How To Season Quinoa

The week after the call. I went back to work. I got through meetings. I cooked simple meals. I texted Jisoo a photo of my tea every morning because I had said I would. She texted back a photo of her tea. This is our new ritual. A pair of morning teas, twelve hours apart, in kitchens that are mine and hers.

Karen called me on Tuesday and said, "Did you tell her I love her?" I said, "Yes, Mom. She was very touched." Karen said, "Good. I have been thinking about her. I think she and I would be friends if we could meet." I said, "You would." Karen said, "Do you think she'll come to Seattle someday?" I said, "Maybe. It would have to be a long trip for her. Her English isn't strong. It would be hard." Karen said, "But someday." I said, "Someday, maybe." Karen said, "Tell her if she comes, she will stay with me." I said, "I'll tell her." I told her. Jisoo wrote back: "Tell Karen thank you. If the Lord wills it, I will come. If not, I will know her in heaven." I love Jisoo. Her faith is robust and tender at once.

The Busan trip is getting closer. Ten weeks now. I have booked the flights — we fly Korean Air on May 28, arriving May 29 Busan time. We stay two weeks. We fly home June 12. James is coming with me. He will meet Jisoo in person. I am nervous for him. He is not nervous. He said, "I've already met her. I have five letters from her. She's not a stranger. She's my mother-in-law." I said, "She's not your mother-in-law yet." He said, "In spirit she is." He is right.

Wedding planning: the caterer is booked. Korean-Taiwanese fusion menu: bulgogi sliders, pajeon with ssamjang, Taiwanese popcorn chicken, gua bao, bibimbap bowls, kimchi rice balls, Taiwanese red bean tang yuan for dessert. Karen is making Karen's apple pie for a separate dessert course because Karen said she wanted to make the pie and I said yes. I will help her with the crust on the week of the wedding. Her hands will not be able to do the crust alone. We will do it together.

Work: I shipped a design doc on Thursday. Priya liked it. The feedback was positive but procedural. I am tired of procedural feedback. I want feedback that makes me smarter, not just more thorough. I wrote this in my journal on Friday. I did not write it in my work notes. I am drawing a line in my mind between the two.

Dr. Yoon: we did a post-call debrief. She said, "You were present. You were you. That is the whole game." I said, "I know." She said, "I know you know. But sometimes it helps to hear it." She is right. It helps.

The recipe this week is gyeran bap again — the rice with egg and sesame oil and soy sauce and kimchi that James made me the night the match was found. I made it for myself this week, Tuesday night, standing at the counter, thinking about sundubu and Jisoo and the thing that is no longer a leap but a habit — my umma, in Busan, who loves me. My umma who loves Karen. My umma who is patient with my Korean. My umma who corrected my garlic. I ate the gyeran bap. I went to bed.

Gyeran bap is James’s recipe — the one he made me the night everything changed — and when I made it for myself on Tuesday it tasted like a thing I was borrowing back from a good memory. If you don’t have leftover rice on hand, or if you’re looking for something with a little more body to carry you through a long evening, this seasoned quinoa bowl covers the same quiet ground: a warm grain, fat and salt and toasty sesame, eaten without ceremony. The principle is the same as gyeran bap — season the grain until it tastes like comfort, and trust that it is enough.

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 cup dry white quinoa, rinsed well
1 3/4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, to finish
2 scallions, thinly sliced, to finish
Optional: 1 soft-boiled or fried egg per serving, kimchi, or sliced cucumber

Instructions

Cook the quinoa. Add the rinsed quinoa and broth to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for 5 more minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Make the seasoning. While the quinoa rests, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic powder, ground ginger, and sea salt in a small bowl until combined.
Season and toss. Pour the seasoning over the warm, fluffed quinoa and fold gently until every grain is coated. Taste and adjust — more soy sauce for salt, more sesame oil for richness, a splash more rice vinegar for brightness.
Build the bowl. Divide into bowls. Top with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Add a soft-boiled egg, a spoonful of kimchi, or sliced cucumber if you like. Eat warm, standing at the counter or sitting down — either way counts.

Nutrition (per serving)

How To Season Quinoa — The Grain Bowl That Held Me on a Tuesday Night