Kimchi Mamas

One Kimchi Jjigae Recipe to Rule Them All

Long time no talk, Kimchi Mamas!

Fall is here, my favorite time of the year!  In my house, that means a return to rich, warm, comfort food that sticks to your ribs and makes you want to kiss your mama.  

(And various fantasies of someone coating me in spices, searing me on all sides, and cooking me low and slow for hours until I melt.)

Ahem, now where was I?  Oh yes.

 

A video posted by Julie Kang (@juliejkang) on Oct 3, 2016 at 5:38pm PDT

Julie's Fancy, Low-and-Slow, Pork Rib Kimchi Jjigae

• 2 T oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 rack (2.5-4 pounds) pork spareribs
• water
• 8 cups (1/2 gallon jar) kimchi, aged in the fridge for 2 weeks or longer so it’s sour/vinegary, chopped
• 2 t minced garlic
• 2 T gukganjang, "soup soy sauce" (lighter-colored and saltier than normal soy sauce, closest substitute is fish sauce, but probably 1T normal soy sauce + salt to taste might work as a substitute?)
• black pepper
• Optional, reserve for when you want someone to fall in love with you:
  • 1 block tofu
  • 2 stalks green onion, sliced into 2-inch chunks
  • 1-2 slices of AMERICAN cheese
  • handful of mushrooms

Directions:

1. Get a large pot that can accommodate a gallon of stuff. 
2. Brown spareribs and onion in the oil.
3. Add enough water to barely cover, pop on lid, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, chop 8 c. kimchi into 2-inch pieces (or buy the already-cut kind).
5. Add kimchi, along with any juice, into the pot.
6. Add the garlic, soup soy sauce, and a dash of black pepper.
7. All of these can also be left out since the kimchi by itself has a lot of flavor.
8. Simmer everything together for about 30-45 min.
9. Optional: in the last five minutes, add tofu (might water down the flavor, so taste first)/green onions/mushrooms/cheese (it will dissolve and thicken the soup).

Pro Tip: if your jjigae at this point tastes bland, that means your kimchi wasn’t stank enough.  You can atone for your sins by adding salt, fish sauce, powdered dashi, even some sort of bouillon.  In other words, bump up the umami.

This recipe will garner you one gallon of super-savory, umami-packed, porky goodness.  And lots of friends.  Maybe an extra lover or two.  Enjoy, ajummas!

~Julie

No, Virginia...

 

Small children, please step away from the screen now.

 

For someone who swore she would never lie to her kids, I sure do lie to them a lot.

Another Day, Another Adorable Yerin Video

Yerin of YouTube fame perfectly demonstrates how we feel every morning.  Hope the rest of your day went better, Yerin-ah!

--Julie

 

Book Club Discussion Post: "Honolulu"

Hey Book Clubbers!   Welcome to the discussion thread for "Honolulu." 

Please submit answers to any or all of the following discussion topics in a comment below:

1. Initial impressions of the author's overall writing chops, style, theme.
2. How have Americans’ attitudes toward immigrants changed - or not changed - since the 1900s? 
3. How accurate is Alan Brennert's (a white American man) depictions of Korean women and/or the immigrant experience compared to your experiences?
4. Place yourself in the world of "Honolulu."  Who do you think you could have been, knowing your character?  A ki-saeng?  An enterprising innkeeper?
5. Grade the book on an A-F scale

I will gather answers into a group book review, and will post the next selection next week!

Aloha!
--Julie 

Hanbok Costume for Dolls

How adorable is this doll hanbok?  It even comes with shoes!  Gotta keep this in mind for my daughter's American Girl doll.

Korean Hanbok Dress & Shoes - Fits 18" American Girl Dolls

--Julie

Announcing the next KM Book Club Selection: Honolulu by Alan Brennert

Hi, Kimchi Mamas!

Hope everyone is having a fantabulous summer so far.

I am happy to announce July's book club selection, Honolulu by Alan Brennert.  This one was suggested to me by none other than Amazon.com's greatest recommendation-guessing robots, but from the synopsis alone, it sounds right up our alley.  I'm always curious to read books told through a woman's point of view but written by a man.  Sometimes it can be amazing (She's Come Undone is a notable example).

