Cucumber Kimchee Art

One of my favorite persons in the whole world is my beautiful mother. Mom to me is comfort, security, wisdom, perseverance, faith and Korea. For years, I’ve watched Mom create art by carving beautiful flowers out of fruits and vegetables. I think what makes the connection to art with food is Mom’s survival story of the Korean War and having experienced hunger and famine.

Through that pain and suffering, Mom learned to use food to express her love to family and friends. Making cucumber kimchee isn’t only about eating something that’s rich with flavor full of spices and crunch with every bite, it’s actually about me connecting to my favorite person, fondest memories and best times of joy. Some of the benefits just happen to be that I’m stimulating my brain at the same time and using all sorts of cognitive skills that rely on brain function like multi-tasking and concentrating. It’s also a major creative outlet that allows me to tap into a therapeutic zone and experience the joys of being a nurturer to the people around me. Cooking for me is an expression of art that brings me peace.

Korean cumber kimchee is a healthy treat and I hope you find joy in watching the process. Bless you, you & you.

Xoxo - HLJ