Say Kim Cheese!

Pizza perils


When I was a kid, we ordered pizza very rarely. I mostly got to eat it at friends' birthday parties or on Halloween (I suspect that this was because the day was a wash for my mom with all the candy we were going to eat anyway). My mom recalls one year when the pizza delivery guy came to our door and I screamed, "PIZZA PIIZA PIZZA PIZZA...!" so loudly that it scared her more than any costume that came to our house. I remember my mom having major stomach issues after the pizza and soda and wondered if that would happen to me too.


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It's not easy watching an SF Giants game while our friends chow down on Goat Hill pizza. Rion and I went to a spot up near my office, Bloom's, Thursday night to watch Game 1 of the NLDS against the Braves. The smell of the melted cheese over fresh California vegetables with an Anchor Steam to wash it all down is enough to drive anyone away from a carefully crafted diet.  I guess the best way to beat the pizza is to trump it with equally delicious food, which is why I had already ordered our dinner from the Vietnamese place we love, Sunflower.


I did want that pizza but not more than the garlic noodles and 5 spice chicken. When we were deciding what to have Saturday night for dinner, I didn't even think about the old foods we used to have as an option. So far, so good.


More answers from Momma Sench


So to pick up from the Q&A I set up between me and my mom, here's what she had to say about question #2.


2. How old were you when you had your first ice cream? Egg? Cheese?


Real ice cream, cheese - not until I came to the States in 1972. I was shocked when I had a ice cream at McDonald's for the first time by the size. Only at the bakery shop we could have real ice cream and it was very expensive in Korea 1970s. Popsicle, ice cake we called, which was made of frozen water artificialy flavored and colored was popular among children when I grew up.


Eggs - once a week, meat - once a month - they were expensive. Other foods that I did not have until I came to this country - banana, orange juice, milk, chocolate, butter, any can/frozen food.


I did not know what pizza or spaghetti was.


Ah, ignorance is bliss.

NEWS FLASH--MOMMA SENCH COMING to SF!

Last week I received this email from my mom:

Mich,

I've been thingking about making a trip to see you since I heard about your

all-korean-food project. I want to support you and help you. I found a

affordable fare so I wonder if we should plan the trip  if it is OK with you

guys. We can make ban chan together during the weekind to have more ideas.

The short answer: YES!  Of course I am excited for my mom to visit me and Rion in San Francisco.  We arranged for her to come on November 4, 2010 and stay through the weekend.  I am hoping to take her to the farmer's market, the Korean grocery store, and then do some of my favorite dishes on camera. (The long answer includes an improbable game 7 in San Francisco, which is of course not a real reason for my mom not to visit.)

Though my mom cooked for me and Jamie growing up, my dad was always the "chef."  He worked in and owned  restaurants but gave it up after I was born.  Stress and ulcers prevented him from being in the kitchen.  Surprising how alike we are.

Nowadays, my dad is the sole cook in my parent's house.  My mom says that 35 years of marriage is paying off and that it's my dad's turn to take care of some of the household duties, which he has done on his own.  When we spoke on the phone, she said that she is going to have to brush up on some recipes because it's been years since she's made dinner!  Wow. 

But then I reminded her that she makes the absolute best bibim gook soo, which of course she didn't deny.