Friday lunch

My overly chatty coworker routinely brags about his wife's cooking skills: she is apparently a trained and licensed chef who specializes in Korean and Japanese cuisine. We've worked out an arrangement whereby I and my coworker's wife will cook food for the office every other month, each of us alternating. My coworker insists that his wife is happy to prepare food simply for the love of preparing it, but I decided it would be appropriate to pay her for her efforts. I know how expensive it can be to cook for several people.

Anyway, I did boeuf bourguignon last month, and the Missus prepared a dish that I think is a dwaeji galbi-jjim, i.e., steamed (or in this case, braised) pork ribs. She did two kinds of ribs, one with a kimchi theme to it, and another that was braised in a soy-sauce broth. Both types of ribs were superb, so I can now confirm that my coworker's wife is indeed a pro. The meal's only false note was the rice, which my coworker elected to serve to us in the form of little, microwavable plastic bowls of pre-cooked grains. Perfectly edible, but somewhat disappointing given the dignity and quality of the rest of the meal. Behold:

I'll be curious to see what the Missus prepares next.