Joanne L. Molinaro (이선영)

Go vote.

My #lawyer thoughts on recent opinion on #tiktokban. #keeptiktok

I believe more than ever before that the stories of women need to be shared. I don’t just mean the big ones--the one about the woman CEO, the female entrepreneur, the high-powered woman in the board room. I mean the small stories. The one about the woman who almost perished from a miscarriage. The one about the woman who had to bury her baby daughter. The one about the woman who told her parents “I’ll be your son” only because she didn’t want to lose her mom. These tiny, intimate stories show how much the lives of women have been threatened. How much they’ve sacrificed over countless generations. And how power can be achieved when we confront those things that would devalue us. The stories of my grandmother, my mother, and even me: they braid together to form a rope. One that I use every single day to climb out of self-doubt, self-reproach, and into the bright light of worth. My grandmother was worthy of life. My mother was worthy of leadership. I am worthy, period. —- Also, this apple cheddar grilled cheese was outstanding. And you are worthy of it. If you agree and want the recipe, comment “cheese” below. <3 #EasyRecipes #storytime #vegangrilledcheese #sandwiches

Today is going to be a stressful day for lots of you, no matter how it all shakes out. By now, many of you will have already voted while others will set aside time to do so later in the day. Regardless, millions and millions of us will likely be glued to the TV late into the night. And tomorrow morning, the morning after, or maybe even several mornings after, we will have learned something about ourselves, as a country. Chances are—again, no matter the results—we will have learned something, or relearned something, that we don’t like. That hurts us. That frightens us. I’ve been thinking about what to say here for a very long time. I thought I would share something I heard on a post by @shondarhimes : “Nothing and no one will steal my joy.” I found these words to be indescribably powerful. Notwithstanding grief, loss, suffering—the joy we earn, the joy we claim, that belongs to us. And NO ONE can steal it from us. Unless we let them. I’d like to add an addendum to this statement, a commitment, if I may: “I will never, EVER steal someone’s joy, or watch as it gets stolen from them.” #VOTE

I’ve been thinking a lot about what “love” is. I think many people have defined it as the feeling of being seen and the act of seeing. I really like this definition. Of course, feeling loved is infinitely easier than loving someone, which means that accepting someone’s gaze is often easier than seeing someone for who they are. There are all sorts of impediments standing between two people that can distort or obstruct one’s view. In the case of my father and me, there was a language barrier, cultural differences, age, to name a few. Sometimes, it takes crisis to help remove the scales from our eyes to see each other. And sometimes it takes a really really long time. I know now, better than I ever did all those decades ago, why my father is sensitive to things like respect. It isn’t just a cultural thing (though that’s a big part of it). He grew up so much of his life feeling unseen by those he trusted and to feel that sort of dismissal from his 13 year old daughter must have been stinging indeed. Seeing someone doesn’t necessarily mean you excuse them. It just means that the work to change our expectations—that work is couched in love. #carrotcake #cooking #storytime #vegan

Friend breakups are hard. They entail a totally different kind of hurt that romantic breakups—almost like it’s a different part of your heart that’s being broken. The most important thing to remember, though, is that you don’t need to be good enough for the people who dump you. Because you’re good enough for the people who stick around. To any of you undergoing a friend breakup, I wish you peace and courage. #vegankimchi #advicevideo #friendbreakup

Last week, I shared my seven spectacular sides for the holidays. As many of you noted, they were decidedly American (with the exception of one spectacular side!). Here’s one amazing dish that always graces our holiday table and should definitely make an appearance on yours: JAPCHAE. These Korean glass noodles are totally gluten-free and, if you use gluten-free soy sauce, the whole dish will be gluten-free. Plus, you’ll get a ton of antioxidants and fiber from all the bright, colorful veggies. It’s one of the most popular dishes in Korea and my vegan/vegetarian version is outstanding. I’ve been perfecting the recipe for years and years, after repeated consultation with my mother. There’s still plenty of time to pick up the ingredients for this dish and make it for your Thanksgiving dinner! #japchae #koreanfood #koreanglassnoodles #vegan #vegetarian

Songpyeon is a Korean rice cake usually filled with sweetened sesame seeds. It is most typically prepared and served on Thanksgiving. I would share the recipe for this songpyeon with you, but it requires at least 3 more rounds of practice and testing. They look pretty from far away, but man-oh-man, they were so hard and chewy, it did not taste anything like what I’ve been eating my whole life! I’ve been trying to make my own songpyeon for years and years and while it’s tempting to just go and buy some, I’m now more determined than ever to make them on my own. Maybe next Thanksgiving? For those of you who make your own sourdough, your own kimchi, your own pasta, your own rice cakes, you can attest to that certain unquantifiable “something” that helps you know “ah yes, that’s exactly the right amount of water” or “yup, it’s time to go into the fridge now,” or “that’s dried long enough” or “yes, that’s exactly how soft the dough should be.” There isn’t a way to describe this “something” in a recipe. AI ain’t gonna help you out with this one and there’s no shortcut to developing it. Time and repetition are the only ways to learn this “something.” Sometimes, it won’t be worth it to you. For instance, I’ll probably never make my own sourdough. But, you better believe I’m making my own kimchi! I can probably do without fresh pasta, but I’ll be practicing songpyeon until I master it. That’s the good news—you get to CHOOSE what deserves your very precious time. I hope you’re spending your time today doing something that makes you happy, grateful, and full of joy. And potatoes. You should also be full of potatoes. Because potatoes always bring joy. #Thanksgiving #songpyeon #koreanfood #cooking

