Bi Bim Bop + Being a Dr.'s Wife = ????

So what happens when you try to add Bi Bim Bop (a popular Korean dish - pronounced Bee Bim Bop) with being a Dr.'s wife? Do read on...

A couple of weeks ago I was registering my kids for some Rec & Ed classes for Spring semester when I ran across the adult education section (that sounds kinda nasty!). I noticed something I hadn't noticed before: Adult cooking classes. After discovering there were tons of classes offered (I'm talking like 2 pages worth!), I got excited. You see, I've been stuck in this "chicken and rice" vacuum that I can't seem to escape. I can prepare probably 2 dozen variations on that theme: Hawaiian Haystacks, Russian Chicken, Cream Cheese Chicken, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Chicken 'n Rice and it goes on and on.....and on. They're all really tasty, but holy freakers, a gal can only take so much. A life with no change sucks the, well, life out of me, so I was highly motivated to add some new dishes to my culinary repertoire. Anyway, I digress...

So as I'm perusing through the list of cooking classes that I want to take, the thought crosses my mind, "Why are you doing this? You know what always happens." (You'll understand what this means a little later.). I ignore my better judgement, make a master list of interesting classes that I want to take and sign up for my first cooking class: Bi Bim Bop.

So how brave is this: I didn't even know what Bi Bim Bop was when I signed up for the class. I knew it was Korean (that's what it said anyway) and I love love love ethnic food, so I went for it. So for 2 weeks, I excitedly counted down the days until my class. Yes, my life is that pathetic.

Now here is where being a doctor's wife comes into play. So if there is one thing I can count on with Joel's schedule as a resident, it is this: There is no part of his schedule that I can count on! He never comes home at the same time - sometimes it's around 4 pm - sometimes it's around 6:48 like it was the night of my cooking class. The class started at 6:30.

My frustrating night started around dinnertime. I was still recovering from this yucky virus and I didn't feel much like cooking. However, I wanted to make Joel some Pepper Steak Sandwiches because I felt sorry for him (he's been getting the crap kicked out of him at the hospital). So I made a dinner knowing that my kids wouldn't like it and that my husband might not be home to eat it (happens all too often). That's exactly what happened.

So six o'clock rolls around and I finally get a phone call from a frustrated Joel, "I'm still here and I can't tell when I going to leave." Argh! So this doesn't exactly throw me for a loop - I'm used to it (precisely the reason I never sign up for anything in the first place!) The frustration set in when I couldn't find a last minute babysitter - imagine that. So the thought returns, "Why did I sign up for this, I knew this would happen." I started cleaning up the dinner that only I ate and accepted the fact that I wasn't going anywhere that night.

Now my depressing story could end there, but it has a happy ending (for me at least).

Joel called around 6:30 (when the class began) and said he was on his way home. Sweet. I was all excited until I saw his face when we passed each other in the doorway. He looked so tired. I felt bad for him. So then I felt guilty the whole night because I knew he was exhausted and he was up for a heck of a weekend too.

Well, the class was great. The instructor was this little Korean lady that has never used a measuring tool in her life! We kind of got used to it as the 3 hour course proceeded. She would add something to her sauce or marinade and we'd all look around at each other, "How much was that?" Or, "Did that look like 1 or 2 tablespoons??" A bunch of us whipped out our phone cameras or pocket cameras and started taking pictures of the ingredients she was using so that we could purchase them on our own at the local Korean grocery store. At one point this lady next to me was completely disgusted by the fact that our instuctor kept using the same knife and cutting board for raw meat and vegetable alike. I seriously started laughing because I noticed the same thing, but I so didn't care by that point! Hey I was already sick (on so many levels), so BRING IT!

After 2 1/2 hours of prep work, the Bi Bim Bop was ready - my first taste of Korea. The aroma was intoxicating and the taste was amazing. I can't tell you what other Bi Bim Bops taste like, but this little Korean lady sure knew what she was doing! So I came away from the class knowing what Bi Bim Bop is (sushi rice topped with all sorts of steamed and marinated veggies, some kind of marinated meat, a drizzle of spicy sauce, all topped off with a fried egg). I also came away with a new yummy recipe and a realization of why I always make the same meals over and over: TIME! Throughout my class, I kept thinking, "Man, this is taking for freak'n ever to make and she's an expert!"

So I came home to a husband half asleep watching tv in bed. We talked about our days for a bit and then he was out. He works so hard and is so tired all the time. I think I'll make him some Bi Bim Bop tonight...

...That's what she said! he he....