korean food

"chal mogosumnida" is a korean phrase which means "i ate well". it's one of the first things i learned to say, even before i learned, "i'm full", "i couldn't eat another bite", and "please take me to the emergency room". i've always been an admirer of food in all its forms and flavors. the words "distasteful, unsavory, and disagreeable" are simply not found in my personal lexicon when food is the subject- i've eaten lots of adventurous cuisines, and the very worst i've ever tasted i would describe as "merely palatable". this gift (or, "eating disorder" if you prefer the professional terminology) has served me well in my international experiences. however, kids (and koreans raised in the united states, as it turns out) are not always as eager to adopt new eating habits. one thing we can always count on when we go to korea is that there will be food a plenty...

eating out in korea is an exercise in endurance. you don't order a single menu item, but rather an endless cavalcade of marinated meats, pickled roots, potent sauces, and other ambrosial delights. often you'll find a grill built right into the table, minimizing the meat's exposure to harmful flavor reducing elements which are too often encountered between grill and mouth.

these noodles tend to stick together- not a problem if you can fit the entire bowl in your mouth.

a typical spread at home.

now, i'm not one to back away from spicy food, but these peppers don't go down without a fight. kelley's mom, on the other hand, bites the tops off like they were made out of pez.

we were both blown away when pen started eating this squid jerky. of course, as soon as i started taking pictures, she realized she was doing something noteworthy and promptly set it down. in eli's words, "this needs to be cooked".

kelley appreciated this soup for aesthetics, although i don't recall her taking a single bite. one technique she employed was to get very busy with a "needy" child as the bowl was being passed around.

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as for the kids, they quickly realized that there was enough ice cream cone purchasing going on to subsist on without too much trouble- meals in the conventional sense became unnecessary...

on this particular night, penelope dropped a record three scoops of ice cream on the ground- each time someone was there with a new cone while the scoop was still falling to the earth.

for those of you who would be drinking more milkshakes if not for the staggering inconvenience of the cup- we give you the "milkshake in a bag".

(babies like it, too)

and, of course, something to wash it down...

(for all other times, there was of course the option of treat milk)