Member Spotlight - Kimchee

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
In the spotlight today is our own Kimchee. Thank you for shareing.

Tell us a little about yourself - your family or household, kids, pets, occupation, etc.
I'm a paper pusher with a twist... I sell "collectible" paper online... catalogs, documents, books, magazines... printed stuff! At the tender age of 8, my local friendly eye doctor fitted me with Coke bottle bottom glasses, literally 1/2 inch thick, and that shot down my dreams of being a military pilot. Life went on, here I am and I kinda like what I do. Like my college advisor said...prophetically.. I was a maverick and wouldn't really fit into the Corporate Life! (Which I did fairly successfully for some time, but it wasn't always pretty...)
I have a wonderful wife who proves life is balanced... she went back to college at age 34 and got herself HER life dream: a Phd.. in plant genetics. (And I believe her when she says Beware the B Vitamin Energy drinks.)
We have FIVE kids... Nemo the black lab; Nellie the Golden Lab (I prefer Labtriever, but apparently a lab/Golden retriever is a Golden Lab..), Baxter and Duke, fraternal twin cats who are Night and Day, 20 pounds and 8.... plus Maggie Tater Tot catlet, our newest addition. Some people say Nemo and Nellie are spoiled... nahhhhhhhhh.....


What part of the world do you live in?
I live in Raleigh NC, smack dab in the South, but full of colleges and tech companies, so it has "culture", LOL! (And lots of varied restaurants, ethnic groceries and other tasty places!)
Two hours from the beach, two from the mountains.... haven't been to either in years, isn't that how it works?

How did you find the NCT community?
Like many others here, I discovered NCT after becoming a bit jaded about the DiscussCooking site. I still hang out there too, but I really like HERE a lot more! Thanks to Sherm at CookingTalk for sending me here!

Do you have any hobbies besides cooking?
My wife and I like to do flat water kayaking, when the weather cooperates and the rivers have water. This summer it was so unrelentingly hot, we only went once! I am also an auction junkie, dabble in collecting a few things, am an avid reader of worthless ;) Best Seller list fiction, wish I did more with my photography, and love Road Trips!

If you could choose any profession or occupation, what would it be and why?
Well, of course, I would now be a retired fighter jet pilot! OK, they could send me into space too, if they really wanted to..... Hey dreams are dreams, right? :)

How and why did you choose your Username? What does it mean?
Kimchee..... oh I could make so many bad jokes here, but won't....(fermented cabbage?!?!?!) I really really like Asian cooking and food, and make some pretty decent cabbage kimchee... so when I signed up, it just seemed appropriate.

What is a typical day like for you?
Up around 8:30, do my morning ablutions, put on some pajamas and downstairs to work! I might not make a mint, but there are some perks to being one's own boss. Of course, since I'm the stay at home half of the team, and don't mind, I do the laundry and most other household chores. Sometimes, a bit of "distaff" is a great alternative to slaving away for the almighty dollar. Generally I work till around 430 so I can make the post office before it closes, then it is DOG WALK time! Revisit that "spoiled dog" comment earlier... what a great excuse to do 3 miles along the creek walk greenway. Being a bit of a nature freak, it helps keep me centered... or off center, I'm not sure which.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I'm almost 50, not in debt, not dependent on others, have a fantastic wife, make my own way, have a solid little business, money in the bank..... and quit a 3 pack a day, 24 year smoking habit.

Give us 5 words that describe you.
Irreverent, loyal, thoughtful, humorous (at least in MY eyes, LOL), imaginative

Name 5 things that would be on your "bucket list".
World travel; skydive; bungee jump; censored, censoredddddd,... uh sorry,.. um.... eat a truffle and not worry about the price, and see a real live no question about it UFO or ghost. :)

Name 5 things you can't live without.
My wife Beth, music/radio, books, curiosity and BEER! OK, maybe I could live without beer, but it wouldn't be pretty.... ;) ;) Seriously, about beer... craft beers are like wine... there are such a large variety, all with subtle nuances; what great fun exploring them all!

Who is your role model and why?
Darn good question. Perhaps my parents, to a degree, because they started a successful business about the same time in life. ....

