Tteokbokki (dokbokki) is a Korean rice cake snack commonly found at Pojangmacha (small tented streetside stalls in South Korea). Our local foodcourts have it as well but the one sold in the Kopitiam in Yew Tee, only has rice cakes, onions and nothing else. One plate for $4...The ones sold by Dongdaemun franchise found in shopping malls are also quite nice with fish cake slices and some vege, but rather spicy.
Thought of cooking this at home, so bought back the ingredients. Basic stuffs include rice cake (duh!), fish cake and gochujang (hot sauce paste made out of chili, glutinous rice, fermented soy beans and salt).
gochujang
there are two types and this one is the milder version
rice cakes
fish cakes
Once the basic ingredients are there, then basically you can add anything else that you like to eat. Other ingredients included large onions, spring onions, vegetables, little bit of fish sauce and for that extra something in the soup, I added clams.
Wash, clean and cut up onions, vegetables and fish cakes.
butter, onions and vegetables
clams
fish cakes slices and rice cakes
Once everything is prepared, then it's time to start cooking!
one pot cooks all
Sauté the onions with the butter (I don't have oil for frying in my house.... hahaa). Then let it caramelised a little before pouring water into the pot. How much water? Hmmm, enough to cook the rest of the stuff? Hahaa, didn't really measure so just go with gut feel! =P
Then add 2 large tablespoon of gochujang and dissolve it into the bubbling water with the onions. Add in the vegetables and spring onions and cook till soft. Then add in the clams, fish cakes and rice cakes. Cook till rice cakes are softer but still chewy, or whichever your preference is. When it's almost ready, just add a dash of fish sauce for taste.
cooking onion stock
all vegetables in
cook and stir till vegetables soften, then add in rice cakes & fish cakes
My colleague brought me this from her Melbourne trip. Jumpy's are kangaroo shaped crisps snacks.
Jumpy's many flavours
ate this
cute?
Here's a profile shot of one lone roo:
jumping ard
It's really heavy on seasoning and kind of tasty but not particularly healthy, I guess? Not the usual crunchy, but somewhat hollow kind of crunch. Makes sense?
The case of an overworked student being sentenced to a day in jail for skipping lessons. Huh? Yep, skipping school. It's a crime. At least in Texas it seems. Quoting from the article, "According to Texas truancy law students can have no more than 10
unexcused absences - full days or part days - within six months, and no
more than three absences within one month."
This is just a 17 year old student, who has to work 2 jobs to support her siblings after their parents divorced.
KTV after long long hiatus. When was the last session? Probably two or three years ago? Gosh. So since SL initiated it, off we went for one @Party World KTV Yishun Northpoint.
Few things had changed since. The package price is no longer listed in their website, and the VIP card has changed since 2011. Anyway, it says I can get the card exchanged at any of its 9 outlets for free if the old card is presented. So, turned out that the price for each pax on a Saturday (after 10% discount for members or UOB credit card) is $28, incl. of 2 free drinks. But strangely, the girl did not change my card. She just said, "It's ok liao, already deducted 10% from the bill." Errr.. yalar, but you guys supposed to give me a new card mah...? On a side note, nowadays the KOD charges is $4. Used to be like what, $1 per pax?
room decor
song selection and screen
The room was just alright for 3 pax, not too big not too small. But it's kind of dilapidated...
run down looking couch
And, we found a suspicious looking pack of grapes in a plastic bag left on the couch... eeew...probably has been there since the night before? Eeek.
Yet another change is that the free drinks in the package no longer consist of bubble teas. Nowadays, the free drinks are like coffee, tea, milo, honey, soft drinks, juice or ice lemon tea. Blame it on inflation, I guess.
free drinks and snacks
Other than that, it was fun. We sang for four hours, just the three of us.
One year older and none the wiser. Haha.
Thank you all for the well wishes, and am glad that people who matters did remember. =)
What does it feel like to turn another year older? Well, for one...my wrist watch stopped working. Its digital function is still running but the analog hand was suddenly slower by an hour. Hmmm...if only that'll slow down the ageing process a little. Well, that's some thought.
The other, was suddenly it has become even easier to gain weight. Ya, and no joke...2 kilos!
Sometimes, it's just pretty amazing because I have absolutely no idea how did I last till now.
To all my friends, I am thankful to still have you and your companionship. Which I know, while stocks last (till each and everyone of you, gets married!).
Read this piece of news today. A SG couple stole packet drinks and packs of rice from a convenience store. More interesting fact, the guy decided to steal because he ran out of drinks in his fridge. What???
The guy an aeronautical engineering student from Imperial College (that's like quite a prestigious college in England, yes?) and the girl, a law grad. Double what??!
Ok, cool. Let's not be judgemental. But what were they thinking. Or rather, did they not think for a moment of what they were about to do?
Apprently, it was reported that the guy had ADHD and depressive disorder. Hmmm, so these could potentially be contributing factors but what about his girlfriend then? Maybe just an impulse? But it was also stated that they tried to forge receipts after the theft was discovered. Doesn't that show a calculated move? Humans sure are complicated.
On paper, it looked like these two are throwing away their potentially good future. Or maybe, these two really need some serious help.
But more shockingly, was a piece of news from abroad where a 'friend' killed a mom and her daughter and abducted another two girls (daughter of the mom that was killed) which thankfully, were found alive but weak and hungry. This man later shot himself as he was surrounded by police.
Has our world always been this chaotic? With all the technological advancement and the amount of knowledge that we try to cram into our heads, how come we are not changing for the better?
Haven't been listening to English songs, but this one was used somewhere else and it sounded familiar. Familiar 'coz first heard it at a drinking place ;)
Glad That You Came cover (original: The Wanted)
Boyce Avenue, dishy looking guys who looked awfully alike! Hahaa, at first I thought they were the same person, just recorded their separate tracks and joined together later on. =P Anyways, seems like the YouTube universe likes the guy who's doing the beating of that wooden box contraption. Not bad.
Without You cover (original: David Guetta ft. Usher)
Apparently, Tiffany Alvord, Megan Nicole... all did pretty much the same covers. But Boyce Avenue version of this song is the best. But still it's all quite cool. Now it's like one song could spin off n number of covers and each of the singers put their cover version in iTunes and each would've their own fan base who's buying all of these. Cool! One song generates income for many. Sustainable mode of business! ;)
Here's a competent cover of Safe and Sound (Tiffany Alvord and Megan Nicole).
Safe and Sound cover (original: Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars)
Songwriters are also pretty much encouraged by this trend, I suppose. Write once, and receive royalty by unlimited singers. WoooOoohoo! Nice.
Also liked Boyce Avenue's cover of Teenage Dream.
Teenage Dream cover (original: Katy Perry)
They also changed the lyrics abit, where the couple in the song does something else through out the night. =x Hahaa!
