Hi, I’m Lis. I love food and I love to cook.
I’m an immigrant who grew up living between two worlds. In my American world, I ate Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. In my Korean world, I ate kimchi, ban chan, bone soup, and fluffy white rice. Then I grew up, married an ABC (American Born Chinese), became a mom, and moved to Canada.
On this blog, all these worlds collide into one big pot of collective deliciousness!
What you’ll find at The Subversive Table:
The Subversive Table is a food blog that reflects me: Korean immigrant roots, American upbringing, ex-pat life in Canada.
You’ll find lots of dishes inspired by my love for Korean food. These are the dishes you’ll cook again and again. Pure Korean comfort food!
You’ll also find modern dishes with an Asian twist. This is the food I love to cook and eat, on a daily basis!
There’s also food that’s great for sharing. If you grow up in an immigrant community, you know it’s all about the food! Potlucks. Family Dinners. Reunions. Dinner with Friends. Here you’ll find creative ideas that will make the aunties and uncles nod with approval and keep your friends excited, too!
Let’s stay connected!
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More About My Story:
I’m an immigrant. I moved to the States when I was 4. I didn’t speak English. Neither did my brother, parents, or grandparents.
My parents worked long hours. My Korean grandmother — my Halmoni — took care of me after school. In her kitchen, I watched her cook the Korean way: mixing by hand, squatting on the floor, tasting until the “gan” was just right, poking and prodding to determine doneness. Together, we tasted everything.
When I moved out, I learned how to cook the American way: exact amounts, written recipes, step-by-step photos and videos. I learned from Ina and Giada, America’s Test Kitchen and The Food Network, recipe index sites and gourmet food magazines. In this way, I learned how to make Western food: bechamel, roast chicken, quiche, and pork carnitas.
And yet, I still craved Korean food. Back then, there weren’t many blogs or print media devoted to Asian Cooking. So I called up Halmoni. And that’s how I learned to cook Korean food — following her vague yet weirdly accurate descriptions: add enough sugar until it’s sweet enough, reduce until it looks done, poke and see if it jiggles, etc.
People started asking me for recipes and that’s how this blog came to be. The Subversive Table is the story of the food I love to cook and eat: traditional Korean dishes. Modern dishes with an Asian twist. Not too sweet desserts. And everything in between!
