tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775794650911197192024-03-05T18:04:04.633+00:00Kimchi in UKKimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-35642843053592148032010-11-09T23:17:00.005+00:002010-11-09T23:31:25.752+00:00A Second Brief Encounter with Hong SangsooNot only have we been to BFI Southbank to see his film, we were also invited to a reception organised for Hong Sangsoo by the Korean Cultural Centre in UK (KCCUK). I don’t know for sure how it happened, probably by some sort of mistakes, but I was only too happy to oblige.<br /><br />The reception was held on Monday 6 September at the Korean Cultural Centre near Trafalgar Square. Unlike what I expected there were not many people at the reception and I think the 24-hour tube strike which started that evening was somewhat accountable for the low turnout.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYArP5ibn5M2-cTWiqVniYEcdgSx8_fNTn7lfuu9DdWlXpzx4t6_MgINJMRF_2tBSK-qEgEbhfTIBjoCv5dUTlB2zqCJy92Ym7kNe3XlWziOGYJTBl6Thh-Ax0RYhYHYYIqx29cDuuKs4/s1600/IMAG0739.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYArP5ibn5M2-cTWiqVniYEcdgSx8_fNTn7lfuu9DdWlXpzx4t6_MgINJMRF_2tBSK-qEgEbhfTIBjoCv5dUTlB2zqCJy92Ym7kNe3XlWziOGYJTBl6Thh-Ax0RYhYHYYIqx29cDuuKs4/s400/IMAG0739.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537693701986167682" /></a><br /><br />The Korean Cultural Centre was displaying some pictures and information about the director and his films. There were a couple of TV screens showing scenes from his films. Most impressively, there was a wall dedicated to his works in the basement where the centre’s library is situated. The wall was covered with his film posters along with the depiction of a pig’s bottom – a very cute reference to his debut work and the director’s autograph.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIzifXYedqdu3-3HKWsXgs6uZlv2jGim0TAUv0pDhGU1f0LxtNHieRuq41thIJnTryCC3kgOoReoVcXXu7iwSAxHeGfAIt-IazxQtwZYv-lBE565QBOYuT9kDWTXMK3LYzMux9_LA4bo/s1600/IMAG0750.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIzifXYedqdu3-3HKWsXgs6uZlv2jGim0TAUv0pDhGU1f0LxtNHieRuq41thIJnTryCC3kgOoReoVcXXu7iwSAxHeGfAIt-IazxQtwZYv-lBE565QBOYuT9kDWTXMK3LYzMux9_LA4bo/s400/IMAG0750.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537694636106662722" /></a><br /><br />The reception itself seemed rather uneventful in general. There was someone from Independent Cinema Office who spoke a little bit about Hong Sangsoo and his first UK retrospective. When introduced, our man Hong Sangsoo himself only spoke briefly to thank everyone for the invitation and welcome.<br /><br />Most of the time the director spent his time outside smoking and speaking on the phone. I felt rather sorry for him as it looked like he wasn’t comfortable being there. I thought the evening was going to end like this. We were having drinks and food while he was spending time away from us. However, we were encouraged to ask him any questions we would like to ask. When he came back in, he happened to come and sit next to us. To my surprise, he remembered seeing us at the BFI Southbank even mentioning my little brother. So we chatted for a little while, I mean mainly Rob with him. <br /><br />During our private conversation, Mr. Hong said that Rob reminded him of a famous American actor. Even before he said the name of the actor, we knew it was Paul Newman. Believe it or not, quite a number of people (most of them happened to be Koreans) have already said the very same thing to him. Looking at the picture below, you may not agree with them, but it’s 100% true and it became one of our little jokes. Now that a prominent film director had approved it, we felt quite safe to talk about it. It certainly was the highlight of our evening, which made my lovely husband a very happy man and Mr. Hong Sangsoo his favourite Korean film director. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlEd9t3vFqsk9aYtvHlaqqo-NlAHe0M0HAJubgcGGwPcRfBBvpaeUh_CzajTmj9O1tspEoYSRvLgKehrEW93uk8s7DE1S1-1xutQgLY0Y6WvfwmNlnkB7LXe0YxZXuwQ52CX4X_aEwN4/s1600/IMAG0742.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlEd9t3vFqsk9aYtvHlaqqo-NlAHe0M0HAJubgcGGwPcRfBBvpaeUh_CzajTmj9O1tspEoYSRvLgKehrEW93uk8s7DE1S1-1xutQgLY0Y6WvfwmNlnkB7LXe0YxZXuwQ52CX4X_aEwN4/s400/IMAG0742.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537694923589750322" /></a>Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-33257818729636680122010-10-08T20:25:00.007+01:002010-10-08T20:47:29.451+01:00Hahaha - A Brief Encounter with Hong SangsooFirst of all, this is a very belated post entirely because of my laziness. The event I’m writing about happened about a month ago from now, to be precise, on 3rd September 2010.<br /><br />Going back to the story, I was very excited to learn that there would be the first UK retrospective of Hong Sangsoo’s complete films at BFI Southbank (<a href="http://www.pulpmovies.com/2010/08/hong-sangsoo-retrospective-launches-at-bfi-southbank-in-september-then-uk-wide/">here</a> for more detailed information). This was definitely an opportunity not to miss. However, mainly because of my husband’s work commitment, I could only book a couple of films. The first one we went to see was the preview of <a href="https://bfi.org.uk/whatson/bfi_southbank/film_programme/regular_strands/previews_in_conversation/preview_hahaha">Hahaha</a>, Hong’s recent film (not the latest though, that being <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/node/1070">Oki’s Movie</a> showing at BFI London Film Festival). There was also a session called ‘An Evening with Hong Sangsoo’ after the film, but we thought it might be too late for us. Still quite unexpectedly, but very appropriately, the director was briefly introduced to the audience at the start of the film. In short, the film was brilliant - very funny and wonderfully acted. I liked the fact that the present narrative scenes were in black & white as if they were the still shots of the past whereas the past stories were presented as if happening at the present. To my relief, my husband also enjoyed the film immensely. Without doubt, I think the endless drinking scenes by both men and women amused him the most.<br /><br />When we were having a quick drink at the bar as you do here at BFI Southbank, I spotted our respected director walking past. Encouraged by Rob, I managed to walk up to him to say hi. He seemed a very quiet and pleasant man in person. I also thanked him for the enjoyment we had from the film. Not knowing what else to say, I mumbled something quite silly. Yes, I then told him that my little brother was doing his Master’s in film studies in Paris and I wished he would make as good films as his in the future. I know I felt like a winner of the most embarrassing old sister of the year but never mind. It was such a brief encounter that he wouldn’t remember much about me (or so I thought). <br /><br />Anyway, I am very happy to report that this whole retrospective thing initiated me to become a member of BFI and now I’m going back to BFI Southbank quite regularly. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyR5z3t0smWEqPgL7Ni7VlTNYjutMIMgh-TvdKmVIgAYqmf0ZkA3_f0WYPR8tDwyK9zHkdqNewVgdsMp470Ykh0UP1RW8pumaNSKls3mCFFtfIMbrWbw83R-18L-rYx8m2NT_6jvTpJA/s1600/IMAG0727.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyR5z3t0smWEqPgL7Ni7VlTNYjutMIMgh-TvdKmVIgAYqmf0ZkA3_f0WYPR8tDwyK9zHkdqNewVgdsMp470Ykh0UP1RW8pumaNSKls3mCFFtfIMbrWbw83R-18L-rYx8m2NT_6jvTpJA/s400/IMAG0727.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525759264487095234" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD38s2UFP5RLLCY37vMny0-TUx4iS3SOaGj4vW4Y_cbwBR7BxvyfSkYbSHYmcojB7TEnsZ7rvB74BOPzlNphTpWibSBJV_iEvjN9mUVYWx62rg0Z1NIAchlMkV5R6Xop5vNqzUz4P8Gc8/s1600/IMAG0722.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD38s2UFP5RLLCY37vMny0-TUx4iS3SOaGj4vW4Y_cbwBR7BxvyfSkYbSHYmcojB7TEnsZ7rvB74BOPzlNphTpWibSBJV_iEvjN9mUVYWx62rg0Z1NIAchlMkV5R6Xop5vNqzUz4P8Gc8/s400/IMAG0722.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525759261146288834" /></a>Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-62748843281933892522010-09-13T11:08:00.018+01:002010-09-13T11:55:49.967+01:00A Sunday OutLast Sunday Rob took me to Chelsea AutoLegends 2010. If I haven’t mentioned it before, he is a so-called petrol head. He loves cars, especially classic cars. He’s got the boxes full of classic car magazines, which I call his porn. Of course, unlike him I am one of those who think that cars are just another means of transportation. Anyway, off we went to Royal Hospital Chelsea grounds where this event was being held as early as we could – I was half-asleep on the way there. And here is a brief note what we have seen and done.<br /><br />We saw the famous Chelsea pensioners, the residents of Royal Hospital Chelsea, as well as many star cars from Le Mans, classic cars and supercars.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaQySLS7-VKWaQ1cUkhk1UnAduDHn98FWry2zk_cAJoge2IRPsBjBZVz1394_7ZdTGck_5hv-zvyVbacSpJ-7vu3jorvHZYIWdrXIRMQkXO0SXR55-bxWIpJHbL4-SKRJL-_WHlpgWNo/s1600/DSC_4416.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516338367441858658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaQySLS7-VKWaQ1cUkhk1UnAduDHn98FWry2zk_cAJoge2IRPsBjBZVz1394_7ZdTGck_5hv-zvyVbacSpJ-7vu3jorvHZYIWdrXIRMQkXO0SXR55-bxWIpJHbL4-SKRJL-_WHlpgWNo/s400/DSC_4416.JPG" /></a><br /><br />There were a couple of car transporters – one of which was from the Scottish racing team called Ecurie Ecosse. Apparently Rob used to see the racing car being loaded onto this transporter in Edinburgh when he was young.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ax96vSWBxQurfY1LYMUwOJWHvkb-DwJQbwq75UdR0TjfeAnCjNiciBsW_EZcirvdLc94aEeboB-Q_r8D8Y3lQYuPocAB8jBMZt3deOh2r6R6poj83-ZV8s3JKNTtDY6-QHwuYq6vnGE/s1600/DSC_4385.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516338767512627810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ax96vSWBxQurfY1LYMUwOJWHvkb-DwJQbwq75UdR0TjfeAnCjNiciBsW_EZcirvdLc94aEeboB-Q_r8D8Y3lQYuPocAB8jBMZt3deOh2r6R6poj83-ZV8s3JKNTtDY6-QHwuYq6vnGE/s400/DSC_4385.JPG" /></a><br /><br />A cardboard cut-out of supposedly Steve McQueen and his car, Gulf Porsche 917 which featured in the famous racing film called Le Mans.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8pbj952DR4y4vyUab4OJ2gdLF2L8K8gnyS0rz8Xv4yxGTjRZq2_hGpYuxzBPor37EuPe4O_LtYbD7Kt5v3JtsOhRgqeB4afaeJY8GbjlhKVyTn9Sg86r8n6yVdIBW7xMbnGF0qcPCqc/s1600/DSC_4471.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516339091861458690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8pbj952DR4y4vyUab4OJ2gdLF2L8K8gnyS0rz8Xv4yxGTjRZq2_hGpYuxzBPor37EuPe4O_LtYbD7Kt5v3JtsOhRgqeB4afaeJY8GbjlhKVyTn9Sg86r8n6yVdIBW7xMbnGF0qcPCqc/s400/DSC_4471.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Bristol Fighter, one of Rob’s dream cars.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9H-JIN_v95ZXDRdp0EZ2EYxbFcPM-96F78tutFCtu0K3T-4e6FWBOA0fVzrmY2H_SFFFTh4QobIOug9Hd15edICvGySJv0eukkwy6hXgFu9u0LDqw9pQNF10cOSqJdlEgm3syeoTI5Ps/s1600/DSC_4501.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516339468286294770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9H-JIN_v95ZXDRdp0EZ2EYxbFcPM-96F78tutFCtu0K3T-4e6FWBOA0fVzrmY2H_SFFFTh4QobIOug9Hd15edICvGySJv0eukkwy6hXgFu9u0LDqw9pQNF10cOSqJdlEgm3syeoTI5Ps/s400/DSC_4501.JPG" /></a><br /><br />This FIAT 500 is more like my style.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUyJRUX2GE5nkTjzrvyn7_BxUWHCaTPhEb-VpzNz0ifob3LgltVc-rfDL-1BhhSflVWlLks8uRbiW0FvIwQ_WEpOcl7oqayyX28wwKIE9h23riKHNZ6VusT7GNG8ET404un4UuoY-i7U/s1600/DSC_4521.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516339960825749058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUyJRUX2GE5nkTjzrvyn7_BxUWHCaTPhEb-VpzNz0ifob3LgltVc-rfDL-1BhhSflVWlLks8uRbiW0FvIwQ_WEpOcl7oqayyX28wwKIE9h23riKHNZ6VusT7GNG8ET404un4UuoY-i7U/s400/DSC_4521.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKSNjW4vPmrikaUasfb2Ek7D1z0wA4lqObMUeJ8FQ2nxvs7dfh5eKakJcfKsFUUZ6UbSrXyi_K_kSyT9Q_bLN0IIPJhIQiaNE9jB5YbLXZ3UtCGgdrmH59fl4M_8SltF5A5gUVoIrbCY/s1600/DSC_4395.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516340276726671778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKSNjW4vPmrikaUasfb2Ek7D1z0wA4lqObMUeJ8FQ2nxvs7dfh5eKakJcfKsFUUZ6UbSrXyi_K_kSyT9Q_bLN0IIPJhIQiaNE9jB5YbLXZ3UtCGgdrmH59fl4M_8SltF5A5gUVoIrbCY/s400/DSC_4395.JPG" /></a><br /><br />And foodwise, we had a crappy burger for lunch after queuing for ages as you do at this of events.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-l8EBTXBizgDq39FWMI9dxkoI2oK6wErfLWV4uoA6uQ-R4LDP4uxLrRBiVbAIbza1OD4-Y2QI8K60y02YavUi5R0aLqzLrP46DuZH8gm8RpTacVm6RnTWON4WkwYpLIdEmDudgme8o7s/s1600/DSC_4513.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516340881823301266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-l8EBTXBizgDq39FWMI9dxkoI2oK6wErfLWV4uoA6uQ-R4LDP4uxLrRBiVbAIbza1OD4-Y2QI8K60y02YavUi5R0aLqzLrP46DuZH8gm8RpTacVm6RnTWON4WkwYpLIdEmDudgme8o7s/s400/DSC_4513.JPG" /></a><br /><br />But we had some wonderful cocktails at Harvey Nichols 5th Floor. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmTMjMITCstaFJkLTnKCy6tHFv-0jBXNxKekT1hoAmwGgYSBWDTz0aHMW7zGktfs0mw_XLDSBXNYIBHyOcj7PzEPX6TI4zhJI017s8lDiUv7e87535BY9kkDjl9BE1hdlUzmb30zS7SQ/s1600/DSC_4589.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516341165898059250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmTMjMITCstaFJkLTnKCy6tHFv-0jBXNxKekT1hoAmwGgYSBWDTz0aHMW7zGktfs0mw_XLDSBXNYIBHyOcj7PzEPX6TI4zhJI017s8lDiUv7e87535BY9kkDjl9BE1hdlUzmb30zS7SQ/s400/DSC_4589.JPG" /></a><br /><br />All in all I think it was a nice Sunday out.Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-9952671606682600152010-08-31T17:05:00.012+01:002010-09-02T14:49:47.299+01:00The Fish ShopI have read a lot about Islington being a trendy place to go out but I have never been there myself. And even more shockingly, I've never been to Sadler's Wells theatre until last weekend. Yes, that's true but until quite recently we were living in West London near Richmond & Kingston and it is quite far from East London, you see. That's my excuse anyway. Finally, I had a chance to visit Sadler's Wells to see a Korean musical called 'Another Sun,' which wasn't too bad and I also liked to mention that I really liked the theatre. It's just a shame that we are still not conveniently located to travel to the theatre in public transport. Anyway, that's enough about the theatre for now.<br /><br /><div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512303341247370434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4UJu6fD-vvtDTRfhbmF7NQsKd6LEXaSEkXyEKU-qUTUcuuIyvR-43PGlMKcvGv-AFVuP7fC01VS8J8T3cizEHttEgCwZL319Y9i20xNBmVkhqsWhpCj0fjA6_EIqNq2U_trRjiYIuao/s400/DSC_4320.JPG" /> <div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>After the theatre, it was almost 5.30 pm and having missed lunch, we were both very hungry. Being a seafood-lover, I felt quite lucky to spot this fish restaurant not far from the theatre. When I ventured in with my somewhat reluctant husband, we noticed that the restaurant was actually bigger than it looked from the outside. As the first customers that night, we were seated at the small table by the window at the back overlooking the small garden. We shared two starters between us - Grilled Asparagus & Poached Egg with Hollandaise sauce and Pan-fried Scallops with Fennel. Asparagus didn't look great and equally tasteless but maybe it's because it was out of season. Luckily scallops seemed to be very fresh but we were not really bowled over by the dish. </div><div></div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512302162529411634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2-Bs0iKU6NgukIHF97yV8Zb2p-t6apouEmKO_bN9HWMu2i3s3ifyrI9dIJVMe6UGDtMYiM4WhzAnfZIJJ_VhboA4Q546AqoERz_-K3sjfMSN-WTTZ8xbFC2V7eLd3BZqnaT4xADT-6g/s400/DSC_4329.JPG" /></div><br /><div>For main course, we both had Lemon Sole with Seasonal Vegetables with an additional side dish of Mash Potato to share. The fish itself was fresh, well-cooked and tasty enough but the seasonal vegetables were just awful. They look like the stir-fry made out of the bags from the supermarkets. And even worse, the mash potato was so dire that my husband was convinced that it was out of the packet. I could only guess two things from our meals: 1) the chef was off that particular day and somebody else stepped in to cook or 2) the chef is quite good with fish (wonderful!) but not so good with vegetables (oh uh!). Whichever was the case, we were not brave enough to stay longer to try any dessert. While we were there, we have agreed that we didn't want to come back to this restaurant. Having said that, I happened to notice that the fish & chips at the next table looked rather nice. And of course, it doesn't come with the mash potato, hallelujah! So, maybe, just maybe there is a tiny chance of going back for fish & chips if we are ever in Islington again.<br /></div><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><br /><div>The Fish Shop </div><div>St John Street, Islington, London EC1V 4NR</div><div>Tel: 020 7837 1199</div></div></div></div>Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-40233862705142987162010-08-31T10:48:00.014+01:002010-09-01T00:06:24.750+01:00Ayoush LondonSince I am not such a good cook myself, I have decided to blog more about the restaurants I have been to and, to make it simple, I am going to put them into two categories: the first category is for those places I'm happy to return and the second for those ones I do not really wish to go back. It can't be any simpler than this, can it?<br /><br />The honour of the first entry of the second category goes to Ayoush, a North African restaurant/bar in Mayfair, London. Wait. Before I begin, I must admit that I'm not overly familiar with North African cuisine myself. Well, that would be an understatement. I just know some elements of it like... couscous, which I have loved so much ever since I first tried it in my salad in the UK. Yes, I have never heard of couscous in Korea. I don't know if I'm right in thinking North Africans eat lots of lamb like the people in Middle Eastern countries. I hope they do as I am also a big fan of lamb dishes even though we don't normally get lamb in Korea. You see, the thing I like about living here in the UK is that I get more chances of trying different food from all over the world. The more I try them, I'll get to know more about them, I hope.<br /><br />Anyway, I think I've been to a Moroccan restaurant only once if I remember it correctly. It was again in Paris with my husband and my brother's family. Looking back we were very lucky to find this child-friendly restaurant by chance. That's right, we didn't have Moroccan food in mind when we set off. Unfortunately the Indian restaurant my lovely sister-in-law wanted to try was closed on that particular day and with a very little boy to feed, we had to find an alternative rather quick among those restaurants available on the same street. I don't remember what the others had but both my husband and I had a lamb tagine with couscous and it was one of the most delicious meals ever. Even for the greedy people like us, the portion size was really generous and the lamb shank was so juicy and tender. The food was inexpensive and the staff was also very friendly. So all in all it was a rather nice experience.<br /><br />It was with this expectation when we chose to dine at Ayoush. I liked the look of the restaurant from the outside and the interior wasn't bad either. We shared one starter dish (Foul Akhdar: green broad beans cooked in garlic, cumin, fresh coriander and a touch of tomato sauce and olive oil, £4.25) and some bread, which wasn't too bad but not exceptional.<br /><br />As we both like lamb and couscous, my husband ordered Lamb Couscous (£14.50), which is served with Moroccan special flavoured sauce and I chose Lamb Tagine (£13.50) for our mains. We both found the portion size rather small and the food not so tasty - couscous just bland and lamb not juicy or tender enough. It seriously lacked the warmth and flavour of North Africa. Honestly it didn't taste much better than the ready-made food you would get from the supermarkets. Oh, maybe a bit better, but definitely not much.<br /><br /><p>Being conveniently located, not far from Oxford Street, it is possibly just one of those tourist traps in central London. Or maybe it might be okay for a short stop for a drink or two with friends and work colleagues. However, if you are looking for a Moroccan restaurant which serves decent food, personally I wouldn't recommend this place to you.