We had so much fun at the symphony!! 100% going to make this a monthly thing going forward, including the post-concert dinner. :D We actually went to the 2 pm concert, which was PERFECT for us, since that meant we could have dinner and get home in time to walk Lulu and cozy up on the couch to watch something on TV. What do you guys like to do for date night? #Vlog #datenight #lovestory

I’ve been eating this radish salad NON-STOP. It’s one of the most simple banchan (Korean side dishes) in the world but it’s like freaking CRACK IT’S TOTALLY ADDICTIVE. I LOVE eating it with rice wrapped in a little roasted seaweed. If you like kimchi, radish, or pickled vegetables in general, along with a little bit of heat, this recipe is one you’ll definitely want to add to your recipe arsenal! #koreanfood #radishkimchi #banchan #vegankoreanfood #EasyRecipes

Hey everyone! Hope you don’t mind my cheeky take on holiday dishes. ;) If you want traditional side dishes, I have those too. But if you’re into something a little bit different, try out this Spicy Doenjang Jjigae. It still astonishes me how popular this recipe is. I’ve now seen so many people cook it out of my book and that thrills me to my toes! For those who don’t have my book *yet* you can find a simplified version below: 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp gochugaru 1/2 cup diced onion 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup diced zucchini 1/2 cup diced potato 2 tbsp doenjang 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 to 3 cups vegetable broth 1 16 ounce box medium to firm tofu, sliced 2 tbsp scallion greens Add sesame oil to a ddukbaeggi (Korean clay pot) or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Then, add gochugaru and stir until it begins to foam (about 1 minute). Add onion, garlic, zucchini, potato, along with doenjang. Stir until veggies are evenly coated. Deglaze with soy sauce and add vegetable broth. Bring to a boil (increase heat to medium-high) and cook until potatoes are tender (around 10 to 12 minutes). Add tofu and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Sprinkle with scallion greens and enjoy with rice. Happy Non-Traditional Holidays! :) #koreanfood #doenjangjjigae #vegan #EasyRecipe #souprecipe

I wish I could just “stick to cooking.” #pasta #sitcktocooking #whatever

What do they say? “Necessity is the mother of all invention?” Well, I REALLY needed some garlic. I typically do not grate my garlic because I feel like I’m wasting all that precious garlic juice, but with frozen garlic, all that garlic juice remains intact and available to make your sauces all the more garlicky! Try this out and let me know what you think! #garlichack #kitchenhack #cookingtip

Look, don’t get me wrong—I like designer handbags and shoes as much as anyone else. But, once I discovered that just ONE of those handbags could pay for an entire trip, airfare and hotel included…. Yeah, my priorities shifted. Despite what people think, I’m not Mrs. Moneybags here and I can’t have everything I want. So, like most normal human beings, I ask myself “What do I want MORE” and allocate my budget accordingly. And for me… -watching the water throw itself against the stones of Jeju -watching the mist dissolve over the Dolomites -listening for the glittering laughter of sunlight across the beaches of Cannes -drinking in the magic and majesty of Rome -looking up into the artistry of Florence -falling in love over and over and over again in Venice Yeah… all of these things are way more valuable to me than a Prada bag. #travel #travelglowup #italy #jeju #cannes

We had to leave Lulu with her grandparents for a few days and I honestly think she didn’t want us to come back…!! #lulu #dogmom #grandmashouse #할머니집

I hate running but… #Running #longdistancerunner #marathontraining

I recently made banana bread at my mom’s house and was about to throw away the peel when she was like “NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” And I thought she was going to show me how to kimchify banana peel, but instead, she showed me how to use the banana peels to make banana water for her plants! #plantlife #gardeninghacks #plants #nowaste

I had the honor of learning from one of the BEST cooks I’ve ever known in my life—il mio cugino, Roberto! I’ve loved agilo e olio (garlic and oil) ever since I first tried in Rome, back in 2015. But I could never seem to replicate at home. My cousin Roberto offered to teach me how HE makes it (he prefers it with no broth). And it was magical. But better than the pasta was getting to spend time with Roberto in his small kingdom, the one he inherited from his mother. I loved talking with him, smelling his food, listening to the clatter of pots and pans worn with love, watching the sunlight pour in through the kitchen door. I loved making this video and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. #cookingwithRoberto #Italianfood #aglioeolio #pastarecipe

Angry penne pasta! #pasta #tteokbokki

Given all the traveling I do, it may come as surprise that traveling causes me a lot of anxiety. It becomes even worse when I’m doing it alone. Thus 3 countries in 1 day—all of which were countries in which I did not know the language—that was a LOT. Even for me! Luckily, my friend was with me for a good chunk of it, and I knew my Hot Date was waiting for me at the end of it! What makes me anxious about traveling? Well, obviously looking like an idiot because I don’t speak the language or otherwise know all the cultural norms. I’m also always nervous about traveling as a woman of color in countries I’ve never been to and how I’ll react (sometimes, I’m more nervous about the latter!). And then there are the logistics involved—like getting TO my hotel after landing in Venice? LOLOL. I didn’t realize until just a few days before that I needed to get a boat involved! But, honestly, one of the best “priority shifts” I made in my life was trading in all my expensive handbags and shoes for trips around the world, even if traveling makes me nervous. The things I’ve gotten to see, taste, and experience have permanently altered the way I view the world and all the people in it. I wonder if anyone else has anxiety while traveling? What makes you anxious about it? #travel #travelvlog #travelingineurope