Tell us one thing about yourself that people would be surprised to know.
I'm 6'2" 237 pounds of manflesh... and I like chick flicks more than sports on TV? Oh, and I DON'T like to channel surf!
(And I am a cat summoner. Four times in my life I have wanted a cat, and 4 times in my life, one showed up and adopted me within 3 weeks. One only stayed long enough to rid the house of a couple of mice, which was why I wanted one in the first place. But while here, he would go on walks around the block with me.)

What would the child you once were think of the adult you have become?
Who are YOU????????????????????? Me?????? I DON'T THINK SO!!!! Run! Runnnnnnn! ;)
After a bit of reflection, I think Child would look at Adult and say, "Yup, that works..."

What is the best moment of your life so far?
This question reminds me of a story I read... a man made a deal with the Devil.. he could live forever, until he thought he was as happy as he would ever be.... then he could stay in that moment forever, in exchange for his soul.
Every time the man thought he was in that moment, he always managed to think there might be something better...
So finally the devil got tired of it, and came to take the man to hell. The man boarded the Party Train to Hell, was having a great time, and realized this was THE MOMENT...
So I don't know that I have a best moment... lots of really good ones, but still waiting for a Best....

How and at what age did you start cooking?
Made my first entree of a Hot dog and beans casserole at age 9 or so, helped out in the kitchen a bit until around age 16, at which time I started truly cooking to feed myself. Even then, a frozen pizza was a canvas on which to work.... Now, I consider myself a good cook, always trying new things and learning new dishes, but wouldn't want to be a "chef"; I'd rather be a chuckwagon cook of distinction!

Do you have a signature dish or one that you make especially well?
My wife says I make darn good ribs.... There are a fair number of things I think I cook quite well, but none that stand out as a signature dish, probably because I don't have a particular style or ethnicity that I "specialize" in. I do a mean baked stuffed chicken breast, some exceptional Spicy Asian Catfish, quite tasty All Natural Chicken Fajitas, a darn good Sausage Lentil soup... but nothing that would say "Ah. that's Kimchee's cooking..."

What is your favorite spice?
If garlic is a spice, then that's my favorite! If not, well it should be.

What 2 cooking tools/gadgets/appliances would you swap from your kitchen and what would you swap them for?
I'd NOT swap my 1957 Case XX 400-8 chef's knife, and I'd NOT swap my cast iron skillet....
But just about anything else I'd happily trade for a 52 inch flat screen TV! There's not a lot in my kitchen repertoire that I couldn't do without, because it is all replaceable. So if I could get a deal for something... bye bye!

What is your favorite restaurant meal?
The restaurant is now closed, but it was from Pedro's Mexican Food, Fayetteville, NC. A "beef burrito, enchilada style", plate of refried beans, chips and salsa, and sweet tea. The burrito was slow cooked chunks of beef, with this lovely smooth brown enchilada sauce and lots of cheddar cheese! The beans had FLAVOR.. something most refried beans lack. The salsa was very simple, but packed with flavor.... And the culinary gods smiled on me! I got lucky one day, and via Craigslist, was able to buy the recipes for these dishes. Worth every penny, and the beans are proof that simple is often the secret to incredible flavor!

What would your last meal be if you could choose anything at all?
An All You Can Eat Buffet.. and I'd make it last for a few years, LOLOL! Seriously, I'd have a big freaking buffet full that would put Las Vegas to shame.... But if it couldn't be that, see the previous question.

If you could host a dinner party with 6 well-known guests, living or dead, who would they be and what would you serve?
I dunno and I dont care, pretty much. If I could pick 6 living or dead guests, the food would be incidental, and the conversation would be paramount. I'd serve whatever they wanted, to keep them there, fat, happy and talking, for as long as possible. As to WHO...well, let's just say that mysteries from the ages would be answered.... I hope.

Who would you most like to prepare a meal for and why. What would you serve?
Gosh, I guess I'd want to feed a family reunion set about 30 years ago, but with me the age I am now. I'd be back on my grandparents farm in central Kansas, so we'd have stuff FRESH from the farm: corn on the cob; fried chicken; mashed potatoes, and kolaches. Plus coffee and cream from the milk shed. And Mr. Hunchu's homemade sausage. And that incredible local sandwich meat from the Herington KS grocery store. Why? Because now I am old enough to want to learn the family history, and because the food would be slap your grandma good.