If you're interested in joining us, please comment below, and I will open up a discussion thread on Saturday, July 27th!  Can't wait to hear from you guys!

Mahalo,
Julie

------------------------------------------ 

Book Description:

From the bestselling author of the “dazzling historical saga” (The Washington Post), Moloka’i, comes the irresistible story of a young immigrant bride in a ramshackle town that becomes a great modern city 

“In Korea in those days, newborn girls were not deemed important enough to be graced with formal names, but were instead given nicknames, which often reflected the parents’ feelings on the birth of a daughter:  I knew a girl named Anger, and another called Pity.  As for me, my parents named me Regret.”

Honolulu is the rich, unforgettable story of a young “picture bride” who journeys to Hawai'i in 1914 in search of a better life.

Instead of the affluent young husband and chance at an education that she has been promised, she is quickly married off to a poor, embittered laborer who takes his frustrations out on his new wife. Renaming herself Jin, she makes her own way in this strange land, finding both opportunity and prejudice. With the help of three of her fellow picture brides, Jin prospers along with her adopted city, now growing from a small territorial capital into the great multicultural city it is today.  But paradise has its dark side, whether it’s the daily struggle for survival in Honolulu’s tenements, or a crime that will become the most infamous in the islands’ history...

With its passionate knowledge of people and places in Hawai'i far off the tourist track, Honolulu is most of all the spellbinding tale of four women in a new world, united by dreams, disappointment, sacrifices, and friendship. 

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Kimchi Mama Honor Roll: Stella Choe

If you are Asian American, you probably have seen the following video, maybe even on this very site!  But just in case you have been hiding under some rocks lately, here it is in all its glory:

The hilarious star of this video is Stella Choe: dancer, choreographer, and actress.  As luck would have it, Stella and Kimchi Mama Julie have a mutual friend, and so we were able to ask her a few questions!

Kimchi Mamas: Please tell us about your acting/career background and current projects.

Stella Choe: I started dancing when I was 6 and knew by 10 that I wanted to be a dancer.  I started doing dance jobs when I was 16, and then after high school, went on to a dance scholarship program at the EDGE Performing Arts Center which trains you for a dance career.   I finished college and persued dancing, and have done some fun jobs.  

I toured with Paul McCartney in 2002 to 2003, I have been in episodes for Scrubs, Two and a Half Men, I am one of the cheerleaders in the film "The Replacements" (funny side note: my credit was as the "Asian" cheerleader.  HAHA!) I have been an assistant and associate choreographer for films that include "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "A Cinderella Story" and "Gangster Squad."  Being a dancer in LA exposes you to the film and TV world and I started acting, but mainly for commercials.

KM: Wow, you danced for a Beatle and choreographed for Brad Pitt!  Amazing!  So how did you join this project?  Were you familiar with Ken Tanaka and his work?

SC: I am friends with David Ury, the co-writer of the sketch.  We were at a party together and the "What kind of Asian are you?" question came up in a conversation with some guy.  It was pretty innocent, but anyway, David and I started talking about it and he came up with the idea of turning the tables.  David and Ken then co-wrote the sketch.  Oddly enough, just before that party David and I had talked about doing a video for my reel to help me get new theatrical representation for tv and film, so the timing was perfect.

I am also familiar with Ken and am a fan of his videos and his picture book Everybody Dies.  

This was something new for him to put up on his channel.  None of us thought the reaction would be what it has been!  

KM: During your Britishisms part, how much was scripted and how much was ad-libbed?  Either way, is there more footage out there?  Can we see it?  :)

SC: There was definitely a script we worked with, but as we shot I had some room to play.  It was a collaborative effort, with the creative crew shouting out things at one point and me attempting to list as many british things I knew, and having fun with the physicality of it.  There's an outtake reel that was published a few days ago, and you can get a sense of the silliness of it all! 

The other actor, Scott Beehner, and I just shot a new video today with us reading some of the Youtube comments from the original video that are hysterical and ridiculous in and of themselves. It's a quick montage of "zingers" which should be posted soon.