<br /></p><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 194px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511512685320284882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEY_IWj4U0uNyA0ohJwGo-aYEQeiEIAxVxOQmxCGrcFpCkxBOeI7qy2bhlwLsQZHRBXSVNO1PwEwwxuYDCuCtJchAgZ677tjnof0E1NfmbnCty3t-6a0wnIb_coGKWCHbz1vGzwW9v2A/s320/616.jpg" /><br />Ayoush London, 58 James St, London, W1U 1HG Tel: 020 7935 9839 </p>Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-60797517055440112902010-08-23T11:53:00.015+01:002010-08-23T23:17:00.618+01:00Le Pain QuotidienI had a very fond memory of Le Pain Quotidien in Paris, France. It was our first trip together - me and my husband (boyfriend then) in December 2006. I had heard about this bakery and communal tables, as they called it, in one of the guidebooks. It sounded so nice that I was determined to try it myself. I think we got lost and had to walk quite a while in freezing cold to find the store in St. Honore. It was worth the effort though as we both enjoyed our brunch - the huge plates of salad with good quality bread and coffee. It was just a perfect start to the day, which happened to be my husband's birthday.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 192px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508731866524122722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpifJO9X0iT_e4_-Hl3ijSIW2gp0TNiRSyrh5xkNQuoMnpemSdSbzBfWRxNrofyeQdRm2hyhl_8waMmnb0QNSylgvaU4ifOBsjLO1RpSK8V7AfF4OMvH-qdJZOjOIFx2vHXFZYgR5F38M/s320/386.jpg" /><br /><br />Afterwards I was happy to find out that they had stores in the UK too. I have been to the one at St. Pancras International several times while waiting for the Eurostar trains. But I had never been to the other stores until a couple of weeks back when I visited the Marylebone store. We were with our old friend for lunch. We all had different dishes - my friend and I opted for the salad and my husband the quiche. To our disappointment, none of dishes we ordered looked or tasted exceptional. My roasted vegetable salad was served cold unlike what I expected and they tasted rather like they were straight from the jars. The only thing I still enjoyed was their bread.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 327px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 220px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508730577493929202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvCsmwLz3OVhiUY4CC8VYJSxAI71arAsKmnJCjr5lex7-y2d8pPSdrndQLmkomfTeOIWjpD71EwElMNhJYHvuXOhlDHiaC5bterLV2pHH2jRNSJPkGu98LUjX0BC6MqLT9iU0vOv3y7U/s320/382.jpg" /><br />I know the company is originally from Belgium, not France, and has over 100 stores in many countries including USA and Japan. I really want to like this place as I like their philosophy and concept as well as their bread. However, it seems a bit overrated here in London and rather pricey in terms of food. I'd love to see its food being more personal and homely.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 192px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508559894039881682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRL3SlfLvAZxMvhqm32QpvRxReHxgDt6rQC7bfK_fjwIpu_S1-swp0xt2AQ8i82ub2MoDWCpwcTd-0AQoOiekZrQJmauOn4ee9SGOAriyPYdk4Voq6y6ky78leP7kTeZGn9UtXAlBVlms/s320/381.jpg" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">Roasted organic Italian vegetables, mixed leaves, pesto & goat cheese salad (£10.20)<br /></span></div>Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-1561191288846264142010-08-20T12:38:00.011+01:002010-08-23T21:33:12.292+01:00Third time lucky (or not?)It's been really bugging me that I wasn't keeping my blog updated since last November after only a couple of posts when I had promised to myself to give it an another go. I felt like a mother who had abandoned her infant baby. Or maybe not that bad, but still it was quite sad and embarrassing that I couldn't do something that looked so easy and simple for many other people all around the world.<br /><br />Well... I have my excuses of course. Maybe I shouldn't have chosen to write my blog in English in the first place. English being my second language, I never feel quite comfortable using it even though I've been living in the UK for a number of years (and yes, being shy doesn't help when it comes to the language skills). In any case, I've never been any good at writing in general whether it is in English or in Korean. And I probably shouldn't been too ambitious (even though I said I wasn't) about this blogging business. I didn't know what I really wanted to do with the blog! I still don't have any clear ideas.<br /><br />It's hard to admit but I've come to the conclusion: maybe I'm not up for it and I should just leave it behind. But then again, people say that you can get third time lucky, right? After all, isn't it simply too sad to leave this wonderful world of blogging like this? Well, I think so. And I've decided for the third time (and possibly the last), I'll give it another chance. This time I'm going to drop all my expectations and just to try to be myself. That's right. I'm not a chef nor a writer, so don't expect anything grand coming out of me. Just try to make it something personal. There are no rules and therefore, it could be about anything I like. Hope it works this time and if not, I promise I will go away quietly and gracefully (or rather dragged off kicking and screaming!!!).Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-7630406442665341882009-11-17T22:40:00.005+00:002009-11-17T22:43:06.000+00:00Chuseok and SongpyeonAs much as I love all sorts of bread, pastries and cakes, I love my rice cakes, called tteok (떡) in Korean. Korean rice cakes are often made with glutenous rice and thus quite chewy for many western people, but for us Koreans that's one of the good things about them. Another thing is most of time they are not too sweet and can be eaten as good healthy snack. Quite sadly it doesn't seem that many of the younger generations in Korea appreciate the traditional rice cakes as much as we used to do.<br /><br /><br />I would say the most important festive season in Korea is autumn when the weather is at its loveliest and there is an abundance of fresh produce from the new harvest. Some might argue that the New Year is more festive but personally I think Chuseok in autumn beats it. Okay. What is Chuseok? Chuseok (15th of August on the lunar calendar) is something similar to Thanksgiving and as turkey is to Thanksgiving; Songpyeon (a kind of tteok in the shape of half moon) is to Chuseok. I have fond memories of making Songpyeon with my grandma, mum and aunties on the eve of Chuseok chatting away or just listening to the grown-ups chatting. Grandma used to say that if we make nice looking Songpyeons, we will get a good looking husband. And I always thought I should deserve a handsome husband if I ever going to get one.