Our apartment is an ideal setup for dinner parties. Unlike some of my
coworkers, my kitchen is not also my bedroom. Also, most of my Korean friends
live with their parents, as is typical before marriage in many non-American
cultures. Sometimes I’m co-chef, sometimes I’m a spectator of Korean cuisine,
sometimes it’s potluck-style, sometimes I provide it all. Friends know that they
can invite themselves over for a dinner party…there will always be wine.
Mexican doesn't strike me as the most challenging cuisines to cook, but though the city tries, Mexican is usually a little lacking. What is a guac-loving
expat to do? Hopefully have friends who throw Mexican fajita parties and watch
the hilariously awful movies like Machete. Sometimes you just need to stick
your face into a 12-avocado bowl of guacamole.
I’m still a Seoul Vegan Potluck regular. Some months I invite friends along,
but I’m not too shy or self-conscious to pop in solo...it's literally a cest
pool of interesting people. My logic goes that anyone willing to check out the
vegan potluck is probably someone I can find common ground with. And these
days I can hardly walk through the Noksapyeong/Itaewon area without seeing people
I know. That’s how a city of 25 million comes to feel a bit smaller.
I’m incredibly lucky to have found the SPACE community after a mere
three weeks in Seoul. I’ve practiced yoga, attended workshops, participated in
language exchange, met some of my closest friends, and dined healthily and
deliciously. Such a wholesome and loving community where positive vibes abound.
One of my favorite events at SPACE is Mama’s Table. People gather for a
healthy (usually vegan and gluten-free) home-cooked meal prepared by someone in
the community. Creamy Swiss chard buckwheat crepes. Been there. Tamales and strawberry
atole. Done that. I even sous-chefed for a meal of Moroccan lentil stew with chickpea
poppers and fresh bread to get a little practice behind the scenes. Bekah and I
are in the planning process of co-hosting a Mama’s Table meal in the near
future!
SPACE has also offered a few healthy eating and cooking workshops. I’m
always interested in learning about food, particularly in the most
healthful of ways. At Nutrition Mission I buffed up my superfood knowledge and became introduced to the magical world of iHerb, an online health store
that ships to Korea. At another workshop I gained insight into the macrobiotic cooking
and eating philosophy. Gotta balance the yin and yang in my food! A few take-aways of a macrobiotic diet: eat whole, eat local, eat seasonal, eat organic. And chew
50-100 times!
The monthly Marche festival is another event where I can usually be
found. It has a farmer's market type feel but with less focus on the produce and
more on prepared foods, teas, jams, pickles and the like. My usual haul
includes an incredible macrobiotic veggie burger, treats from a favorite vegan
baker, and the best apples in Korea. Fuji, of course, that’s all you’ll find in
Korea. This month I went a little manic and got fermented bread, ginger
and chestnut jams, red mojo marinade, fresh cream cheese, and an herb planter
that is going to make a great candle holder! Spent every last Won…and then some...
Confession: I’m an Alien’s Day Out groupie. This blog has had a big hand
in shaping my experience in Korea. Not only has it been a useful tool as a
vegetarian, but having access to this information inadvertently motivated me
switch to a (mostly) vegan diet while living in Korea. Mipa often reviews
vegan-friendly restaurants throughout the city which have served as my main
dining out guide. Prior to veganhood I trusted her picks because vegan-friendly
restaurants tend to have an atmosphere I enjoy. Entire outings with other
groupies have been planned around her reviews. Last month I finally made it to
the vegan mecca of Seoul, a buffet frequented by vegan and non-vegans alike.
And hey, I even left comfortably full…kind of…
Oh and Mipa knows her vegan baking. Her goodies are available in select
stores and cafés around the city. And via delivery through her online bakeshop!
(Korea always delivers…even McDonalds…)
With friends come birthday celebrations! Often these are late night affairs but some of the most memorable were celebrating in the light of day. Sunset birthday hikes with mageolli, tangerines and a choco-pie "cake" at the top. Birthday bike rides fueled by half-baked brownies and refueled by adorable Korean parents supplying a picnic lunch (as is customary for parents to provide on birthdays.)
I've taken upon myself the duty of introducing my chingus to certain foods I consider essential. Guacamole, hummus, bagels, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, banana bread, jello shots. I can't imagine life growing up without (most) of these things.
As someone who appreciates creative food and suave restaurant ambiance,
I’ve wound up at quite a few great spots around the city. One of the only places
I’ve encountered in Seoul that requires a reservation (even on a Wednesday!) is
a polished Mexican restaurant by the name of Vatos Tacos. Everything was
fabulous but the kimchi fries and mageollitas impressed me most. The
Flying Pan Blue is another treasure, serving one of the most creative brunches
I’ve had…and not just in Seoul. When a menu requires me to deliberate for
fifteen minutes, I’m probably in a good place, physically and emotionally. The
caramelized fig pancakes nearly had me, but I settled for Avocado Eggs Benedict
on a thick slice of toast, piled with smoked salmon, fresh spinach, basil
pesto, and pine nuts…lalalala...
I’ve ratcheted up my Korean studying lately. This is thanks to my best chingu to whom I teach Spanish in exchange
for Korean lessons. Not only is it exciting to string together a basic sentence
in Korean, it has been awesome to brush up on my Spanish along the way. I look
forward to Tuesday dinners at a new restaurant (alternating Korean and
international cuisines) and an adorable café…so much so that we’ve become a
little lazier when it comes to the actual studying part! Until he met me he had no idea how
satisfying a vegetarian diet could be. And coming from the son of a Korean
barbeque restaurant owner in a meat-loving culture, there is no sweeter music
to my ears.
Most recently I finally joined a CSA. The website is exclusively in
Korean and it took a couple Korean friends to help navigate through
registration. Every month I will receive a box full of organic goodness:
veggies, farm eggs, tofu, kimchi and
other Korean goods. I’m also elated to support a female agricultural community.
No, E-mart, I do not care to pay your inflated prices.
If you've never tried frood, I highly recommend it. It's a delicacy.
Hummus party!
Relaxing...it's a night of Korean food.
Our Mama's Table trial run #2. Ch-ch-check out my homemade crackers!
You can only go so long without guac.
One of many vegan potlucks.
Wholeistic at Marche festival!
Creamy Swiss chard crepes. The best tamales I've ever had.
Alien's Day Out at a bakery exposition
We like to bike...and we also like brownies. 4 people, 1 pan, no problem.
A group effort to keep the choco-pie cake lit at the mountain top.
Maybe this is why I like studying Korean...
First box from Sister's Garden!
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