Food Etc.

My new food obsession is 된장 , Doenjang Jiggae:

When you order doenjang jiggae, everyone in the restaurant knows. The soup leaves behind a foul odor as the waitress carries it to you. Korean friends thought I'd be put off by the smell but it is actually the most soul satisfying food I've ever had. It leaves me feeling good, full, happy.

The base is made of fermented soybean paste:doenjang (read more below) and ingredients like onions, tofu, clams, zucchini, etc.

"Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. Beans are boiled and ground by rock into fine bits and formed into a block, which is called meju (메주). The blocks are then exposed to sunlight to be dried, during which mold special to soybean appears and the initial fermentation process begins. This sometimes produces an unpleasant fish-like smell. After the blocks have been dried, they are put in a warmer place to speed up the fermentation. Still later, they are put into large opaque pottery jars with brine and left to further fermentation, during which time various beneficial bacteria transform the mixture into a further vitamin-enriched substance, similar to the way milk ferments to become yogurt. Liquids and solids are separated after the fermentation process, and the liquid becomes Korean soy sauce (Joseon ganjang; 조선간장). The solid, which is doenjang, is very salty and quite thick, often containing (unlike most miso) some whole, uncrushed soybeans." - Continued at WIKIPEDIA.

A box of peaches for 20,000 W (20 USD) Fruit is a real treat in Korea. If I make it home for Christmas in Canada and find an orange in my stocking, I'll be grateful like it's wartime.

Kevin's drawing. Mrs and Mr. Chair are sad when their son falls over. The desk begins to cry because there's nothing she can do to help him up. Yes it's a sad story. Don't lose sleep over it. Dr. Elephant eventually comes to the rescue.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a favorite student. Enter Cindy. She's so beautiful, and does hilarious imitations that make me laugh. She's in ballet. She teaches me dance moves and whenever we go somewhere, she holds my hand like I'm her big sister.

I bought some new incognito sunglasses in Seoul this weekend. (To hide my tears about Damien Rice's cancellation.) Does the name Roberta de Camerino mean anything to you? Koreans are big on names. The sales woman kept repeating the designer's name trying to impress me but I had no idea who it was. With all the knock off brands in Korea, I'm skeptical anyway.

Have some candy from Korea's chain, Paris Baguette. Great for gifts: