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This is a shorter newsletter as I'm sitting at the airport ready to take off for Boston for the book signing/cooking demo! But, I didn't want to let another week slide before sharing a brief recap of an event I attended recently.

A few weeks ago, I had the thrill of sitting in on two live presentations by Jeong Kwan​ Sseunim ("sseunim" is the Korean honorific used to address Buddhist monks and nuns), in collaboration with The Culinary Institute of America. If you don't know her, she is the revered chef featured on the hit Netflix show, Chef's Table. I often refer to her as the "OG" Korean vegan, since, as a Buddhist nun, Jeong Kwan Sseunim eschews animal products in her food.

I'd actually met Sseunim years before at her home in Chunjinam Hermitage (pictured below) in 2019 during my visit to South Korea with my parents. There, Sseunim prepared some tea for me and my family, and we spent about an hour talking about "Korean veganism." As I mentioned in my book, chatting with Sseunim was incredibly eye-opening. She fundamentally altered the way I viewed, and thus expressed, my veganism. Instead of viewing the word "vegan" as a gatekeeper, I started to see that "vegan" was simply a tool for communicating a much larger and more important ideal: compassion. She emphasized that the word "vegan" didn't exist before the ancient tenet by which she lived her life: "do the least amount of harm."

Sometimes, it's easy to forget that tools are designed to build something. They are not the final product, in and of themselves (do you buy wrenches and hammers to hang up on your walls for decoration?). Yes, we want to make sure that our tools are well honed and ready to use (hence the need for folks who clarify what veganism is or isn't). But, veganism isn't something that should be hung up on the walls as the prize we collect at the end of a finish line. Rather, like a hammer or wrench, it is a humble tool, one that has the power to build something worthy of pride: a life filled with compassion, purpose, and joy.

Below is a short clip of some of the food Sseunim made for us during her presentation.

A Humble Recipe

In case you missed it, I posted this video to announce the Boston event on my Instagram. This footage was taken during the last week of my life in Chicago (I just moved to LA!). As I mentioned in my Instagram, I wanted to spend one full day making food, just for me. Anthony was in Boston for the marathon and it was just me and Rudy--the perfect excuse to make all my favorite foods without having to think about what anyone else's favorite foods are. If you cook a lot for your friends and family, you know how valuable days like these can be!

So, I spent all day making a bunch of my favorite "banchans." If you don't have my book (or haven't read the Banchans chapter), "banchan" refers to all the "side dishes" included with a Korean meal. I was raised on the idea that a meal almost always starts with a bowl of rice. Everything else on the table is intended to help you compose "the perfect bite." That bite usually consists of rice, protein, pickled vegetables, followed by a spoonful of warm broth to help wash it all down in a luxurious sort of way. Therefore, the "perfect bite" must start with a "perfect bapsang" or "perfect table." The above was my attempt at creating that perfect table.

According to my Aunt--a woman who played a fairly substantial role in many of the recipes in my cookbook--I did ok:

One of the things I enjoy about Korean cuisine so much is that instead of trying to pack all the flavor and all the macros into one or two recipes, you just make a bunch of things to achieve that balance. If you rely on one or two dishes to do all the heavy lifting... you're going to get complicated recipes. I've found Korean recipes to be far simpler and easier to prepare--most of them just take a lot of time (pickling) and a little knowledge regarding the ingredients.

Last week, a disgruntled subscriber emailed me to unquietly unsubscribe, but not before telling me that my content focused too heavily on carbs. "Where's the protein?" To be honest, I don't like to zero in on specific macros (other than fiber!) because of how easily that slides into other bad habits (i.e., calorie counting). I have the Meal Planner to do all that stuff for me, so that I don't have to worry about that! That said, I'm not opposed to accepting constructive criticism, even if it is delivered in the most unconstructive way possible! So, here's a really easy, QUICK recipe of the tofu dish featured on my "perfect table":

Quick Dooboo Banchan

For the Sauce

1 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sweetener of choice (I use maple syrup)
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon gochugaru
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

For the Tofu

1 block extra firm tofu, pressed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

First, make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together. Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Add extra virgin olive oil to a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer (about 1 to 2 minutes, depending on your skillet), add the tofu slices in one layer. Lower the heat a smidgeon if the oil splatters all over the place. Allow the tofu to brown on one side (about 7 to 10 minutes). Flip and repeat, until both sides are evenly brown. Remove the tofu slices from the pan and drain any excess oil by letting them rest on a paper towel. Transfer them to your serving platter and drizzle them with the sauce.

LIVE COOKING DEMONSTRATION!

Yes!! I will be doing a LIVE cooking demonstration of one of my FAVORITE pasta dishes--Gochujang Mushroom Pasta! While I typically only do live cooking demonstrations for the TKV Meal Planner community, we will be opening this one to everyone, in celebration of my new kitchen!! The details are as follows: Wednesday, May 25 at 7:30 pm EST.​

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LIVE Book Signing in BOSTON / Virtual Cooking Demo

In case you missed it, I'll be doing a LIVE book signing and cooking demo with WBUR Cityspace in Boston. I will not only be signing everyone's books, we'll be making two recipes out of the cookbook for people to try! If you're not in Boston, you can still join the virtual cooking demonstration! You can secure your seats here!

Other Announcements

• Did you catch my podcast with Add Passion and Stir?
• Did you have a chance to read this AWESOME article in Self?
• Did you see this piece with my alma mater, University of Chicago?
• Did you catch this interview I did with NowThis?
• I'll be stopping at Harvard Book Store and Trident Booksellers & Cafe on May 17, starting at around 11:15 am EST. Make sure to bring your books (or pick one up) to get them signed!

Parting Thoughts

I get asked all the time, "Are you worried you'll run out of stories to tell?" And I always answer, "There's a story in every moment of our lives. It's just a matter of telling it in a way that makes people want to listen."

What's your story this week? Try sharing it with someone--your parents, partner, colleague, friend. Tell it in a way that reveals why this particular moment fits in with the rest of your week, month, year, and life, and why it was "particular" enough to share.

In the end, you'll discover that it isn't really the story that matters--it's the author that makes all the difference.

Joanne.

Follow me on Instagram to stay current!

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