When i was 19

When I was nineteen, I had quite tough time. People could believe my story, though. I don't know people might think that that age could not get that kind of experience. I didn't want to be happened. If i didn't have that kind of situation, I would have came to overseas earlier. I don't often talk about this beside someone really close enough to ask me what I have done right after the high school.
The story is began with when i was late 18. I was at last year high school. Until that time, my family and my father's restaurant business had not had any big troubles, more likely very smooth everything. There wasn't any down hill nor upper hill, simply flat but everything was good. My father's restaurant was quite popular among the local people. I was a son of the owner so whenever I wanted to have some meat, my father owned Korean barbecue restaurant, I could bag my mother or father to have some meat. Good thing was my parents have only two children; my sister and I. My parents didn't have to feed five or four children; otherwise, they were going to spend more money than earn from the business. I ate meat a lot at that time so I recall that I was a quite chubby boy. While the last year of high school was heading toward to end, Korea economy was going to hit the bottom. At these days was called IMF years. Korea government didn't have enough money to run the country so they asked some money from International Money Fund. People started having light pockets so they spent less. Therefore, many small business had to close their doors. Not only did small business shut down their business, but any other businesses also had to. It was terrible at that time. As I mentioned early post, i used to work with my mom. In Korean currency, we sold frozen rolled pork belly for 1500 won, which is around one or two dollars in America. People were crazy about find anything cheap. These days, nothing was pricey because people would never buy.

One day my father's restaurant was on the edge situation due to a lot of debt. Even though My mother didn't want him to open another restaurant, he did it anyway. Nowadays, i am having a problem with paying my tuition so I often asked my mom to help since she is the only one who can support me. I don't want to stop the study because i have to make some money so that i can continue the study. I believe that if I graduate earlier, I could get better many and pay the all the debt. That is why I was trying to get some student loan. However, my mom strongly disagree with me. She is worrying that I could end up like father. Actually, he borrowed so much money from everyone who he knew, even his or his wife's family. No customers came to the restaurant because people didn't have enough money to enjoy the luxury. His restaurant was sinking like Titanic. He lose the money, he could afforded to pay the debt. He didn't plan to run way, but we packed our stuffs to move to a smaller apartment. Creditors and his friends found out that we were packing, so they came to the house. It was totally disaster. Because of money, people became ugly animals. Shouting, yelling, and swearing was going on among the people, including my parents. Next thing I remember was that our family had to separate. My father was hiding, more likely because he had never turn on any light while he was in the house, my mother and sister stayed mother's friends house. I didn't have much choices to go. I was studying in cooking school when i got my mother's phone call. She said they are moved already so I should stay at my uncle's house. My uncle had a two bed room apartment and had two children. Could you imagine that how much trouble to live in that condition? It was absolutely awkward. Even though I was close to the uncle and his family, living with them was really difficult. In fact, my mother divorced with my father so the uncle decide not to see her any more. He loved me when I was a little kid, though. He is a teacher of Confucianism and Chinese character so divorce was unacceptable for him. Since his sister, my mother, broke his fundamental Korean thoughts, he didn't want to talk to her anymore. He is a good man, I aways wished I have a father like him. Even though he didn't see her anymore, he had tried to be good to me which I really appreciate.
One day, one of mother's friends told me why I smile all the time and if i didn't not understand what situation I have. Fuck yeah, I knew what happened, but, just because of that, I didn't want to look as if I am depressed. I though that if I smiled more, people would have not recognize what situation I have. However, they, some of my mother's friends, thought that I didn't get how bad situation I have. Why should have I been looking serious? I didn't want to loose my smile, it is the only gift from my family. I can't remember exactly how long we lived like that but the next story of my will be began with after my mother got a little flat for her children.

P&P: Prawn Pasta

A couple days ago, my lady and I wend to Fairway, our favorite supermarket, to pick some ingredients for dinner and lunch. I saw the prawn was not expensive, $7 for a pound, so i asked her how about we have a prawn pasta. She loves seafood, especially selfish. With smile on her face, she loved that sound. Well, I am a happy chef who makes people happy; I strongly believe that making happy is definitely what chef have to do in the kitchen. For making two plates of prawn pasta, we needed chopped a half onion, two tomato concasse(diced plum tomato without skin and seed), half pound of peeled and headless prawns, black olive without seed, little bit garlic, dry white wine, dried or fresh basil and, obviously, pasta. We chose Fussily pasta. Since fresh pasta is much price than dried one, we had mixed half and half so that we could cook another two potions for next day. We normally buy the ingredients for two or three day.
To start with olive oil, garlic and chopped onion on a pan, you should star with medium heat; otherwise these will be burned before infused flavor. When onion is cooked without colored and you can smell the garlic, put prawns. Spreading the prawns on the pan will help you to cook everything evenly. Making sure both side of prawn is cooked. Prawn or other shellfishes are very delicate so you don't have to cook too long. If the cooking time is too long, the meat will loose tenderness and moisture. Soon as you put the prawns, it will be cooked in no time. When both side is cooked, puring white wine is the next. This dish does have much sauce beside wine and olive oil so it is good that covering the prawn with the wine. Next thing is put tomato and black olive. The idea of making pasta is whatever you want add, you can add. I like tomato and black olive with pasta. In fact these are very Italian ingredients. that is why I added it into my pasta.
Cooked and drained pasta put into the sauce when the wine starts boiling. At the moment, you'd better turn low the heat if you don't want to have too dry pasta. While quickly mixed with pasta and sauce, chopped fresh basil and seasoning is the last step of this pasta. We didn't buy fresh basil because we don't need that big bunch of basil. For the two potions of pasta, you will only need three or four leaves of basil. However, we used dried basil instead. Adding at the very last minute is good for fresh basil. if you have dried bail, like me, use it when you pour the wine so that the dried basil will infuse more flavor. All the ingredients and pasta should be mixed well and there is a couple of spoons of sauce should be remained on the bottom.
Before you eat the pasta, freshly grind Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil make the taste better.
Try today!! if you have any question, simply left me a comment.