Lee Jung hyun leads a double life. In the digitally interconnected realm of freely flowing content and endless binge-watching, she heads a team of special agents known as The Grey, tasked with hunting down alien life forms that infiltrate human hosts and transform them into monstrous beings with enormous tentacles, driven by unknown motives. Hence, the title: Parasyte: The Grey (Netflix).

In episode four, around the 32-minute mark, her action packed reality unfolds. Clad in a stylish black coat, Lee and her team respond to a distress call, arriving at a location where aliens, disguised as humans, unleash their deadly tentacles on innocent bystanders. As the sun sets and the sky is blanketed with stratocumulus clouds, tension mounts to a palpable crescendo, nearing the point of detonation.

In the TV wonderland, however, Lee is a contented mother, donning the same frilly apron with her baby daughter, and sharing recipes on the show Stars’ Top Recipe at Fun-staurant (Korean Broadcasting System, 2019 ~ ). The show’s concept revolves around stars competing with their culinary creations, with the winning recipe to be featured as a ready to eat meal kit in convenience stores. On the show, Lee presented her mushroom pesto recipe, describing it with a wide, sweet grin as perfect for bread or a quick pasta dish. My imagination starts ticking. 

Once the camera team has left her picture-perfect home, what does she become? Does she stow away her apron and don the black coat to confront aliens loose on the streets as if she has a completely different life outside home? Perhaps not in the way to literally kick some extraterrestrial butts though, it seems to be what parents with careers do to deal with two different tasks; fulfilling professional responsibilities, safeguarding their domains at work, and nurturing their homes by night. I just admire their dexterity at two different works. Three cheers to all people whose life is about continuous multitasking!

Mushroom Pesto Recipe for those who are interested.

1. 1. Sauté several sliced garlic cloves in olive oil.

1. 1. Add approximately 400g of roughly chopped mushrooms (using more than two types) to the garlic.

1. 1. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté until tender and brown.

1. 1. Roast about 20g of pine nuts in a separate pan.

1. 1. Blend all the cooked ingredients together, adding truffle oil if desired.

Bon Appetit!