We Have Thoughts !

Welcome home xoxo. This is a group blog. We rate and review various media, all in our own special ways. Please join the conversation! We know YouHaveThoughtsToo!

[wehavethoughts]

Perilla Leaf Pancakes Review!

Perilla Leaf Pancakes

Skill level: Beginner

Media type: Recipe

Rating: 5/5 Hotteok’s

Note: It may be difficult to find perilla leaves depending on where you live. (That's why I had to grow my own!) Big Asian grocery stores such as H-Mart should have them, if you have any near you.

No content warnings apply.

Perilla leaves (깻잎) are aromatic leaves which are quite heavily used in Korean cuisine. Since I moved to the US, I've never lived in a city with big Asian markets such as H-Mart, which sadly means I haven't been able to enjoy perilla leaves for many years.

So this year, I decided to try growing my own. At first, when the seeds didn't sprout after one week, I almost gave up on them. However, to my surprise, they sprouted after 3 weeks and once they did, they were very low maintenance and flourished on their own. After a couple months, I had plenty to harvest!

This past weekend I tried to make perilla leaf pancakes, which my mom made for me all the time.

I'd recommend using Korean pancake mix (see picture below), but if you are not able to find some near you, the Korean Vegan has a recipe in one of her Highlights.

I referenced two recipes, both written in Korean. The recipes are very simple, but I was happy to learn several great tips. The first recipe suggests rinsing the leaves in vinegar, adding a couple ice cubes in the batter to make crispier pancakes, using medium-high heat to cook them crispy. The second recipe gives a similar recipe but it recommends using sparkling water to make the batter for crispy pancakes. The following is the recipe I used, translated to English.

Fill a large bowl with water and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Submerge perilla leaves and wait 5 minutes.

Rinse the leaves thoroughly in running water and let them dry. You can do this ahead of making the leaves so that they have enough time to dry. If short on time, you can pat dry them with a paper towel. Dry them well!

Mix 250 g of Korean pancake mix with 250 mL of cold sparkling water. (You can add a couple ice cubes to make it even colder.)

Put the leaves in the dough and pan fry them on medium-high heat.

They turned out great! They're a great appetizer/side dish/snack.

I mixed some soy sauce, rice vinegar, and red pepper powder (고춧가루) to eat the pancakes with. Most Korean pancake mixes have salt in them so you may not need any sauce to go with them.

When I was looking up recipes, I learned that perilla leaf pancakes are often stuffed with meat and veggies. I had no idea! My household cooked simple perilla leaf pancakes - just the leaves in some batter. I went with the simple version this time since those were what I was craving for but I'd love to give stuffed pancakes a try sometime soon.

- CoreaMod

[wehavethoughts]

Banana Bread Muffin in a Mug Review!

Media Type: Recipe Source/Author: Skinnytaste/Gina Homolka Skill Level: Beginner

4/5 Cinnamon Buns

Cooking or “baking” using the microwave has always intimidated me a little bit. There seems to be such a slim margin for error because it cooks so quickly! It feels like a few extra seconds in the microwave is the difference between just right and overcooked/rubbery. However, it does have the major benefit of providing a delicious warm dessert within 5 minutes! These banana bread muffins in a mug are not quite like baked banana muffins, but did come together very quickly and were very satisfying! I also love its versatility.

CinnaMod’s Alterations:

Add cinnamon

Exclude sugar (sugar is optional--I prefer a less sweet banana bread)

Double recipe to use entire banana

The Experience:

In a bowl, mash the banana and mix in vanilla and oil (the oil was optional, but used it here).

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, then add the banana mixture. This mixture is a little wetter than banana bread batters I’ve previously made.

Because I doubled the recipe, I divided the batter into two small bowls before topping one with pecans and one with sprinkles.

Microwave until the center is no longer wet. For my 1000-watt microwave, this took about 90 seconds as the recipe says. During this process, my muffin rose significantly in the microwave then sunk back down after resting for one minute.

Do not skip resting for a minute! It will be very hot!

The Taste/Texture:

The taste was spot on! I prefer the muffin with the pecans more than the one with sprinkles. The sprinkles looked nice before microwaving, but they got stuck to the side of the bowl and left a little staining. I found this still very sweet without the sugar.

Texture was a little bit more chewy instead of the tender crumb I’m used to with banana bread, but I did not mind. I do not believe the muffin was supposed to sink back down, but my baking powder is a little older.

I would still make this dessert again. It’s not quite like banana bread, but is very banana-y which I enjoy.

For Next Time:

Use new baking powder

Exclude oil

Top with chocolate chips

~CinnaMod~

No Content Warnings Apply

[wehavethoughts]

On a Sunbeam Review!

On a Sunbeam By: Tillie Walden Science Fiction Graphic Novel First Second Publisher, 2018

Rating: 4/5 Waves

This review CONTAINS (mild) spoilers for On a Sunbeam.

Content warnings for On a Sunbeam: Violence, bullying, transphobia (brief misgendering of a non-binary character)

Summary: Mia is a young woman just out of academy who begins work with a construction crew specializing in repairing ancient and forgotten places. Throughout her journey, glimpses of Mia’s past show that she has some unfinished and dangerous business she needs to complete before she truly moves forward with her life. A tale of love, adventure and belonging (~in space~).

Review: The first thing that stands out about this graphic novel is, of course, the art. The style is whimsical and lively in a way that I was not expecting going into a science fiction story. While I’m more used to the cluttered gritty sci-fi look, I adored this creative decision. The author also uses color well both to emphasize climactic moments and to disgust between two distinct timelines (past and present). I also loved how beautiful all of the places the characters visited were. Walden clearly had a vision for this sci-fi world and the visuals are some of the most compelling aspects of this story. The only location that I didn’t find appealing was the academy that we see in Mia’s flashbacks. While that may be intentional, the academy stood out as so bland and sterile that in most of those scenes I found myself hoping that we would switch our focus back to the interesting places Mia found herself in the present.

Walden also does a great job at building tension throughout the story. Between the art and how the plot builds I was on the edge of my seat for the final third of this book. That being said, the first two thirds of this book were much slower than I prefer in a graphic novel and it took me longer to finish this book than I usually would because I kept putting it down in the beginning. I still highly recommend it though, because once the story gets going it really moves!

Besides the great art, On a Sunbeam also has some fabulous characters and I loved that in the main cast we get a non-binary crew mate and many women of color. All of our characters get their own arc and are complex and multifaceted in a way that we need to see more of in media. One very interesting aspect of this graphic novel is that there are no male main characters. In fact, I am almost certain that there are no male characters in this story at all. Personally, I did not find this to be distracting. In fact, I didn’t notice until about half way through, but for anyone expecting male characters it is something to be aware of.

