Started off the New Year with a bang as I headed down to the Mokdong Immigration Office for fun times with the officers. Fortunately in the past ten years they've improved enormously and I was in and out with my visa extension in less than an hour.
On the way back to the subway station I passed the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism International Seon Center. Seems to be fairly new and ever so sparkly... Official website here and more info here with the promise of temple food cooking classes.
Experimenting with roasted vegetables yesterday...
Peppers, aubergines, garlic, oyster mushrooms and cherry tomatoes roasted with olive oil in a 200 degree oven then arranged in an obsessive compulsive fashion on the left hand side of each plate. Served with pesto covered spaghetti and a little grated parmesan.
It has been a baking weekend in the Ajosshi household, my wife has been busy scouring the patisserie books again and this time wanted to pipe and bake her own meringues. 90 minutes in the oven and out came these little beauties. Slightly wonky in places, but still very tasty.
It's a good start to the year to come home to a chocolate cake...
Fortunately my wife has been experimenting and after a rummage through our collection of Cordon Bleu patisserie books decided to make the "Gateau Au Chocolat Classique". We happened to have some "Peruvian Black" pure cacao in our fridge and the resulting cake is beautifully moist, sinfully rich and a delicious start to 2011.
And yes, in case you were wondering, those are mini smarties on top...
First post of 2011 has a nature theme. Back in April last year I wandered round the palaces taking photos of cherry blossoms and stumbled upon a paddling of mandarin ducks. Here's a few shots...
Hopefully I'll be able to spend a little more time chasing animals for snapshots this year.
2010 has been a strange year, filled with new experiences, joyous moments and terrible losses.
Thanks for reading my ramblings and looking at my photos. I'm glad that each and everyone of you have taken the time to visit my blog (even the spambots). I hope that you all leave 2010 in peace and start 2011 in health and happiness.
For my last post of 2010 I wanted to conclude the year with a photo from my August trip to Paris. The domed ceiling of the Palais Garnier Opera House. One of the most beautiful theatres I have ever visited and an opulent tribute to the performing arts.
Here's hoping 2011 is filled with beauty, love, rabbits and lucrative job opportunities (for me and for you).
This means nothing to those who don't follow Korean or Japanese theatre and dance, but a great man died today.
Designer Aikawa Masaki was a genius at lighting the stage. He was able to bring something incredible to each performance he worked on, enabling the Director's transformation of the theatre, bringing each audience member further into the world he helped create.
I had the privilege to meet him for the first time just over ten years ago and worked on a number of productions with him for YiGina Theatre and Mokwha Repertory Company. He was a jovial fellow, always happy and calm, even under intense pressure. I've seen him work with both Korean and British crews and despite not speaking either language well, he was able to communicate his wishes whenever he needed to. He was charming, kind and deeply loved by all who knew him.
The world has lost a brilliant designer today. May he rest in peace.
I made two incredible discoveries today, both involving the video game classic Street Fighter. The first was at Synnara in Yongsan, whilst raiding their bargain dvd bin I discovered this little gem:
거리의 무법자 (Street Fighter) was a 1992 Korean cartoon adaptation of the game, featuring Ryu and Ken (with black hair) as a pair of snot nosed idiots who lust after Julie (based on the always popular Chun-li). They get into various japes, meet up with Blanka, Guile and Dhalsim and work together to fight off the evil M. Bison.
It's a ridiculous 50 minutes of childish cartoon antics, a curiosity of sorts for those, like me, who grew up with the Street Fighter games. You can read more about it in Korean (or English with google translate) here.
My second discovery was whilst searching for info on this Korean cartoon wonder. I stumbled across a Youtube video which, whilst only very short, gives us a taste of what the Korean live action version of Street Fighter was like:
Such style, such panache, such special effects and makeup. It's my new favourite tv programme. 거리의 무법자 사랑해요!
Zenkimchi may have the best rundown on Korean Christmas cakes this year, but I''m able to show you something a little different. This tiny Christmas bundle of joy was baked by my mother, brought over by my father and has been maturing for a month or so (as all good Christmas cakes should).
A dense fruitcake covered in a layer of marzipan and then a layer of fondant icing makes for a delicious way to celebrate the seasonal holidays. I have no need for ice cream cakes or fresh fruit sponges, this is the perfect cure for the wintertime blues.
