Gen-X and Gen-Y Koreans I’ve met (under 45 or so) often have a sly and delightful sense of humor when writing or communicating in English. I discovered this when my kids were going to an immersion school in San Francisco where half the families were first generation Korean immigrants. Perhaps they’re so inundated with American cultural icons that they learn slang and memes almost before they’ve got a good grasp of communicating in English.
The Beyond Kimchee blog is a great place to check out this phenomenon… and more important, an excellent source of authentic but not overly difficult Korean recipes. Easy Korean Pork is a good one to try first, both for the flavor and the language. Holly is “a native Korean mother and a wife whose favorite place in the house is the KITCHEN”. She’s been doing this for awhile and has built up quite a repertoire of recipes. In particular, there are some fresh (in the sense that I haven’t encountered them elsewhere) ideas for panchan (she calls it “pancham”), the tray of appetizers brought to the table at most Korean restaurants. Use this index page to get started with your panchan search.
A funny woman who has a way with words and is a brilliant intuitive cook… it’s sort of like Chrissy Teigen’s retired and much missed So Delushious! blog, but G-rated. Check out Beyond Kimchee.