At its heart, On a Sunbeam is a love story and what resonated with me the most was that this was a sapphic love story. The journey of Mia and her girlfriend Grace is beautiful, moving and wildly refreshing in that there is no homophobia in the science fiction setting that Walden crafted. What comes between these lovers is culture, obligation and geography which are in no way related to the fact that they are both women. In fact, the captain of Mia’s construction crew is in a loving supportive marriage with her wife and the presence of multiple sapphic couples in the narrative is treated as commonplace and with the utmost respect. 

That being said, the society in this story not completely idealistic as the non-binary crew mate, Elliot, is misgendered by an antagonistic character. This is immediately and thoroughly addressed in the narrative, but in a setting where the author decided to exclude homophobia, I had hoped to avoid all types of bigotry.

Overall, On a Sunbeam is a quick, fun story that is a must read for anyone interested in science fiction, action adventure and/or love stories.  

[wehavethoughts]

Interior Chinatown Review!

Media Title:  Interior Chinatown Author: Charles Yu Media Type: Hardcover large print book Published: Pantheon Books, 2020 Genre: Literary Fiction

Reviewed By: MargeMod Content Warnings: Racism, Discrimination

This review contains spoilers for Interior Chinatown 

Rating: Full bouquet out of a full bouquet

Summary: Written mostly in a screenplay-type of format, this relatively small book is the fictional life story of Willis (Ming-Chen) Wu. A promising young man who has his academic career cut short when he decides to decline his acceptance into UCLA's doctoral program to go home to care for his ill mother. His life is further redirected when he can't find any job in his field because, as one recruiter tells him, his accent is the problem. Funny thing, Willis doesn't have an accent. The recruiter agrees and tells him that is just weird, an Asian-looking man should not speak unaccented English. So Willis accepts a job as an actor in Chinatown where among other things, he must become fluent in accented English. His roles include: Disgraced Son, Delivery Guy, Guy Who Runs in and Gets Kicked in the Face, Striving Immigrant, Background Oriental Male and Generic Asian Man.

Review: In my journey to combat racism and become a better ancestor (see previous review of Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad) I want to read stories told by other Americans in their own voice. This month, I selected this award winning novel by Charles Yu. The story takes us along as a young Asian man tries to live his best life only to remain slotted to a very narrow set of options simply because of how he looks.

Using the screenplay-type of format, the author visually sets the story as this family's scripted existence. I had never read a book that used this format. At first it was a little confusing, but I eventually recognized that the format itself was helping to tell the story. This book is interesting visually and in its heart is simply the story of family love and ambition in a racist society.

In America if you look a certain way you are expected to sound a certain way and play specific roles. Until the mid-1900s, State and Federal laws severely limited Asian citizen rights and liberties. Adding to this tragedy, the white-dominated society in the US continues to pigeonhole and limit it's Asians sons and daughters long after these horrific laws were overturned. I gave this book my highest rating because it is written well, is in an interesting format, and has much to teach us non-Asians.

[wehavethoughts]

Darryl Carter Review! Part 2: The Collected Home

The Collected Home: Rooms with Style, Grace, and History

By Darryl Carter

With Trish Donnally

Photographs by Gordon Beall

Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2012

“Forgo the immediate, and embrace the lasting.”

Darryl Carter is a sophisticated interior designer who champions blending the modern with the traditional. Last review, I looked at The New Traditional, in which Carter defined his style with shining examples and anecdotes from his personal experiences. Four years later, The Collected Home elaborates on Carter’s special approach to interior design, providing more concrete suggestions by room for readers who are on their own design journeys. Welcome to Part 2!

The Collected Home is successful in its generous plethora of ideas shared in an organized way, as well as its written voice which encourages the reader to follow her own preferences, goals, and intuition. In the end, the hard-cover merits 5 out of 6 treasured geese.

In the Introduction and throughout, Carter repeatedly rallies the reader to have fun during the process. Without forgetting to urge you to be thoughtful and careful in your selections, Carter promises that patience and excitement can coexist. The Collected Home is, in a way, antithetical to current DIY movements; both welcome creativity, but Carter’s approach favors discovery, planning, and listening. Reflection questions throughout the volume ask readers to consider how they use spaces from needs to style proclivity:What appliances do you use? 

Where do you anticipate needing electrical outlets? Step-stools?

How many people eat here regularly?

How often do you buy food? How do you store it?

Where do you want privacy? 

How frequently do you use things?

What’s important to access in your daily life?

I think reflection is key. Too often I see everyday people getting into interior design by coming into contact with a particular aesthetic they like and want to consume. This isn’t bad or good, but doesn’t allow for a few things to happen. 

First, you end up robbing yourself of the joy of collecting, which takes time. Of course, most interior designers recommend starting with mood boards or inspirational images to brainstorm goals and envision ideas. But if this stage is done in one afternoon, or after watching one YouTuber, the result is rarely a style you will truly treasure, let alone one that will last. Changing and growing is to be expected (and celebrated!), but Carter’s idea of home is to be an assemblage of meaningful treasures, and a gathering of all things personal. Basically, not something you can replicate from elsewhere.

“The home should be oriented toward your personal use and enjoyment.”

The second incentive to reflect deeply before transforming your space is because often we do not listen to what the house tells you, about itself and about you. I really appreciate when designs recognize that the home has a voice, and that the particularities of the space are one-of-a-kind! This includes materials in walls, light coming from outside, proportions of doors and closets, everything! Carter insists on process as play: upcycling or reclamation, contributions from everyone in the household, and envisioning multiple possibilities can say a lot about how the home wants to be inhabited. In his price-range, Carter recommends collaborating with tradespeople, architects, and others who can provide a solution you may not have thought of-- or even how to make a limitation work better than the original idea. Does the house offer natural lighting instead of needing to buy a fixture? Would durable floors serve residents better than a fancier floor, thus allowing something else in the space to shine? Can you repurpose cabinets as children’s desks? Or reuse an old door as a pony wall for a bit of separation? Are you able to retrofit furniture into existing architectural elements, like shelving? Knowing and building relationships with craftspeople and experts will only enhance your experience creating your home.

“Often, intangibles define the experience of a home.”

Carter clearly has years of experience and an extensive network in his field. My main critique of The Collected Home is in being way out of league for many readers. Most people don’t collect antique Han dynasty figurines to learn how to display, or own a cast-sculpture of a carousel horse to orient in a foyer. Carter uses lots of terms I had to look up. He also shared swatches from his own paint line that he developed. He’s clearly involved in the art world and has a sophisticated relationship with artists, sculptors, and antique vendors. Furniture designer George Nakashima is featured for embedding an antique work table into a ‘frame’ to actually function (below left). It’s actually really cool. The book just seemed out-of-reach at times.

