Every kitchen drawer holds a tiny passport stamp, an object that brings me back to the moment I first tasted something unforgettable. Maybe that’s why I travel: not just to see the world, but to bring a little piece of it home and eat it again, one bite at a time.
The question is: Do I lead with my cravings, or let my travels determine where my culinary journey takes me next? Right now, we’re really into Korean food, sparked by the drool-worthy descriptions in Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. We take lunchtime field trips to the H Mart in Niles, eat huge steaming bowls of hand-cut kimchi-infused noodles (kimchi kalguksu), and stock up on tteokbokki and giant bags of rice to recreate our favorite dishes at home. We’ve even made a tradition of celebrating at San Soo Gab San, a fantastic Korean BBQ spot (and Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized!) in our neighborhood, where we savor the incredible banchan and debate which tiny dish is our favorite.