Bibimguksu

Kimchi, how I love thee. This little dinner is my lazy girl's version of bibimguksu (try saying that five times), a cold Korean noodle dish that is spicy and sometimes mixed with kimchi. Let's back up for a second: kimchi is an extreme sports edition of pickled cabbage. Like much Korean food, its aroma is unapologetically pungent and its taste is not for the faint of heart nor is it suitable for a first or even a second date.

[Personal tangent: As a tween (although this phrase did not exist when I was actually that age), I wondered where Koreans went for first date meals as I could not fathom wanting to kiss anyone who had eaten kimchi in the last 12 hours.]

My mom is a much better cook than me, so what I made tonight does not even compare to what she could whip up. But, for a quick comfort food meal, I did pretty well. Usually, there'd be a hard-boiled egg thrown into the mix, but unfortunately, my eggs in the fridge were way past their expiration date. Cucumbers, lettuce and carrots often make appearances as well, but I couldn't be bothered (and the only veggies I had on hand were some questionable carrots).

If you haven't tried kimchi before, get yourself to a Korean restaurant; it's served at every meal and is the ubiquitous condiment (although I'd call it more of a side dish) of the Korean people. You should have no problem finding it, but be aware it can show up in several forms: cabbage, radish, and cucumber, just to name a few. You will probably either love it or hate it; it falls under the same category as smoked salmon, mayonnaise, olives and other polarizing foods. But, once you're bewitched, get yourself ready for a life-long obsession. And a lot of toothpaste.