This is not for lack of encouragement and really clever ideas! I particularly like his vision to buy furniture pieces that can translate into different uses over time. A lot of projects he described leaned into a chance find at a flea market, or pre-existing architectural features, such as staircases or windows. All of his nuanced and well-trained advice is great for people who have the resources to hire experts. Any of his inspiration can be ‘dialed down’, especially because Carter included so many concrete questions to ask and possibilities to consider. For example, he acknowledges the more affordable but high-impact option of ‘try painting it’. He repeats that nothing should be too precious to use, which is an excellent sentiment. 

The Collected Home showcases impressive and high-quality interior design, exactly what it says it does. 5 of 6 sensible geese.

With loving curiosity, 

DesignMod

[wehavethoughts]

Japanese Breakfast's Jubilee Review!

Album title: Jubilee Artist: Japanese Breakfast (Michelle Zauner) Label: Dead Oceans Release date: June 2021 Rating: 5/5 Bingsu’s

I’ve been seeing lots of Japanese Breakfast (Michelle Zauner, a Korean American artist) content in my various social media feeds leading up to Crying in H Mart’s publication in April. It’s a memoir written by Michelle Zauner herself, about the grief she struggled with after the passing of her mother, and how she found comfort in making Korean food during that dark period. I have had the book with me since its publication date but haven’t been able to gather the courage to delve into it. I’m still emotionally getting myself ready to be able to read it.

While I’ve been doing so, her new album Jubilee also dropped. A Pitchfork interview calls Jubilee “her biggest- and brightest-sounding album yet.” Even though I usually only listen to dark, somber, sad music, I was happy to hear that “after writing two albums and a book about grief, (she) felt very ready to embrace feeling.” And I’m absolutely enjoying the album, including cheery songs like “Paprika.” (It’s such a great opening song!) While there are many uplifting songs, there are also a couple darker songs like “In Hell” and “Tactics.” From “Paprika,” a song like a “surreal parade,” to “In Hell,” which is “about putting my dog down and thinking, Why couldn’t we just have this option when my mom was dying?,” the entire album is a worthy ride through all kinds of feelings. I hope you’ll give it a listen.

And I love the persimmon-themed aesthetics for her newest album as well. The Pitchfork interview says persimmons are “symbols of bitter fruit maturing into something sweet.” Which is just perfect. Adding to that fitting metaphor, for me personally, the fruit elicits such strong feelings of nostalgia. They are the epitome of my longing, homesickness, and reminiscence for the country I’ve deliberately chosen to leave and yet miss terribly to my core. Persimmons are such a common fruit in Korea but it’s unbelievably difficult to find in the US. I assume you could find better-quality persimmons in big cities like LA or NYC, but the few I’ve come across are over-priced ones at Whole Foods or some tiny ones found in a sad little basket at my local Asian market. Anticipating persimmons at the end of the long and grueling summer, spotting persimmons in a store and taking in the change of the season, peeling and eating them on an autumn evening are the things that only exist in my past. I have found a different rhythm to my life in a new home, but I’ll always have that lingering wistfulness with me. So yes, long story short, seeing persimmons all over her album cover and merch made me feel all the feelings. Especially, I love that there are persimmons hanging in the background. Just like how persimmons are hung to be made into 곶감 (dried persimmons). It's quite electrifying to see the love for something that's deep in your bones represented by somebody else who shares the same love.

p.s. Zauner’s Korean identity has become an integral part of her public persona. Why the name Japanese Breakfast, then? Trevor Noah had the same question. Zauner says: “I started the band as a side project in 2012 or 2013 with no idea that it would grow into what it is now or that I’d be talking about my Korean identity so much and I just saw a picture of a Japanese breakfast on the Internet and thought “that sounds nice!””

[wehavethoughts]

Overnight Oats Recipe Review!

Media Type: Recipe 

Source/Author: Love and Lemons/Jeanine Donofrio

Skill Level: Beginner

4/5 Cinnamon Buns

I have really been enjoying a bowl of plain oatmeal for breakfast recently, but as temperatures rise, my motivation to turn on the stove and cook oatmeal decreases. Enter overnight oats. I rediscovered these oats a few weeks ago and have made them several times since! This recipe from Love and Lemons includes the “base” overnight oatmeal as well as four delicious topping suggestions!

Cinna-Mod’s Alterations:

Exclude maple syrup - my oatmilk was slightly sweet already

Replace blueberries with mangos for one of the toppings

Add vanilla in the base oatmeal recipe used for both topping options

The Experience:

This is probably the easiest recipe I have ever made! 

Cherry Berry/Mango: Yogurt, frozen cherries, frozen mango (or blueberries), chia seeds, and maple syrup (optional)

Chocolate Chip Cookie: Almond/Peanut butter (I used peanut butter here, but I generally prefer almond butter), chocolate chips, almonds, and vanilla.

The Taste/Texture

The oats have a very pleasant texture with slightly more of a “bite” than traditionally cooked oats.

Overall, the oatmeal is less “slimy” than cooked oats--I like the texture of both overnight and cooked oats, but those who do not like the texture of cooked oats may enjoy overnight oats.

Cherry Berry/Mango: These toppings are slightly tart and extremely refreshing! It took me a little bit to adjust to the taste of yogurt and oatmeal together, but I think I do like it. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie: While I don’t think this tastes like a chocolate chip cookie, this option is very good and feels extremely indulgent!

 For Next Time:

Try the Coconut Tumeric and Sweet Sesame Tahini options!

 -CinnaMod-

No Content Warnings Apply

[wehavethoughts]

Dial “A” for Aunties Review!

Media Title:  Dial “A” for Aunties Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto Media Type: Hard copy book Genre: Literary Fiction, Dark Humor, Mystery, Intrigue Reviewed By: MargeMod Content Warnings: Attempted sexual assault, death, violence, racism

This review CONTAINS spoilers for Dial “A” for Aunties.

Rating:  One Flower out of a Full Bouquet 

Summary: Is it possible to be your own person when you are happily part of a large and loving family that thinks it knows what is best for you? Author Jesse Sutanto takes us on a rollercoaster ride of what it is like to live in an Asian extended family with aunties galore! As the only child who came home after college, Maddelin has trouble finding a balance between her own happiness and family expectations. When her mother creates an online dating profile for her and inadvertently uses code language (eggplant, for example) that attracts a certain kind of date, she has to take drastic action to prevent an assault. Her date is accidentally killed and in a sudden panic she turns to her aunties to help her deal with the body. She and all the aunties are busy providing flowers, photography services and a wedding cake to a huge wedding the next day so there isn't time to permanently address the body situation, so they improvise. Throw in that the wedding is being held at an exclusive resort managed by Maddelin's true love and the reader has no clue how she can possibly escape being charged with murder let alone reunite with the man of her dreams.