KM: Can't wait for that!  And it actually brings me to my last questions: were you raised by a Kimchi Mama?  If so, how did she react to your interest in the arts?  And has she seen the video?

SC: I was indeed raised by a Kimchi Mama!!!!!  The best! My parents immigrated here in 1969 and my 2 other sisters and I were born and raised here in LA.  My mom encouraged us to assimilate and be American.  I think it was a tricky balance for her to try to keep Korean traditions alive in our upbringing while trying to raise us in Manhattan Beach (a very white beach community).  

I have to say I was pretty lucky in the support department.  I think my mom was worried about me pursuing a career she didn't really understand, but I did well in school and after college I was like, "I'm freeeee!!!" and I got a waitressing job.  Even now, I don't think she gets how I support myself, but she's always excited to hear if I get a job and have food to eat.  She saw the video and thinks I look crazy and am acting crazy.  Ah, you gotta love a Kimchi Mama.  

Thanks so much to Stella for taking the time to talk to us!  Also, please check out Stella and David Ury in their interview with the Huffington Post, where they provide even more background as to the inspiration for the video:

Mad props to Chae for the hook-up!

Book Club Discussion Post: "Please Look After Mom"

Hey Book Clubbers!   Welcome to the discussion thread for "Please Look After Mom." 

Please submit answers to any or all of the following discussion topics in a comment below:

1. Initial impressions of the author's overall writing chops, style, theme.
2. When Chi-hon asks Mom, "Did you like to cook?” how does Mom’s reply summarize the divide between her own and her daughter’s generations (p. 60)?  How would YOU answer if your child asked you the same question?
3. Out of all the major characters (Chi-hon, Hyong-chol, the younger sister with 3 children, Mom, Dad), who do you think was most responsible, if anyone, for Mom's disappearance?
4. What are the details and cultural references that make this story particularly Korean?  What elements make it universal?
5. One of my favorite parts was the story of the bizarre friendship between Mom and Lee Eun-Gyu (p. 200-211).  Were any mysteries solved with their story, or did it just enshroud Mom with even more layers of secrecy?
6. Grade the book on an A-F scale

I will gather answers and post a summary in two weeks, resulting in our very first official Kimchi Mama group book review!  So please make sure to at least grade the book!

--Julie

Notice Anything Different About Us?

Welcome to the newly redesigned Kimchi Mamas site!

Please poke around and get re-acquainted, and let us know if there are any dead links or other oddities.

So, for the internet equivalent of "Testing Testing 123," here is an animated gif of the cutest Kimchi Baby in the world, Yerin Park of YouTube fame.  Hopefully she doesn't react to our new look-and-feel this way:

Here now is a video of Yerin, who is now old enough to talk, and her voice and mannerisms are so freaking cute I diiiiiiiiie:

Dari: The First Bilingual Anthology of LGBTQ Korean American Stories and Art

May is dear to me for several reasons: it is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and it is also Mental Health Awareness Month!  

In those veins, I present to you a book released today by the Dari Project, a New York-based all-volunteer consortium that aims to increase awareness and acceptance of LGBTQ people of Korean descent in Korean American communities.  They develop resources to share the experiences of LGBTQ Korean Americans, ranging from homophobia in their KA communities, coming out, building relationships with family, and membership in faith communities.

On May 2, the Dari Project will be unveiling a bilingual publication that contains a collection of personal stories written by LGBT Korean Americans. The book contains 25 personal essays covering a variety of themes -- coming out to immigrant parents, responding to homophobia/transphobia in the Korean church, organizing the community after a gay bashing in NYC's Koreatown, etc. The contributors live across the US and South Korea, and include a diverse array of identities within the Korean American community -- biracial Koreans, adoptees and trans people.

I love their name, because dari means both legs and bridge, and this anthology seeks to provide both: support for the LGBTQ community, and a way to bridge Korean Americans from different generations, ideologies, and languages.

Check out their gorgeous logo:

Copies of the book can be requested on the Dari Project's website.

h/t to my friend and heroine, Andy Marra