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Almost 30 years ago we moved from a charming adorable home to a house across the street with “potential” for the future.  It was a brown house, hidden by overgrown evergreens, smaller than our current home, but had a third bedroom that we needed for our family of 5, eventually becoming 6.

In November we walked all our belongings, one toddler and two babies across the street and into that brown house.  I wasn’t sure about all the “potential” or even about the house itself.

That winter we snuggled in our home and we lived without the amenities we had grown accustomed to. (The lack of air conditioning was probably the hardest adjustment, but we wouldn’t know that until summer!)  We cleaned and painted and made it our own.  We stayed warm and cozy all winter long, loving and appreciating the gentle warmth of radiator heat.

 Then came spring. I may not have loved this house at first, but the back yard- I LOVED it in all it’s blooming glory.  First came the snowdrops. The crocus, hellebores, trillium, and daffodils following soon after.  The backyard blooming continued until fall.  The rhubarb came with the lilacs and the peonies.  I was so excited to see the rhubarb.  The rhubarb came with all the potential.  What to make first?  A traditional strawberry-rhubarb pie or maybe something more adventurous?

Rhubarb to me is old fashioned. I believe it’s a Midwestern thing.  I nurtured and tended to my plant.  I protected it and finally moved it to the front yard.  It has a history with this house.  Those that lived here before us probably ate from that plant and shared it with their neighbors.

My family looks forward to eating rhubarb squares every summer (see recipe below).  I would share photos of them but sadly they were devoured before I was able to take that Instagram worthy photo.  This year I also made a Rhubarb liqueur and a Rhubarb Rosemary Jam to share at Christmas.  I love to preserve a bit of summer to give in winter.  Part remembrance of last summer and part anticipation of warmer weather to come.

We moved to this brown house for what it held for our future.  The move-in condition may not have felt perfect or ideal.  We lived a little crowded and limited for a few years.  Every spring the backyard unleashed it’s beauty and we enjoyed it.  The home now has more space, lots of love and memories, and air conditioning!  The yard continues to provide beauty, joy, and a bit of food for us and all the wildlife passing through. 

It may feel like right now we have all moved into the small brown house-it’s crowded, lacking amenities, and we’re not sure we like it. But oh when spring arrives, I look forward to the bounty of beauty that awaits us!

Well that was an interesting first half of the year! Holy smokes. The human capacity to adapt is kind of amazing but it sure has been tested!

I have learned a lot these past several months. And I have been reminded of things I knew but of which I perhaps haven’t had the right level of awareness recently.

A few observations, in no particular order.
1. We have a wonderful, dedicated, talented, resourceful team at both stores and in our kitchen.
2. Our customers are especially eager to support us and care deeply about whether we are here or not. So many gracious inquiries asking if we are ok.
3. Watching too many episodes of Ozark in a row is a hazard to my mental health. But I can’t stop.
4. There’s nothing like a crisis to make people pull together: our fellow business owners/leaders, the Village of Glen Ellyn, the Alliance of Downtown Glen Ellyn, the Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce – everyone has literally done everything they possibly can to help each other, find creative solutions, not get hung up on the rules and just generally be there for us.
5. Zoom was fun for about 10 minutes. But it did keep us connected.
6. We should have thought of Virtual Wine and Cheese Tastings years ago! And who knew we had the perfect host right in our midst?
7. Having a wonderful family is even more wonderful in times of stress.
8. My 80 year old dad (son of Marcel) made an excellent delivery driver.
9. Thank goodness for being able to be outdoors and for having some absolutely lovely weather this month.
10. While things are getting closer to being back to normal, it’s going to be awhile before we are all the way there.

Here’s what normal looks like for us right now:
• At both Marcel’s and Marché, we ask that you wear a mask and we will do the same. We’ve got capacity limits that aim to keep people spread out while in the stores. We have entrance and exit doors designated so people aren’t trying to push through the same door.
• We currently have no inside seating at Marché because, although it is permitted by the Phase 4 guidelines, there just isn’t enough room to have people seated and also have customers in the store.
• All food and drink served outside at Marché is in disposable containers so dirty dishes never come back into the store.
• Marché Party and All Occasion Boards are delivered either deconstructed or on non-returnable boards (for a small additional fee) so we aren’t exchanging the cherry wood boards back and forth.
• The most significant part of our business that has not been reopened is the Marcel’s kitchen. While we have had a handful of private events (and some in home events), our classes have been suspended since the middle of March. We are very excited to be resuming in person classes on Thursday, July 9th and we have a full slate of offerings on the calendar through September. You can check them all out here.
• A couple of things to know about the parameters for our classes for July and August (we will evaluate September as it gets closer);
 Everyone (students, chef, staff) will be required to wear a mask during class except when eating or drinking.
 Class size will be limited to 8 people per class (with a couple of exceptions for classes that already have registration that exceeds that number).
 Protocols will continue to be in place for food preparation and handling, dish and waste management, sanitation of frequently touched materials and surfaces, and customer interaction to keep everyone as safe as possible.

