How You All Are

I cook a mean kimchi jigae.

You know, kimchi stew?

There's always a fresh pot of it on the stove.

I don't add an extra j to jigae (jjigae) like you're supposed to because it makes no sense.

What the heck is a jjigae?

One J.

Did I stutter?

One.

Chill.

The secret to a mean kimchi jigae is bacon.

Two slices.

Three or four if you nasty.

Are you nasty?

Now you can fry it in advance.

Before you add kimchi.

Or you can just throw it in a lot of water and let 'er boil.

I tend to boil the bacon.

The fat of the bacon just melts into the broth.

Kimchi.

Garlic (sometimes I skip this).

Dashi.

Sesame oil.

Salt.

Love.

Heat.

Time.

That's it.

I couldn't tell you how long I cook the thing.

I just keep an eye on it.

Kimchi gotta be tender.

Bacon gotta disintegrate off the spoon.

You taste.

You sip.

You sample.

Needs a little more time.

Don't we all?

🍲

Kimchi jigae is a side dish.

Gotta have meat and rice with it.

But meat and rice ain't the same without kimchi jigae.

A side character who's really the star.

Meat can be boring.

Steak.

Chicken.

Beef.

So can rice.

Steamed white.

Maybe a pinch of black rice to make it purple.

But the jigae?

Heck no.

No boring jigaes allowed in this house.

Mother mother shines.

To side characters who are really, secretly, maybe not so secretly, the stars.

I see you.

⭐