foods and things

HIYA!

Friday night, after work, I bought a stone (granite I think) fry pan. I've been thinking I wanted to buy a fry pan. I found a stainless steel one (I don't want teflon coated ones) but didn't buy it because I wanted to compare prices. Then I thought about a stone pan. I don't know where I got the idea but it really intrigued me. So I jokingly asked a few people about it. Only one - a student - gave me a positive answer - that such a thing existed. So I asked the boss' wife and she called a place that she knows, told me they have stone fry pans and the price - about US$18. So I went and bought one. It's really neat. When I got to the shop and saw it, I said, "Of course. I've seen these before. At those restaurants where you grill the meat yourself at the table." I'll take a picture of it someday.

I haven't used it yet because I got the idea - from where I don't know - that it might need to be oiled or somehow treated before using it. So I looked around on the internet and found something that suggested it should. But no details. So I asked a few Koreans here but they all say nothing special is needed. No instructions came with it. I've thought about asking the boss' wife to call and ask the shop owner but she's so busy and ... never mind. If I damage it because I didn't treat it first, well .... I doubt it.

One of the first things I want to make is a kind of pancake. A Korean style one. I bought the mix and used it once. But at the time I didn't have a fry pan. Only a pot. So I put some batter into the pot and cooked it. Didn't work too well. Before I finished I heard some snapping, cracking, popping that I couldn't locate. Turns out that the pot has a lining or something on the bottom. It's a sheet of metal that is (still partially!) attached to the bottom, outside of the pot. Well, it started peeling off, I guess because of the heat. I've steamed potatoes and sweet potatoes a few times with no trouble. But this time I didn't put any water into it because I wanted to use it as a fry pan. Now I'm guessing that pots can't be used as fry pans! Shoot. My boss loaned this to me. So I went out and bought a new one. The pancakes that I tried to make didn't turn out so well. I don't know if they'll turn out well with this stone pan.

And there's a local food that I love to death. It's a buckwheat flour pancake rolled up with some shredded giant Japanese radish, some chopped green onion, and some toasted sesame rolled up inside. These are delicious. And a little while ago I found a recipe in English on the internet. Doesn't look hard to make but a couple of people have told me it is hard to make. The lady who I buy this delicious food from at the fresh outdoor market not too awfully far from the school said she'll show me how to make it next time I go get some. I was shocked to see that the recipe calls for PORK FAT! I'm going to learn to say "pork fat" then ask the lady if she uses it. I suppose I'd know the smell and taste and would immediately reject it just from the smell. So I suppose the one I get at the market doesn't have pork fat.

Anyone interested? Need buckwheat flour, nothing else is unusual, unless you're not familar with those enormous white radishes. Some Americans seem to know them by the Japanese name of "daikon".

One of my favorite meals is to take a few bananas and some vegetables and blend them up. Wow. A bit of cinnamon is nice, and / or some ginger. A tiny bit of garlic doesn't hurt. Some goji berries (aka wolf berries) is great with just bananas.

Troy.