<br /><br /><br />This year, for the first time in my life, I have made Songpyeon without any help from my mum. Of course, they weren't perfect I couldn't get some of the things that you would get easily in Korea, such as pine needles. They put pine needles between layers of Songpyeon in the steamer to give them the unique aroma as well as to prevent them from sticking to each other. Anyway, it was not a complete disaster at least and we all enjoyed them including my brother's family who were visiting us at the time.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405206362279933490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXdg1q-bRFZDv0Nqnr0rijvTBCQ1Ox3Y-WrxgmLyA87ochjttusRBK0O7ea60qRs93x1OAdFY22VtFbh3wjOJ0YK2k0_nQ_U5s4PW6eybcCjzbXyuNL1ERNCh5QvDehkKeHtaOAW4E3o/s320/DSC_2443.JPG" border="0" /><br />PS) This year Chusoek was on the 3rd of October and this post is very long overdue.Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-26197275019010430072009-10-13T09:33:00.009+01:002009-10-13T09:48:20.815+01:00Moving homeSorry for being so quiet recently, if there is anyone waiting for my posts? (I know, for a fact, I've got at least one follower.) Some time last July we moved into a new flat and it wasn't very easy for many reasons. Basically I had no time or rather no energy to focus on anything.<br /><br />To tell you a little bit about it, we nearly moved to Manchester from London because Rob had (and still does) have his office up there. We had found this flat in Salford quay. It was on the 18th floor. Yes, that's right. It's not a typo. It's on the 18th floor. It had a small balcony and the view was quite something, not because of particularly beautiful scenery but because of the sheer height. It certainly gives an undeniable impact on your sensory system. Anyway, I did not really fancy sitting out there. In fact, the first thing came into my mind was that it would be dead easy to kill yourself in this flat if you wanted. All you needed to do is just to step outside onto the balcony and jump off. Well, maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to give it a miss after all.<br /><br />To make a long story short, things didn't go as we planned and we decided to stay in our familiar surroundings. Since the decision was made at the last minute, we had very little time to find a new flat to move in and the whole thing became so stressful. Anyway, we are now settled in our new home.<br /><br />One big change is that we don't have a gas supply in our new flat. Everything is electricity powered including the cooker in the kitchen. Like everybody I know, I don't like the electric cookers. It takes so long for the electric cooker to heat up and once it's heated up, it also takes ages to cool down. It is simply too hard to control the heat or to judge the cooking time. It makes me feel like I'm wasting the (very) expensive energy all the time.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392001990366055650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvtRVsoSHSNBdOrBZqj_fPhzMVVsVDSUnYRMhhax7yeiGbJTp5XXhzMEbotF9Ybl7PeoZai1R53PZvEqbQh05ldw2POFmW-2ahElvqz8ConL6DbBYisPM8sTtFQCvZI7nJSOr7brbrNE/s320/DSC_2198.JPG" border="0" /><br />Another joy of our new kitchen is the sink. We had this small round aluminium kitchen sink in our old flat. Apparently it was from IKEA and from our flat hunting experience, it seemed quite popular in rented flats for some reason. We both hated it with passion as it is just not practical at all. And guess what! We have got a smaller round sink now. I thought our old one was small enough. Who would have guessed that there can be even smaller one.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392001997988012402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcjlftWci2QiMc__TxXWskzhN4DLpHyJ-IftOfS5NpfRPQN1UQpn8s2vTpg48yfIJhZSE2sBLwu-YhJ5JlfbBILtc5ow0Ht_30ZiAT_UnXMGzqZRG3_DFm5IOt3Xv7t-1MA-ginrtWWc/s320/DSC_2209.JPG" border="0" /><br />One consolation though is that we don't have a wooden work top like we did in previous place. I'm now trying to use the dishwasher as much as I can. Otherwise, there is no way that I can do the dishes without spilling the water all over the floor.<br /><br />PS) I guess I’m not a natural writer unfortunately as it is proving quite difficult to keep my blog updated but I’ll try my best.Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-44799581934005070752009-06-30T17:59:00.010+01:002009-06-30T23:51:47.579+01:00Oh! Yes, please!Normally, I am one of the most terrible decision makers. Simple things like ordering food at restaurants or choosing products at the supermarket could be very difficult and time-consuming for me. However, there is one thing I'm defintely sure of. That is I would never say no to Champagne. I can say, without a moment of hesitation, it is my favourite drink. It turns out that I have Champagne tastes and beer income as Rob often says. Sad reality but I can't help but love this bubbly drink so much! Ok, here is a picture of me enjoyoing my lovely Champagne in style. No, not really. Sorry it's just a scanned copy of last Valentine's Day card from Rob. (And yes, I had to twist his arm to get me one.)<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353167468679271330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 278px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6ipCOolBzdC7IQL-jnkb1SXWxD9DpCW4wZJ9u-Ddp4UUhIs7_DfZF3jOtj6eILrGFa43fEUioM0i_hM2FQecCTR6dv0ojvn-bJZpFyKY9k7cl749J-kVGJ6uaaeNMW_mCl_LSzGJOyY/s400/Talking+to+the+Champagne.jpg" border="0" /><br />A few weeks ago, we had a perfectly legitimate reason to celebrate something with my favourite drink. My friend J had finished her short course successfully. Hooray! Well done, you! So, here is a picture of Rob pouring the Champagne for all of us. I can tell you it was very, very nice.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353167218671162946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNsOYVSXazj3oMpqy-asIQwAeYDo9AkboDWDr2Y5KKparRoVw2uhD5dU8jUadA8gwHboBHopi4MgFjkG0OY-_8Zi2fOeDguOOy_REMxjgqa8cXWw4xFTn_-SQu_P2JOjm4ElVTjT5HfM/s400/Champagne.