

Young Kim

Food is part of Fondy Food Center director's identity

Michael Sears

Young Kim, the executive director of the Fondy Food Center since 2003, grew up in the Deep South.

As a second-generation Korean growing up in the Deep South, Young Kim has come to see food as integral to identity. Ever evolving, recipes and meals become memories and foster friendships.

As executive director of the Fondy Food Center since 2003, Kim has learned to explore and appreciate a variety of new recipes and vegetables. While he's still not fond of radishes, he's come to appreciate braised turnips, fresh black-eyed peas and making his own refried beans.

Food as identity

I grew up in the Deep South, born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, then (lived in) New Orleans, then Chapel Hill. The entire time, we're pretty much the only Korean family in the area. I'm second generation born here. Food is a big part of identity. There were no Korean grocery stores, yet we ate traditional Korean foods.

My mom's 85 now and lives in Oak Creek. I don't know how she did it.

Cultural chameleon

Being hyper-conscious of being different, back then the model was to integrate and not really hang on to things. I got good at changing cultural hats. At home I was a nice obedient Korean son. As soon as I left the house I was like a regular Huck Finn....

Being able to adjust culturally at the drop of a hat, for the longest time it was something I did not like about myself. I wore one cultural hat at home and another at school. That's very useful now.

Guilty pleasure

For a long time, when we lived down South, I was on a search for the perfect chicken-fried steak. It's the most amazing thing, and it's a cheap cut of meat, too.

On Milwaukee meals

I've become a convert to the fish fry. I've lived here since 2003, and I'm a fan of fish fry and potato pancakes. The perch dinner at McBob's is one of the most underrated fish fries in Milwaukee.

Cocktail cravings

I go to Bryant's, get the Lonesome Highway. You should ask for it, very boozy.

Cultural reflections

Growing up, there were so few Asian people, when you saw an Asian person we called it Asian sighting. You're driving along, "Look, an Asian person." An Asian person on TV? Stop everything. There was a Chinese cook on "Bonanza"; he was the first Asian I saw on TV.

Re-creating recipes

There was another family we knew, they were Chinese and ran a Chinese restaurant called Ding's. They had a bunch of Peking duck, and it was the most amazing thing I had ever eaten. Being the oldest son in a Korean family, who could demand anything, I said I wanted that for my birthday.

It took my mom a few years to perfect it, but she got it. I haven't really ever made it for myself. If I were to cook it for myself, now with my mom still alive, it would be a preview of what life is like after she dies. I don't want to go there, but I have the recipe.

Memorable meals

I was in China and had shark fin soup. That was disappointing. They brought the tureen and lifted the lid. I was expecting there to be a fin. No. They just cook it to death and it has a strange texture.

Farm market finds

Our (Fondy) farmers market has an undeserved reputation of being a tough neighborhood, so a lot of the first-year farmers don't want to come to this part of town. They'd rather go to South Shore or Fox Point.

We've got a lot of Hmong farmers. One year an African immigrant came and asked, "Do you have any sweet potato greens?" Farmer says, "You eat that? I'll bring some next time."

All the other farmers watched this guy go up and buy all the sweet potato greens; next week they all had them. They're not something you'll find at Sendik's.

Collard greens and curiosity

Farmers markets are so much more than a grocery store. When my kid was a toddler, I'd strap him in and try to get out of the store in 30 minutes. I hate grocery shopping. But at the market there are no grocery carts.... You want to take your time. It becomes a social happening.

You see a lady walking away with five garbage bags of collard greens, you stop and ask. That's how I discovered that a lot of the women in this neighborhood do a lot of freezing and preserving. Some women have these blanching and freezing parties.

One lady told me to get the sand out, she puts all the collard greens in the washing machine on gentle cycle. That's ingenious. It's like a big salad spinner. You'll never hear that from a North Shore dietitian.

How to shop a farm market

I don't haggle. The farmers are selling the stuff for a song, anyway. I bring lots of singles, one-dollar bills.

I stop people and ask, "What are you going to do with that?" That's how I learned about turnips. I hated turnips. Now I can eat them braised. It gets the bitter taste out.


About Kristine M. Kierzek


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Tags: fork spoon life | farmers market | Korean food

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