Review: This book was a delight! The main character and her aunties were so fun to be around, it made you want to be on this crazy ride.  When the Aunties interact with each other, she hits the whole sister-dynamic right on the head. As the middle daughter of five daughters, I recognize and thoroughly approve of the interplay between the sisters in this book.  How everything tied together at the end was terrific.  I appreciated that the author explains in her opening message that the style of dialogue she uses for her aunties is not in any way making fun of them and is not disrespectful.  She explains at some length in a "Dear Reader" message before the Prologue that her family's merging of Indonesian, Mandarin and English can seem "jagged and cracked, and we often struggle to convey what we are trying to say." She further notes that "This is the price my parents have had to pay to ensure that my brother and I were safe and sound." Some of her characters speak in this broken way and the author notes that this reflects their trilingual abilities. She sees the line between authenticity and stereotype and hopes that her use of this technique is seen by the reader as authentic. I love that she explained this dialogue usage to me so that I could understand her as an author and appreciate this wonderful family she created in her book.

So, you might ask, if it is such a delightful book, why the low rating? The accidental death and how the body was handled abruptly pulled me out of the book. First, I'm not sure why the author thought it was necessary to evolve the initial "accidental" murder into a later horrifying death by suffocation. She glossed right over this transition and then thought it was funny (I did not) to have a bunch of drunk guys carry the corpse around because they thought he was a drunk member of the wedding party. For me, this part of her story makes it so that I cannot wholeheartedly recommend her book. Though, for readers who enjoy this type of dark humor or who don’t mind these kinds of plot points, Dial “A” for Aunties may be a good choice.

[wehavethoughts]

Darryl Carter Review! Part 1: The New Traditional

The New Traditional by Darryl Carter With Trish Donnally Photographs by Gordon Beall Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2008

I’m venturing out of my comfort zone in both form and function. This book is from 2008, so not the freshest on the interior design scene. Additionally, the sophisticated style is far from my personal taste. Regardless, I also thought it’d be fun to have a two-part review, rating Darryl Carter’s two books. Carter is Black and male, and I’m trying to include non-white cis-female authors in my reviews. I was going to do two books in one post, but I think each one stands on it’s own. This post will address The New Traditional and next time, I’ll review The Collected Home. Welcome to Part 1. 

This large-scale, hardcover volume is fit for a coffee-table, with impressive photos and a very intimate writing style. Carter lauds a classic and calm sensibility, as he describes it, and repeatedly refers to logic. When I took a breath from the fantasy, the book did feel out-of-reach. Old money vibes. Overall, I award this book 5 out of 6 worldly geese. 

The New Traditional is a very refined aesthetic catalog guided by precise and thoughtful prose. Three subtitular key phrases span the top of the front cover: reinvent, balance, and define your home. The book really carefully details a design philosophy, pulling from anecdotal experience and the discipline of craft. Carter does an excellent job articulating this new approach to a traditional style, emphasizing in particular a mix of modern and antique. Elegant images of dining rooms and studies, in the limited color palette of warm neutrals, free from clutter or disarray, upon closer inspection, reveal a very intentional composition of old and new, worn patina and sleek smooth surfaces. 

As I mentioned, many of the rooms portrayed aren’t my particular style. Carter enjoys antique mechanical tools and centuries old figurines, for example. The rooms are also pretty sparse and formal. I still was able to enjoy him narrating countless examples of his design reasonings, what he did when a challenge presented itself, how he put a fun twist on a found piece of furniture. This book is generous in sharing knowledge, but I must be clear: he fancy. But he comes from traditional arts schooling (and law!) rather than a scrappy, DIY ambition. So yes, he’s dealing with nicer homes and nicer stuff, but the tone of the text (which can also get pretty fancy) is warm and insightful. And, I mean, the pictures look like they’re from a museum!

I think the reason I’m okay (I think) with this clearly well-funded designer’s interiors is because the written content expresses a tremendous amount of care and appreciation for the materials of the objects in the home. Carter is keen to preserve antiques and to experiment on pieces that aren’t. He hopes that any furniture piece or any room is not too precious to go unused, which is a very precious insight. He consistently encourages his readers to lean into their own style, to find harmony and use cooperation to achieve balance. I love how he playfully uses pieces outside of their intended function: using a dining table as a desk, altering a couch arm to hinge down for more lounging space, putting shuttered doors in front of windows for the illusion of a terrace. One of my favorite nuggets of his advice is to use the reverse side of a rug, as it preserves the rug and shows more muted, abstract colors which is to my taste. His philosophy does not seem to identify with excess, but rather with having a hand in making home feel like home for those living there, for the things they actually do… his clients just have money. 

Small critiques here. Firstly, most of the pictures were not on pages nearest the text describing them. Carter would paint such a vivid picture, I would think to myself, wow that would look cool, and then 20 pages later there it’d be: the picture he was describing! So I don’t know what the editing team was doing there. A second thing is a question: there were like 800 (hyperbole) ancient Chinese figurines mentioned, and I hope those clients were Chinese. Rich Westerners just hoarding artifacts from non-Western cultures is whack. More on this in Part 2, as The Collected Home goes into more depth about obtaining collections. 

Finally, I just wish someone who seems to be ridiculously classy would also care about using more sustainable resources. So many times he’d suggest using synthetics and other machine-made materials because of all the benefits that technology has come to provide (mostly durability). I feel a little sad, thinking, of course he can recommend that. That’s why people pay him a lot! For the result! Even if getting there isn’t green. 

In the end, 5 of 6 sumptuous geese for Darryl Carter: Part 1. I was very pleasantly surprised and actually enjoyed The New Traditional even though it wasn’t ‘my’ style. On the surface, Carter’s other book, The Collected Home, looks like more of the same, but I could be surprised again. Let’s see what more there is to see in Part 2!

With loving curiosity,

DesignMod

[wehavethoughts]

Thunder Force Review!

Thunder Force dir. Ben Falcone (2021) Marc Platt Productions and Netflix Comedy, Action, Superhero Movie

Rating: 4/5 Waves

Summary: Two childhood friends reunite after years of following their own path. Thrust together as unlikely crime-fighting partners they must work to stop the super-powered Miscreants from destroying their city and throwing the world into chaos.

Content warnings for Thunder Force: Violence, Mild Gore, Mild Body Horror

This review DOES NOT contain spoilers for Thunder Force.