Who would you most like to have prepare a meal for you?
My answer might be a bit politically incorrect, so let's just go with Mom and Dad. Both are gone now, so they would have to each fix me favorites... Dad could make his "Steak Rouladens" and Mom could make me SOS for breakfast!

100 years from now, how would you like to be remembered?
I don't really care if I am remembered 100 years from now. But if I had to choose, maybe as the first man on Mars. I wonder how much Mars candy would pay me to plug the Mars bar from there???? ;)



Spoiled rotton Dogs.
 

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QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
What a delightful spotlight, Kimchee! You sound like a very happy man who enjoys his life and appreciates all that is around him!

I particularly love your work day, and I love the last 2 things on your bucket list: "eat a truffle and not worry about the price, and see a real live no question about it UFO or ghost."

LOL! Great read!

Thanks!

Lee
 

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
Where are the cat pictures????

Thanks so much for sharing! You have the kind of job my son is hoping for. If ever anyone wanted to live life in his pajamas, it's Mark. :thumb:
 

MexicoKaren

Joyfully Retired
Super Site Supporter
Ah Kimchee, you are a true eccentric! (That's a compliment.) Thanks for sharing your life with us...sounds like you and Beth have figured out some of the secrets to contentment, because that's what I see throughout your remarks. But you are also a very thoughtful and curious guy - I share your hopes to see a real UFO or a ghost. Congrats on quitting the smoking habit - wish I could say the same! I think we have the MOST interesting collection of people here, and every time I read one of these spotlights, I am more convinced. Someone should write a book about us.
 

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
Excellent and much appreciated. I love the way you think. If there was any way that experiences could be totally shared I would give you my fighter pilot memories in a heartbeat. Great post. Thank you.

Buzz
 
K

Kimchee

Guest
Buzzard, ever see that movie "Brainstorm"? Wish I had one of those headsets!

Cat pictures as requested:

Let's play Hide The Food! (good thing he is such a laid back cat, because his paws are HUGE)

Brotherly Love... usually followed by a raucous bout of fighting, to prove they are Manly Man Cats!

Maggie Tater Tot discovers that things on computer screens move! Oh Boy!!
(yah, yee. Hcc,,fkffefldkfjdlkvvnvnvn

Oops, cute dog hogging in on cat time.. that would be Nellie Buttersnout!

BIG CATS! Lion and his wench, right after a bit of wenching, if you know what I mean. Sadly, the lioness went to the great Cathouse in the Sky recently due to cancer.

ask for pet pics and ye shall receive. Pity we can't review the pics we've posted, apologies for duplicats! (Get it.. duplic..CATS! ha.ha.ha)
 

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Mama

Queen of Cornbread
Site Supporter
What a wonderful read! You've got a greaat sense of humor. I'll bet there's never a dull moment when you're around!

Love the pics of your babies and I love the names you gave them.
 
K

Kimchee

Guest
have to update this question now:
What part of the world do you live in?
As of this time tomorrow, I will be a New Albanian in New Albany, IN.
That Phd of my wife's paid off: she will be a professor there soon!
From what I saw while house hunting, we are going to love it there.
(Just over the Ohio River from Louisville KY, so I get big city perks without
living in one! RAH!)
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
have to update this question now:
What part of the world do you live in?
As of this time tomorrow, I will be a New Albanian in New Albany, IN.
That Phd of my wife's paid off: she will be a professor there soon!
From what I saw while house hunting, we are going to love it there.
(Just over the Ohio River from Louisville KY, so I get big city perks without
living in one! RAH!)
Cool!
Welcome to this part of the country.
We'll be border buddies! :smile::thumb:
 

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
... and we'll be river buddies. You'll love being close to the river. You might be able to get a good deal on some river property. :thumb: The river is beautiful down there. It's even wider there than it is here. Close to a mile across in places I'd guess.

Good luck with your move.
 
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