Page 9 of That Prince is Mine
It was such a thrill to teach someone so smart and eager to learn, especially since Sarah wasn’t one of Auntie Soo’s referrals. Not that there was anything wrong with the brides-in-training. It just made Emma happy that Sarah was someone who wanted to learn about Korean royal court cuisine purely for the joy of cooking.
“Today, we’re using julienned beef brisket for the dish.” Emma brought the meat they’d prepared earlier out from the refrigerator and gingerly balanced it on the narrow counter space beside the stove. “But when you’re at home, you can use pre-marinated bulgogi in a pinch.”
Emma gave Sarah shortcuts whenever possible because she worked as a teaching assistant to a demanding philosophy professor at USC while she obtained her master’s degree there. Even though cooking was Sarah’s happy place, she sometimes had to resort to instant noodles and fast food out of sheer necessity.
Having originated in the Joseon dynasty to nourish the royal family, Korean royal court cuisine didn’t exactly make for easy, weeknight meals. So shortcuts it was. Any kind of home-cooked meal was better than fast food.
“Awesome.” Sarah pumped her fist. “My mom fills my freezer with little bundles of bulgogi whenever she visits.”
“Korean moms are masters at feeding their children.” Her college roommate’s mom used to do the same thing and always made sure that there was enough for Emma, too. She chased away the twinge of sadness—her mom’s absence motivated her to learn to marinate her own bulgogi—and smiled brightly. “And their friends.”
“I wonder if there are any other cultures where have you eaten is a form of greeting.”
“It’s the Korean I love you.” Emma winked.
“Oh my gosh.” Sarah snorted. “That is so true.”
“Okay. The gungjung ddeokbokki isn’t going to cook itself.” Emma turned on the front burner of her stove, setting it to medium-high heat, and watched her client mimic her on the next burner. “Add a swirl of oil to the frying pan.”
“A swirl? Not a splash?” Sarah said with wide-eyed innocence. “Are you positive it isn’t a drizzle?”
“A tablespoon of oil, smart aleck.” Emma hip bumped Sarah. She gave her clients exact measurements for the recipes, but she herself never used measuring tools. She kind of knew how much of what her dishes needed. “One swirl around the pan usually comes out to about a tablespoon.”
“I’ll try it next time.” Sarah measured out the oil. “I’m too chicken to eyeball something with a new recipe.”
Emma added the small strips of marinated beef into the hot pan, and Sarah did the same in her own pan. Once the meat was nicely browned, they added the sliced bell peppers, onions, and green onions.
“The rice cake goes in last because these are fresh and will take no time to cook.” Emma added the ddeok into the pan. “With the dried kind, soak it in water first, then put it in once the meat is browned.”
“Got it.” Sarah nodded and breathed in the aroma. “I’m drooling. This smells so delicious.”
“Well, it’s done,” Emma said after a few minutes. She plated a small portion, sprinkling some sesame seeds and chopped scallions on top. “Ready for a taste test?”
Glancing at Emma’s sample, Sarah plated her ddeokbokki and garnished it. They each picked up a rice cake with their chopsticks and took a careful bite. It was soft and chewy, and sweet and savory. A perfect harmony of textures and flavors.
“Wonderful, isn’t it?” Emma smiled.
“Heavenly.” Her happy client sighed before taking another bite.
There. She had helped create a moment of joy for Sarah—helped her slow down and smell the… well, the gungjung ddeokbokki. That was the most meaningful, satisfying part of her job. And that was why Emma was so impatient to start her culinary school. She wanted to help more people nurture happiness in their lives.
“Save some for dinner.” Emma opened a kitchen cabinet and reached for a reusable container. “We’ll pack up the rest for you to take home.”
“Oh no.” Sarah palmed her forehead. “I forgot to bring back the containers from our last lesson. I have them washed and everything.”
“Don’t worry about it. I have plenty. You can return them next time.” Emma lined up the finger-size rice cakes in the container and artfully interspersed the perfectly browned marinated meat and fragrant vegetables over them. “Here, you try packing up the rest.”
Sarah placed the last of the rice cakes in the container and sprinkled scallions and toasted sesame seeds on top. “I won’t be able to concentrate in class, knowing that this beauty is waiting for me at home.”
“Great job today.” Emma began tidying up the counter as her client packed up to leave, but her hands stilled when she heard her dad out in the hallway.
“Soo, what a lovely surprise,” he said with a smile in his voice. “Come in. Come in.”
“Hello, old friend.” Her godmother sounded a bit distracted. “Is Emma home? She wasn’t answering my texts, so I figured she must be in the middle of a lesson.”
Emma swallowed and pulled out her cell phone from her apron pocket. She had silenced it for the lesson. After a calming breath, she unlocked her screen. Eleven unread texts from Auntie Soo. Her stomach dropped. It might have nothing to do with her matseon from last night. Maybe her godmother wanted to see her one and only goddaughter because she missed her.
“Yes, she should be finishing up right now,” her dad said as Emma finished putting the used pans and utensils in the sink. She strained to hear their conversation in the hallway with a distracted smile at Sarah, who hefted her backpack onto one shoulder.
