December 15, 2020 – Asia Society Korea hosted a special webcast as a part of the Leo Gala Series to promote Korean culture featuring U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris and South Korea’s famous food specialist Hye Jung Lee, aka “Big Mama.” The pair showcased how to prepare locally-made, authentic kimchi with deep layers of spicy pepper, garlic and ginger flavors. Check out Big Mama’s kimchi recipe — spicy yet smooth, with a delicate crunch — and bring an end to the coronavirus blues. You won’t regret it!

MAIN INGREDIENT

• 1 Salted Napa Cabbage (cut into 4 pieces)

KIMCHI PASTE INGREDIENTS
(Baechuso; Kimchi paste)

• 2 cups of grated Korean radish
• 1 large Korean radish
• 200g Korean red mustard
• 100g water dropwort or minari (optional)
• 10 scallion roots
• 6 tsp minced garlic
• 3 tsp minced ginger
• 70g salted shrimp
• 1/2 cup Korean anchovy sauce
• 1 cup Korean red pepper flakes
• 5 soft persimmons—skin and seeds removed (optional)
• 1 grated Korean pear
• 2 cups grated raw shrimp
• 1/3 cup rinsed oysters
• Salt and sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

• Rinse the radish and peel the skin. Slice the radish into matchstick shapes—each slice being approximately 6 cm in length and 0.3 cm in width.
• Cut the Korean red mustard, water dropwort (minari), and scallions into 4-5 cm pieces.
• Place the grated radish in a large bowl and sprinkle red pepper flakes on it. Then add the water dropwort, red mustard, scallions, grated radish, minced garlic and ginger, anchovy sauce, salted shrimp, soft persimmon, grated Korean pear and raw shrimp—and mix it well. Season the kimchi paste with salt and sugar until it tastes just right.
• Spread the kimchi paste evenly across each leaf of the cabbage and cover it with the outer leaves. Place the kimchi inside a kimchi jar or container.

PARTICIPANTS

Hye Jung Lee (Instructor)

Hye Jung Lee is a Korean food specialist and culinary instructor with over 28 years of experience in cooking and culinary research. She first gained recognition in Korea after appearing on a local cooking show in 1993. At the age of 43, she completed her training at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners (ICIF) in Turin, Italy where she picked up the nickname “Big Mama” for her unique style of cooking, which didn’t involve precise measuring of ingredients. Having studied under a master of Korean royal court cuisine, Hwang Hye-sung, she gained nationwide fame in 2004 when she hosted her first solo cooking show, “Big Mama’s Open Kitchen.” Since then, she has served as a guest on dozens of cooking shows both on TV and radio. She also has a number of food businesses ranging from Korean red pepper paste to steamed buns. Currently, she runs a cooking studio called “Kitchen Story” in Kwacheon that she founded with her daughter in 2012.

H.E. Harry B. Harris Jr.

Ambassador Harry Harris was nominated by President Trump on May 23, 2018 and confirmed by the United States Senate on June 28 as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (ROK).
Ambassador Harris commanded the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), now known as the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), from May, 2015 to May, 2018. He is the first Asian-American to hold four-star rank in the U.S. Navy and the first to head USPACOM. Prior to USPACOM, he commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Other operational commands include the U.S. 6th Fleet, Striking and Support Forces NATO, Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 1, and Patrol Squadron 46.
From 2011 to 2013, Ambassador Harris served as the representative of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of State. In this role, he traveled to over 80 countries with the Secretary and participated in most of the Secretary’s meetings with foreign leaders. He also served as the U.S. Roadmap Monitor for the Mid-East Peace Process.
Ambassador Harris’ personal decorations include the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, three Navy Distinguished Service Medals, three Defense Superior Service Medals, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars, and the Air Medal. He received the Republic of Korea’s Tong-il medal in 2014. He has also been decorated by the governments of Australia, France, Japan, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Singapore.
Ambassador Harris was born in Japan and reared in Tennessee and Florida. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1978. He holds master’s degrees from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. He also did post-graduate work at Oxford University and completed the Seminar 21 fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ambassador Harris’ father served in the U.S. Navy, and was a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War. He was stationed in Korea and Japan after World War II until he retired in 1958.  Harris’ mother was Japanese. She moved to Tennessee with her husband and young son in 1958 and became an American citizen in 1974.
Ambassador Harris is married to Ms. Bruni Bradley, herself a career Naval officer.