Historian Extraordinaire

Beef bulgogi (불고기) and soju (소주) from Seoul Garden in Greensboro, North Carolina.

A thinly sliced, marinated beef dish historically skewered and cooked over a fire, bulgogi is said to have origins in the Goguryeo Kingdom (고구려) era of Korean history (37 BCE-668 CE).

Served with soju, a Korean neutral liquor traditionally made from rice, the sweet and savory bulgogi paired nicely with the mild, crisp flavor of the soju.

One of the things that I love about Korean food is the thought you can put into every bite. Banchan (반찬), or side dishes, such as kimchi (김치) or spicy cucumber salad (오이 무침), are often served alongside your entrees, enabling you to mix and match different flavors and textures with your entrees, all the while considering and reflecting on different flavor profiles and how they accentuate and compliment one another. Interspersed with communal shots of soju, such a dinner is perfect for conversation with friends and loved ones. In short, it is an active affair and one that can be very fun.

물 냉면, or mul-naengmyeon from Seoul Garden in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Buckwheat noodles served in an icy, tangy broth, topped with egg, cucumber, beef, and radish, this dish originated in 평양, or Pyongyang, North Korea, however varieties have popped up all over the Korean Peninsula. This one incorporated red chili paste as a topping, which indicates a connection to 전라남도 (South Jeolla Province) in South Korea.

Cold noodles have been consumed in the Korean Peninsula for centuries, with some sources indicating that the dish stems all the way back to the 조선 (Joseon Dynasty) era. Today they are associated with summertime and are consumed during the hot months, however the dish can be consumed year round and historically it was commonly enjoyed in the wintertime.

These were delicious. Tangy, refreshing, and somewhat of an olfactory experience when you add mustard and vinegar to the dish (which are served on the side and added to taste). The noodles themselves are a bit chewy and can be difficult to grab, and so scissors are often presented with the dish so as to cut up the noodles and cut them to a more manageable size.

カツカレー, or Katsu Curry, from Don Express. This food was delicious, especially as I had been craving katsu curry since I last had it in the summer of 2022 (far too long ago). The fried pork cutlet, already imbued with a hearty and salty flavor profile, was complimented well by the umami Japanese curry.

The history of curry in Japan is a recent one, and katsu curry even more recent than that. Curry, originating in India, was introduced to Japan via trade with the British Empire sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Sometime later, someone decided to serve katsu alongside curry, and though it is disputed who came up with the idea, the fact remains that it was a brilliant one.

There’s not much better in this world than a hot dog, but four hotdogs is about four times better than that even.

冷やし中華, or hiyashi chūka, from Yama, in Downtown Morgantown, West Virginia.

Hiyashi chūka translates to “chilled Chinese,” in reference to the dish’s origins as a fusion of Chinese and Japanese cuisine and culinary preferences.

In English, many refer to the dish simply as cold ramen or cold noodles. It is a popular summertime meal. The chilled soy and vinegar based sauce imbues itself within every bite, sating the palate’s need for savory stimulation while cooling the body temperature in a humid climate. The addition of Japanese mustard contributes a pleasant olfactory sensation and the slightest numbing of the tongue.

An Irish breakfast served at Galway Bay Irish Whiskey Bar & Pub in Annapolis, Maryland. It is garnished with my first ever attempt at splitting the G of a Guinness.

I have been eager for some time now to try blood pudding, for reasons I cannot quite pin down, and I was delighted to seize the opportunity during my weekend trip to Maryland. The full meal was quite good, and I was pleased to find that black pudding is, indeed, good.

Shoyu ramen from Yama, in Downtown Morgantown. Unquestionably one of my favorite meals from one of my favorite restaurants.

I’ve always been partial to cramped establishments. There’s something about sitting nearly shoulder to shoulder with perfect strangers in a cramped room that makes the food taste better.

돌솥 비빔밥 or dolsot bibimbap, from a local Japanese/Korean restaurant. This version of 비빔밥 is served in a hot stone bowl that is coated with sesame oil prior to adding the rice, crisping up the bottom layer of rice and contributing an umami, nutty flavor.

비빔밥 is a dish that has been eaten in Korea for centuries. Believed by some to originate from a need to use up the excess 반찬 (banchan, or vegetable side dishes) by the end of the year, 비빔밥 combines a variety of colorful vegetables in a bowl with rice. Meat and eggs are popular additions to this recipe.

The ingredients are separated upon plating, but are intended to be mixed together just prior to consumption. I took the liberty of adding 고추장 (red chili paste) to mine.

A view of Pittsburgh from Mt. Washington, after scaling with the help of the Duquesne Incline.

Pittsburgh is an interesting city. A lot could be said of Pittsburgh’s working class history and it’s crucial role in American steel production during the 19th and 20th centuries. Instead I am left thinking about an even earlier history. Before it was Pittsburgh, it was Fort Pitt. Before the British constructed Fort Pitt, the French had built Fort Duquesne nearby. Before all of that it was a Lenape town known as Shannopintown.

All kinds of people have called this place home. Located at the beautiful convergence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers into the Ohio River, surrounded by the majestic and ancient hills of Appalachia, it is not difficult to understand why.

Went to see the Pixies at Stage A&E with my best friend. They began their set with “Gouge Away,” a favorite of mine. A couple stood behind me who were not too pleased with my excited jumping and movements conjured by the band’s electric performance. To them and others of their sort I say, “lighten up.”

“The Pagoda,” overlooks the city of Reading

Many of the buildings in Havana are in a state of disrepair. Some of the buildings in this part of the city have stood for centuries.

A resident told me that 365 buildings collapse in Havana each year, but the government has taken measures to preserve the buildings that they can.

A street in La Habana Vieja, (Old Havana)

Korean cold noodles on a hot summer day, accompanied by 김밥 (gimbap)

There are many enticing businesses and restaurants in Busan that caught my eye but I did not have the pleasure of patronizing. Pictured here are some of them.

There’s a small, subterranean section of this temple with several shrines that you can step down into. Somebody farted in it when I was in there.

Was brought to this location by a new friend. It was very hot and I was wearing jeans and a jacket due to a forecast calling for heavy rain. The rain did not come.