Korea: Frozen 불고기피자 bulgogi pizza

Sometimes, especially if you choose to pursue the path of the starving artist (or, ahem, self-fulfilled professional artist) for the majority of your twenties, you may find yourself craving for something filling and cheesy, yet still reasonably priced (or, to be frank, cheap). Grocery stores and cooking at home are generally going to be more generous to your wallet than dining out, though it's hard to really say which is better when it comes to Korea... if you're worried about your health, dining at home may actually be the better option as restaurants are typically quite resistant to making changes to any of their menu selections and cook for flavor, not health, typically. If you're used to the American attitude of "have it your way", where you can customize your burger or coffee to the point of absurdity, you're going to have a hard time. Fact. Korean chefs don't give two shits if you think you can't digest gluten and have a sensitivity- they're going to look at you like the fool you are for having gone to a pizza joint in the first place. Now, look- I know sometimes these things find a way of happening, where the one person in the entire group who happens to be a vegan gets dragged along to the steakhouse for dinner and gets stuck eating a sad baked potato or green salad with oil and vinegar because it's the only thing they could find lacking in animal parts... these things just tend to happen from time to time, especially in the case of "unusual" or "extreme" dietary decisions. But if you find yourself in this sort of position while in South Korea, or even Japan (where people are known to be overly accommodating at times), trust that the chef in the kitchen making your food will give absolutely zero craps about your dietary choices and needs. He's been making the same dish the same way for the last who-knows-how-long, and he's not changing it for anyone, definitely not you (or me). Also, I would really recommend against trying to adhere to a stringent vegan or vegetarian diet in South Korea, anyway, simply due to how prevalent the use of fish broth and other animal-based seasonings is and how rare veganism (or even good old ovo-Lacto vegetarianism) is outside of temples. 

And let's be fair, here. I didn't have to resort to pizza to fill that gaping hole in my insides. I could have gone to the local kongnamul gukbap restaurant and eaten a boiling hot bowl of soybean sprout and rice soup fresh from the kitchen, replete with side dishes and a fresh egg, for less than $5 US. But sometimes, ya girl needs some good old fashioned greasy American-Korean fusion food, and this frozen bulgogi pizza totally fit that bill. It definitely wasn't the best thing I've ever eaten, nor the cheapest, but it served its purpose. 

Until next time~

🍕

XOXO,

NAU

Homemade Sushi Party April 2018

If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you might have noticed that Antho and I are both big fans of sushi and seafood in general. I'll eat it while it's still squirming when I can get it, even if that means having to chase my meal down the alleyway (yes, it's happened). 

Here in Vegas we're fortunate enough to have access to a wide array of fresh seafood from a variety of markets, which helps to keep the prices more reasonable (competition, baby). Fresh shipments come in often from all over the globe, so we can find an incredible selection not far from our abode. Many of the markets sell sushi grade fish ready to take home and devour, which is fabulous! As much as we love to eat sushi, our wallets and our budgets can't always swing the cost. The base components, however, aren't that expensive! To make your own sushi at home you'll need:

Sushi rice

Rice vinegar

Sugar

Toasted seaweed

Sushi grade fish (or smoked salmon, imitation crab, whatever floats your boat!)

Bamboo mat

We've made batches with cream cheese and without. Avocado and cucumber are staples for our simple rolls, though, as they add richness and crispness which help to compliment the fish. Salmon is my absolute favorite, while tuna is a classic. We can buy the sushi fish at a nearby market for under $10 for the two, which is a whole lot cheaper than going to a restaurant and ordering a few small pieces of nigiri! We can never just order ala cart and end up spending upwards of $50 for a sushi meal out, while making it at home I can buy several kinds of fish and groceries for the week with the same money. I'll be making bossam (Korean style boiled pork belly) with one of the slabs of pork belly I picked up ($7.50 for a 6" by 10" by 2" hunk cut into thirds, which will make at least 3 meals), pork and shrimp dumplings to make a wonton noodle soup using the shrimp broth (from when I poached the shrimp for sushi, then reserved the shells and boiled again to increase the shrimpy-goodness in the broth), and several other meals. Once you cook up your rice (which I do in my electric pressure cooker by Farberware), you season it with the rice vinegar and sugar (google for the ratios for the amount of rice you're making). Wet your hands before touching the rice (to keep it from sticking) and roll away! If you have a hard time trying to get the pressure right on your rolls, you can always opt to make handrolls or sushi bowls instead! There are so many recipes and videos out there to help guide you on your way, whatever your favorite sushi rolls are! Don't feel intimidated, try giving it a roll!