We hope we will see you back in our kitchen very, very soon. And if you want to put together an event just for your group, whether at your place or ours, just drop us a note at info@marcelsculinaryexperience.com.

We’ve still got a long road of recovery ahead of us but thanks to our team and our customers, we are going to be fine. I deeply appreciate every single person’s contribution to the ongoing success of Marcel’s, Marché, and Maison.

I realize I’m late to the game, having only recently watched the breakout Oscar award winning film, Parasite just a few weeks ago. Friends have been raving about this film for many reasons but mainly because a South Korean film was gaining notoriety in the film world and thus, Hollywood.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, I have an interest in Korean films and dramas. Mostly dramas, and if you have never seen a Korean drama, it’s the best soap opera ever and will suck you in from the first episode. It’s the perfect combination of unrequited love, wish-harm-to-you-villain, sentimental protagonist and/or hero all perfectly measured for a gut wrenching saga series. Admittedly, I’ve had to wean myself from watching said dramas. However in any K-drama series or movie, I am often inspired to cook something delicious as a result.

K-dramas and movies are notorious for featuring some of the best, most popular foods in Korea. You will see scenes that take place around a table where food is second to the action or drama about to unfold. Don’t be mistaken though, the food is meant to entice and entice it does. If not around a table, then a street vendor or cart selling the hottest, on-trend, instaworthy snack or bite around.

In the movie Parasite, you see the housekeeper rush to prepare a dish after the lady of the house calls to say they are on their way home from a rained out, camping trip and requests the housekeeper have these noodles ready for them when they arrive. The dish she prepares is called Ramdon in the movie but is known to Koreans as Jjapaguri because it’s a combination of two types of instant noodle dishes: Chapagetti and Neoguri. Chapagetti resembles the instant version of the Korean classic Jjajang Myun (aka. noodles in black bean sauce), while Neoguri is a noodle soup in a spicy seafood broth.

Before you turn your nose up to instant noodles, you should know that instant noodles in Asian countries is like cereal to Americans. Whole aisles are dedicated in grocery and convenience stores to instant noodles. It’s a staple in every Asian household. And today’s instant noodles are a far cry from the ones you might remember from days of old (Cup of Noodles or Maruchan – though I mean no disrespect to either brands).

Taking something so ordinary and ubiquitous as instant packaged noodles and elevating it with the addition of, arguably the most expensive cut of meat in Korea, Hanwoo beef (similar to Wagyu or Kobe) is clearly the director’s statement about the wealthy in Korea. It’s this contrast that piqued my curiosity about Jjapaguri and ultimately, made me try it at home.

I have to say, the result was enjoyable. I jazzed up the instant noodles a bit with the addition of julienned cucumbers and thinly sliced scallions but used prime ribeye steak vs. Korean Hanwoo (because who could get their hands on Hanwoo in the US).  The savory-ness from the Chapagetti was followed by a slightly spicy heat that hits you a moment later. The next time I make this dish, I would add a soft boiled egg vs. the steak, along with some stir-fried bok choy or even some chewy rice cakes (ddukboki).

That’s the thing about instant noodles, you can make them as elaborate or as simple as you wish. So next time you happen to be in the instant noodle aisle at your local grocery store or better yet, venture into your local Asian market, stop and consider how you might “fancify” your instant noodles to make them #instaworthy. You might find that you’ve created your own noodle mashup much like the Ramdon in Parasite!

As I reflect on some recent things that bring a smile to my face, I’ve noticed they are often the little, more commonplace happenings that really are extra-ordinary: a one year old in her early, self-confident walking, a handwritten note of thanks for something I’ve long forgotten, a five minute conversation meant to encourage, even only one day of sunshine after many gray days can bring on that smile.  Those small gestures and simple everyday sights end up giving me pleasure, enthusiasm, and energy.  They add up to having a big impact.

Lately as I’ve brought a treat for a gathering or a dinner, I’ve played on this idea with desserts.  A slice from a small bundt pan, a mini muffin or cupcake, a small cookie is just the right amount – a great treat to savor, nothing more yet nothing less.  Watching a child light up with joy at seeing a 6” layer cake rather that the more common 9” cake brings life to the saying that good things come in small packages. And remember, if they are small, maybe you can enjoy two!

Below is a recipe I’ve used for years from Martha Stewart.  They are Biscotti Bites with just a touch of grapefruit zest and formed with a mini scoop.  One small bite of goodness, a little something.  Try them.  Small efforts, like small changes, can make a big difference.