Family Birthday Dinner: The Korean American Meal (literally)

Over the weekend, we celebrated a birthday of two of our family members - Mom in law and Daughter #1, as they share a birthday two days apart.  I like to cook the family meals in my home (control freak issue) and I let the guests of honor choose what they'd like to eat.  When I asked Mom in law, she said to simply cook something that was simple and easy and not to go all out.  (I'm not sure if she really KNOWS me all that well if she says that.)  When I asked Daughter #1, she quickly declared she wanted fried chicken and macaroni and cheese.  I knew that I wanted to do the traditional Korean birthday soup and so then decided that I would split the menu right in half - we'd have an American meeting Korean dinner party.  I'd divide the meal in half and we'd start in America and finish in Korea.

I will only say this - the meal was clobbered.  The entire family ate from both sides of the menu and I have to say that there was a strange complimentary feeling about having fried chicken and macaroni and cheese against Korean soup and spicy pork.  We started in America and finished in Korea, and ended up with our desserts back in America.  It was great fun, great meal with lots of laughter.

Happy Birthday Mom and Daughter #1!  I love you!

 

Menu
American
Asian Fried Wings:  Okay - technically not American, since they are Asian, but I think Mac and Cheese and Fried Chicken are a classic American  pairing, don't you? Marinated the night before
Macaroni and Cheese: made the morning of, set aside until baked 30 minutes before dinner.
Ginger Coleslaw: (okay - again, a bit of a bridge dish here) - all chopped the day before, dressing made and dressed the salad 15 minutes before dinner.

Korean
Seaweed Soup: made the day of
Spicy Pork with steamed cabbage and Korean lettuce (Marinated the day before, cabbage steamed in the morning and then chilled.  Lettuce washed and chilled
Steamed rice
Kimchee

Dessert
Vanilla Bean Vanilla Bean Layer Cake
Lemon Shortbread Bars