Christmas Cookies

Christmas Cookies
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

I made Christmas cookies for all my students--over 300 cookies in all!

Five hours of work gone in about 10 minutes!

Memories of 2005

King Crab
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

I took my wife out for King Crab at Daepo Harbour for our anniversary. It was wonderful!

Memories of 2005 - Peppero Day

Peppero Day
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

Peppero Day - November 11, 2005.

Strange Cafe

Strange Cafe
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

This is one of the more unusual eating places to be found in Sokcho. It looks out over Yong Chon Li Beach in Youngrang-dong (North Sokcho). I haven't been inside, but I'm hoping to have the chance sometime soon.

Memories of 2005, part 2

Vancouver Aquarium
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

Well I didn't get to have any muktuk this year, but I did get to see the belugas up close at the Vancouver Aquarium. How can something so fat be so graceful??

Memories of 2005

Birthday Cake
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

One of my best baking memories of 2005. It took hour to make and minutes to eat.

Steamed Sweet Potato Bread

For those of you who left your oven at home (or if you have reliability issues with your oven, like me), a good option for some of your favorite recipes is to steam them. When I made pumpkin or banana loaves, they would inevitably burn on the bottom before being cooked through, due to my bottom-only gas heat (and a puny fan).

Last weekend I mixed up my own version of a sweet-potato raisin loaf, and decided to try steaming it instead of baking. I lined a flat-bottomed sieve (easy to find in Korean kitchenware or dollar stores) with a cheesecloth, poured in the dough, and put it in our steaming pot. About 40 minutes later, it was cooked through and ready to eat, piping hot!

I don’t see why this wouldn’t work with any other soda bread (banana, pumpkin, etc)—just cut back a bit on the liquids so it won’t run through the cheesecloth. I’ll report back soon—I have accumulated a fair bit of mashed banana in my freezer that should be used soon.

The only drawback to steaming is that you’ll need to eat it fairly quickly—it’s not so good after a day or two. Not that it will last that long, anyway.

My in-laws usually taste my baking cautiously, pronounce it to be delicious, and then stick it in the corner until it is moldy enough to be thrown away. Not this time.

Success!!

Now here’s the recipe for

Sweet Potato Raisin Nut Bread:

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

1/2 lb mashed cooked sweet potatoes (about 1 1/3 cups)

4 tbsp brown sugar

½ cup melted butter, shortening, or oil

2 small eggs

½ cup raisins

walnuts (for decoration)

Sift the dry ingredients (except the sugar) together in a bowl and set aside.

1. Beat the Mashed potatoes with the brown sugar, butter, and eggs until mixed.
2. Add the flour mixture, and mix just until moist. Stir in the raisins.
3. Line a steamer or flat-bottomed sieve with cheesecloth. Pour in the dough, and arrange the walnuts in a decorative pattern on top. Lay the cheesecloth lossely over the top of the dough.
4. Steam over boiling water for about 30 minutes, or until done. Unwrap and serve immediately.

Getting to know Sokcho

I've been trying to find some good maps of Sokcho to refer to on this site. There are a variety available on the Naver and Yahoo Korea portals, but they require a bit of Korean knowledge to navigate. So here are a few links to maps of Sokcho.

This map shows Sokcho and the surrounding coast in an ilustrated BeetleMap. You can find paper copies of this map at the Sokcho tourist booths next to the bus terminals. You must be using Internet Explorer to view it.

If you click on this map, an interactive map will pop up in a new window (also Internet Explorer only).

There is some good Tourist information available in English on the Sokcho Tourism site. This is also probably the best place to go for English Hotel Information.
(BTW, there is a big new Best Western hotel going up near Daepo harbour, but I can't find any information about it yet.)


What I would really like to know is where I can generate a good map to show where the resteraunts are that I am reviewing? That's so much easier than trying to follow an address.

Merry Christmas!

Nativity scene
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

Merry Christmas everyone!

May you all find joy, happiness, and peace as you celebrate Christ's birth.

Benign Girl

benign-girl
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

This is what my son is getting for Christmas--is Santa cruel or what?

Here's a brand new, thought-provoking blog by someone I deeply respect. It's called "Life." Go check it out. (Click on picture.)