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p>Sadly, she has gone back to Korea now and I would like to say something to my dearest friend. "Hey, J. Once again, congratulations on your achievement and good luck with your future career! It was so good to have you here with us. We both look forward to seeing you again in Korea hopefully soon." </p>Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-23052667531422464742009-06-08T12:36:00.009+01:002009-06-10T02:32:36.139+01:00Spaghetti Bolognese<div><br /></div><p class="mobile-photo">It is extremely difficult for me to pick one particular dish or type of cuisine that I like the most. Simply there are so many of them. It was never easy except perhaps when I was very young. Like many Korean children, my favourite dish used to be <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jajangmyeon" target="_blank"><span style="color:#cc6600;">Jajangmyeon</span></a> (click the link if you are not sure what I'm talking about). But if you asked me the same question about 10 years ago, my answer was likely to have been pasta. There was something about pasta, especially creamy ones like Carbonara, and I never got tired of having them. Still Spaghetti Bolognese has never been one of my favourites. I don't know why but it seemed a bit boring and too predictable if you know what I mean. Unlike here in the UK, cooking pasta at home was not very common in my country and naturally I didn't know how to make them properly from scratch. Even after I came to the UK, my pasta dishes normally involved the ready-made sauce in the jars and my first choice would have been the pesto sauce. </p><div><br /></div><p class="mobile-photo">Spaghetti Bolognese, or Spag Bol as many people affectionately call it, has become one of my staple diet only after I met Rob. Apparently it was one of his favourite dishes. By then I have already realised that many other British people loved this 'more British than Italian' pasta. Since he seemed to like it so much, I wanted to know how to make it properly. One day I was searching for an easy recipe and found this wonderfully simple recipe on the Internet. It was called <a href="http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/cre/ragu_bolognese.html"><span style="color:#cc6600;">Antonio Carluccio's ragù Bolognese</span></a><span style="color:#ff9966;"> </span>(click for the recipe). One of the things I liked about his recipe is that it does not require any herbs. I'm not a big fan of dried herbs and you know my motto: the simpler the better. Since we both love garlic and onion, I tend to add a couple of cloves of garlic as well as an extra onion. And for Rob who needs a kick, I sometimes use some dried chillie as well. Personally I would prefer tagliatelle, as the recipe says, but most of the times we have this ragu with spaghetti pasta just as many do here. But apart from these few changes, I try to stick to the original recipe, which does work beautifully all the time. Having tried it out several times, I can now quite comfortably say that I can cook Spag Bol. So, here goes my big thank-you to Mr. Carluccio. THANK YOU! </p><div><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIvW8oCjXgFwRAvNU8VWU_APgtFvB8dgzvGrxDeYtMX3F5wrfAFLlULGF_wqXTwPRa6WgW6CLOReVL9j3B-9nwY8uCHur9lN5RgitFxOcQ9inS9B5umNA9vdpjh4NTs7-B88H_II0SyI/s1600-h/Spag+Bol.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345505599918060114" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIvW8oCjXgFwRAvNU8VWU_APgtFvB8dgzvGrxDeYtMX3F5wrfAFLlULGF_wqXTwPRa6WgW6CLOReVL9j3B-9nwY8uCHur9lN5RgitFxOcQ9inS9B5umNA9vdpjh4NTs7-B88H_II0SyI/s400/Spag+Bol.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div><br /></div><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0u-O72dCa9v5Y6ekdhWwUUNV5EDYftw_ByDVMaBv4rcq5PKLkmlP8CzGVgci5ZndGQHKXunGR1aCb7_zWP46GYiZA4NcQmSQKNNDgwJn_Y0Whvt8m7yZE4AASih3aSfQqs0YRl10JzU/s1600-h/Spag+Bol-705435.JPG"></a></p>Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-35882953482005572292009-05-27T10:45:00.004+01:002009-06-10T02:38:18.681+01:00Complete novice's fruit loaf<div>Last week I managed to bake a fruit bread following a recipe from a newspaper supplement. I was rather nervous as this was only my second attempt ever to bake something in my whole existence. In addition to that, the very first time I ever tried to bake a cake, a dark chocolate cake to be precise, it all went horribly wrong. I was making the cake mixture according to the recipe and what happened was that I did not realise 4 tablespoon of espresso coffee should be in the liquid form. Yes, I simply used the ground espresso coffee beans instead and the result was a disaster. To be honest with you, I don't think it is very economical to bake breads or cakes at home when there are only two of us, albeit we are rather greedy people. Of course, it would be a different story if you have a big family or friends nearby to share the fruit (sic) of your efforts.<br /><br />Anyway, a few weeks back I came across a fruit bread recipe by Peter Sidwell, the chef from Yorkshire, England. According to the paper, his recipe was based on a traditional Yorkshire fruit bread recipe from his wife's grandmother. It sounded quite nice and most importantly very easy to make. That's right. I wouldn't have been tempted if it had looked slightly complicated or required many ingredients nor any special tools. Good thing was that it turned out to be really easy actually. And to my great relief, both Rob and my friend seemed to like it.<br /><br />Once again I would like to make it clear that my recipe is almost entirely based on Peter Sidwell's recipe. To reflect that and to emphasise my lack of baking skills, I have changed the name of the recipe accordingly. Since I did not want the loaves too sweet, I have reduced the amount of sugar and dried fruits slightly. I have also added raisins to dried dates. Maybe I should try with mixed dried fruits or cherries next time.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000000;">Complete novice's fruit loaf</span></strong><br /><br /><em>Serves 4 - 6 (depending how greedy they are)</em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#999999;">Ingredients</span></strong><br />600g chopped dried dates & raisins<br />200ml espresso or strong coffee<br />400g self-raising flour<br />250g unsalted butter<br />200g caster sugar<br />4 large eggs<br />100g whole hazelnuts<br />4 tbsp milk<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#999999;">Method</span></strong><br />1. Soak the dried fruits in the espresso coffee for about 10 minutes until they have softened.<br />2. Rub together the flour and butter, then add the sugar and the whisked eggs.<br />3. Pour in the soaked dried fruits and coffee and add the hazelnuts. Finally add the milk and mix well.<br />4. Divide the mixture between two greased 2lb loaf tins lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for an hour at 130C/ gas mark 1, then for another hour at 100C/ gas mark 1/4.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345507082963929122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 261px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwoFOemrUAxfpinqc5WK08In2X-RjnUozevr9BBBOJfNKfqvJ16iQtxPkBlCbZRkVKtNxcLcVSxETncubalOiz_Kd5K8mDzde2n464AjZ_INnM0fANA6TzsyGn3eRZwD5ZSxdXNkIBlU/s400/Fruit+bread+3.JPG" border="0" /><br />PS: I was going to include the link to the original recipe here but I could not find it on the paper's website for some reason.</div>Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-919126016872301092009-05-18T22:54:00.000+01:002009-05-19T12:37:05.858+01:00Swedish meatballs<blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote>It may sound sad but I love <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">IKEA</span> no matter what other people say about this Swedish furniture company. Probably I am not the only one considering the fact it has 231 stores in 24 countries now. (Yes, I had to check it on their website. I'm this sad!) For me, the attraction of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">IKEA</span> is not only their furniture or the way they display them cleverly although I tend to spend hours and hours just wandering about in the store like many others. I also like the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">IKEA</span> FOOD. I would never leave the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">IKEA</span> store without buying loads of goodies from Swedish Food Market, especially the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">IKEA</span> meatballs (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Kottbullar</span>) and all the trimmings - cream sauce (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Graddas</span>) & <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">lingonberry</span> jam (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Lingonsylt</span>). Yummy! I think they are the best meatballs I have ever had. (I know it's ready made ones but I'm not ready for making my own meatballs yet. Not just yet!) Since they are frozen, you can keep them in the freezer for quite a while, which is handy.<br /><br />We normally have meatballs with mashed potato and sauerkraut as well as cream sauce and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">lingonberry</span> jam. Being a Scot, Rob prefers mashed potato to boiled potatoes. As for sauerkraut, I know perfectly well that it is German not Swedish. One time we had to substitute the pickled red cabbage from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">IKEA</span> with this German version since it was out of stock. Luckily its sharper taste worked very well with the rest. So there we go. Even without microwave oven, it only takes 15 minutes to cook the meatballs in the oven. You can make the mash and the cream sauce while they are being cooked. So quick and simple!<br /><br />Sadly we finished the last bag of meatballs tucked in our freezer last Sunday. As we don't have any plans to visit <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">IKEA</span> any time soon, I think I am going to miss the tasty meatballs for a while. Still I have to say I was quite pleased to share the last meatballs with J, my friend.<br /><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIFuWGt53azJVuHCSStf7o8qY8w3ypXOCNAiTEuZKVv_oGx1e3Lwkra-aFhHQUnOCgkS4g60vNM6-cLj3CP_7cvcETWR1DwOC9LND1xTcv8YtnZsVgYX0HtGEBwZSktWK4A_ocne9ec8/s1600-h/Meatballs+4.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337292137027548850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 296px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIFuWGt53azJVuHCSStf7o8qY8w3ypXOCNAiTEuZKVv_oGx1e3Lwkra-aFhHQUnOCgkS4g60vNM6-cLj3CP_7cvcETWR1DwOC9LND1xTcv8YtnZsVgYX0HtGEBwZSktWK4A_ocne9ec8/s320/Meatballs+4.JPG" border="0" /></a>Ready to cook... </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQDPSsix-rUVy_7I37tat9Ux7sXxfxL81EPP4OWp9VZCycE8Wo9I_1cAmQmgFkk4-uWyLMVBF1aNyllRsIkqTnT7C1kknwIMEMfgXOxNBomt2sQ2V02nYqcKwQSf_gxBbJvQMOBJ1csk/s1600-h/Meatballs+3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337289802853013330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQDPSsix-rUVy_7I37tat9Ux7sXxfxL81EPP4OWp9VZCycE8Wo9I_1cAmQmgFkk4-uWyLMVBF1aNyllRsIkqTnT7C1kknwIMEMfgXOxNBomt2sQ2V02nYqcKwQSf_gxBbJvQMOBJ1csk/s320/Meatballs+3.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center">... and ready to eat!!! (On this occasion we also had to </div><div align="center">substitute lingonberry jam with the red current jelly.)<br /></div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div>Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-6365175932854416382009-05-08T12:21:00.000+01:002009-05-26T18:03:16.115+01:00Korean egg toastMy husband never says no to an egg (or to eggs more likely) and neither do I. The beauty of eggs is that you don't need to know much about cooking to enjoy them. Even if you just boil or fry them, they are simply tasty. As an inexperienced cook I like its simplicity and readiness, but of course I do understand that there are far too many ways to use them in cooking & baking. I guess Rob's favourite egg dish will be egg sandwiches whereas mine should be Korean omelette (계란말이). We both love eggs so much that they tend to appear on our shopping list almost without fail. Now that we are joined by another egg lover, my friend J, the egg consumption index in this household seems to have reached its peak.<br /><br />A recent addition to our egg dishes is the 'Korean egg toast'. This is a kind of street food popular among the busy Koreans as breakfast on-the-go or just as snacks. Basically it is an omelette sandwiched between two slices of toasted white bread (I don't think we had brown/wholemeal bread in Korea). It is important to toast the bread in the frying pan/griddle with a little bit of oil. To make an omelette mixture, use one egg and some finely chopped vegetables such as onion, carrot and spring onion per serving. No need to add milk or water. When the toast is ready to be assembled in the frying pan, it is optional to add a slice of processed cheddar cheese. Believe me - it is better than the real thing! And finally some dash of tomato ketchup to go with it. Now enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5B6eGctLFbzD4tTVouwEeVJ7M903OjyGLi3kc2kI5Wl9VfVt-6ThT8lKT3aNPOOSaVhNsIlJQ9tl3luYhMZzcbYyG43H_Hv_DLE-WwcQV7zcSU5hmsZOHlPeFr1V_UOIDSDypW2oEs6M/s1600-h/Korean+toast.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334607965953211282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5B6eGctLFbzD4tTVouwEeVJ7M903OjyGLi3kc2kI5Wl9VfVt-6ThT8lKT3aNPOOSaVhNsIlJQ9tl3luYhMZzcbYyG43H_Hv_DLE-WwcQV7zcSU5hmsZOHlPeFr1V_UOIDSDypW2oEs6M/s320/Korean+toast.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><p></p><p>PS: This picture shows the toasts made with wholemeal bread because we do not normally have white bread. Still I think the soft white bread will go better with this recipe.</p></div>Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-58793673434064500582009-05-03T21:31:00.000+01:002009-05-06T10:52:46.950+01:00Friend's visitJ - one of my Korean friends is currently staying with us for a few weeks. We had met each other when we were doing our course at the University here. One of the reasons we became close was that we shared the love of food and the willingness to try new food stuff. For example, she was the only other Korean who liked Marmite apart from me. The main difference between her and me is the size, I guess. Whereas I'm very tall, J is tiny (& cute I may add) and naturally eats only a small amount of food. Unfortunately for me, she now lives in Korea and is only visiting the UK for a couple of months.<br /><br />Thanks to her, we have been having lots of Korean food recently. Nothing grand or special but just simple dishes. Luckily, this suits fine all three of us. My husband loves Korean food, especially Kimchi or anything spicy. Like most Koreans, my friend seems to prefer Korean diet to western. A lot healthier arguably. Sensible girl! And me? As I said, I am quite happy with any sorts of food and I don't mind cooking either. The only trouble is that I am very very slow and tend to panic if the task looks slightly daunting. As a result, I tend to stick to a handful of recipes I feel comfortable with. Very bad! I know. Good news is that J is a lot quicker and more confident in cooking and with her help, I have been practising some other Korean dishes. I am sure that there will be another handful of Korean recipes in my collection by the end of her stay. <div></div><div></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTE8lkCpXoFP29UxxnivTWhZ_GC8WQAClpXZb99Zva8KYYbxWNhPltThyphenhyphenmFPFDR07RU5fLL-raKm3E-BWWjj3r63OoXAFI9VH8L4Vk86iCBpzvpeH21gNF8bT4q5oe9na9ChyphenhyphenOKhCv-Ek/s1600-h/Korean+dishes.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331975101034790626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTE8lkCpXoFP29UxxnivTWhZ_GC8WQAClpXZb99Zva8KYYbxWNhPltThyphenhyphenmFPFDR07RU5fLL-raKm3E-BWWjj3r63OoXAFI9VH8L4Vk86iCBpzvpeH21gNF8bT4q5oe9na9ChyphenhyphenOKhCv-Ek/s320/Korean+dishes.JPG" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331976544208522802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2y3IXx5L0KhTukcl-KqJzmhJ3SXVOSXMJ6cDQ9AN0MCH-NN3t7T5iV-x07ERtpevjmp9ZSA2Qo9xsjGxt1k9c8IaA4aXO7RlpQEiUZ6pzZYL25zetERFi2XIJBb1yfpKTK2hi-_F-ZQ/s320/Rice+%26+Soup.JPG" border="0" /> </div>Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-25949985592611928592009-04-26T08:43:00.000+01:002009-04-26T16:44:04.980+01:00Picture of KimchiAfter my very first post, my husband pointed out that I should have some photographs of Kimchi on this site. I was, of course, fully aware of that myself. The trouble was that I had no pictures of Kimchi nor any Kimchi at home to take a photo of. Luckily I had a chance to have a meal at one of my Korean friends' house the other night. I took my camera with me and took some shots. As I had not told her my ulterior motive, they seemed to look rather too natural without any cosmetic dressing and with poor lighting. But probably the main reason why it did not look great is down to my basic phtographic skills. Anyway, this is KIMCHI (김치), to be precise the CABBAGE KIMCHI (배추김치) and this will do until I could get some decent ones.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYq_uDaJghAVoSGIPAo9AlIal5mZprMt9mTNF2lo65-8ENmt-Hd1hp29MuFDg4Sw9RCCkBrzqfDa-MNa0Fwb8rQQztCBiRvI1iy_PpuBFNLJoctBhvhtkw8mjFc7CrYdyRABOVWpu6rU/s1600-h/KIMCHEEEEEEEE.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328902896082848802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 204px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYq_uDaJghAVoSGIPAo9AlIal5mZprMt9mTNF2lo65-8ENmt-Hd1hp29MuFDg4Sw9RCCkBrzqfDa-MNa0Fwb8rQQztCBiRvI1iy_PpuBFNLJoctBhvhtkw8mjFc7CrYdyRABOVWpu6rU/s320/KIMCHEEEEEEEE.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277579465091119719.post-84426857359897038712009-04-22T23:22:00.000+01:002009-05-04T12:09:34.637+01:00Why Kimchi?Like my fellow Koreans, I love Kimchi so much. There is a variety of Kimch dishes to begin with and it is also so versatile that you could use it in many Korean dishes. Unfortunately outside Korea, not many people seem to know about Kimchi at all. For those who has never tried it, Kimchi is a kind of raw vegetable dish made of mainly Chinese cabbage or radish with the seasoning of salt, chilli pepper powder, garlic, ginger, onion, spring onion and so forth. It is normally eaten after a couple of days when it starts developing unique flavour by fermentation. It is scientifically proven that it has a great deal of health benefits. It makes me feel very proud of my ancestors who came up with the recipe. How clever!<br /><br />I came to the UK to study in the spring of 2002. Sadly I had to say goodbye to my beloved Kimchi because firstly, I didn't know how to make it myself. Secondly, I was just lazy and poor as I am now, so I wouldn't go and buy the relatively pricey ready-made stuff at the Korean grocery shops (not easy to find them unless you live in the central London or New Malden, Surrey). It was OK since although I loved my Kimchi very much, I was known for having a versatile palate to cope with any kinds of food (maybe greedy in other words?). No one I knew really worried about me in that matter actually. They knew I would survive as long as there was any type of form of food available. Yes, that's ME!<br /><br />Apart from the occasional encounters, my life was continued without Kimchi and I was more or less happy. Then I met Rob my husband back in 2006 and fell in love and all that sort. He is originally from Edinburgh and had never met any Koreans before me. Naturally he was very curious about anything Korean including food and I dutifully tried to let him sample as much Korean food as I could (not necessarily of my cooking though). To my surprise, he instantly liked Kimchi and became a huge fan. I was lucky because he was very open about different types of food and also liked spicy foods in general.<br /><br />Anyway, when I was considering the name of this blog, I was thinking about food which will also reflect my identity. I was quite tempted to call myself - the lazy cook but I am hardly a cook and besides there was somebody else using this name. Hmm... How about Kimchi? Kimchi = Korean? OK, that will do.<br /><br />The thing is that I love food but I am not really a good cook nor experienced in food industry as other people might have. Therefore, I know perfectly well that I am not qualified, in any sense, to run a proper food blog if you know what I mean. I am just very envious about people who can express themselves in their blogs. There are things I like to learn more about but I always have a list of endless excuses and I never seem to achieve anything. This is my humble beginning just to motivate myself to learn a thing or two about food and some other stuff as well. Yes, I would give it a go. I cannot pretend that I am an expert or a connoisseur in anything. So, this is from someone simply interested in food. Nothing more or nothing less. I hope this would take me somewhere, ideally somewhere nice. One can dream, can't one? But hope I'm not fooling myself here.Kimchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17377772006678827810noreply@blogger.com0