SOLD OUT: The Chicago Council for the American Writers Museum is hosting Joanne Lee Molinaro for the launch of her new cookbook, The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma's Kitchen. Join them for a cocktail hour, followed by a conversation with Joanne Lee Molinaro! Each ticket includes a copy of The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma's Kitchen, food and drink. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours, along with a valid photo ID, are required for this event.
When: October 12, 2021, 6-8:30 pm
Where: American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave, 2nd Floor
The single most frequent question Joanne Lee Molinaro gets asked is "How can you be vegan and Korean?" Korean cooking is, after all, synonymous with fish sauce and barbecue. And although grilled meat is indeed prevalent in some Korean food, the ingredients that filled out the bapsangs of Joanne's childhood--doenjang (fermented soybean paste), gochujang (chili sauce), dashima (seaweed), and more--are fully plant-based, unbelievably flavorful, and totally Korean.
In her debut cookbook, Joanne shares recipes and narrative snapshots of the food that shaped her family history. Some of the recipes come straight from her childhood: Jjajangmyun, the rich Korean-Chinese black bean noodles she ate on birthdays, or the humble Gamja Guk, a potato-and-leek soup her father makes. Some pay homage: Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake is an ode to the two foods that saved her mother's life, Kale & Ramen Salad with noodle "croutons" and a dressing akin to ramen broth.
With the intimate storytelling and stunning photography she's become known for on social media, The Korean Vegan Cookbook celebrates how deeply food and family shape our identity.
About Joanne Lee Molinaro: Joanne Lee Molinaro is a Korean American trial lawyer, born and raised in Chicago. Molinaro adopted a plant-based diet in January 2016 and began The Korean Vegan as a passion project later that year. Her immensely popular TikTok, @thekoreanvegan, incorporates her recipes with personal narration. She has been featured in Salon, Healthyish by Bon App étit, The Atlantic, The Kitchn, Thrive, and VegWorld, and on Food Network, CNN, BBC, and CNBC.