Review: I didn’t expect to like this movie as much as I did. Really the only reason I even humored watching a non-DC/Marvel superhero movie was because Thunder Force promised to deliver something I’ve been waiting for possibly my entire life: Fat Superheroes, not thickly muscular, not oversized and gigantic, just fat. As a fat superhero fan myself, over the years I’ve internalized the idea that superheroes looked a certain way because how would they save the world if they weren’t overly muscular or attractively skinny? It’s just common sense that superheroes would look a certain way, right? There are very few ways to look the part of a superhero these days and so I was intrigued when I saw the Thunder Force trailer, though not particularly optimistic.

Fatphobia in media has generally relegated plus sized characters to disgusting slobs, gluttonous villains or, if we’re really lucky, the comedic relief. Thunder Force did make a few missteps with regards to these damaging tropes, but honestly it might be the most respectful portrayal of fat people I’ve seen in a movie. It definitely is the kindest a superhero movie has ever treated fat characters. For one, there are multiple significant characters that are plus sized throughout this movie and all of them are their own distinct character with agency and motivation that has nothing to do with their weight. The entirety of the titular superhero team Thunder Force (Lydia Berman played by Melissa McCarthy and Emily Stanton played by Octavia Spencer) are both plus sized.

I can’t even explain how nice it was to finally be able to see myself reflected in a superhero. Even in previous movies where I was partially represented like with Wonder Woman I was left thinking, “oh yeah women can be superheroes sure, but probably not women like me.” It occurred to me while thoroughly enjoying this movie that there is no reason that injecting yourself with a super serum or getting irradiated with some superhero-making rays should automatically give you a six pack and a thigh gap. This is fiction. Superheroes can look any way we want them to.

So yeah there were a couple slob jokes about how Lydia lives her life and the romance (while genuinely cute in my opinion) has some problematic leanings, but there were also some really fun and relatable fat jokes that for once didn’t leave me feeling terrible about my body.

Aside from the honestly groundbreaking portrayal of fat superheroes and the fact that there are a staggering amount of women characters (woohoo!), the plot itself was fun without being particularly complex. It is very much marketed towards children (even if some of the jokes lean more towards the 13 of the PG-13 rating) so if you are looking for something gritty or serious this is not the superhero movie for you. If you need something light and uplifting to cap off your evening, then this is worth the watch. For fans of superhero movies, Thunder Force is going to come across as predictable, but I would argue that it is in a cathartic way. There are a few surprises, but for the seasoned superhero/action fan the plot will probably ring familiar. I found it comforting and it inspired trust in the narrative so that even when things got rough I knew I would get my happy ending.

My favorite part of this movie was the training montage. In these excellently done scenes Lydia and Emily build and practice with their new superpowers. I’m always in the mood for a training montage, but the pacing and the results of this one really made it feel earned when their powers reached their potential. We really got to know these characters as they became accustomed to their new reality. It also allowed for some hilarious training hijinks.

Overall, I recommend this movie to anyone that is willing to take a step back and enjoy this as the light, fun movie it is. Thunder Force is not a groundbreaking masterpiece of storytelling, but it never claims to be. What the movie does do is bring real meaningful representation to plus sized women while still managing to be cute, fun and inspiring. We can be superheroes too.

~TideMod

[wehavethoughts]

The Uncanny Counter Review!

The Uncanny Counter (경이로운 소문)

Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Thriller TV show

Originally aired on OCN (2020). Distributed by Netflix in the U.S.

Written by: Yeo Ji-na (여지나)

Directed by: Yoo Seon-dong (유선동)

Rating: 4.5 bingsu’s

This post CONTAINS spoilers for The Uncanny Counter.

Content Warnings for The Uncanny Counter: violence, bullying

Summary: Based on the webtoon with the same name*, this show follows SoMun’s adventure where he transforms from a high school student to a Counter. The Counters have the power to sense and fight against evil spirits. They work as a team to tackle evil spirits who try to capture human bodies.

I absolutely enjoyed this Korean superhero show. The show differs itself from traditional superhero shows to the point that I’m a bit hesitant to call it one. While the characters have the usual elements of other superheroes such as being selected to serve the common good and living with the painful past, many of their aspects are new and unique.  

To give a brief background about the show, there are evil spirits who have the power to detect people who are evil spirited, take over their body and soul to strengthen their power. I found this perspective interesting - that they are not after innocent beings, but rather it follows the like-attracts-like design. The more people they possess, the stronger they get. 

The Counters are essentially brought back to life from death. They were all in a coma (except for SoMun, watch the show to find out how he becomes a Counter!) but are given consciousness and strong power in exchange for accepting the destiny of being a Counter and using their power to fight the evil spirits. They are connected to their partner spirits who reside in Yung, where heaven, hell, and afterlife coincide. 

It was refreshing to see a superhero show that is set in a non-Western world, Korea to be specific, and own all the Korean-ness as well. It didn’t feel like the show was trying to imitate the superhero archetype set by the Western media. The Counters run a mom-and-pop noodle restaurant when they are not fighting against evil spirits. They are not famous or even known to the public, and actually, one of their priorities is to not get discovered by the lay people. And they wear full-on sweats to their missions - not the fancy kind, but the kind that resembles the PE uniform worn by Korean students, the kind that the Korean media usually portrays ‘lazy unemployed people’ in. I’ve put quotation marks there because I believe it is problematic to portray them in that stereotypical manner without addressing the societal and structural barrier, but that’s a whole other story. 

What makes the show really special is that the sentiments of 정 and 한 run through the whole show. (You can read more about Jeong/Jung 정 here, and more about Han 한 here.) The feelings of deeply tangled affection and sorrow dictate the storyline, not only giving the plot validity but also inviting the audience to really empathize with the Counters.

I also loved the strong female superheroes, Hana (played by Kim Se-jeong 김세정) and MaeOk (played by Yeom Hye-ran 염혜란). What I appreciated is they were strong, compassionate, and powerful female superheroes who do not wear tight suits or show off their sexiness. There is nothing wrong with doing so, but often female characters are sexually objectified and the sexiness is added without adding any depth to the story. I felt much pleasure watching women who seem like they could be my own mother or sister, or my next door neighbor, fully being their ‘regular citizen’ selves but also doing all the superhero stuff.

And I loved loved loved how they redefined the meaning of family. Especially in the Korean culture, families related by blood matter a lot. However in the show, people who lost their loved ones, who are struggling with their own grief or who are isolated from the community come together and develop new familial bonds. They define their own living family, who they can depend on and who they can trust with their lives.

One shortcoming I felt was that this new family still resembles the traditional ‘normal’ family, the only form the Korean society (and many others as well) seem to be comfortable in accepting. One that consists of a father figure, a mother figure, and children. At some point I would love to see media that imagines families beyond this ‘normal’ structure and show how deep, inseparable, and beautiful such families can be. 

