December notes

First flurries fell this morning for these remaining months in Korea.

For the adult class, the teachers read 'Caps for Sale', by Esphyr Slobodkina. I didn't get the reaction I was looking for. It was like a bunch of high school students waiting to be fed information. It's okay. The story of a peddler who earns his salt day by day. The image of a man selling hats that are neatly stacked on his head would get anyone's attention.. The teachers wanted efficiency, something useful which again goes back to studying for the test. Go figure that out.

You often see peddlers on the Seoul subway. Their little carts filled with goods most likely made in China. For a thousand Korean Won, you get things like arm warmers, trinklets, winter gloves, etc. My mother sold Stateside goods when she was in college in the Philippines. Hershey's chocolate bars, crackers, things like that to earn pocket money. The word, 'Garage Sale' is always a good idea in my book. 

More flurries and my bikes wheels are going to slip.

On the home kitchen:
*Mari blanches spinach like her mother. They are neatly arranged in bunches. You serve them with bonito flakes and a dash of soy and mayo.
*I had to refry an underbaked chicken.
*Winter kills basil plant.
*Wrap peeled bananas in clearwrap and then freeze for future use.
*Smoked duck breast with dried prunes and celery tastes delicious.
*Realized after 15 years of watching my grandmother make her adobo, never asked why she didn't open the braise for the last 30 minutes or so of cooking. The IS a reason she does this, it's about lowering the acidity of the vinegar. She just does it, though.
*Filtered water goes a long way in the kitchen.
*There are ways to pan fry without using oil... or bacon.
*Korean udon is packaged oily.
*Where's the French butter?
*Tempura onion, carrots, shrimp (pnd), and a green stalk for slammin' fritters.
*Potato croquettes with curry, bacon, and onion, to die for.
*How doesn't like potato salad?
*** As for Christmas dinner.. who knows?