About Cathlyn’s Korean Kitchen Project

Annyonghaseyo! Thank you so much for visiting my page!

Hello, I'm Cathlyn Choi, a Korean chef with a passion for sharing my Korean food & culture with others! Through my existing cooking show already on local PBS called "Cathlyn's Korean Food Challenge", I have been fortunate to have achieved part of this goal. My program is the ONLY Korean cooking show in English, hosted by a Korean chef in the US!

And the amazing thing is that I have already self-produced and self-funded 3 complete seasons of 36 episodes on Cathlyn's Korean Kitchen so far!

This year, I've embarked on an ambitious plan to get my program seen nationally on PBS! I have already produced all 12 episodes and am in the process of editing and finishing them to deliver to PBS, which has been approved for broadcast in the fall of this year!

Unfortunately it requires a bigger budget than I have available to me. Although I have nearly completed editing all of my 12 self-funded episodes for this exciting season, I have depleted my small production budget, so it still need funds to cover what is called the "finishing costs" of the show.

Specifically, I must have the show closed captioned to meet FCC rules for broadcast and distribution costs of sending the program "package" to National PBS for air.

So I decided to reach out to Indiegogo seeking those that might be interested in the value my program has to offer. Not only will the program offer viewers healthy and delicious Korean foods to explore but it will create a better cultural understanding and appreciation of the wonderful Korean culture and people!

I call this plan Bibimbap,"Recipe for Success!"

As in all Korean foods, every little component is important. For example, the most popular korean dish called 'Bibimbap' consists of many small, yet equally important ingredients. The dish will not be balanced if any one of the key ingredients is missing.

My 'Bibimbap' (left) is in need of your 'Ingredients' (right), so that I can finish and deliver the 'Completed Dish' - Cathlyn's Korean Kitchen TV Cooking Show - for launch on national PBS!

 

By working together in my kitchen and contributing your final ingredients (see pledges on the right) to help create my recipe - 'Cathlyn's Korean Kitchen', a wonderful dish can be created and enjoyed by millions of viewers - A recipe for success that we can all be proud of!

 

Even if you can contribute a minor ingredient, it will still enhance the flavor of the dish. Most importantly, you will not be forgotten after the kitchen closes and I hang up my apron. 

As any good chef, I will in return recognize each and every one of my kitchen team with delicious rewards!

So PLEASE contribute any ingredient you can afford! I believe that together, WE can create an exquisite culinary masterpiece that will have the critics raving about and the viewers begging for more!

If you are interested in being on my kitchen team, please read the details of my plan (see the various pledge options in the right column)

What is unique about Cathlyn's Korean Kitchen

Unlike most reality based cooking shows on television these days where the focus is not on the food or culture behind the food, my cooking show is considered cultural, organic and entertaining with a focus on nutritious, delicious and easy to make recipes that are actually Good For You! As in the spirit of the original cooking tv shows that were only aired on PBS decades ago, my program brings back many of those classic elements that fit the broadcast model for PBS programming very well! 

That is why I’m going for broke and seeking your interest in raising the funds I need to launch 'Cathlyn’s Korean Kitchen' this fall on national PBS.

This funding also establishes a strong foundation for the growth of future programs I wish to produce about Asian foods & cultures which is under-represented in the US mainstream media. I am already busy working in pre-production of a couple of them! Hopefully my cooking show with national exposure on PBS Television will inspire Americans to learn more about Korean foods and culture! It's never easy being the trail blazer in a new concept or idea, but I believe in what my show represents and the significance it holds to create a better awareness and appreciation of other cultures.

Why I first started producing a korean cooking show

Ever since I moved from Korea to the US in 2000, I’ve always noticed that amongst all Asian foods, Korean cuisine was under-represented, misunderstood and very few people knew what Korean food was! We actually do more than just BBQ! It was simply categorized under the general, ‘Asian cuisine’. That’s why I decided to challenge myself and my convictions that I could somehow make a difference in this perception of Korean food and culture. 

You see, I left a comfortable job as a business development and marketing executive to follow my passion for food and my heart to produce a program in hopes of creating a bridge to my culture and share my passion for my delicious and healthy Korean foods and unique culture.

Give and you will receive

As in the Korean culture, I was raised to give to others, if you’re able to do so, and I have done so all my life, with friends, family and many organizations. I am also a very spiritual person and believe in ‘Karma’.

If you give of yourself selflessly, you will also receive gifts in turn. That’s why I believe someone reading this perhaps feels my passion and it resonates with them as well.

Why Donate?

Again, my self-funded season 3 show is already airing on local PBS station and I am proud of the accomplishments and recognition it has achieved so far!

For me, this is an opportunity that I could have only dreamed of a few years ago. I never would have thought my life would have taken me on this path to do something I love to do and do well and to be able to share this experience with many others is a dream come true for me. 

I hope you will believe in this dream and help me bring my show to PBS so that a national audience can experience my passion for my Korean Food & culture!

As I mentioned before, I have been fortunate enough to largely self-fund my cooking show for the past 4 years simply out of passion for what I love doing.

My previous season show is currently airing on PBS So-Cal, but this year, we have brought the production quality to another level and it is ready to be launched on national PBS this year!

That is why we are asking for your help in raising a minimum of $6,000 for closed captioning and $4,000 for distribution costs, a total of $10,000 to successfully launch the show in November, 2012! The deadline for submitting the final program to PBS is September 14, 2012!

That’s why my Indiegogo campaign will be live for only 24 days and end on Wednesday, September 5, 2012, so Please Donate Now!  

Please Keep in mind, if we don’t reach our goal, we don’t get ANY of the donations, so every dollar counts! 

Thanks a Million for your generous contribution and support!

Who Should Donate?

• Anyone interested in learning or promoting Korean food & culture
• Anyone wanted to learn how to cook and eat healthy Asian recipes 
• Anyone who wants to support PBS and its programs 
• Anyone who wants to support a more balanced and fair representation of Asian culture programs in the mainstream media
• Anyone who wants to support independent producers trying to compete with the "big fish" for fair programming opportunities
• Anyone who likes to support people with their ambition and dreams!
• Anyone who is a fan of Cathlyn!

If you said Yes to one or more of the above, then there is a good reason why you should consider your support!

Where Will The Money Go?

PBS is a non-profit American public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States. All PBS programming are carried on public TV stations where the majority of programming relies on content provided from third party sources and independent producers.

On a personal note, I have always been a big supporter of PBS and feel honored to have this unique opportunity to have a Korean cooking show distributed and aired on its network.

However, unlike most other commercial broadcast stations, closed captioning is mandatory for all PBS programming due to the federal subsidies it receives to comply with the ADA. 

The producers are responsible for all production post production and delivery costs. Very few public grants are available to cover these fees.

Our $6,000 budget goal will cover 100% of the closed captioning costs, but I still need to raise additional $4,000 for national distribution fees to PBS. So Please help me meet or exceed my goal, in any way you can!

I would greatly appreciate your help in getting the word out and letting your family, friends and co-workers know about my campaign! You can also help me create awareness of my show through Facebook Fan Page. Simply send them my fan page and campaign link. It only takes less than a minute!

Again, thank you so much for considering your support of my show and helping me fulfill my dream! My production team and I greatly appreciate your contributions and we look forward to having your onboard my Korean Kitchen!

And as I always say on my show, "LIFE IS DELICIOUS, SO TASTE IT!"

Kamsahamnida!

Yours Truly,

Cathlyn Choi