 CoreaMod

*The webtoon and the TV show have the same name in Korean but it was translated differently into English. The webtoon translated to Amazing Rumor and the show to The Uncanny Counter. The word 소문 has dual meanings here: It is the main protagonist’s name, and in Korean, it can also mean rumors.

[wehavethoughts]

Easy Homemade Pita Recipe Review!

Easy Homemade Pita Recipe

Media Type: Recipe 

Source/Author: The Mediterranean Dish/Suzy Karadsheh

Skill Level: Beginner

5/5 Cinnamon Buns

After a dinner from a Mediterranean restaurant featuring their scrumptious homemade pita, I was determined to make my own. It’s very easy and comes together so quickly. I can’t believe I have never made pita bread before! This is a basic, easy-to-follow recipe I will definitely come back to over and over again. My family and I finished the entire batch in one day.

Cinna-Mod’s Alterations:

Used table salt instead of kosher salt, reduced amount slightly. Recipe calls for 1-2 tsp, I used a scant 1tsp

Used non-stick pan instead of cast iron

The Experience:

The recipe calls for the dough to be rested for 10 minutes after it just comes together. Waiting that 10 minutes really makes a huge difference in the kneading process! The dough is much easier to work with.

I did not need to dust with the remaining ½ cup of flour during this process.

Using this method, it took me about 3 minutes to cook each pita. Lay rolled out dough in the pan for 30 seconds, flip and cook the other side for 1.5 minutes, and flip again for another minute. Some of my pita stayed flat, some of them bubbled, and a few of them fully puffed up! 

I was not the best at controlling the heat so my pita browned, but I don’t believe this negatively affected the taste. Next time, I will try this with a lower heat setting.

 The Taste/Texture

Very tasty! Not too bland or too salty. 

Perfect to eat by itself or with hummus

For Next Time:

Use a lower heat

Test this recipe in the oven

Make with falafel <3

-CinnaMod-

No Content Warnings Apply

[wehavethoughts]

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World and Become a Good Ancestor Review!

Media Title:  Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor Author: Layla F. Saad Media Type: Electronic copy book Genre: Antiracism, Self Improvement, World view Reviewed By: MargeMod Content Warnings for Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor: One racist rant (page 60) has been included as illustration of 'extreme manifestation of white superiority ideology'. Other content warnings for this book include discussions centered around racism, sexism and slavery.

Rating:  Full Bouquet out of a Full Bouquet

Summary: Based on a live 28 day Instagram Challenge, the author gives us a personal antiracism tool designed to help people, specifically people with white privilege understand their role in white supremacy. Within the format of a daily discussion and journal prompts, this book firmly identifies the foundational supports of racism, identifies who and what is responsible, and gives specific next-step instructions on how to help dismantle this oppressive system. Among many important observations Saad answers the question of what individuals can do to combat racism, change the world and become a good ancestor. She encourages the reader to first identify what is going to help you stay committed to this work when the going gets tough, because the going gets tough real fast. Her compassion is evident in her well-timed assurances throughout the book that this is seriously hard work that must be done by white people.

Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC)

Review:  Some books are written for entertainment, others to inform, and then there is this book that clearly demands action. Throughout Me and White Supremacy, key terms are clearly defined and there is no assumption that everyone comes with a common understanding. The points she makes are made in a logical sequence and are repeatedly tied together. The examples given at the end of each discussion section are very helpful.

As a white reader, my understanding did not come at the first mention of a key term, but by the second or the third time it is referenced, I got it. The author anticipated my reaction accurately many times, specifically in the discussion on white fragility and white centering. She explains that white is seen as normal and non-white as "other". It took me back to 1974 to the first time I saw a Christmas card with a black Santa and it had never occurred to me before that moment that Santa could be black.

I recognize that I have much to learn. Because I listened to my white fragility throughout my life and stopped reading or didn't pick up books about the scary disturbing stuff, my knowledge of history is sorely lacking.  Also, I recognize now that I need to read more books by people of color because there is a whole universe of stories and perspectives I’ve never interacted with and I want to. I agree with the author: ending/stopping the perpetuation of racism is work to be done by white people. I’ve given this book my highest rating (a full bouquet) because reading this book has begun a shift in me and how I intend to interact with the world going forward. Thank you, Layla Saad.

[wehavethoughts]

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Review!

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing By Marie Kondo Translated by Cathy Hirano Ten Speed Press, 2014

The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.

Here we go: let’s dive into the KonMari method and talk about the book that sparks joy! The tiny hardcover has no images, only text, and does stray from the “design” lean of the media I’ve reviewed thus far. However, it certainly is found in the Home section of many libraries, and ultimately does respond to one of my main queries with the DesignMod page, that is: how do we relate to the material objects around us, and how do they relate to us? The space of a home is certainly connected to your heart space and mental space.

Overall, this book gets 5 of 6 joyful geese. Without pictures, I got a little cerebral while reading, taking notes and asking questions like I do when I’m researching for a paper/article. This isn’t what threw me off, however. While Marie Kondo is ridiculously charming and her acknowledgement of the precious relationship between people and our things is truly key (*chef’s kiss), I can’t help but get frustrated at how she talks about throwing things ‘away’. More on this after the positives.

Many people around the world are familiar with the name Marie Kondo. The first things that come to mind are often a) neat folding techniques, and b) the question, “does it spark joy?”. There are many nuggets of wisdom across these pages. Here are some of my faves:

Do not even think about putting your things away until you have finished the process of discarding.

...we should be choosing what we want to keep, not what we want to get rid of. 

...always think in terms of category, not place.

To quietly work away at disposing of your own excess is actually the best way of dealing with a family that doesn’t tidy. 

The key is to store things standing up rather than laid flat.

The point in deciding specific places to keep things is to designate a spot for every thing. 

Clutter is caused by a failure to return things to where they belong. Therefore, storage should reduce the effort needed to put things away, not the effort needed to get them out.

...arrange your storage so that you can tell at a glance where everything is…

As someone who grew up in the USA, I appreciate the KonMari method’s attention to reducing excess. Kondo also discusses the benefit of individually honing decision making skills as well as the ability to articulate your preferences. Her process asks that you hold each of your possessions one by one, an incredibly intimate opportunity to listen to why you are holding onto it. Being able to do this is definitely a skill; I’m sure you know someone who “loves” practically anything, or perhaps someone who is rarely satisfied. Asking if an item sparks joy is a good alternative to more proscriptive decluttering solutions, which necessitate that you keep a fixed number of items, or that you buy specific items. The KonMari method instead is very subjective, which I think is fab. 

