Mexican Feast

Even though I'm eating almost entirely Korean food these days, I've made a new habit to cook something "Western" on every Thursday night. This week, I had a craving for Mexican food, and began preparing the ingredients and searching some recipes online. Here is the resulting meal, enough for six people:



The dishes were made entirely from food I can get locally, with one exception - a package of taco seasoning mix which The Stumbling Mom sent me, which it probably way past its expiration date. I don't think I've ever made Spanish Rice nor Refried Beans before, it was both fun and tasty, if I do say so myself.

I wasn't entirely happy with frying the tortillas to make taco shells and a few nacho chips. While they tasted good, they weren't quite as crisp as you would get in a restaurant. I think this means my temperature wasn't quite right. I read in one recipe to fry them at 175 deg C, which I checked with my thermometer. However, I'll try a diffrent temperature if I do this again. Not to mention all the newspaper and paper towels I needed to drain off all the grease - not something I'll do often.

My only real complaint is there was too much cheese. In the past, I would always say "you can never have too much cheese", but for some reason these days I prefer to eat smaller quantities of cheese and other dairy products.

By the way, mashing the beans was really fun! Test for my Spanish speaking friends - what does "refried beans" mean? I discovered, while searching for recipes, it does NOT mean twice-fried beans.

Is Spanish Rice from Spain? I prepared the rice in the skillet as instructed in the recipe. Interesting fact - hot rice in the skillet will start to jump, similar to popcorn! Then I actually cooked the rice in my rice cooker. It worked just great:



And finally, out of curiosity, I tried a little Korean-Mexican fusion. I ate some kimchi along with the enchillada. It was DELICIOUS! Also with the refried beans! I might be onto something. These days we have the Taco Truck folks in California with their bulgogi tacos. How about a kimchi chicken enchilada anyone?

Fountain

I've been walking at lunch time these days, along a "street park" in front of my ofice. Last week, I noticed they dug a huge rectangular hole about 4 or 5 feet deep, lined with concrete. I thought, this must be a fountain, although it seemed pretty deep for a fountain. Over the next couple of days, they filled in the "pool" with a steel lattice work, completely baffling me. I was about to give up on my guess that this was a fountain, when suddenly they posted this large sign. It will indeed be a fountain, completely with a light show!

K-Popular

The Stumbler Meets As One


Through a bizarre set of circumstances last week, I was invited to a phone interview on a local radio program K-Popular hosted by the K-Pop duo As One. Shortly after that phone call, I was invited to come to the studio today for a live segment at lunch time. I was asked to present three of my favorite K-Pop songs, and explain the story behind each selection. It was really tough to choose only three songs. But I finally selected these, becuase they had the most interesting stories.

채연 / Chaeyeon: "위험한 연출" / "Dangerous Presentation"
(1) It's My Time (Aug 2003)

나얼 / Naul (Browneyes): "귀로" / "The Road Back"
Back To The Soul Flight - Remake Album (Jan 2005)

마야 / Maya: "친달래꽃" / "Azaleas"
(1) Born To Do It (Feb 2003)

Here is a CD I had from 2004 that they signed for me:



After the interview, I met a couple of friends who work there at the station, then headed back to the office. But, I stopped along the way at a small place which served pork soup (되지국밥). I didn't take any photos, but found these pictures on someone's blog which is exactly what I had for lunch! (I just had to sneak something about food into the post).

Old Cow, New Cow

GEEK ALERT - THIS POST IS ABOUT OLD COMPUTERS



An unusual set of circumstances found me needing to ressurect a VERY OLD computer that has been in storage for 5 years. And it was already too old 5 years ago! The brief and simplified story: there is a very special (expensive) circuit card in this computer that I need to use, and it won't work in a modern computer. Let me introduce the Gateway 2000 DX2



(well, the CASE of the computer - it's still dismantled). I wouldn't have remembered it was from 1992, except for the date code stamped on the case:



From the press release announcing it:

Personal computer mass marketeer Gateway 2000 Inc of North Sioux City, South Dakota, has introduced a new local bus system based on Intel Corp's 66MHz 80486 DX2: the 4DX2-66V is the first AT-compatible personal computer to use AT&T Co's custom-designed Ultra local bus video board: the system, which is scheduled to ship in mid-September, has the company's first implementation of the VESA VL-Bus local bus specification which uses a 32-bit data path running at processor speed; the computer comes with two VESA-compatible slots at $3,000.

