Monday, May 27, 2013
Friday, May 24, 2013
No Jelly
Posted by Sleestak at 5/24/2013 06:00:00 AM 3 comments
Labels: 1972, advertisement, advertising, candy, coupon, graphic design, roger hane
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
WANTED
Posted by Sleestak at 5/22/2013 06:00:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: 1986, crime, From the Collection, korea, songtan city, wanted poster
Monday, May 20, 2013
Monday with Hayley Mills: The Girl from Tiger Bay
Hayley Mills as Gillie hiding from the bill in Tiger Bay (1959).
Tiger Bay was a rough and tumble place: Creation of Tiger Bay.
Talented performer and legend Shirley Bassey was born there and she sings about it in 2009.
But as far as I'm concerned Hayley Mills is the only Girl from Tiger Bay for me.
Posted by Sleestak at 5/20/2013 06:00:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: 1959, Hayley Mills, Monday with Hayley mills, tiger bay
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Kimchi, America's Favorite Side Dish
Relax. You don't have to be a "foodie" to enjoy kimchi. It isn't some odd, esoteric concoction that you eat only because it is hip, unique or have to endure once or twice because everyone is talking about it. One of the worst things to happen to kimchi was it being "discovered" by yuppies in America during the late 1980s. The costs of the ingredients skyrocketed, quality suffered and making it from scratch became more of a luxury than a must have condiment in our refrigerator. A few years ago crop failures of the main ingredient caused a crisis that required the Korean Government to take action.
Glass jars are best for storage in refrigerator |
Like many foods foreign to the American experience there are a lot of unsubstantiated, unscientific claims attributed to eating kimchi. These are mostly cultural in origin, perpetuated today as selling points and continuing traditions. Plenty of the restaurants not owned by large chains commonly have signs posted declaring the unrealistic and miraculous health benefits of various dishes.
Disappointingly, this is endemic among much of the advertising for consumer products also. Online you can find even more information claiming all sorts of woo-woo magical powers attributed to all sorts of foods so don't get excited. Cabbage and red pepper are not parts of the formula for the ancient Asian mystic secret of good health, virility and long life. It does not "clean the blood", "revitalize the spirits", "strengthen the kidneys" or anything else beyond the basic nutritional value of the ingredients which are not insubstantial.
As example of the questionable common knowledge attributed to some foods: An ingredient used for more than a century as a flavoring in drinks touted as a natural health miracle with wondrous properties eventually was discovered to be a very powerful natural carcinogen. The deleterious effects where ignored or unknown for years because of the power of superstition, folk remedies and the criminal carelessness of homeopathy. Only trust peer reviewed science, kids.
The Wall of Kimchi at a local market. One of them. |
Do some research, read up and be informed. While I can't grant any special health properties to kimchi I've eaten it when congested. From anecdotal experience, the spiciness make me feel better, drains and opens up the sinuses. But so will chomping on a jalapeno, gnawing on a lozenge or rubbing Mentholatum grease on my chest. Nothing magic there, just the body's normal and natural responses.
If you have wanted to try kimchi or Korean food then as a start I suggest visiting the Korean restaurants in your city. The All-You-Can-Eat BBQ is enjoying increasingly popularity but that may be over-whelming for the uninitiated. You can cook Korean meals yourself but if unfamiliar with the style rather than going through a trial and error stage find out what the authentic dish tastes like first.
As a way of easing into a world of foreign cuisine try the lunch menus during the day at Korean restaurants. They are simpler, priced reasonably and you won't have to deal with the crowds, wait time and hassle of the evening dinner rush and cooking the meal yourself at the table, though that can be a fun experience.
Most places serve a large spread of side dishes with even the smallest lunch menu item so don't be surprised by the amounts you receive. If you don't like wasting food get a to-go tray when done (if the establishment supports that, some don't because of people that take a yard when given an inch).
