Why this hobak porridge is not too hot, not too cold, but just right.
by Namju Cho
photograph by Eric Sueyoshi
As the weather turns chilly, even in Los Angeles, I immediately crave a comfort food that warms the soul. In other words, I’ve got hobakjuk (pumpkin porridge) on my mind.
These days, people enjoy a bowl of juk (porridge) as a snack or chicken soup equivalent when one is not feeling well. But starting in the 18th century, when white rice was in short supply and stretching scarce food was considered a virtue, it was consumed for survival. My mother remembers eating all different kinds of juk during the Korean War.
There are more than 30 different varieties of porridge, largely divided into rice juk, vegetarian (mostly bean) juk, and meat or fish juk. What makes juk juk is that it contains some form of rice, either plain or ground. The mushy consistency is known to facilitate digestion. Some protein-packed versions, like those made with abalone or chicken, are the star juks, the fancy ones not only touted as energy boosters for the elderly or frail, but also valued as a low-calorie meal fit for dieters.
I’ve always had a soft spot for hobakjuk, with its beautiful, deep orange-hued goodness, laced with gems like red bean and chestnuts. My mother used to make it for my sisters and me as a snack on those freezing winter days in Seoul. Once she started boiling the pumpkin, its sweet aroma would permeate the entire house.
Today, though far from Korea, I re-create those same comforting feelings with my own pot of hobakjuk, and I gladly share the recipe with you. (Recipe after the jump.) Continue Reading »
For comics writer Greg Pak, reimagining an old Marvel Universe superhero from the 1940s as a Korean American teenage brainiac was also a chance to turn a decades-old stereotype on its head.
by Jimmy Lee
Photos courtesy of Greg Pak and Marvel Comics
Amadeus Cho holds his own fighting a god.
Even the Mighty Thor can’t fend off Amadeus’ headache-inducing mace blows, not to mention his sarcastic verbal assaults. And using his lightning-quick brain to calculate velocity vectors, Amadeus can turn Mjolnir, Thor’s magical hammer, against the Norse god of thunder. “There is nothing about you that does not annoy me,” the frustrated Thor tells the precocious teen. Despite getting under this deity’s skin, Amadeus is soon teaming up with Thor to thwart the bad guy and restore some order to the Marvel Universe.
Amadeus Cho’s rise to prominence in the comics world is a triumph of the geek. Here’s a guy who can’t fly, lacks anything close to the power of a locomotive and is far slower than a speeding bullet. Rather, what gets him through sticky situations is his incredible smarts, with a snarky, biting comment often thrown in for good measure.
Photo by Steve Fenn/ABC
The tables get turned on JUJU CHANG, longtime TV journalist for ABC News and now the news anchor for Good Morning America.
Story by Jinah Kim
It’s been nearly a year since ABC News named broadcaster JuJu Chang one of the four anchors on its flagship news show Good Morning America. During that period, she’s covered the devastating earthquake in Haiti, traveled to South Korea to interview President Lee Myung-bak, and, stateside, has shared the stage and baseball field with the likes of Usher and A-Rod, respectively.
With her rise to the GMA anchor chair, all three major networks now prominently feature Asian American talent on their morning programs: Ann Curry anchors NBC’s Today show and Betty Nguyen heads the news desk on CBS’s The Early Show.
Chang, who emigrated from South Korea at age 4, has been with ABC News for two decades, in various roles ranging from desk assistant to producerto correspondent. She’s covered wildfires and hurricanes, and won one of her two Gracies for a 20/20 story on gender equality in the sciences. But Chang admitted her latest gig has presented her with a “steep learning curve.” Her early morning schedule, which begins at 4:45, and workload, which often leaves her jet-lagged, have also been a major adjustment for her three sons, ages 3, 7 and 10, and husband Neal Shapiro, former president of NBC News and current president of the PBS station in New York.
She often talks about her juggling act as a working mom, in addition to such resonant topics as breastfeeding and fighting in front of the kids, with fellow mothers on Moms Get Real, a digital talk show she hosts for ABC News NOW.
Last month Chang took a break from her head-spinning schedule to Skype with fellow TV journalist Jinah Kim of NBC News, reflecting on her career, family and what “having it all” really means.
On AMC’s insanely popular new hit The Walking Dead, Steven Yeun plays a former pizza delivery boy who survives menacing zombies (and humans alike).
by Oliver Saria
Photos courtesy of Steven Yeun
I blame the puppy.
I had originally planned on meeting Steven Yeun, star of Frank Darabont’s newly christened television hit The Walking Dead (AMC), at a certain restaurant in Los Angeles K-town known for its gopchang. What better way to discuss his work on the show adapted from Robert Kirkman’s acclaimed graphic novel series about a zombie apocalypse than over a plate of grilled intestines?
Instead, we’re sitting in the patio of Holly’s Coffee with Agnes—a damned adorable jet-black Labradoodle—because Steven’s friend wasn’t home when he tried dropping the bitch off. Coincidentally, this friend that was supposed to dog-sit Agnes during this interview is the same guy that introduced Steven to The Walking Dead graphic novels five years ago. So, actually, in a sense, I have that guy to thank (and blame) for us being here, starving for entrails.
Only days before, AMC had announced that it would renew The Walking Dead for a 13-episode second season after its Oct. 31 premiere drew (pardon the pun) monster numbers, setting a record for the most-watched debut among adults, aged 18-49, in cable television history. So for at least the foreseeable future we may be seeing a lot more of Steven on this postapocalyptic horror television series as Glenn, the former pizza delivery boy with a chip on his shoulder who survives menacing zombies through sheer guile and craftiness. Continue Reading »
Here’s what I had for dinner last night: a giant hunk of red meat, a mountain of potatoes drenched in gravy, about a gallon of liquor and three slices of cake. And no, it was not yet Thanksgiving. Last night, I ate like a complete glutton and didn’t feel guilty about it because, after so many years of hard work and discipline, I deserved it. Let me explain.
I was a fat kid. I know this because I have blunt Korean parents, and every day they’d tell me, “You’re a fat kid!” I was picked on at school, laughed at by my peers. Life was tough. So entering adulthood, I developed a complex regarding my weight and physical appearance. Don’t get me wrong—today, I am a stunning individual. I am kind of the Korean Brad Pitt. (My wife’s words, not mine.) But looking this good did not come without hard work. Continue Reading »
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Featured Event
One of the the biggest Asian cinema events to hit Southern California opens on May 10. The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications, features the latest works by established and emerging filmmakers, along with seminars, panel discussions and symposiums on topics relevant to Asian Pacific cinema.
Opening Night features “Shanghai Calling,” directed by Daniel Hsia and starring Korean American Daniel Henney, who plays a Chinese American expat lawyer navigating his way through the mean streets of Shanghai (the picture above also indicates he is a raisin smuggler). But does he take off his shirt? Go watch the movie to find out! read more
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