January wrap up, Girl with Seven Names and Bibimbap

 January has been a good reading month for me.   I finished 6 books!  I say finished because to be fair, I started Saving Ruby King in Dec and finished it the first week of January.  Also, one of the books was only 90 pages so more like an Essay.  (Wolfpack by Abby Wambach which i'll review later).   The final book for January was with my Book Group, the Beehive.   We read The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story.   Now, I don't read a ton of Non-Fiction and when i do, it is almost always with my book group.  We usually get in 1-2 Non Fiction titles a year.    I also must say that I struggle with some biographies.   This reminded me of Educated.  The stories have nothing really in common but they both deal with women who have to overcome hardships over and over and come out the other side much stronger.   I find it hard to deal with the hardships and struggles and life choices through the entire book.   In both cases i almost stopped listening.  (Yes, I did both of these titles on Audibles)  

The story is about Hyeonseo Lee who grew up in North Korea.   She decides to cross the border, really thinking it was just for a few days and ends up never coming back.   She realizes she has been brainwashed by the Dictatorship of North Korea.  But in China she is forced to hide who she is and realizes she can never go back because the rumors of her escape are everywhere.   The story takes us on her journey in China and eventually South Korea.  She ends up helping her mother and brother also escape.    The story is really about her desire for family and her perseverance to survive and to have a free life.   

So, it is an amazing story but i just felt worn down.   I know this is my privilege speaking but i'm not sure this is where I want to spend my reading time and I feel badly about that.   

So, at the end of the day I would say, if you love a story about strength and courage, this is for you.  I give it 3.5 stars.  ⭐⭐⭐½

When I thought about food for this story , i had NO idea what to make.  I really am not sure i have had any Korean food.   I could have gone with Chinese, which I love , but really thought this was my chance to try something different.  Of course i went to my favorite recipe source-- Pinterest.  I found a recipe that looked perfect called Bibimbap.  Essentially the basics are mixed rice with meat and assorted vegetables.    The secret is really in the sauce!   Since I'm trying not to eat meat these days, I made a vegetarian version.   It turned out so good!!  I used a recipe from  Love & Lemons  blog.  I changed it up just a bit but here is the basic.   (i had a bit of a challenge finding Gochujang sauce but finally found it at a local grocery store) 

https://www.loveandlemons.com/bibimbap-recipe/?epik=dj0yJnU9SFVqbEJiUWlSYnhJMTMtendFTHBIMDVZUGZDaEdPTVQmcD0wJm49WVhGSGM4TEN1bWdSdWFleURqTXB6ZyZ0PUFBQUFBR0FNeUdz

BIBIMBAP

Ingredients

Bowls

• ½ English cucumber, thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1¼ teaspoons sesame oil, divided
• 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 4 cups baby spinach
• ½ teaspoon tamari
• 2 cups cooked short-grain white rice
• 2 fried eggs, or 1 cup cubed baked tofu
• 4 ounces sautéed shiitake mushrooms, optional
• 1 recipe Gochujang sauce
• Sesame seeds
• Sea salt
• Kimchi, optional, for serving
• Chopped scallions, optional, for serving

(okay,  i don't like shiitake mushrooms so i used your basic button mushrooms.  I used egg and not tofu and  I also used a regular cucumber .  And I did NOT use Kimchi because i can't stand it) 

• In a small bowl, toss the cucumber slices with ½ teaspoon rice vinegar, ¼ teaspoon sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Drop in the bean sprouts and cook for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
• Heat ½ teaspoon sesame oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes until a little bit soft, and then remove from the pan and set aside. Heat ½ teaspoon more sesame oil in the skillet and add the spinach and tamari. Cook, tossing, for 30 seconds or until just wilted. Remove from the skillet and gently squeeze out any excess water from the spinach.
• Assemble the bowls with the rice, cucumber slices, bean sprouts, carrots, and spinach. Top with a fried egg or baked tofu. Add the mushrooms, if using. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle generously with the gochujang sauce. Serve with kimchi and scallions, if desired, and the remaining gochujang sauce on the side.