The book includes biographical anecdotes from Kondo in addition to a detailed explanation of the very specific process that is the KonMari method. She doesn’t shy from bragging about her business’s success, which leads me to my first critique. It must be understood that the KonMari method is heavily branded. She is a true phenomenon, starting from working with clients in Japan to a series on Netflix, a collection with The Container Store, and beyond. The website includes items like storage bins that one should purchase for a tidy home, even though her content suggests using old shoeboxes. This is something that she has worked very hard to develop. I think this book is a good resource for people wanting to learn about Kondo’s story as well as the particulars of her approach to tidying. However, I can’t help but notice capitalist vibes in how much is being sold. 

My main critique lies in the discussion of waste, or lack thereof. It is positive that the method focuses on deciding what to keep in contrast to what to get rid of. The process is definitely more joyful that way. However, a huge part of the excess we possess is the excess we discard. We can consume so much because it’s so commonplace to throw things away, whether it’s because they are broken or because we now like something else. I’ve learned a lot about the institutionalized systems profiting off of waste production from the Slow Factory Foundation. Simply “recycling” or even “donating” items does not assume much responsibility, especially because many items designated for ‘charity’ end up in landfills, burned, or shipped to poorer countries to deal with.

Maybe you’ve heard the term fast fashion, which refers to business models in which inexpensive clothing is produced rapidly by mass-market retailers to keep up with trends. These systems exist in the Global North and usurp communities in the Global South by ways of landfills, under-paid labor, and general pollution. In many ways, the production behind any home item has become fast. Ask yourself, “how many items do I own that I can name the person who made it?” It’s a tough question for the average American. I’m Italian, and the situation there is similar, although home spaces in Italy are much much smaller. 

I’m curious about the perspective on waste in Japan. Kondo developed her method when working with Japanese clients, primarily middle-aged, professional women. My point with this criticism is simply a worry regarding people living in the Global North who are less invested in minimizing waste, that they will take this book and discard things without acknowledging that there is no “away” when you throw something out. Kondo briefly touches upon how discerning what sparks joy should also be considered before buying anything after the big tidy. Nonetheless, I wish there were more consideration of class and economic status, that for many people with limited resources, they don’t have the luxury of getting rid of things they simply don’t like.

Once you learn to choose your belongings properly, you will be left only with the amount that fits perfectly in the space you currently own.

Overall, the book is very helpful and easy to read. Kondo’s approach is clear but also subjective, an excellent recipe for a deep transformation to restore balance and harmony in the home. 

With loving curiosity, 

DesignMod

[wehavethoughts]

Zack Snyder's Justice League Review!

Zack Snyder's Justice League dir. Zack Snyder (2021) Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, Atlas Entertainment and The Stone Quarry Science Fiction, Action, Superhero Movie

Rating: 3.5 Waves

Summary: Tormented by visions of a dark future, Bruce Wayne aka The Batman attempts to gather a team of superheroes to defend the planet. When alien tyrant Steppenwolf arrives on Earth seeking a long forgotten technology, this group of heroes must do everything in their power to keep him from locating all three Mother Boxes and destroying the world.

Content warnings: Violence, Death, Body Horror, Gore

This review DOES NOT contain spoilers for Zack Snyder's Justice League

A bit of background for those of you thinking “Didn’t Justice League come out years ago?” You are exactly right! Justice League was released in theaters in 2017 and is the fifth movie in the DCEU (DC Extended Universe). The same company that produced Justice League then funded Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) which is a different version of the story that was released in 2017. Zack Snyder was actually the original director of Justice League (2017), but he stepped away from the project during post production and the film was handed over to director Joss Whedon. Whedon’s creative decisions led to rewrites, heavy editing and a notorious reshoot that required removal of Henry Cavill’s mustache via CGI. Therefore, Justice League as it premiered in theaters in 2017 was Joss Whedon’s vision of the story. As some of you might remember, Justice League (2017) was considered a “flop” as it lost the studio ~$60 million overall and was received by fans with mixed to negative reviews (6.2/10 IMDB, 40% Rotten Tomatoes). But since Zack Snyder had left so late in the project, there were rumors that his version of the film had been nearly finished and there was hope that the movie Snyder filmed was actually better than what Whedon had created. Fans took to social media to demand that Warner Bros release the “Snyder Cut'' of Justice League and in a move I personally find baffling, Warner Bros actually gave Zack Snyder another $70 million to finish his version. Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) which was released on HBO Max is the final product.

While understanding the context of how this movie came about is neat and honestly pretty hilarious, I never got around to see Justice League (2017) so I cannot give any commentary on whether this new film is any better. For those who are curious, my fiancée who has seen both says that the movies are extremely similar in plot, but there are significant changes to characterization and pacing. This review will solely be on the merits and shortfalls of Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) in a spoiler free context since the movie was released just over a week ago (if you want to talk spoilers DM me I have So Many Thoughts).

Honestly, I was surprised how much I enjoyed this movie. My expectations were quite low considering what I heard about the original 2017 version and the fact that I’m more of a Marvel fan. The most surprising thing for me was that I sat through the entire 4 hr and 2 min runtime (for reference the runtime for Justice League (2017) is 2 hrs). Aside from Lord of the Rings (Return of the King runtime 4 hr 11min), I usually don’t indulge in movies that require me to block off an entire day, but I was curious and I love bandwagons.

The highlight of this movie are the characters. Each of our main characters had a deep, solid backstory that drew me in and made me invested in what was happening in this world. One thing lacking in a lot of ensemble superhero movies is balanced screen time between the main cast, but Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) uses its time wisely to give each character depth and critical purpose in the narrative. Even the villain had compelling motivation as to why he is on earth doing dastardly deeds, and while I wasn’t rooting for him, I respected his motivations. I also appreciated that the writers of this movie made the characters intelligent. Sure, some decisions were driven more by emotion than logic, but the way defenses are set up and how our heroes use their unique powers left me incredibly impressed.

The characters’ interactions with each other was also very enjoyable. Snyder took the time to include scenes centered around the team chilling with each other in ways that were refreshingly low stakes and mundane. The story was interspersed with scenes like Wonder Woman and Alfred making tea, Aquaman and Wonder Woman musing over cultural differences, and Cyborg and Flash digging up a body where you could really see the characters grow from strangers to teammates to friends. These scenes also peppered in some light humor that kept the movie from becoming too dark without distracting from the tone.

Since Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) is technically an action movie and it is rated R, I feel like I should touch on the action sequences. Overall, the action was incredibly fun to watch! It was made for the big screen so watching the epic battles for the first time on my TV at home was a bit underwhelming, but the well choreographed, high stakes fights were still visually pleasing. For a rated R movie there was not as much gore as there could have been, which I appreciated and the level of violence was pretty much what I expected from a comic book movie.

