Me. I’m a 1.5-generation American-Korean living in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with my husband (HB) and six-year-old daughter (The Princess). I work as a freelance designer, writer, project manager, and editor to support my habit—FOOD. During my free time (whenever I can find it), I like to read, write, watch movies from Netflix and k-dramas online, and do crafts and art projects with The Princess. But most of all, I like to experiment in the kitchen.
As a mother of a 1st-grader with dairy and nut allergies, I’m constantly looking for new and exciting foods/recipes for my Princess. She’s a very picky eater and likes to eat the same things over and over. I often have to cook two different meals to maintain domestic tranquility. But like me, she loves her dessert, and I can often bribe her to do things by promising to bake something. Maraschino cherries from the jar work well in a pinch, too.
The blog. “Mama Sophia’s Soul Kitchen” was originally the project codename for redesigning my former company’s intranet, but it never came to pass. Nevertheless, I thought the name seemed appropriate for my blog, so I decided to recycle it.
What I’m interested in. Food, design, publishing/getting published, health/fitness, pop culture, the creative process, and brain farts.
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I went to Korean BBQ with Scott and my parents and thought about what we were eating and what you would say about it. surely it would mean more to you— why is one of the little dishes a sweet sticky mayonaissy pasta salad?
I am always surprised to see Korean and Japanese cuisine in the same restaurant, with all the history that there is. Your mother must have something to say about that.
Ltu– Daniel
Indeed, what’s up with the mayonaissy pasta salad at Korean restaurants? It’s definitely not part of traditional Korean dining. I asked my SIL and she said it’s more or less to bring in something comfortable/familiar to Westerners. (But why mayo-pasta and not mac-n-cheese?)
As for why it’s not uncommon to have Korean and Japanese cuisine in the same restaurant…Koreans like fresh fish (sushi/sashimi) and Japanese like kimchee and bulgogi/kalbi (Korean BBQ). What a great way to bring the best of both worlds in one place!
But I think I know what you’re asking. With the history between Korea and Japan, wouldn’t you expect there to be some strong feelings about having both cuisines in one place. And, interestingly enough, there is. I’ll write more about it in another post sometime soon.
I love your site. Keep it up !