Well, after vacuuming 5 years of dust from the inside and outside of the computer, I tried to make it boot up. No dice. Finally, after a MUCH more thorough cleaning (which involved removing many circuit cards and even chips), I was able to get it to finally boot up. Alas, the two ancient hard disks in the computer were a bit flaky, and I had lost some data (cause unknown). So, gave up on the hard disks, and replaced two hard disks witha single 2GB compact flash card.





Yes, that purple thing is a floppy disk, for you young readers. If you zoom in, you will also see a 5-1/4 in floppy drive!

It has a whopping 16MB of RAM. The date on the BIOS is later than 1992, because at some point in time I upgraded the BIOS for some reason.





Well, end of geek post (I am an engineer, after all). Now I have a vintage DOS computer with almost no moving parts (only the power supply fan). Yeeeeee-ha!

EDIT: Okay, the floppy disks and CD have moving parts, but now that the computer is working, I could unplug them if I really wanted to.

Right Tool

I've been making another lab bench recently for a new project. Got a good, strong table from the used furniture store. Covered it with anti-static mat, and finally I found some "shelves" at Homeplus. Actually, they are small, cheap (low-quality) student's computer desks - but they are plenty strong for my purposes. As I was assembling them this morning (some assembly required), I noticed that my screwdriver was EXACTLY the same tool as shown on the instructions.



I know, I'm an engineer, and never read instructions. I wasn't actually reading them, I just happened to notice the picture of the screwdriver as I was about to throw away the instructions! Here is the finished product:



EDIT 1: I needed to show the clean lab bench, because in just a few weeks time, it will end up looking like this:



Well, that's not entirely fair, this photo was taken on a really messy day for the lab bench - usually is isn't quite so cluttered.

Finally, I am quite proud of myself for solving a problem. It's a little difficult here in Korea to connect to the building's electrical ground. In the USA, our plugs and outlets both have a fairly easy way to connect to the earth ground. But in Korea, two factors work against me for this purpose. First, the ground connection isn't a prong and socket, but rather a springy "finger" which wipes against a small metal strip on the side of each power plug. It is not easy to connect to this (I've tried). Secondly, there are not many electrical outlets in a room. In the USA, it's relatively easy to connect to ground at the outlet, but in my office here the outlets are under the floor. Accordingly, everything is powered from plastic outlet strips. The first lab bench I connected to ground, I did it by taking apart the plastic power strip and soldering on a long ground wire to the internal ground bus. It was clumsy, and I didn't like the result very well.



This time, the outlet strips I got for the new lab bench didn't have screws. If I wanted to take them apart, I was going to have to break something. Therefore, I came up with my new idea. I bought two power plugs at the store. I then took them apart, removed the main power prongs for 220V (just to make it safer and clearly something special). That left just the grounding prongs. Now I can connect my lab bench to ground very easily - just screw the ground wire to this special plug, and then plug it into the outlet strip (The Stumbler says with a big,proud smile).

EDIT 2: My super grounding invention wasn't so super after all. Turns out the two main power prongs also provide the main force that holds the plug in the socket. Without these prongs, the plug is only held by the spring wipers of the ground, which isn't very strong. In the end, I just taped the plug to the socket using duct tape, which isn't very elegant.

EDIT 3: Why do we call it a lab bench? You don't sit on it. Several Korean friends were confused when I mentioned lab bench, and thought it was a kind of chair.

Bibimbap

My first attempt at bibimbap.



I think I put too much hamburger, but it was still delicious.

