I was walking down my sunny path when lightning struck the ground at my feet. A demon from my past appeared before me, and only then did I remember that I was running from him. He halted me and held out his hand and made clear that my time was up, and that it was time for me to pay what he was due. I collapsed before him and begged him to vanish and let me continue down my happy road, but he refused. He was always in my shadow, watching me, waiting for the day when my path would bring me round to face him, and now that day has come.
My instincts urge me to scramble away from him, to shield my eyes from his image and drown his voice with lies so I can be free to carry on with my façade, but the young woman who chose to flee before didn’t know how to be the queen I have become, and I won’t run anymore. I know the shackles that bind me now were forged in my own flames, and the time has come for me to face the music that I myself composed.
A song by a trio of Korean singers with demons of their own to fight has been the requested soundtrack of our morning commute for weeks. The song reaches the top of my vocal range, and I need to be loud to hit the notes with clarity, so I breathe deep to fill my lungs with life and let my voice ring out. My son told me that the song makes him cry happy tears. I told him that what he’s feeling is empowerment — she is singing about being brave and facing her demons and being the queen she was meant to be. There is no greater enemy than yourself, I told him, and if you can defeat your own demons, you’ll be golden.
Singing in Korean makes me crave Korean food, so I made some bulkogi kimbap to eat in satisfying mouthfuls while I battle my past. This meal is a favorite lunchtime staple and easy travel meal for demon hunters on the go.
Ingredients for 1 roll
4 ounces beef sirloin
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar or honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil, divided
1 clove minced garlic
1 stalk green onion
¼ cup shredded carrot
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup cooked sticky rice
1 sheet sushi nori
Directions:
Slice your beef thinly and mix with soy sauce, green onion, brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Blanch your spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds before dropping into an ice bath. Squeeze the leaves out to remove excess water, roughly chop, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Briefly saute the shredded carrot in sesame oil, lightly season with salt, and set aside.
Cook the beef on medium high heat until the meat is cooked to medium, taste and season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
Thoroughly scramble your egg and pour out onto a hot pan off the heat. Roll the pan around to spread the egg into a thin layer. Let it cook until you are able to flip it. Cook for just a moment longer then roll up and slice into ribbons. Set aside.
When ready to assemble, place your nori sheet shiny side down.
Spread the cooked and slightly cooled rice out in an even layer all the way to the edges.
Line your fillings up starting ½ inch from the bottom in whatever order you want.
Start from the bottom and roll up and over the fillings, holding the roll firmly as you go, until the top rolls over and seals at the bottom. Gently squeeze and press the roll down on the seal to help it stick.
Take a sharp knife and slice the roll into pieces and serve.
Tressa Dale is a writer, pre-k educator, culinary and pastry school graduate, and a U.S. Navy veteran. She lives in Kenai with her husband, five-year-old son and beloved black cat. Find her on Instagram @tressa.m.dale
