Jessica's Dinner Party

by jessica yoon

fruit

Citron Tea

One of my favorite beverages is the citron tea, or yujacha, 유자차.  It’s different from regular teas because it is not brewed from dried leaves but from a marmalade like syrup.  The citron is a very unique fruit because it is rarely, if ever, eaten peeled.  The pulp is dry and little in proportion to the amount of pith and peel.  However, it is a very fragrant and nutritional fruit.  Many Koreans drink it during the winter months because it is an excellent source of Vitamin C and is also believed to be a natural source of antibiotics.  When a cold is caught, instead of orange juice, Koreans give the advise to drink some citron tea.

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Matchstick Sweet and Savory Salad

When it comes to salads, I’m not a very adventurous cook.  I usually just chop some romaine lettuce and any other greens I have lying around in the fridge.  Drop a little extra virgin olive oil, champagne vinegar, and a pinch of salt, and the salad is ready to go.  I have to admit, it’s really boring.  I’m bored making it, I’m bored while eating it, and I get bored thinking about it.  It’s funny though, because when I’m at a restaurant I always forego the standard Caesar salad and go with something interesting and different, but in my own kitchen I don’t even make the effort to shave some parmesan cheese to fake a Caesar salad.

 

 

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Simple Apple Tart

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and if you’re like me, you already have a long list of dishes to choose from.  My list always includes some interesting and daring recipes like tamale inspired stuffing, Caribbean scented sweet potatoes, and a vegan chocolate cheesecake.  I think: maybe this year we should go with a Southeast Asian theme or try doing everything Southern style.  But alas, we always stick to the basics, the recipes we know, and end up craving.  How can Thanksgiving pass without grandma’s famous stuffing and a plain old pumpkin pie?  Never.

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Banana Almond Bread

I didn’t know what a real oven looked like until about the eighth grade.  Well, at least I thought I didn’t.  That area under the stove with wire racks and a heavy door was a cabinet.  The pots and pans were stored there.  It’s actually a pretty nifty idea if you lack major storage space (ie. Manhattan).  I found out recently it’s actually pretty common amongst Koreans.  Makes sense because Korean cooking rarely requires an oven.

Until the age of 14, I did most of my baking in a toaster oven. It works fine and dandy. You just have some size constraints and possibly a few more batches to bake, but in the end, it all turns out the same. While I’m here, I actually prefer to use the toaster oven because then I don’t have to hassle with moving dozens of pans in and out.  It’s also nice when you bake mini pastries because it feels like you’re wasting less energy (and possibly saving a little on your bills!).

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Persimmon Coffee Cake and NaBloPoMo

I have some exciting news for you; I’ve decided to participate in National Blog Posting Month!  This means that for the month of November I will be, or at least desperately trying, to post every single day.  Yes, that’s right, every single day.  It’s a daunting and big challenge for me, but one that I am determined to accomplish.  I’m walking into the next 29 days blindly (maybe I should’ve come up with a time lined plan), but I guarantee there will be a lot of recipes, good food, disasters, and above all, behind the scenes chaos.

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