Here is my mini interview with Cadence and photos of Korean dishes she made. Cadence is working hard to learn about Korean cultures, food, and language to make her Korean husband happy! She found my website not long ago, but she has been cooking my recipes eagerly. She is such an adorable person. She says her husband said, “Haengbok hae” (I’m happy)! Yes, he is a lucky person. At the end of the interview, Cadence says, “Mangchi, you have no idea how much you have changed my life. I have more confidence with my cooking and I am very happy to be able to cook more at home instead of eating out! Thank you. I would like to meet you one day and will give you a big hug. I also would like to go to your classes.”
Cadence, yes, I will give you a huge hug when I meet you someday, too! I wish you and your family the best of luck and happiness! : )
1 What is your name and where do you live?
My name is Cadence and I live in New Jersey. I came from Malaysia and I am a Chinese Malaysian.
2. What do you do and how many family members do you have?
I am in Finance. I live here with my husband. I married a Korean man 4 years ago. You will see me holding flowers in the picture from our 4th year anniversary this monthJ! Our parents both still live in our home countries (Korea and Malaysia).
3 .How often do you cook Korean food following my recipes?
Actually when my in laws first found out that I was not Korean, they did not approve us.
They somehow grew to like me after meeting with me (I guess I have a good personality – J). Since I started being with my husband, I tried very hard to learn the Korean culture and to speak the language. I can actually read and write beginning Korean. I try very hard learning the language from Arirang TV. But for years, I was unable to cook good Korean food even though I tried. I am not a good cook to begin with even with Chinese food.
About a month ago, with 54 days to my in laws’ visit, I came across your website. I watched one of your videos on Youtube while looking for Kimchi recipes. I suddenly thought of a challenge for myself.
Did you see the movie “Julie and Julia”? I decided to become Julie, and you Julia, cooking 30 of your recipes in 54 days. I think I am doing great so far as it has been 28 days and I have tried 18 recipes. I jotted down notes on every recipe on what I did right/wrong, and what my husband Jun said about the dish. You will also see a picture of a lunch that I prepared today for my husband, all using your recipes. I never dreamed of being able to cook an entire meal of Korean food! My husband was very touched and he said he is a lucky guy (haeng bbok hae). So, Maangchi, thank you, thank you and thank you. I hope my in laws will like my cooking when they come. Once they like my food, the next thing that I need to work on for them is to give them a grandson!
4.What are your favorite Korean dishes? Choose 3, please!
My favorite if I really have to choose are Bean Sprout soup (very tasty!), the new sautéed sea plant (I love the texture) and the jajjangmyun (I like noodles very much, I am a carb addict!
Miyeok julgi bokkeum (sauteed sea plant)
5. What’s your best Korean dish, the one that everybody compliments you on when you make it?
Today we had some friends over for drinks. I learned that Koreans love to drink. I took out the Seasoned Dried Shredded Squid as ‘Anju’ (side dish for drink) and some people really liked it.
Hey, so did you impress the in-laws, Cadence?
Nice to meet you Cadence ^_^
What a charming bio. You husband is indeed a happy man to have a wife such as you.