Chicago in Seoul

The unique and energetic sound of Chicago filled the Olympic Park Fencing Auditorium in southeast Seoul last night. Here are some photos I managed to sneak

Patiently waiting for the show to start. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the start of the concert will be delayed about 15 minutes due to so many latecomers"


I believe this photo was taken during "Dialogue"


Here's Pankow on the big screen:


I think this is from "Old Days"


Jamming Brass:


Can't remember which song - I just liked the way this photo came out:


Here are three of the original four members still touring with the group:


Second Encore, Feeling Stronger Every Day:


Much to my delight, one of their encores was the full Ballet for a Girl in Buchannan, better known for it's two hit songs "Make Me Smile" and "Colour My World". Take a bow, job well done:


I don't go to a lot of concerts. I could probably count all the concerts I've been to on one hand (at most two hands). This is my second concert in Seoul (first was Norah Jones in 2005). I was susprised how many people came out to hear Chicago, and further surprised at how many young people were there. I expected all the audience would be grey-haired old men like The Stumbler. Admittedly, the average age was probably a bit higher than the Norah Jones concert, but it was still surprising at the strong following Chicago has over here in Seoul.

They played mostly old songs, with a couple of new ones I had not heard before (they were real funky latin beat with lots of brass, very enjoyable). Even after all these years and personnel changes, they still are full of energy and have done a good job of keeping the same, original sound of the band. They were big on audience participation, and kept us clapping during most of the songs. And the whole audience was on their feet and dancing during "Saturday In The Park".

With red hands from clapping, and a hoarse voice from yelling, I walked home from the subway station feeling high on music. It was a great concert, and I'm glad I went.

Planning

The other week I was at the bank, and noticed a large pile of these nice wallets:



The clerk told me these were bank book holders, and let me take as many as I pleased. I took 3 of them (I have a lot of accounts). Just yesterday, I actually tried to use one, by putting my bank book into the wallet. Well guess what?



It doesn't fit! No wonder he told me to take as many as I pleased, he knew they were worthless...

Tuna Melt

Korea, meet the Tuna Melt:

Lotus Root

Let me introduce the Lotus Root



It's an ugly thing. You first peel it like you would a carrot or potato



Then you slice it. Which is hard. The root is almost like balsa wood



Then you boil it, like you would a potato, which makes it softer. But it's still one of the firmest vegetables I've eaten. After boiling, you cook it with a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey (or sugar)



Looks funny, but tastes great. Had I actually seen a lotus root before having this in the restaurant, I probably would have been afraid to try it. I don't know if you can buy this in the USA or not, but I'm sure The Stumbling Mother will search for one.

Korean Lunch Box

Here is my Korean lunch today:



And it was too much (big burp...)

Big bowl:	참치김치찌개	Tuna and Kimchi stew
Small bowl:	밥	Rice
Box, Left:	양배추찜	steamed cabbage leaves
Box, Top:	메추리알	boiled quail eggs
Box, Right/Top:	쌈장	fermented soy bean paste sauce
Box, Right/Middle:	단무지	pickled daikon radish
Box, Right/Bottom:	참치조림	tuna mixed with red pepper
Box, Bottom:	볶음밥	fried rice
Box, Center:	고구마줄기조림	boiled stems of sweet potato

Strong to the Finish

Cause I eat my spinach:



I might not be Popeye the Sailor Man, however I don't know my own strength. I broke the paper cutter today!

Clearance Toy

I just couldn't resist this children's toy that was on clearance this week at the grocery store (mart). I had been wanting a play basketball hoop for some time, and this was a combination basketball AND magnetic dart board!



Surely I am now the envy of every elementary school boy in Seoul. For my birthday present, I want a bag of 10 each 6 inch Nerf basketballs (I'm too lazy to get off the sofa and retrieve the basketball).

Off the Wagon

I fell off the Korean food wagon tonight, as I prepared my favorite Salmon dinner (Burp...) Tomatoes weren't so great, not being in season. I'm trying to use Jalapenos in every dish these days, and this was no exception.

