Category: Appetizer

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Miyeok Juk – Korean Sea Vegetable Porridge

Why not serve something unconventional for Mother’s Day? Something with significance and meaning, albeit from another culture?

Miyeok (sea vegetables or seaweed) is a food/ingredient that evokes mothers or motherhood in Korea. In Korea, most postpartum women – maybe almost all – eat miyeok guk (seaweed soup). In fact, hospitals serve miyeok guk to postpartum women to replenish nutrients that may have been depleted during childbirth; and they continue to consume the soup during lactation due to its properties that are believed to stimulate lactation. So it’s apropos that it is traditionally served on birthdays as symbolism for the first food consumed after birth. Thus, it is also a food that connects the mother and child.

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Sweet Potato and “Un-Fried” Bean Tacos


I love Mexican food. I partly “blame” or “credit” this affinity to my aunt. My aunt was a big part of my life growing up. And we spent a lot of time together when I was little.

When she became pregnant with her first child, the only dish she craved for a short period was rice and beans. I’m not kidding you. The only craving of this pregnant Korean woman was rice and beans. And she would take me along to various Mexican restaurants. It was at this time I realized how much I LOVED Mexican food. And not unlike my aunt, I am crazy about refried beans. I love everything about it: the creaminess, the slight saltiness, the richness … Yum.

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How to Keep Guacamole from Turning Brown


The darkening of the guacamole or avocado is due to the process of oxidation – reaction with oxygen in the air. The skin of the fruit, whether apples or avocados, provides protection from this process until it’s broken.

Before I go on, I will start off by saying that I was a chemistry major in college. So I find things like this quite fun. Yes fun. I am a major nerd. So if you want to skip over the next few paragraphs and right into the instructions, I will not be offended; it’s because you are probably much cooler than I am. And believe me, that wasn’t an attempt at self-deprecation or sarcasm. It’s highly likely a statement of fact. 😛

I will be very brief. But I believe that a basic understanding of the process comes in handy. And knowing WHY you are doing what you are doing will help you do it correctly.

Continue Reading How to Keep Guacamole from Turning Brown . . .

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Spicy Guacamole!

I’ve been shunning social media most of my adult life. I neurotically guarded my privacy. However, now that I’ve started a blog, that point is moot. So I’m wading in slowly into the medium. To aid in that effort, cHow Divine is now on Pinterest. You can also find me on Google+. Why Google+ and not facebook? I will eventually get there (to facebook), but my extremely brainy little brother and his equally brilliant wife (my SIL) work for Google. And my SIL highly recommended it. Now. I wouldn’t be a good sis if I didn’t support and love everything Google! So follow cHow Divine on Pinterest and add me to your circle on Google+, and get to know (seemingly) one of the last cyber-hermits on earth.

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Now that I’ve thoroughly embarrassed my brother as big sisters are wont to do, I will move on to today’s recipe.

Continue Reading Spicy Guacamole! . . .