Mmmm, food.

Two posts in one night?  It was the deal with myself - if you don't bring work home, then you need to blog away.
Why doesn't my inner monologue make deals like - if you don't bring work home, then you can kick your feet up, read a book, and enjoy a glass of wine - ?

It's a well known fact that Colleen "does not do" spicy food.
Koreans do.  A lot.

So, many have inquired...how are you hanging?

Well, first off, I lived in a predominantly Asian neighborhood in San Francisco and frequently ate Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and (more recently) Korean food.  I love Asian food, so that wasn't going to be an adjustment for me.  Of course, I knew what to order or not, rather- no wasabi, no red thai curry, etc.  

I have branched out and gotten better over the years [family shakes head].  I can handle a little heat, but if it gets too hot I just lose my appetite.  Bleh.

What I have noticed is that Korean spicy is a bit different then, say, Mexican spicy.  Although, too much chili paste and you've lost me again.  I'm also very savvy, I know what to look out for - red is always a dead giveaway, it's not tomato sauce!  I also, apparently, have "no spicy" tattooed on my forehead.  I have often been at a Korean restaurant, ordered something, and the waiter's eyes widen and they declare, "Spicy!"  When my eyes widen and I shake my head, we have now bonded and are on the same page.  They then point out my options.  See, easy breezy.

  Kimchi has been my gateway to spicy.  Some of them are a bit too much, but I do try to have a little kimchi everyday.

Fun facts about kimchi:  

*There are hundreds of different types of kimchi.  As well, there are different varieties for different seasons.  For example, summer offers radish and cucumber kimchi.  The spicy cabbage kimchi (red in color) that many are familiar with is offered almost everywhere.  

*Kimchi has healing powers!  Seriously!  It is said to build immunities and aide digestion.

*Kimchi is like a multi-vitamin.  It is high in carotene, Vitamins A and C, B1 and B2, calcium, and iron.

I apparently need to be on the look out for white kimchi or white radish kimchi which is considered "not spicy."  I'll be the judge of that.

Food here is cheap, healthy, and delicious.  I haven't had a bad meal.  After a meal I never feel overly stuffed or that "gross" feeling I would sometimes have back in the states.  

I haven't been good about taking pictures of food.  Mostly because I used to make fun of friends back home who would take pictures of food for Yelp.  But, I have made an exception since I'm in a foreign country.  

 This is one of my favorite Korean dishes - bibimbap.  There are many varieties - beef, veggie, fish (this one had fresh raw tuna).  It's often served with a fried egg on top, this one was not.  Bibimbap has rice on the bottom and is topped with various vegetables (and sometimes a meat and egg), you then mix it all together and enjoy.

The sad story about this particular bibimbap was that they served it and I was so excited because it had a beautiful presentation and was full of bright, fresh veggies...and tuna, yuuummm.  Some bibimbap is served with chili paste, but they don't usually mix it in.  So I usually scoop it out, leaving a small bit for a little kick.  This one didn't have any chili paste.  YAY!  I found my new bibimbap spot!

I immediately started mixing and added some sesame oil.  I took a few bites and my mouth was on FIRE.  Not just...oh this has some kick to it.  ON FIRE, I say!  
My friend ordered the same thing.  She agreed it was unusually spicy, but we couldn't figure out what it could be...all the ingredients looked so benign.

She did some investigating and discovered oh-so-thinly sliced jalapenos!  What?  Jalapenos?  Damn you, jalapenos!  I was not prepared for you!  I dove right in, mixing my bibimbap, and you tainted the whole thing.  

Lesson learned.  But I will be back.  And next time, the jalapenos are getting the boot.

My first take out from a very nice Japanese restaurant across the street from me.  Koreans offer (free!) delivery on just about everything.  I haven't ventured down that road yet, speaking Korean is a must for that.

This whole meal was under $7!  Teriyaki chicken, miso salad, kimchi (hey, it may be Japanese food but we're still in Korea), corn salad, soup, and pickled veggies.  Oh, and those aren't onion rings, they are fish rings.  Not bad.

My absolute favorite snack/meal is kimbap (or gimbap)!  My addiction has spread to all of my friends.  It is  quick, cheap, easy, and delicious!  

Kimbap is served as a roll or as a triangle.  One may look at a kimbap roll and think...sushi!  But, don't voice that thought.  It is not sushi.  Some Koreans may not take to kindly to that comparison.  Yes, it is rice and seaweed (gim or kim in Korean), but inside can be a variety of vegetables and then sometimes, spam or ham, tuna (tuna salad style), crab, or other meats.

The triangular kimbap is my favorite.  Mostly because you can pick it up at any market or convenience store.  It's under a dollar (more like $0.75).  And you can have one for a snack or, two or three and make it a meal.  I'm starting to figure out which ones are which.  One has kimchi in it, which I'm ok with.  But another is completely mixed with hot paste.  Not ok.

They are cleverly wrapped so the seaweed does not touch the rice until you unwrap it.  No soggy seaweed!  

They even dummy-proof it with numbers!  Start with #1 and pull down.

Carefully pull #2 away.  Repeat with #3.

Kimbap goodness awaits you.

Mmmm, Korean food.