The action scenes also do a fantastic job with power escalation. By that I mean the action illustrates the limits of one character’s power clearly in relation to other characters’ powers. This way you are aware of exactly how impressive the characters and their powers are on their own and so when someone or something stronger shows up we have context for how big of a threat we are dealing with. The clean way the story shows us everyone’s respective powers and their limits makes it so the stakes feel more tangible and it's not just unfathomably strong characters beating the shit out of each other with the winner decided by chance.

There are a few reasons the movie didn’t get a full five waves from me. First was that the Amazon’s outfits were very clearly made by horny men based on how much skin they were showing. I, a bisexual, personally love to see superheroes in less then full coverage, but when the Amazon warriors have their entire stomachs and cleavage out of their armor for no reason it exhausts me. What happened to the tasteful and stylish armor from Wonder Woman (2017)? This feels like a step in the wrong direction.

The next concern I have that has kept me from recommending this movie to people is the overall pacing and length. While there were some great uses of the extended run time like the action sequences and team bonding I mention above, there were so many scenes that were way too slow for me to stay engaged. I found myself editing the movie in my head, like did we really need 2 full minutes of Bruce Wayne and his horse climbing a dreary mountain? I don’t think so. This was a narrative where I needed to pay attention lest I miss critical pieces of the story, but the random scenes that dragged on too long had me going to get snacks and checking my phone throughout. If I could rate the movie by halves the first half would get 2.5 Waves because of how it dragged and the second half would get closer to 4.5 Waves since the story really picks up and fun things start to happen.

The final part of this movie that kept it from getting a higher rating was how closely it was tied to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In fact, the first scene of Zack Snyder's Justice League is the final scene of Batman v Superman. There were many plot critical tie-ins to previous movies that left me feeling confused until I googled my questions during the slow scenes. If you have never seen Batman v Superman or Man of Steel then you will miss a lot of this movie, which I thought was unfair because other DCEU movies came out before the first iteration of Justice League like Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad and while events in those movies are mentioned in passing they are not nearly as important as the Batman and Superman-centric films. If the DCEU is going to pick favorites, the least it can do is pick movies I actually like (Wonder Woman (2017) remains my favorite DCEU movie to date). In general, superhero movies seem to be trending toward sagas and I prefer movies that you can just watch and enjoy without needing to see a bunch of other movies first.

Overall, I did very much enjoy this movie, but based on the run time alone it is not going to be for everyone. Measuring movie success during the pandemic is trickier than looking at box office numbers and labeling it a success or a flop, but it does appear that Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) is doing well as far as critical reception and viewership. I hope that this success will allow the DCEU to explore all of the fun nooks and crannies of the universe Snyder pulled together. In fact, half of the epilogue of this movie felt like set up for future movies. I hope they come to fruition because there were some pretty compelling teasers at the end that I would love to see played out on the big screen.

As I mentioned before, I’ve never seen the original cut of Justice League, but Snyder’s version left me fulfilled and satisfied with the narrative, so I am happy to have seen this newest cut first. This is a movie for people who love DC, love superhero movies or are just really invested in the hype.

~TideMod

[wehavethoughts]

Japchae by Korean Bapsang Review!

Japchae by Korean Bapsang

Recipe: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/japchae-korean-stir-fried-starch/

Published: 11/25/2020 

Updated: 01/23/2021

Rating: 5/5 Hotteok's

Summary: Korean sweet potato starch noodles seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil, mixed with various vegetables 

No content warnings apply.

It was my first time trying a recipe from the blog Korean Bapsang and I must say, I absolutely enjoyed the recipe and her writing. She starts by explaining what Japchae means and talks about a couple variations of the dish. She also describes how the dish is usually served: “as an appetizer or a side dish or over a bed of rice to make it a main dish.” I appreciate how she provides context so that people who are unfamiliar with the dish can understand how to enjoy it. Throughout the recipe, she indicates what each ingredient’s name is called in Korean. This was another minor but important and meaningful detail I appreciated.

To my pleasant surprise, she even explains how to make a vegan version! Though it’s a very simple modification (use more mushrooms or add tofu instead of the meat), I was glad to see she had vegan readers in mind. I, of course, went with the vegan version.

As she writes, usually Japchae is made with carrots, onions, scallions, beef/pork, shiitake mushrooms, and spinach. However, the name means “mixed vegetables” so you can use whatever vegetables you would like. It’s a really good recipe to use up any vegetables that have been sitting in your fridge. I used carrots, onions, scallions, baby bella mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and bok choy.

Besides using a bit different vegetable selection, I stuck to the recipe truthfully. The end result was delicious! I would definitely use this recipe again. I've tried to make Japchae before, but this one turned out to be the best. When I make this again, the only modification I’d make is to use fewer noodles. I underestimated the amount of noodles I was cooking and there was an explosion of noodles in the kitchen. So my household will be eating Japchae for a while ;)

Note to self: use only one bunch of dangmyeon in the future!

CoreaMod

[wehavethoughts]

Chocolate Cake in a Rice Cooker Review!

Media Type: Recipe 

Source/Author: Souped Up Recipes

Skill Level: Beginner

4/5 Cinnamon Buns

A few years ago, I discovered the world of “baking” cakes in a rice cooker which intrigued me. I was hesitant to try it until now because it didn’t look like it was going to save me time or make a better cake. I finally took the plunge and I’m very pleasantly surprised by how easy and low maintenance it was. The cook time was approximately one hour, but it would depend on the size of your rice cooker. This is a cake I will make again to satisfy my chocolate cake cravings, but probably not one I’d make to impress.

Cinna-Mod’s Alterations:

Used milk + lemon juice instead of buttermilk

Reduced sugar from 1 cup to ⅔ cup

Used powdered sugar instead of ganache to top the cake

The Experience:

Note: In this particular recipe, sugar is considered a dry ingredient although it is usually listed to be combined with other wet ingredients.

The recipe called to melt butter over the stove, but I stuck mine in the microwave until just melted.

The author of the recipe worked with a different rice cooker that required her to push a button every 15 minutes. I did not need to do that.

In hindsight, the cake was probably done in my rice cooker at 40 minutes.

The Taste/Texture:

This is not the best chocolate cake I’ve had, but it was probably the easiest one I’ve made from scratch!

For the most part, the texture is very light. The bottom of the cake closest to the heating element was a little harder (I think this would have been avoided if I left it in for only 40 minutes)

Reducing the sugar to ⅔ of the cup was perfect for me! It was very chocolatey for only having cocoa powder without being too sweet.

For Next Time:

Cook for less time

Serve with fruit and ganache or whipped cream

-CinnaMod-