a Korean meal. Pictured above you can see the image of what people around the world think of when they hear the word kimchi but I like to use to word kimchi as a verb. You can practically kimchi any vegetable and there are so many different ways to kimchi something. It can be red and spicy, but it can also be white and red pepper-less (my favorite of which is a white napa cabbage kimchi which is amazing with some roasted duck). I know of many expats that disliked kimchi when they first arrived but over time it grew on them. I think with Korean food this happens a lot. The more you eat it, the more you become addicted to it.
…
I loved stuffed vegetables of any kind, which is usually a benefit to my health but I must say that my guilty pleasure when it comes to vegetables is anything stuffed AND fried. Whenever I’m in a Mexican restaurant my eye goes immediately to a chile relleno- a pepper stuffed with meat and cheese, covered in batter and deep fried. While my taste buds dance I know that inevitably I will suffer later… I will spare you the details, but deep fried, cheese stuffed peppers are not my tummy’s best friend. So I thought of a way to make a healthier version of this dish without sacrificing flavor.
…
One of my earliest food memories involves toasted sesame seeds. My maternal grandmother, or halmoni (hal-moh-nee), has lived with my family since I was a toddler. She took care of me and my little brother and fed us delicious Korean food and treats as we grew up. My brother and I both became intensely interested in food and cooking in our early twenties while we were away at college. Paul loves to bake pies and prepare meaty dishes, and I studied Korean cuisine while I lived in Seoul and now I am in love with all things vegetable (and I only bake when pressured by my dad to make him dessert- especially cherry pie).
…