NEML to host Korean meal Feb. 8

Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project Director Kyung Won Pak and Program Coordinator Younhee Shin are among members organizing meals at some of thousands of presentations around the world, one of which will include a free Korean meal at the NorthEast-Millerton Library on Saturday, Feb. 8 from noon to 1:45 p.m.

Photo by Robert Hahn

NEML to host Korean meal Feb. 8

MILLERTON — Korean neighbors from Flushing will be coming to the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex on Saturday, Feb. 8, from noon to 1:45 p.m. to share a taste of their food and culture.

Project coordinator Yon Kin said the visitors are members of the Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project, a worldwide non-profit started in 2005 as a way of “showing gratitude to countries which helped” Korea during that country’s conflict.

The members will bring a free homemade meal of Korean dishes, served on traditional table settings of Bangjja — hand-forged bronzeware. The meal will also include two dishes that will be prepared in a hands-on demonstration during the event. Recipes will be provided during a general discussion of Korean food, approximately 70% of which is based on fermentation.

The tentative menu for the meal will include Kimchi salad; Bibimbap, rice with mixed vegetables; Bulgogi, soy sauce and honey marinated beef; Japchae, seafood pancake, sweet potato noodles with mixed vegetables; and Kimchi.

Refreshments will consist of honey glazed walnuts, sesame cookies, rice cake and sweet rice punch — Sikhye.

Aimed at a non-Korean audience, two short documentaries — as well as some complimentary books — will give further information about the food, culture and history of Korea.

Library Director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson says the program is the second from the Koren culture promoters that provided a popular Zoom Lotus Lantern Workshop two years ago.

She noted the event is part of the Library’s mission to “provide cultural and educational resources to the community,” adding that a number of Library patrons are interested in food preparation and in having the opportunity to watch someone demonstrate procedures.

She said this event will replace the February Community Dinner. The limited reservations are due by Feb. 4 and may be made at nemillertonlibrary.org.

Latest News

Honoring the past: bearing witness at Auschwitz

Jan. 27 marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. I traveled to Poland as part of a delegation for the commemoration and spent a few days before the event with my father and sister learning, remembering and gathering information.

My dad’s parents, Miriam and Yehuda, of blessed memory, were deported to Auschwitz -Birkenau from the Lódz Ghetto. They both had families that perished and met each other after the camp was liberated.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dina La Fonte at Mountainside and the rise of the ‘sober curious’ movement

Dina La Fonte

Photo by Dina La Fonte

The “sober curious” movement has gained momentum in recent years, encouraging individuals to explore life without alcohol—whether for health reasons, personal growth, or simple curiosity. Dina La Fonte, a certified recovery coach, is theSenior Business Affairs Associate at Mountainside, an alcohol and drug addiction treatment center with a holistic approach to wellness that has several locations, including the one in Canaan, Connecticut. With nearly five years of sobriety, La Fonte blends professional expertise with lived experience, making her a powerful advocate for recovery.

Like many, La Fonte’s path to recovery was not just about removing alcohol; it was about rediscovering herself. “Once you get sober from a substance, whether it’s alcohol, drugs, gambling or what have you, emotional aspects of change come into place,” she explained. “It’s not a hard stop; it’s a continued process of integration and struggle.” Her own journey has led her to a career in recovery coaching, allowing her to help others find their own path.

Keep ReadingShow less