I LOVE SOUTH KOREA!!! A MULTIPLE POST AFFAIR!

HI!  I love South Korea!  I spent a lot of time there over the past 7 years or so.  The people and the country are wonderful!  It feels like home every time I go there.   My entertainment attorney and I suggested multiple projects, one of which was a project based upon my adventures in Korea, to a well-known actor and his wife.  They passed on my project, but then turned around and did their own Korean project.  Hmmmm.  Interesting. (They never mention it when I run into them, even though I did cordially remind his wife when I ran into her on the street.)  What's even "stranger" is that the actor released a movie at the same time which had a similar plot and central theme as another project I pitched them, but my idea had a much more creative twist.  Hmmmmm. Interesting. I even asked the woman why they didn't  work with me and my team since our ideas were so "similar".  She had no response.

In any case, I wrote a book called, "Bougie in Korea" as the author Alexis I. Dragon.  If you want to read it, a mix of fiction and nonfiction, please go to barnesandnoble.com and get it as an ebook.

For the summer (and maybe beyond), I am going to spend some posts talking about my love of Korea:  food, people, and places to go.  I hope it makes you want to visit this wonderful and vibrant place.  I will focus on Seoul, which is the capital, and Ilsan, which is near Seoul and where I also spent a lot of time.

In this post, I will discuss my love of gochujang or korean hot pepper paste.  It's sort of the korean ketchup, but spicier.  I love this condiment, but it seems to be that many Koreans were suprised when I mentioned it.  I would say,"Gochujang, cheseyo."  (Gochujang, please.)

That would spark a back and forth conversation between the manager and the server.  After a few minutes, the server would come back with the manager.  The manager would repeat my request, "So, you want gochujang?"  with an eyebrow raised.  I would emphatically reply, "Yes, please!"  Then finally I would be presented with my red, sticky liquid prize. 

I put it on everything, dumplings (mandoo), macaroni and cheese, rice, and anything else that I felt needed sprucing up. To mellow it out, I would add sesame oil or chum-gee-dum to it a nuttier flavor. When I got back to the states, I would put a bottle of it in my purse so that I could use it whenever I felt the need.  It was a calvacade of flavors that uplifted so many dishes. 

Find that Korean or Asian market in your town and try the gochujang.  They have specific ones for beef and fish.  Once you try it, let me know what you think on the comment section of this post.

Anyo-hee-kaseyo!  Bye!