One of those side dishes will usually contain at least one variety of kimchi. Keep in mind that a lot of these dishes are not created from frozen, processed food that is microwaved and slapped on a plate following some corporate franchise photo-template of what a perfect and homogenized dish will look like. Quality of supplies change daily as expected with fresh items so don't be discouraged if something isn't up to your expectations or doesn't look like you think it should from your experiences in the freezer aisle of the local market. Asian meals have a lot of vegetables in them but eating an authentically prepared dish will very much remind you that meat is made from animals. Expect bone, gristle where you are not used to it.
Babimbap and side dishes |
Most modern American grocery stores keep a brand or two of small jars of kimchi in the cold aisle, usually by the tofu. These brands are okay but not what I prefer. I personally find the most typical brand found in a regular grocery store to be pale, watery, lacking in heat and tasting strongly of salt and vinegar. A trip to a Korean or Asian market is your best bet for quality kimchi. Just compare the rich colors of the kimchi made for a knowledgeable and particular customer base and the kind you find in a American chain grocery. You can easily see the difference. Unlike many food products in this instance the color is an indicator of manufacture and quality. I also appreciate kimchi in a glass jar over plastic for storage purposes.
Kimchi prep at home:
You've bought a jar of kimchi, now what do you do? Like most people you are probably just going to put in the refrigerator to keep it cold. Sure, you want to do that, eventually. But first you might want to prepare your kimchi by letting it ferment a while before putting it away. Don't worry, it's easy to do though this will be a process that should take overnight. You can eat the kimchi right away after you buy it but letting the contents ferment a bit will improve even the taste of the grocery store brands. I recommend tasting some for a before and after comparison.
Leaving food out overnight is something you have to decide for yourself if you want to do. My wife is a native Korean and we have both prepped kimchi this way for nearly 25 years without ill effects. Some of the ingredients are stored for months without turning. This is how she learned to prepare it growing up in Korea. She is from a generation that still makes almost everything from scratch. Again, up to you.
- Before retiring for the day place your kimchi jar in a plastic bag and place it in a sink. If your sink is the type that stains then you will want to ensure any liquids (a brine which will be red in color) go directly into the drain.
- Loosen lid. Loosely tie up bag. Kimchi is very aromatic so be prepared for that to permeate the area.
- Leave in sink overnight.
- In the morning you may notice bubbles in the jar and swelling of the contents. Some juice will probably have overflowed. This is from the contents fermenting. Tip a bit of the juice out.
- Tighten lid firmly.
- Rinse exterior of jar thoroughly and dry off.
- Put in refrigerator (I suggest on a paper towel or plate to catch any future drips).
If you don't want the kimchi to ferment in the manner I described then make sure you drain some of the liquid from the jar before you put it away. Even kept cold right from the store the contents will ferment a bit over time and the fluid may leak out into the refrigerator
Read more about Korea's side dish online here: Kimchi at Wikipedia.
Posted by Sleestak at 5/15/2013 06:00:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: food, Grocery Store Artifact, kimchi, korea
Monday, May 13, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Happy Mother's Day!
Posted by Sleestak at 5/12/2013 05:17:00 PM 2 comments
Labels: mother's day
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Not liking my cat statue
WHERE ARE MY F*****G RICHES?!?!?!?
Posted by Sleestak at 5/11/2013 07:20:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: cat, cat statue, lucky cat, superstition
Monday, May 06, 2013
Monday with Hayley Mills: Visit Beautiful HAYLEYANNA
That dress again! |
Plenty of nice pics and stories from a big fan (almost as big as I am) of actress Hayley Mills from which to get your Hayley fix. Enjoy!
Posted by Sleestak at 5/06/2013 06:00:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Hayley Mills, Monday with Hayley mills
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Your feets too big
How great does it feel to have your feet hang of the edge of the bed? I wish I could bottle that feeling and sell it.
Posted by Sleestak at 5/01/2013 06:00:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: bedtime