Trio

I tried to organize a party of 6 people this Saturday to listen to live jazz. Unfortunately, 2 people had to cancel, although they had completely understandable excuses. But that still left 4 of us. The evening started out late, because I kept forgetting the map of the Jazz clubs that I had carefully prepared 2 days earlier. Despite being 30 minutes late, we had a great time. Unfortunately, the #1 jazz club choice, Club Evans, was jam packed. There were no tables free. Fortunately, I had researched and prepared two backups, Club Palm and Moonglow. The Club Palm had one table free, so that's where we went. Just as we sat down, the trio began their music set. Mid-way through, a jazz singer joined them (no longer a trio, I guess). It was really enjoyable. Being a former bass player, I was especially impressed with the bass player's solos.

Bird Seed for Rice

Stumbling Mom asked about the "rice thingies" that I've been adding to my rice. Since I just recently bought some, I still have the package. As you can see from the photo above, it looks like bird seed. The lady at the grocery store explained that these are sold depending on how many different grains are included in the mix. Not knowing any better, I chose 15 - the more the better, right? Other choices were 5, 7, 9, and 12. I bought the smallest pack, 800g, which just perfectly fits one of my many empty Costco sour cream jars!



You add about a cup of this "mix" into the rice, and the result is tastier and more colorful rice. I would be curious what exactly each of the 15 grains are. The product title, according to my dictionary, means mixture of miscellaneous grains. That sounds about right.

Chirp Chirp says The Stumbler.

EDIT

I asked my Korean teacher to translate the 15 grains listed in this bird-seed, and here is the result. We're not 100% sure about some of these, but it's reasonably close:

할맥 17% pressed barley
찰현미 15% brown glutinous rice
찹쌀 15% glutinous rice
현미 10% brown rice / unpolished rice
검정현미 8% black rice
흑태 black soybean
백태 white soybean
옥수수 corn
수수쌀 sorghum
서리태 small black soybean
황태 yellow bean
팥 red bean
녹두 mung bean
청차좁쌀 blue glutinous millet
기장쌀 millet

Rice System

I've perfected a system to keep from throwing away rice, since I don't eat it as often as most Koreans. Now I make a large pot of rice and freeze the remainder. I use the latest food packaging technology to hit the shelves here in Seoul, the Glass-N-Lock. It's one step above Lock-n-Lock, but the bowl itself is glass (actually, I bought an imitation brand, it was a bit cheaper).







This works pretty well for me. Take a bowl from the freezer, pop it in the microwave for 5 minutes, and you've got instant rice. The only slight problem is the top of the rice is a little dry, maybe from freezer burn? I've been pouring just a little bit of water into the bowl before putting it in the microwave, and that seems to help.

Speaking of Glass-N-Lock, I've also bought two soup sized bowls that I use to bring my lunch a few times per week. The big advantage is the lid seals really well, and I don't have soup leaking all over the lunch bag.

Incheon

The city, not the airport. I toured the Yeonan Pier fish market, which is similar in style to the Noryangjin fish market in Seoul (although I think Yeanan was bigger). I saw almost every kind of fish and sea creature on display. And afterwards enjoyed a set menu of fresh (raw) seafood at a nearby restaurant. I'm still a beginner at eating sushi, and here's my opinion as of today. I like the tuna sushi the best. The fish meat itself tastes better to me, and I prefer the serving style, that is, the various items you eat with the tuna. Next in line I like the fish sushi. You eat it with just wasabi / soy sauce, but the taste and texture is really good. Finally on my list is the various sea (shell) creatures. These aren't my favorites (that's why their last on the list). However, a few of them are really good. The sea cucumber was delicious, as was the abalone. And I'm slowly developing a taste for oysters - I could imagine eating a huge plate of them.



After stuffing myself with sushi, I visited the statue honoring General George MacArthur. I couldn't help but think, as I overlooked the bright Incheon harbor bustling with activity, that this is what he fought for. I think it is a perfect spot for his statue. Godspeed General.