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Updates

Another short email today, as I’m still recovering from our trip to Korea. I dunno man–just 10 years ago, I was able to hop on a plane to Europe, watch a movie, and fall asleep when it grew dark. Now… jet lag is trying to KILL me!! My body is NOT havin’ this time zone switcheroo and it’s taking me a bit longer than I thought it would to get back into the swing of things.

But, come out swingin’ I will. In a few more days!

In the meantime, a few updates to tide you over:

• In case you missed it, I posted my updated mandoo or dumpling recipe on the blog! Yes, The Korean Vegan blog has finally gotten a long overdue overhaul. We’ve been posting recipes to it almost every week and it’s something I’ve enjoyed a great deal. Hopefully, you’ve been collecting all the recipes there!
• Speaking of the blog, I’ll be writing an article on “Traveling in South Korea as a Vegan” in the next week for all of you. I have to say, traveling in Korea was a bit more challenging as a vegan than I expected. Although it’s come a long way since 2019 (my last visit), many people still don’t really understand what “vegan” means–they kept asking me if I eat fish! This guide will not only provide a list of some of my favorite vegan eats, I’ll also share some of the things to watch out for while traveling as a vegan.
• The podcast is coming back!! Ok, I know many of you have been asking about that, and I honestly didn’t want to resume publishing the podcast until I knew I could. Believe it or not, I wrote, edited, and produced the audio version of the podcast largely by myself. It was turning into such a big job that it was getting in the way of my other big jobs! We will be going back to story-time format and it will, once again, be called “The Korean Vegan Podcast.” Whoohoo!
• Get ready for a LOT of content on my Korea trip. We visited the island of Jeju, I took a rice-cake making class with my sister-in-law, we did an 8 hour-long family photo shoot, and I ate a TON of amazing food along the way. I cannot wait to share all of it with you!

This Week’s Recipe Inspo

Let’s make kimchi dumplings!

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What I’m…

• Watching. Right before getting on the plane, my cousin convinced me to download a bunch of episodes of Welcome to Samdal-ri. I told her I’d been reluctant to watch it because of how much I disliked Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, but I decided to give it a shot and MAN WAS SHE RIGHT!! I loved this Jeju-based drama! It has a lot of the same folksy vibe as Our Blues, while keeping things lighthearted and fun (not too heavy). All the side characters are funny and lovable, while the two mains have the chemistry that was totally lacking in Hometown. Definitely check it out! Watch –>
• Reading. I took a break from Expeditionary Forces to reread one of my favorite books of all time, Project Hail Mary by Andrew Weir (same author as my last recommendation, The Martian). For this one, I skipped the audio version, and read it old style. It is so cleverly written, so hilarious, and so optimistic–it truly makes you feel like good can overcome. I cannot recommend this book enough so pick up a copy today! Read –>
• Listening To. Back in the day, I was obsessed with this show called Shear Genius–it was a Project Runway type show only with hair! Tabatha Coffey was the brilliant and slightly (actually EXTREMELY) intimidating host of the show, who, with her no-BS style, managed to snip away at the pompadour-sized egos of the contestants. Anyhoot, I had the honor of being a guest on her podcast The Creative Thrive and LOVED talking with my fellow plant-based creative! Listen –>

And that is a WRAP! I promise (for real this time) that I’ll be back next week with a lush, beautiful piece of writing on Korea, as well as lots more pictures!!

Wishing you all the best,
Joanne

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